"Grief is the price we pay for love."
--- Queen Elizabeth II
Another lamentable leave-taking. It was in the gloaming on the mountain in Tennessee when I received word from my first cousin, once removed, Delores Brumfield Jenkins that her beloved sister Sue Brumfield Griggs had succumbed earlier in the day, Saturday, October 19, at the age of eighty-four.
A long-time resident of Baton Rouge, Glenna Sue --- who went by Sue --- was born to Athan and Freddy Brumfield in February of 1940. She was the beloved eldest sister of Jeanette Cooper (Will), Delores Jenkins (the late Ray), and Murdock Brumfield (Kira) and the late Tommy Lou Stafford (Pete), Bobbie Miller (Larry), and Durwood Brumfield.
They were a close-knit clan who remained tight for the whole of life. My mother, their first cousin, marveled at how they cleaved to one another, in adulthood, just as they did in their youth --- talking every single day, seamlessly sharing news. An enviable quality and relationship, indeed. I know that the importance of family was something impressed upon them by their father Athan Brumfield, my grandfather Thomas Colter (T. C.) Brumfield's youngest sibling. The brothers grew up on ancestral property five miles northeast of Franklinton, Route 1 Franklinton as it was known back then. And there, they raised their families.
In my humble opinion, it was their upbringing in the church that was another significant factor in their steadfast nature. The Brumfield children were raised in Centenary Methodist Church, where their great-grandmother Sophronia Brumfield (my great-great-grandmother) was one of the earliest members. And they also received a strong education in Franklinton, where Sue graduated from Franklinton High School about 1958, moving to Baton Rouge with friend Juanita Wheat for work.
Sue subsequently married Charles Staton and then Jimmy Griggs (1940-2013). I never knew the former, but I came to know the latter well --- my husband Rodney very much enjoyed his company. Jimmy, a Nuclear Weapons Specialist for the U.S. Navy, was a long-time employee of Exxon with thirty-five years of service. When I really got to know Cousin Sue, his health was failing. She was a devoted spouse, not leaving Jimmy's side in the hospital or at home. And she knew her way around a hospital, having worked a long time at Baton Rouge General. In a nutshell, you could count on Sue.
The couple had a beautiful home in Baton Rouge where she grew a bounty of flowers and vegetables. I was blessed to join them there, for holiday gatherings, with the cousins. But perhaps what Sue enjoyed most was coming home, to her property off Westmoreland Road --- Washington Parish property which she inherited from her parents. She kept a pretty little place here for weekend retreats. A hop, skip, and a jump from our farm, Cousin Sue could round the corner on Creel and T. C. Brumfield Roads and be at our farm in a jiff. She and her beloved sisters joined us here for special occasions. I am awash with fond memories.
And in all candor, I cannot imagine a better place to honor Cousin Sue than this column. A reliable reader, reading me like clockwork, she offered kind commentary. The way she once described it to me was, "It's like having a visit with you every week."
But everything wasn't always coming up roses. When I made a mistake or an omission, Sue didn't hesitate to call. The post office series I wrote back in 2018 didn't cover her brother Murdock, a longtime Franklinton Post Office employee, because he had previously retired. Naturally, she felt that he should have been featured. While I didn't disagree, I couldn't begin to include retired postal workers because I could not possibly cover them all. Had I tried, there would have had omissions galore. All I could do in good conscience was include those who were there the day I visited the Post Office. Perhaps Cousin Sue understood after I presented my case, but I never thought she was totally convinced. She was a loyal sister, and I appreciated her opinion.
I didn't find out until after Sue's demise that she read my column, word for word, to her sisters by phone. Cousin Delores informed that this ritual was routine "even though we got The Era-Leader and could read." According to Delores, Sue apprised her sisters weekly, "Let me tell you what Cecily said today." It tickles me to no end that she thought it worthy of repeat.
Sue was a loving mother to her children Troy Staton, the late Kimmie Staton (Capella), and Joseph "Joey" Griggs (Krystle) and to her stepson Lee Griggs (Angela) and stepdaughters Jimmie Craft (Eddie), Susan Raymond (Ricky), and Linda Clement (Art). Sue also had a passel of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom she adored.
While she was dutiful in her role of mother and grandmother, life wasn't without hardship. I well remember the unexpected death in August 1995 of her daughter Kimmie, thirty years old and a young mother. She and I had been born twelve days apart in December of 1964. My parents returned from the funeral home in Baton Rouge, shaken. It isn't the natural order to lose a child. Cousin Sue talked with me, about the tragic loss, years later. Heartbroken, she and Kimmie were exceptionally close. Sue's strong faith saw her through.
Active in Temple Baptist Church and also with the Exxon retirees club in Baton Rouge, Sue was amiable and well-liked by all who were blessed to know her. I count myself lucky to have been in that number, fortunate to have been part of her family. I already miss Cousin Sue. We loved her.
