She was good to me

Clarion Top News

Friday, 31 January 2020 13:11

She was good to me. She helped me when I was in a hard place. She got me through a bad time in my life. She encouraged me when I was down. She took care of me when I didn’t even know I needed it. She saved me a seat when nobody else would. She was such a good friend. She was good to me. Mazie Tubbs Aldrich was born on October 5, 1959 to William Richard and Mable Selby Tubbs. The youngest of eight children, I guess perhaps, well surely, she must have been spoiled just a little. Sisters who were teenagers at the time of her arrival spent their paychecks on cute clothes for the baby of the family. Granny worked in the cotton fields picking with one sack, and using another for Mazie to sit on as Granny dragged her up and down the rows. She was raised at Ridgedale in a tight-knit family and community, running closely alongside many special nieces and nephews that were closer in age to her than her siblings. As with any family, there were easy times, hard times, good times and bad times, but they always stuck through it together. Mazie spent many years as a stay-at-home mother raising her two children, Keri and Brad. She was the kind of mom who was there for every single thing – every heartache, every victory, every game. Every. Single. Thing. She was always the calming voice of reason and assurance, no matter the circumstance. She was the rock so to speak, consistent in love and encouragement, and when needed discipline, too. When circumstances of life made it necessary, she re-entered the workforce. Always an avid photographer, it was only natural that she started out taking photographs for the newspaper. She worked hard and earned promotions, moving to the position of reporter and eventually managing editor. On January 1, 2003, Mazie married her best friend and true love, Scott in a small ceremony surrounded by family. They enjoyed life together, whether it was on a traveling adventure or simply being with each other at home. Together, they worked to create Aldrich Publishing and produced a local hunting and fishing magazine, The Sportsman’s Journal, which was distributed throughout North Alabama. Soon thereafter, Mazie and Scott had a vision for something more that they worked to carry out, and on July 13, 2006 they published the first issue of The Clarion newspaper. She had a way with words and telling the things that needed to be told. She knew when to speak, and she knew when silence was best. Through the years at The Clarion several have come and gone through the desk chairs, many leaving as family rather than employees. Only a few months ago in July, as Mazie was training her new editorial assistant, she had her change the volume number at the top of the front page. “Volume 14,” she said. “Do you know what that means? That means it’s been 14 years since people told us we’d fail.” Failure was never an option. Mazie and her family worked hard, establishing a community newspaper and creating relationships with the community she loved and served. We will continue her legacy and her work. It’s what she wanted and would have expected from all of us. She was “Mama Mazie” or a second mom to so many, often sought by those around her to provide wise council, support and encouragement through life’s tests and trials. Kindness and generosity seemed to flow from her naturally. She always had a heart to help folks when they were down, and she did just that, always quietly behind the scenes and never seeking recognition. Among all of the attributes and qualities that made Mazie so good, was one which was more important than all the rest – her faith. She believed that by the grace of God, and through faith, that she’d been bought by the saving blood of Jesus Christ. That, my friends, is the backbone of what made her such a good and faithful servant. In early October of this year, shortly after her 60th birthday,  Mazie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She fought, with her family by her side, through a grueling surgery and recovery. Although she tried to beat it, this enemy, a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer, would ultimately prove to be too much. Just a few short weeks after her diagnosis, on Sunday, November 24, 2019 Mazie was called home to be with Jesus. Funeral services were held Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at Scottsboro Funeral Home. Bro. Joey Carroll officiated. Interment followed at Pinehaven Memorial Gardens. Mazie is survived by her husband, Scott Aldrich; her children, Keri (Bradley) Coots and Brad (Esther) Smith; granddaughter, Adelyn Coots; sisters, Phyllis Jordan and Marie Rollins; brothers, Charles (Carolyn) Tubbs, Mack (Josie) Tubbs and David (Martha) Tubbs; and many nieces, nephews and close friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Richard and Mable Selby Tubbs; and brothers, George Tubbs and Joe Tubbs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jackson County Coalition against Domestic Violence, 102 Worthington St., Scottsboro, Ala. 35768 I knew when she passed that I wanted and needed to write something special to honor Mazie, my best friend, my Mom. We had a bond that was truly special. We could communicate without ever speaking a word. We’d show up to work wearing the same outfit. We’d talk about the previous day and realize we’d been doing the exact same things at the exact same time, and then we’d giggle about it. She taught me so many things, maybe most importantly, how to be a good mom. She loved being “Gah” to my sweet Adelyn Grace. I’d never seen Mom gush so much as she did over my baby girl. That may be what I’ll miss the most. What a struggle it is to put words on a page and attempt to condense an entire life into a few short paragraphs. There simply isn’t enough room within these pages.  What a life it was that Mom had, a life lived well, and a life gone far too soon. As I struggled within myself to come up with the words, adequate enough to honor my Mom, many of you spoke those words to me at her visitation last Tuesday night. She was good to me. She helped me when I was in a hard place. She got me through a bad time in my life. She encouraged me when I was down. She took care of me when I didn’t even know I needed it. She saved me a seat when nobody else would. She was such a good friend. She was good to me. Written by Mazie’s daughter, Keri Coots Originally Published 12/4/19