Minnie Virginia Richards

Jerome E Richards (1856-1922) and Minnie DeMumbrie (1858-1928) were thrilled when their beautiful baby girl, Minnie Virginia Richards, came into this world on April 5, 1896.  At the Memphis Jail.

The family home was having some work done and, lucky for them, Jerome worked for the Memphis Police Department and had an apartment fashioned in the jail for them to live until the work on the house was completed.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t done until after Minnie was born and she would forever hush her son, James Paul Stalls, Jr (1917-1987) when he would jokingly bring up this fact to anyone willing to listen.

Minnie was the only daughter of five children and she was the baby of the family.  She grew up pampered and fiercely protected by her older brothers.  She attended finishing school and graduated as a Young Lady, speaking the Fine Southern Way proper women of the South would speak: without opening her mouth too much (presumably so people would have to lean forward and say “huh?” a lot).

Minnie was 9 years old when tragedy struck and she witnessed the suicide of her brother, Claud E Richards, in the parlor of the family home.

She met James Paul Stalls, Sr (1889-1951), a popular local musician, and they married on July 27, 1914.  In the weeks leading up to the marriage there were many newspaper articles written, and read, on the grand affair.  She had two showers, which were written up in the the Memphis papers including the color motifs, refreshments and party games (these ladies apparently really loved to play Hearts).  The wedding itself took up nearly an entire column in one paper, listing what songs were performed and who performed them, the color theme and  what everyone was wearing.  The article is fairly long and you barely notice that the next column over notifies you to the fact that “Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dillard have returned after a weeks stay in the Ozarks”.

On August 19, 1917, Minnie gave birth to a son, James Paul Stalls, Jr.  He proved to be quite a little handful!  She once had him on the streetcar in town and he was acting up.  She told him that as soon as they got back home she was going to get a switch after him.  He began to loudly howl, “Please don’t beat me!  Please don’t beat me!”, which no doubt embarrassed her.  A woman on the train asked her if she planned on beating “that beautiful child” when they got home to which Minnie replied, “I wasn’t going to beat him…but now I may”.

Minnie and James divorced August 10, 1926.  She then met Stephen Anthony Para (1895-1984), a railroad conductor, and they married January 29, 1927.

Stephen pampered Minnie and she was a lady of leisure, requiring two divans, one for each of them, to lounge on.  She loved baseball and would have it playing on TV while she and Stephen snoozed.  There was a lot of laughter in their household with friendly banter, teasing and joking with each other and family.  She was known for throwing out an inappropriate joke or two from time to time.

Minnie loved to wear her furs, even to the grocery store, and even though it probably annoyed her, she would let my mother pet them often. 

Minnie Virginia Richards passed away July 6, 1974.  She had a formal Catholic funeral which may of her family and friends attended.

I have not yet found her obituary, but as soon as I do I will update along with sharing some more funny stories!  And feel free to contact me with your stories about Minnie!