Clarence Washington, Sr. was the husband of Cornelia Chiles Washington. He was on May 22, 1885 in Wharton Texas to Aleck Washington,Jr. and Emma Grey. His Grandfather was also an Aleck. He married Cornelia Chiles and had several children, one of whom was my grandfather.
Instead of continuing the Aleck tradition, Clarence named his son Clarence who in turn named his son Clarence, etc.
Big papa as we knew him, was a handsome man. He worked as a cabinet maker in a lumberyard. He died on July 23, 1958 from cancer at age 73.
Big Papa and Helena and his car
Although Big Papa died when I was only two years old, his having cancer is what I remember most about him. It was a very big secret. My mother told me that she and her siblings were told that they could not tell a single soul that Big Papa had cancer.
