Emma Irby, a part of Destin Folklore

(DESTIN) Athena Marler Creamer announces that her book, "The Help of Destin, Emma Irby," is now available.
Emma Irby, for those who may not remember, is a part of Destin folklore. She was the only black resident actually living in Destin for 37 years before civil rights and in the days of the active KKK here. Those who remember her do with fondness.
She was known for her quirky hats and crazy stories, and for picking up soda cans along the roads.
She was also known as Mrs. Mattie Kelly's housekeeper from 1966-1992. But she freelanced for many others in town, making coleslaw for Capt. Dave's Restaurant, cleaning cottages, and assisted with weddings for the families she worked for. She also ironed all over town, and watched children, cooked, and kept house.
She was afraid of electricity, didn't know how to use phones, and was at times homeless.
Never married, she nonethless gave us opinionated advice on clothes, men and marriage.
Athena met her in 1966 at her cousin's house where she was ironing with the children. In 1986, Emma was an invited guest to her open house. Emma dropped in again in 1990 to help Athena with a new baby, but it was in the next three years that Athena grew to know Emma and tried to discover her background and life story.
Her research took her to Gee's Bend, Alabama, to another civilization in a lost cotton Plantation, a slaveholder turned landowner who fought for slavery as an officer in the Civil War, and a smuggled slave named Dave on the Wanderer who was Emma's great grandfather. The boat was a prototype for the famous "America" which is where we get the "America's Cup." The Wanderer was outfitted for human trafficking. it was a magnificent sailing yacht from New York, which smuggled in the last cargo of slaves before the war, 50 years after it was forbidden.
Through interviews, photos, humorous anecdotes, annotations, timelines, music, media, books, and a series of letters written to Athena by Emma, Athena pieced together a patchwork of fascinating and conflicting history and became convinced that Emma's story has biographical significance. Emma is representative of a generation of working Black Women in the 20th Century of America. At 98, it was time to record that story. There are not many of them left.
Emma also was invited to the Inaugural Ball for President Jimmy Carter.
But her book is also a snapshot of Destin during those years and a revealing portrait of some of the residents who knew her. Local bankers like Roger Clary and Jimmy Tringas, condominium developers like Ernest Shahid, and Merlin Stickelber and Marvin Chapman, were businessmen from the southern states who were some of her first employers before she began helping the next generations of residents. Some chapter titles: Destin, the Way We Were, Enter the First Skychangers, The Man from Tallahassee Who Crossed the Street, The Tringas Years, The Gullahs, Happy Birthday to Me, Bleachy Clean, and What You Gonna Wear?
Emma loved us and Destin. We were her family. She lives in a foster care home in Mobile and Athena plans a trip to meet her again after 19 years. Lark Tringas Bostick and Alex Tringas recently visited the woman who took care of him as an infant, 55 years ago.
Emma will receive a portion of royalties from book sales.
There is a drawing for a free book for those who LIKE a facebook page. The drawing will take place on Christmas Eve, and winner will be announced on facebook on Dec. 25th.
Books may be ordered through Createspace or Amazon.com. More information is available at http://thehelpofdestin.blogspot.com
ISBN-10: 1477502785 BIOGRAPHY/ AUTOBIOGRAPHY/ CULTURAL HISTORY
338 pages, $14.00 US, Softcover, 6x9, 1.3 lbs.
ORDERING INFORMATION
http://www.amazon.com/The-Help-Destin-Emma-Irby/dp/1477502785
https://www.createspace.com/3883838
TO ENTER DRAWING: https://www.facebook.com/TheHelpOfDestinEmmaIrbyTheBook

(30)