Aunt Nancy's Road Called Faith: A Poetic Biography

By Nancy A. Link

Time has been well spent in writing Aunt Nancy's Road Called Faith. It is a poetic biography that digs deep into the social, emotional, and spiritual facets of Aunt Nancy's life. From being born in the roaring 20s, living in the state of Florida during much of the mid and late 1900s, and having personally known and worked with Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and Dr. George Washington Carver, Aunt Nancy surely has a story to tell. Enjoy her faith-filled story, even though her faith in God extends far beyond these written lines.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449771966

Nancy A. Link

Dr. Nancy Link spent over twenty-five years in Americas public schools and is now retired. She has continued to embrace the art of writing, particularly creative writing, from a very young age. After receiving a PhD in August 2000, her desire to write has continued to grow stronger and stronger as she constructs faith-filled stories, a follow-up to her dissertation on The Role of Faith in God in Administrative Decision-Making. Dr. Link presently resides in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Though she holds a graduate as well as a doctorate degree in Educational Administration and Leadership, Dr. Link has recently received a Master of Science Degree in Information Systems. Ultimately, Dr. Link believes in servant leadership as she gives God all the praise, honor, and glory for sustaining her every step along lifes way. She is especially thankful for Gods guidance, help, and power during her writing of Aunt Nancys Road Called Faith.

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Aunt Nancy’s Road Called Faith

A Poetic Biography

Nancy A. Link, PhD

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Copyright © 2012 by Nancy A. Link, PhD.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-7198-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7197-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7196-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012919367

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/07/2012

Table of Contents

LIST OF GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

-CHAPTER 1-

Poem: Our Words

-CHAPTER 2-

Poem: Daddy Was A Strong Man

-CHAPTER 3-

Poem: Just Another Man

-Chapter 4-

-Chapter 5-

-Chapter 6-

Poem: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune

-Chapter 7-

Poem: I’ll Love You Forever

-Chapter 8-

Poem: She Could Do Some Hair

-Chapter 9-

Poem: Aunt Nancy’s Road Called Faith

-Chapter 10-

Poem: Thank You Dear Family & Friends

-Chapter 11-

Poem: Let’s Go to Church

-Chapter 12-

-Chapter 13-

-Chapter 14-

Poem: In Closing, I Thank You

Poem: Traveling Down Faith’s Rocky Road

About the Author

Addendum

LIST OF GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS

FIGURE

1. Attributes & Semantic Relationships of Words

2. Equation for My Daddy, Papa James

3. Block Cycle of Success

4. Radial Qualities of a Humble Servant: Dr. George Washington Carver

5. Diverging Radial Graphic: Zora Neale Hurston

6. Continuous Cycle Graphic: Zora Neale Hurston

7. Text Cycles of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s Last Will & Testament

8. Vertical Bending Process of Faith & Its Components (Based on Aunt Nancy’s Story of Faith)

9. Aunt Nancy and Her Brothers & Sisters

Note: Graphics throughout the book were constructed by the author. What is more, scriptural references throughout this book were retrieved from various versions.

Acknowledgements

This book would never have been possible without the guidance, power, and never-ending love of God Almighty, and I thank you dear Lord for your ever-abiding Holy Spirit, who continues to help me all along life’s way. To my family members, friends, and the many Christian believers worldwide, especially Aunt Nancy, [Dr. Nancy Josephine Knight] thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love, encouragement, and prayers. Also, Aunt Nancy, thank you over and over and over again for allowing me to walk down faith’s reminiscent road with you and script your storybook of faith for others to read.

A Poetic Preface

Aunt Nancy’s Story

Nancy A. Link, Ph.D. ©2009

Thank you Dear Lord for Aunt Nancy’s story,

Thank you Dear Lord for your grace & glory.

Thank you Dear Lord for giving her direction,

Thank you Dear Lord for grace & protection.

Aunt Nancy’s story is one needing to be told,

It is a story of faith, hope, and love so, so bold.

Aunt Nancy’s story is a story of strength I say,

It’s a story of devotion to duty each & every day.

As you read, as you ponder word after word,

The story might be one you think you’ve heard.

So, if you can relate to a word or a mere line,

My reader, it’s your spirit in proximity with mine.

Aunt Nancy’s story is a tale of longevity, oh yes,

Her story is about a life that only God can bless.

I’ve written this story about Aunt Nancy’s life,

I hope you enjoy this story of struggles & strife.

Thank you Dear Lord for Aunt Nancy’s story,

Thank you Dear Lord for giving her your glory.

Thank you Lord for my aunt, my other mother,

Thank you Dear Lord, she is truly like no other.

Introduction

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).

Born in the year 1920 on the seventeenth of July, Nancy Josephine Knight was the eleventh child of Mr. James Brooks Knight (Papa James). She is my great aunt, and everybody in our family calls her Aunt Nancy. In chapter 1, my aunt’s biography begins with a story of good days and even days that were not so good. Aunt Nancy never knew her biological mother, Mrs. Nancy Josephine Knight, because she died in childbirth—along with her twelfth child—when my aunt was only eleven months old. She remembered her father as a strong man of faith. He was my great-grandfather and was a single father who did his best to raise eleven children by himself. Please see chapter 2, My Daddy Did His Best, for a more detailed account of his story.

In this technically, yet metaphorically styled biography, you will read about Aunt Nancy’s week with George Washington Carver in chapter 3. Yes, as a high school student at Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School in Eatonville, Florida, Aunt Nancy (one of two students chosen by the school principal) was honored and privileged to spend quality