"You'll Always Be My Daughter... I Love You, Faye-Faye"...

"You'll Always Be My Daughter...  I Love You, Faye-Faye"...

By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/ aka Granny Gee

In November 1969... my mother, and her husband came to the hospital in the North Carolina mountains to be with me.  I was having my first, and only child then... Tommy.

My mother was only fourteen years older than I ... she was expecting twins... she came to be there at the birth of her first grandchild, who was Tommy.

I was in my 10th month, and my labor had been induced on the morning of November 17th.  I was having a hard time.  My mother and her husband were there walking with me... up and down the halls to help me.

They had to leave before I had Tommy.... he wasn't born until 11:28 am on November 20, 1969.  My mother had a miscarriage shortly after.

Through the years I became close to her husband, and he was a real father to me.  He was always there for me, no matter what.  I can't ever forget how he was very good to me through all those years.

When my mother died in 2001, he wanted to go on with his life.  We could sense he wanted us to go on with ours.  He began to date again, and I know it made him uncomfortable with us always stopping by bringing him good things to eat, or something Skip would buy for him.  We gradually stopped going there because we instinctively knew he wanted to have his own life.

He called me from time to time always telling me I was his daughter, and he loved me...  "I will always love you, Faye-Faye, you will always be my daughter".

I became sick again, and the last time we talked I told him, he was so sorry.  I only saw him once thereafter.

Tonight... my heart feels alot of pain... because life has been very sad, he was the only father who really loved, cared about me.  I can't ever forget the many, many good things he did for me.  I just wanted to not forget him....

Elvis, I loved you very, very much.  Thank-you for all the years you were my father, they meant the world to me.  I never knew a father's love until I knew you.  Love Your Daughter, 'Faye'