Ammonia Collins wasn't much fond of her name. It weren't spelled exactly right, in her opinion. Her Mama had named her "Aah-moan-Nye-uh" because she had heard the name somewhere in the mountains and thought it was pretty. Mama claimed it was either Cherokee or Choctaw and meant something right lovely, but she never remembered exactly what.
The problem happened after she was born in 1951, when her mama tried to spell it out and write the name down in the family Bible and register here home birth at the courthouse over to Manchester, Kentucky. She dutifully rode from Beloved to Manchester with her husband Chester in their 1950 International Harvester truck, visited the County Clerk's office and with some difficulty and not just a little pride completed the short form announcing the birth and naming of Chester Woodrow Collins and Amy Rose (Sizemore) Collins first baby girl.
Amy Rose had learned to read and write way back when some city women came down the river and set up some sort of trainin' and schoolin' camp in tents on a hillside under a grove of sycamore trees. The city women had taught cookin', first aid, readin' and writin', sewin' and other lady like pastimes. Amy Rose had learned all the writin' she could stand that summer way back when.
When she went to the clerk and handed him the form she had her shoulders back, a smile on her face and pride in her heart. The clerk, Homer James Goins, looked the form over and looked hard at Amy Rose.
"Ammonia? You are namin' your little gal baby Ammonia?" he asked carefully? One had to be careful in the clerks office. No sense startin' a feud over a misspelling.
"No, Homer James. It is 'Aah-moan-Nye-uh', an Indian name. I forgot what it means, but it means something awful good in Indian. We are part Indian, you know. My Grandma was named Cherokee Bowling, after all."
"Yes, mam, I do remember that. You sure that is how it is spelled? We could spell it a little different if you want." Homer James said hopefully.
"Nossir, that is the way it is supposed to be spelled."
That is how Ammonia, actually Ammonia Lynn Collins was named.
The problem happened after she was born in 1951, when her mama tried to spell it out and write the name down in the family Bible and register here home birth at the courthouse over to Manchester, Kentucky. She dutifully rode from Beloved to Manchester with her husband Chester in their 1950 International Harvester truck, visited the County Clerk's office and with some difficulty and not just a little pride completed the short form announcing the birth and naming of Chester Woodrow Collins and Amy Rose (Sizemore) Collins first baby girl.
Amy Rose had learned to read and write way back when some city women came down the river and set up some sort of trainin' and schoolin' camp in tents on a hillside under a grove of sycamore trees. The city women had taught cookin', first aid, readin' and writin', sewin' and other lady like pastimes. Amy Rose had learned all the writin' she could stand that summer way back when.
When she went to the clerk and handed him the form she had her shoulders back, a smile on her face and pride in her heart. The clerk, Homer James Goins, looked the form over and looked hard at Amy Rose.
"Ammonia? You are namin' your little gal baby Ammonia?" he asked carefully? One had to be careful in the clerks office. No sense startin' a feud over a misspelling.
"No, Homer James. It is 'Aah-moan-Nye-uh', an Indian name. I forgot what it means, but it means something awful good in Indian. We are part Indian, you know. My Grandma was named Cherokee Bowling, after all."
"Yes, mam, I do remember that. You sure that is how it is spelled? We could spell it a little different if you want." Homer James said hopefully.
"Nossir, that is the way it is supposed to be spelled."
That is how Ammonia, actually Ammonia Lynn Collins was named.
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