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In July of 2015, I sat down with Priscilla Chambers Guffey for an interview, and we had the best time reminiscing and talking about old times. She has been an icon in Andrews for over 50 years.
I am so thankful for the time we spent together because she passed away on March 21.
We all remember her best from the Andrews Florist and Gift Shoppe, as she was the one you wanted to arrange flowers for your loved ones. She had a talent for designing beautiful arrangements, and she was such a compassionate lady who helped you with whatever you needed.
“I loved working at the florist and everyone in town came through at one time or another. We had a lot of collectables, and I remember Blanche Boring would come in often to purchase “Effanbee” dolls, and her sister, Lois Holloway, would always be with her. They were the sweetest people,” Priscilla said.
Priscilla said that Cathy Bryson worked with her at the florist for a long time.
“We had lots of friends that came in the shop every day. Bob Crawford would stop by to help, and he always bought yellow roses for his mother. Wanda Sneed would stop in every now and then to help us out and Wayne would drop in to talk a while,” she said.
“I will never forget one day Carmen Clayton came in with her son, Michael, when he was about 5 years old. I was working in the back arranging flowers, and he looked around at the mess of clippings on the floor and told me that I needed to clean that place up. It was so funny because he was serious.”
Priscilla certainly had some loyal customers, but that was because she was the very best when it came to arranging flowers. She always knew what her customers wanted right down to the amount of baby’s breath, or the certain style they preferred.
On Jan. 26, 1944, she married Thomas Frank Guffey, when she was in her senior year at Murphy High School. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and the separation from her sailor during war time was difficult for a new bride. She passed the time by working in a hosiery mill and saved her money while living in Englewood, Tenn., where Frank’s parents lived.
After the war ended, the couple moved back to Murphy and rented an apartment, which was over Bert and Dewey Garrett’s Store on Willow Street. With the money Priscilla had saved while her husband was overseas, Frank was able to start a taxi business.
“I had five kids in seven years,” Priscilla said. “But all the children helped out with the chores, and the oldest ones helped take care of the younger children.” The children were, Virginia Lee, Patricia, Thomas Frank Jr., Willie Mae and Stevenson Gary.
The first house the family owned was located on Tennessee Street across the street from Calvin Stiles’ store.
“We moved to Andrews in 1958 and lived on Fairview Road,” Priscilla said. After moving to Andrews, she worked for 15 years at Owenby Manufactoring Company, then worked five years at Clifton Precision, and later at the Andrews Florist and Gift Shop, which was owned by her daughter, Patricia Slagle, and her husband, David Slagle.
When I was working on the feature story for the Andrews Journal, I called Patricia for a quote about her mother. She said it best when she penned how she believed her mother would be remembered.
“Priscilla will be remembered for her total love and devotion to her children, her love to dance, especially square dancing, her bedtime ballads, stories and Bible readings, her beauty on the inside as well as the outside, her laughter and her friendship.”
Priscilla was the perfect example of a working mom and independent woman, and she will be missed.
As she looked back over the years, she said, “I have no regrets. I wouldn’t change a thing. I have had a good life.”
Kandy Barnard is a columnist for the Cherokee Scout. To talk about the Andrews Valley, call her at 361-3268 or email kandybarnard@gmail.com.