Anna Marie Tatum

Anna Marie Rudolph was born on September 3, 1942.

There was some difference of opinion as to what the name of the child should be. My parents were both in agreement that they wanted a girl, especially since the first two were boys. But they could not agree on a name. My mother was inclined to the old family names. However, my dad had a name picked out and would not be swayed on the matter. And, he had a plan as to how it would be done.

So the baby was born and it was a girl. Me dad was there at the birth and greeted the mother and the baby then went home to rest before returning to the hospital and then on to his job. He worked for the Hobart Democratic Chief, the local newspaper and he typed in the paper that the Rudolph's new baby daughter's name was Anna Marie Rudolph. There! for all the world to see was her name, published, declared and settled.

I was soon to discover that Dad loved little girls. Although he only had one daughter and would never live to see his three granddaughters, he showed tenderness toward the girls. Boys were to be taught to be hard workers, good wage earners, honest, kind and thoughtful. But girls were to be kind, gentle and to handle all matters with great tenderness and thoughtfulness.

My parents were deaf mutes. By necessity, my brother, sister and I learned to address our questions, thoughts and complaints by use of the deaf sign language (by the deaf alphabet letters to spell out words and/or for various signs for particular words or items). The three of us would take our turn helping to interpret by signing for and to our parents and their deaf friends. But in time, the boys left home; to the military or college.

But Anna Marie was equal to the task. She attended Trinity Baptist Church where she became quiet adept at interpreting sounded words into "sign language". She worked regularly with the deaf department at the church. She also worked with various deaf people who needed help in understanding the law or intricate instructions, help and directions. It was by these efforts she grew to have a nature, not of one who wanted to be the star or to be the most important, but one who wanted thins done well. And thus she learned and lived.

She graduated from Lubbock High School in Lubbock, Texas. But before her graduation she lost her father to leukemia. She spent her early years taking care of her mother and working to help with the family expenses. They moved to Maryland where her mother became a dorm mother at the Maryland School for the Deaf.

In time, she met Don Tatum. They were married and had two children, Douglas and Joanna.

Anna Marie was preceded in death by her father, Harol Rudolph, her mother, Stella Hicks Rudolph and her brother Robert Rudolph.

She is survived by her loving husband Donald Tatum, her son Douglas, daughter Joanna and five grandchildren; one brother, Harrell Rudolph and wife Janice, several nieces, nephews and several great nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 pm Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at Hermitage Funeral Home, 535 Shute Lane, Old Hickory, TN with Bro. Jud Hayes officiating. Interment will follow in Hermitage Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at the funeral home.