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Hettie Estelle Flowers Baker, Allison
Estelle Baker Coggins. Fifth generation
Catherine Estelle Coggins, is only 14.
“We’re not ready for her to be married
yet,” Estelle says.
The invitations and their engraved
script underscore Estelle’s love of the
written word, the passion that inspired
her to first become an English teacher.
So enamored of language is she that
phrases are written on walls, scratched
on chalkboards, painted on signs or
framed under glass. Psalm 118, verse
24 is painted above the windows in the
breakfast room. “This is the day that
the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be
glad in it.”
“I try to live by that. This is where
we live, here in the kitchen,” Estelle
says. “I’m in that room all the time. I’m
in my ‘think place.’ When I’m writing a
list of things or I have letters to write, I
go sit at that table. I have to get a sharp
pencil or a pen — I like to think with a
pencil, though.”
Red counters predominate her think
room, red walls her dining room, red
upholstery her formal living room, even
the master bedroom suite is painted
red. Only Johnnie’s man cave above
the garage is not red. Estelle calls it the
green room.
“I feel lost in a room that doesn’t
have red. I love Americana. I love anything
with a flag on it.” She explains:
“The flag is a very important symbol
for me. I grew up saying the Pledge of
Allegiance at school. I’m very thankful
that I have a 48-star flag. I just think
it’s a very important symbol.”
She is also the steward of her great
grandfather’s Civil War troop flag.
“I have his Confederate veteran’s
medal basically given after the War
Between the States, or the Late Great
Unpleasantness,” she says.
“It’s not about the stuff in the house,
although the stuff is meaningful to me,
it’s the people,” Estelle says. “It’s just
such a blessing to see your grandchildren
grow up. We are very blessed.”
And though it would appear that
this lady has everything she loves and
dreams of, there is one more red thing
missing.
“One of my fondest wishes is to
own an old red pickup truck,” Estelle
smiles.