KATHRYN TUCKER WINDHAM DIED ON SUNDAY IN SELMA, ALABAMA. She was 93 years old, the same age as her mother before her.  Hearing that news took me instantly back to 1979 and “Junior High School” {Which is what we used to call “middle school”, just in case you are younger than me!} to the auditorium with old wooden seats and a much used stage. We were called there so often for “Assemblies” and a lot of them were lame. A ventriloquist, a magician, or a historian who lacked the ability to hold our attention — that’s what assemblies were most often. We sat there as early teens simply being happy to have our day’s schedule relaxed and classes shortened. But the day that Kathryn Tucker Windham came was different.

From the moment she opened her mouth to speak we were drawn into her masterful storytelling. It was like a piece of history unfolding in front of us…only we felt like we were sitting on the front porch at her feet.

Her voice was calm and steady – strangely soothing considering the topic of ghost stories. 13 Alabama Ghosts to be specific.

One of the things I remember about her was the patient way she spoke. It was like she wanted to get every detail correct to set the scene. She didn’t mind taking a pause to let you soak in what had just been said. Those quiet moments made you hang onto her words even more. Who could imagine that this sweet looking lady could weave a tail so vivid that it would make you believe in other spirits in this world — the ones you weren’t sure you wanted to meet. Her main characters were more than just silly icons, they had personalities and endearing characteristics.

The fact was that she told about things that had happened to her or places she had explored and experienced. It wasn’t just a kitsch story she retold, those stories were part of her. As you listened to the stories you also got a glimpse of the South. You understood why oral histories were so important.

On that day in sixth grade I probably didn’t understand that a living legend was right in front of me. I didn’t know that she was one of the first newswomen in the state of Alabama to make a successful living from her research. I didn’t know that she had published a series of articles and photographs on the famous Gee’s Gap Community and their quilting art. I had no idea that she would go on to write over 20 books about more than Jeffrey, the famous ghost. The one thing I did know about that assembly was that I needed to immediately read more of her stories. I would indeed race to the school library that day and devour the books she authored. The greatest thing was that I could hear her calm and knowledgeable voice speaking to me in each written word.

A masterful storyteller is someone you will not easily forget.
Rest in peace Kathryn Tucker Windham. Rest in peace Jeffrey.