A Recollection from Opal Turner: The Parham Triplets born 1907

by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com

Recently Judy Westbrook Sullivan of Amory, Mississippi, was looking through her late mother's trunk and found a newspaper clipping from the Amory Advertiser, May 8, 1986. In that clipped article is the recollection of Judy's aunt, Opal Sugg Turner (Mrs. Bartus Turner), telling about Sara Spears Sugg's involvement in the birth of triplets in Parham in 1907.

With the permission of Judy and the permission of the Daily Journal who now owns the Amory Advertiser (now called the Monroe Journal), I'm reprinting part of the article below and adding links to a couple of photographs and other information. Thanks Judy ---thanks Daily Journal for letting us revisit this interesting story.

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Below is an account by Opal Sugg Turner of her mother, Sarah Spears Sugg (1866 - 1940) written and printed as a Mother's Day feature article in 1986. Opal Turner writes of a 1907 situation in Parham.

From the Amory Advertiser, May 8, 1986. Reprinted by permission of the Amory Advertiser and by permission of the family of the late Opal Sugg Turner.

"Amorian's 'mama' shared her love all the days of her life"

An account by Opal Sugg Turner of her mother, Sarah Spears Sugg (1866 - 1940) written and printed as a Mother's Day feature article in 1986. Here is what Opal Turner writes of a 1907 situation in Parham.

"I could go on and on with stories like this about Mama [Sara Spears Sugg]; but there is just one more that I'm going to tell. It's about the Parham triplets ---two girls and a boy---being born to Bannie and Alice Parham. Dr. Albert Boozer delivered them and Mama was there to help. All three were born "blue babies" and the doctor, realizing that he must act quickly or lose all three decided to try to save the girls as he felt the boy was too far gone to save his life.

"The little boy was placed on another bed and a sheet pulled over his face. Mama couldn't stand idly by, however. She asked a member of the family if there was any whiskey in the house. Back then everybody had whiskey around for medicinal purposes and, fortunately, there was some available. Mama took a medicine dropper and opened the lifeless little boy's mouth. One drop. . .two drops. . .three drops, and he caught his breath. She had saved his life.

"One day I was out in the yard working in the flowers some 18 years later and this handsome, young dark-eyed man walked up to our gate and spoke. I looked up. He smiled and I smiled back, thinking that surely he was interested in me because I thought I was full-grown. Imagine my surprise, and dismay, when he asked for Mama. He was one of the triplets and had come to thank Mama for saving his life after his mother told him the story.

"By the way, his name was John Sharp Parham and his sisters were Winnie Lou and Rennie Lee."

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Sarah Spears Sugg died in 1940; she is buried at New Hope Cemetery, Parham, Monroe County, Mississippi.

Her daughter, Opal Sugg Turner died in 2000. She is buried at New Hope Cemetery.

The Parham triplets, born September 12, 1907, are also buried at New Hope Cemetery. John Sharp Parham died 1962; Winnie Lou Parham died 1972; Rennie Lee Parham died 1991.

SOURCES and ADDITIONAL READING:

Amory Advertiser, Amory, Mississippi, May 8, 1986, Mother's Day Feature: "Amorian's 'mama' shared her love all the days of her life." Page and section number unknown; article unsigned but an editor's note attributes the words to a recollection by Mrs. Bartus Turner (Opal Turner).

Turner, Opal Sugg. Account of Sara Sugg's involvement in the birth of the Parham triplet 1907. Reprinted from a newspaper clipping provided by Judy Westbook Sullivan, Amory, Mississippi; digital copy received by email on August 21, 2008. See Amory Advertiser, Amory, Mississippi, May 8, 1986, for the full feature article.

See Bannie Parham of Parham for photographs of Bannie and Mary Alice Fears Parham and a photograph of the Parham triplets circa 1909.

See The Drs. Boozer: Three Physicians of the Hill Country for more information about Dr. Albert Boozer and his family.

See New Hope Cemetery: Surnames P -S for additional information about John Sharp Parham, Winnie Lou Parham, and Rennie Lee Parham and other members of the Parham family; and for information about Sara Sugg and other members of the Sugg family.

See New Hope Cemetery: Surnames T -V for additional information about Opal Turner and other members of the Turner family.

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