Em Turner MERRITT

  General Notes:

They built the Copley Ave. house in l926, and watched with their daughter Betty Nick Chitty, and his father Albert Edward Nickinson as the Hurricane of 1926 raised the water in Pensacola Bay to one foot short of the bluff.

"Poor Old Lady (or Po'yady) " nickname came from grandson Arthur Ben Chitty III. In about l95l at age three he asked her to dance with him. She answered "I can't, I'm just a Poor Old Lady. She was known by this by all her l2 grandchildren.

She was Manager of John A. Merritt and Co. on Palafox street from l946 to l97l.

When she died, her grandson John A. M. Chitty was on Hornby Island British Columbia, out of immediate touch with the family. He was having lunch when suddenly he had a strange feeling and went outside to sit in a hammock in an orchard. She "appeared" to him with a strong presence repeating the words, "I just died, I love you very much. Death is not the end. Don't grieve." This was repeated about five times. John was stunned, and mentioned the incident to her new wife Anna. About three days later, a telegram arrived, having traveled through several locations. It was pineed to the General Store bulletin board, since no one knew John Chitty there. John called Pensacola and received the news of her death. The time of the death and the time of the "appearance" were the same. He never grieved, and this experience made a fundamental change in his perspective on life.

She had a beach house on Santa Rosa Island which became a gathering place for all the family, especially the grandchildren. During the l960's her house was constantly filled with vacationing relatives.

She would get up every morning to go home to breakfast with Margaret and change clothes and go to work.

Margaret Simms was her housekeeper for about 45 years. They were devoted to each other in many ways. Margaret cared for her children and grandchildren and was much loved by all. She came to work on July l4, l928, and thereafter Bastille Day was sort of a family holiday.

When asked for the recipe for the famous biscuits served at her breakfasts, she replied, "Take the biscuits (that Margaret made) out of the refrigerator and put them in the oven."

She could be very tough with longshoremen, "speaking their language."

Major leader in the Pensacola business, naval and social community. Represented Port of Pensacola in labor negotiations.

Always had convertibles, for the benefit of the grandchildren. The first of these was given to her by a Cuban shipper.

When she was a girl, she received poetry from Earnest Simpson, second husband of the Duchess of Windsor, whose father was a business friend of John Merritt. Her sister Kitter met all three husbands.

  Noted events in her life were:

• Occupation: Manager, Steamship/Stevadoring Co.

• Education: Mrs. Hazen's School, Pelham Manor, NY.

• Religion: Presbyterian.

Em married Edward Phillips NICKINSON, son of Albert Edward NICKINSON and "Nep" Mary Penelope MCCARDELL, on 16 Jan 1919 in Pensacola, FL. (Edward Phillips NICKINSON was born on 7 Oct 1890 in Middletown, NY, died on 17 Jan 1948 in Pensacola, FL and was buried in U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola, FL.)