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Note: CENSUS DATA: Based on 1930 census data, Alice Bell McCollister and her first husband, Louie Allen Pierce, and their children, Frances Irene Pierce, age 7, and John Allen Pierce, age 3 are shown living in Montgomery at the home of Alice's half brother, Thomas Frank McCollister. The Frank McCollister home was at 429 Flood Street. Also living with Thomas Frank McCollister was his wife Laura and children Thomas, Cecil, and Dorothy. Thomas Frank McCollister was the son of John Robert McCollister and Rosa (Rosalie) Wray. It is quite possible that Alice and her family were living with Thomas Frank McCollister's family to assist Frank with his ailing wife, Laural Love McCollister, who died in July of 1930. --------------------------------------------------------------------- COMMENTARY: Alice Bell McCollister lived her life in and around Birmingham, AL. After marriage to W. T. Gamble in 1934, she lived at 5720 3rd Ave. N. in Birmingham. She and her husband moved to Village Springs, AL between 1938-39 in order for her to be close to her aging father, John Robert McCollister. Her mother, France Bell Cox McCollister, had recently died in November of 1937. There she and her family lived for about 14 -15 years (1939-1954). Alice and Bill lived initially in one of her father's houses in Village Springs. Sometime after her father's death in 1942, she and her family built a house next door. The house was built on the site of the old Standard Oil Distributing facility there in Village Springs. They lived there until 1954 then they moved for a brief period of time to Highland Avenue in Birmingham. Finally Alice and Bill Gamble moved to #9 19th Avenue N.W. in Center Point, AL. Shortly thereafter, Alice became ill and spent her final days at the home of her daughter, Frances (Mr. & Mrs. John Cherneski), in Pinson, AL. Alice died at their home on May 6, 1956.
LIFE IN VILLAGE SPRINGS, ALABAMA: Alice had a full-time job trying to raise her children, Frances and John Allen Pierce, along with Bill Gamble's boys by his earlier marriages, W. T.; Marion Thomas; and James Lee. Needless to say, it was an active home with lots good times and lots of tough times. It was told that at one point, Alice prepared 52 biscuits each morning to feed the hungry family. Shortly after moving to the Village, all of the boys joined the navy and were gone for the duration of the WWII. With only two children to care for, Frances and Lanny, Alice spent her spare time doing church & community work. The baptist church was just across the little dirt road from her home and she spent lots of time there and made sure her children did so as well. As one of those children, I remember many happy hours of crawling around under the quilting frame. It was one of those frames that dropped down from the ceiling on ropes during the week when church was not in session. It was the gathering and socializing spot for most women in the community. Quilting and talking abounded and lots of beautifully stitched quilts were lovingly made to keep all of us warm in the winter. Around that time electricity and telephone service finally made it to the Village. A single drop cord light graced almost every room in every house there. Eight party telephone lines were a hit with the adults and children alike. To be sure, everyone knew everyone's business. Alice's ring was two longs and a short. When Alice answered her ring, she could hear everyone on her party line picking up to hear what was going on. Alice kindly returned the favor on most occasions. However, such eavedropping was an adult thing, children were forbidden to engage in the practice.
The Alice's family had an old icebox to keep their food cool. In the summers slivers of ice were chipped off the block of ice to cool tall glasses of sweet tea. The taste was something special. Not long after the arrival of electricity, Alice and Bill bought a new refrigirator. It was the talk of the community. Everyone came to look it over and debated its utility. Many said it would drive us to the poor house. Why, it would use electricity at the astounding rate of atleast a dollar a month. Alice didn't care, she loved it! In fact, she marveled each time she opened the door and always seemed to be amazed how cold it was inside.
Alice and Bill liked to play a game of cards called "Setback" and on occasions would have a few people over to play. Since they lived just across from the baptist church, all window blinds were closed tightly to make sure that folks at the church did not see them playing with cards. In that day and age, cards were bad, regardless of the game being played. On weekends they played for hours. Families in the community got together often to socialize and play games at Alice & Bill's house. "Pass the Ring" and "Parchesie" were two favorites, later on Monoply was the game of choice. Alice's daughter, Frances, was always having some of the community teenagers in for games. Popcorn was a popular treat at these gatherings and Frances thought up lots of ways to serve it. Even though many things were rationed during the war, popcorn evidently was in good supply. Frances even opened a little sandwich shop where all of the young people gathered. It was named "FIP's Snackshack" . FIP, i.e., Frances Irene Pierce, was her nickname and it followed her through her life. Alice had as much fun as the teenagers at the Snackshack.
Growing up in the village was pretty easy and great fun. Even though we were probably considered under priviledged by many folks, we didn't seem to know it. Alice Bell McCollister Gamble always encouraged her children and the other children of the village to "go to school, study hard and amount to something". I still remember some of her sure-fire remedies for success. They were quite simple, yet still so applicable. Her number one remedy, "get an education"; It's something no one can take away from you." Number two, "wear clean clothes"; you may not have many clothes, but they can be clean." Number three, "wash behing your ears; God intended for those areas to be clean." And the last two remedies were almost sacred to her. They were: "clean your fingernails and shine the backs of your shoes. Your nails are the first things people look at when they meet you and the heels of your shoes are the last thing they see when they walk away." You know, her remedies still make sense to me after all these years. Written by Alice's youngest child, Lanny Ross Gamble, 2003. -------------------------------------------------------- OBITUARY: Birmingham News, 7 May 1956 p. 15. "MRS. W. T. GAMBLE'S funeral tomorrow Mrs. Alice Bell Gamble, 53, of 9 19th-av, nw, died Sunday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Cherneski of Pinson. Surviving, besides her daughter, are her husband, Willie Thomas Gamble; five sons, W. T. Gamble, Jr., of Gardendale; Marion T. Gamble of Canada; John Allen Gamble of Fultondale; James Lee Gamble of Norfolk, VA., and Lanny Ross Gamble of Birmingham; three brothers, Roy H., John W. and J. L. McCollister, all of Birmingham, and a sister, Mrs. C. Young of Birmingham. Funeral will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow from Pinson Baptist Church, with the Rev. Homer Marsh and the Rev. Paul Minton, conducting the service. Burial will be in Lees Chapel. Brown's Service in Norwood has charge."
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