Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[kenya]

[Wanda June Hill]

Tha nks for posting the family pictures... Elvis carried one of his mom and dad in is wallet- it was like the second one- where she had the lighter colored dress and locket around her neck. I think the black dress is the one he bought for her to wear to New York and to have for dress up occasions. He got his dad a new suit also and his first white silk dress shirt... His mom always felt she wasnt good enough to be his mom in that she was over weight etc: and she wanted to look good for him, for him to be proud of her...she need not have worried, Elvis adored her, was so proud of her, always saying she was smart, taught him things, listened to him and gave good advice and she was always there for him. He just adored her from top to bottom and she in his eyes, was perfect and beaufiutl through and through. She had his insecurities though, and even he felt "ugly" at times so they were a pair. She spoiled him for real, waiting on him, fixing his sandwiches just so, hand feeding him sometimes, and cutting up his meat and veggies so all he had to do was get them in his mouth. She did his clothes, polished his shoes until he had his cousin doing it, and she'd pick things out for him to wear when he ws home. Told him what to wear on the Sullivan show and made sure he looked perfect for it too. She worried about the "bad women" who would be after him, warned him about them and said they'd give him dieases and he needed to stay away from them. He loved it that she talked to him that way, that she was so protective and a "mother lion" at times.
He mrely had to think of something he said, and she'd get up and get it for him- they were that close. Rotten!
Well, have a great day, and thanks for the pictures...I hadn't seen a couple of them before---but then I'm way behindl..wjh

[kenya]

You're welcome.

She worried about the "bad women" who would be after him, warned him about them and said they'd give him dieases and he needed to stay away from them. He loved it that she talked to him that way, that she was so protective and a "mother lion" at times.
He mrely had to think of something he said, and she'd get up and get it for him- they were that close. Rotten!

She simply was a good mother. I mean he was her only child, her baby! My mother is a bit like that, not really a "mother lion", but very protective too.
She did a great job with him, didn't she Wanda?


Concerning the fact that she was ugly, certainly not!!! Elvis looks like her so much. I think, she really was beautiful both inside and out.

[FairyTale]

Thanks Kenya for the Wonderful picture's, I have never seen the first photo. I have started to read the book Elvis and Gladys, and it is truly a wondeful book so far. If you ever what to get a better understanding of Gladys, and how and why she and Elvis were so close thats the book to read. Thank You Wanda for giving Laura the idea to send me this Book, and Thank You Laura!

[Blue Moon]

Kenya, thanks for sharing the pics. Of the two showing, I have not seen either one till now. With all the pictures I've seen of Elvis, I can see both his father & mother in Elvis' looks. In some pictures to me he looks more like his mother; other times more like his father. In the bottom pic you posted above, to me he looks more like his mother.

Barb/FairyTale, yes Elvis & Gladys is a good book to read. I really enjoyed it, so I'm glad you have a chance now to read it.

[ALNA]

[Blue Moon]

Thank you Alna for the color photos!
I have not seen them in color before, so what a treat!

I wonder where Elvis got his full lips from. Neither his mother or his father seem to have full lips from what I can tell,
at least looking at the above photos (some of which will not load for me ).

[ALNA]

[ALNA]

[ALNA]

[MaryInTheMorning]

Thanks so much for posting these wonderful pictures of Elvis' sweet mama and daddy for us dear Alna! It's so nice to see pictures where Gladys is smiling taken into consideration the insecurities she had about not being good enough to be "Elvis Presley's mother." I just wish she would've realized that her precious son never saw her like that but rather as his beautiful, sweet, loving and nuturing mama. At least she knows now.

[Blue Moon]

In the church group photo above, is the tall one in the center back Vernon?
I don't see Gladys anywhere unless my eyes just aren't catching her.
Not sure I see Elvis either unless he is one of the little boys???
Can anyone help clarify here?

[ALNA]

vernon is in the middle last row

Elvis, is "probably" the little blond boy turning his head wearing suspenders...

I am a good friend of a family member of the Smith side and she showed her husband Bill and he was not sure but going by other old family pics he has a strong feeling that boy is Elvis allright

[Blue Moon]

Thanks for the clarification Nadine/Alna. It is good to see you posting with us again. You've been missed! How did you come to know someone from the Smith family?

[ALNA]

Hi Laurie,

I never was far away you know, kept track on all the posts you guys or should i say girls made.....

Only the time shortage forced me in a way to contribute less.... I'm a mod on a friends forum too and my time goes most part to that one but i still LOVE this site too.

Since i stopped posting on TCB and another elvis related forum I have again more time to spend here....

The internet and all those beautiful sites can become addictive you know and with a household of two kids, a dog, a rabbit (in fact a tame harse) two hamsters and two turtels and last but not least a hubby there is not really so much free time left.....

Anyway I love to be here still and to post again more too and to find every member I still know and a lot of new ones too..... That's good. That means the site is a good place and more and more people will join and have a great time here.

The smith aquintance i happen to know and talk to regularly is a sweet lady.

here is her connection to Elvis




Gladys had two brothers, Johnny and Travis. Johnny married Lois, Travis married Lorraine. Lois and Lorraine (they are sisters)were her mother-in-laws sisters. That is why she and her hubs have lots of cousins (both women's children) that are Elvis's. They have common cousins. Her mother-in-law was born in and grew up in Tupelo. But she was born in 1927. So Gladys was older and Elvis younger than her. So the kids grew up together. When Gladys and Vernon moved to Memphis so did her in laws. That was common back then. Memphis promised a better way of life. But her hubs family moved to the Chicago area when he was six. What she knows on family stories is from husbands older siblings because they were closer to Elvis's age and her sister-in-law was almost raised by husbands grandma who remained in Tupelo longer. Also when they visited family which was pretty often, they would go to Graceland and see Travis and Lorraine, and later Billy and Jo/and their kids. He met Elvis at the fairgrounds. So she knows things through what the family has said.