Elsa (Gibbs) Lockert , my mother is easy to write about as she is without a doubt one of the most interesting people I know ! Elsa came from a large family with seventeen brothers and sisters. (Zelma, Constance, Paul, L.C., Edith, Bruce, Marshall, Lucille, Doris, Arthur Thomas Jr., Maureen, Barbara, Elsa, Evangeline, Marion, William, Hester, and John Churchill.) Her father, Arthur Gibbs, was a farmer and land broker, and her mother, Bessie Jackson, seemed to be always with child. (see page 204 of "The Deserted Sycamore Village of Cheatham" written by Lois Barnes Binkley. My mother, Elsa, had the greatest influence over my life with the preponderance of these times being overwhelmingly positive. Nothing could have been more exciting than life with Elsa. As the eldest child, I remember mother telling interesting stories, laughing, giggling, singing, playing the piano and
pulling tricks on my brothers, sister and many on me. She made it her mission to expose us to the variety and the diversities of life as we visited different places and tried unusual foods far from the norm of the day. Elsa insisted that we pursue anything; coaching us that we could do anything we set our mind to do. As I remember, her words were, "Just keep working at it," or "Tear it down and do it again!" That was mother's mantra! We were taught morals but mother allowed and understood that we would certainly make mistakes. Practicing what she preached, we were encouraged to keep trying. As a child, Elsa’s family relocated often as Arthur Gibbs bought, sold or traded homes and farm land to supplement his farming wages. Around 1946 he purchased what is now called "Sycamore's Bird Song" log home and lived there until about 1968. Elsa and my father, Jimmy Lockert, were married there in the early 50’s. After my father completed pharmacy school in the mid-50’s, we lived with grandpa & grandma Gibbs and had many happy times together.
Elsa’s First Painting
Bronze Bust of Jimmy P. Lockert
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