Matriarchs & Quotes
This legendary grandmother gave a famous warning to the kids, telling them: "If you do that again and I don’t whip you, grits ain’t groceries!"
Who is Sa Ruth (Ruth Neal Davis)?
Matriarchs Annie Ruth Buggs & Bessie Mae Parker were famous for baking mouthwatering pound cakes and this specific citrus meringue pie.
What is Lemon Meringue Pie?
Affectionately known as "Uncle Buddy," this devoted family man stepped in to help move his mother out of rural sharecropping.
Who is Alfonza Smith?
Bessie Mae Parker was an active, dedicated member and usher at this United Methodist church for over 50 years.
What is Sweet Home United Methodist Church?
This mechanical engineer and proud Black Southern woman is known affectionately by the family as the "rich auntie."
Who is LaToyia Buggs?
Mariah loves to repeat this classic piece of comfort wisdom: "That's your little red wagon—you can push it or..."
What is "...pull it"?
Growing up, LaToyia Buggs’ absolute favorite dessert was the lemon meringue pie baked lovingly by her grandmother.
Who is Annie Ruth?
Before migrating north to Gadsden, the family's original roots and hometowns were in this Alabama county.
What is Bullock County?
During childhood summer visits to see Aunt Lola, Rodney famously disliked this specific farm detail due to a lack of plumbing.
What is the outhouse?
She shared her guiding principles for life and future generations as: "Always have your own" and "Nobody owes you anything."
Who is LaToyia Buggs?
This strong matriarch endured the demanding labor of sharecropping in Bullock County before the family's transition.
Who is Harriett Pitts?
Whenever the family gathers, Mariah notes that these two specific comfort items—one being Auntie Angela's chicken salad and the other being Nanny's staple side—remind her of home.
What are Chicken Salad and Cornbread?
When the family first packed up and moved to Gadsden, they settled into the 11th Street Projects, a community now known as this village.
What is Carver Village?
Summer family gatherings were often marked by this outdoor porch activity, where everyone sat together prepping peas and shucking this vegetable.
What is Corn?
This family member defined true relationship wisdom by stating: "Love people the way they want to be loved, not the way you want to love them."
Who is Carla Bugg?
These three cousins were the specific targets of Sa Ruth's famous "grits ain't groceries" behavioral warning.
Who are Rodney, Tiffany, and Andre?
Uncle JT was legendary for hosting large family picnics centered around this outdoor activity and comfort food tradition.
What is Fried Fish / Fish Fries?
Along with Inverness and Tory, this town makes up the historic trio of communities where the family lived in Bullock County.
What is Union Springs?
Sunday afternoons for the family often meant waiting on this avid fisherman to return home with his fresh weekend catch.
Who is Lonnie Buggs?
She left a powerful legacy motto for future generations, advising: "When you find your purpose, you find your life."
Who is Carla Bugg?
This title is given to the foundational generations of women in the Pitts lineage who laid the foundation for our family values.
Who are the Matriarchs?
This specific aunt was the one whose home in the country featured the unforgettable outhouse that city-slicker kids avoided.
Who is Aunt Lola?
To an engineering mind, Uncle Buddy, this key reason—providing better opportunities and supporting his mother—was why he orchestrated the migration to this city.
What is Gadsden, Alabama?
This historical timeline milestone details the migration transition from working the Southern land as sharecroppers to planting city roots.
What is the Gadsden Migration?
This individual serves as the proud family historian, compiling these books and Interactive notebooks and keeping these memories alive.
Who is Rodney Parker?