Undertaking The Undertaker: Oscar Oswell Holley, My Uncle the Soldier, Postal Worker and Mortician Remembered (1928-2020)
When my dad and his siblings were growing up in Detroit,
Michigan the pianist and bandleader Jay (“Hootie”) McShann had a recorded hit
titled “Hootie Blues” (or “Hootie, Don’t Ya Drink That Stuff”) that Melvin had
taken an enjoyable liking to…so much that older brother Oscar (1928-2020)
nicknamed him “Hootie”!! After my dad and mom got married and Mark, Millie and
I were toddlers learning to talk, the nickname tables got surprisingly
turned…by my mom!! When Uncle Oscar visit he would insist on continuing to call
my dad by his childhood nickname, but my mom quickly told all of us: “THAT’S
YOUR UNCLE HOOTIE”!! From that moment till now, our Uncle Oscar was “Uncle
Hootie”. Since most children DARE NOT arbitrarily give their parents nicknames
while being raised by them under their roof (!!)—Melvin (whose more endearing
childhood nickname is “Pap” the diminutive of “papoose” as the youngest of four
brothers) got no nickname from me!!--just simply, “Dad”!!
While the nickname has endured for generations now, just as many
priceless things about Oscar O. Holley have also lasted. As little kids, all of
we nephews and nieces were frightened by his boisterous, drill-sergeant manner
and potentially intimidating presence. He served in the U. S. Army as a drill
sergeant in the late 1940s and early 1950s; several longtime family friends even
served under his command including the pianist Sir Roland Hanna (1930-2002) also
a member of an amazing community of local Detroit musicians. Some went to New
York and become world-renowned. Oscar told me the story of his immediate
discovery that Hanna (whose nickname was “Hack” in the Army) had been assigned
to his unit. Already aware of his talent at the keyboard, Oscar wasted no time
in getting Hanna transferred to a unit that would make much better use of his
gifts…far beyond carrying and firing a rifle. Oldest brother, Navy band veteran
bassist Major Holley and drummer Alan Dawson would make a trio recording with
Roland in 1979 in Nice, France, “Impressions”; it would become one of Oscar’s
favorite recordings…and one of mine!!
After his discharge from the Army, Oscar would study
mortuary science at Wayne State University. His childhood affinity to funeral services
started close to home just off of Eight
Mile Road and Roselawn. The house was a few steps from Cockfield’s Funeral
Home; exactly what fascination a youngster would have to a mortician’s regimen
escapes most folks, but it caught his attention—to the point that his volunteer
help of “Old Man Cockfield” would lead to a lifelong dedication to the art of
“honoring the dearly departed”. His mentor in the profession was Annette
Fields, one of very few African-American female morticians in Detroit during
the postwar years. I still remember the “funeral home” location on West Grand
Boulevard, a large imposing “house”—'of course all the houses in that part of
Detroit were large (many of which have since been torn down). When my
grandfather M. Q. Holley Sr. passed away in 1969, the visitation was held
there. While his dad was one of many people and his siblings was “family” that
Oscar would serve, it had to have been a profound experience—balancing the
emotional strain of personal and family bereavement with professional service.
Perhaps those required psychology courses address that matter quite early in
the MortSci curriculum. His painstaking fastidiousness and attention to detail marked
his work as a mortician throughout his career of over fifty years.
While “Uncle Hootie” was “more bark than bite”—as we nephews
and nieces would gradually discover as we grew into adulthood and family life
on our own terms, I would discover how proud he was of each of us in his own
expressive way[l1] .
When Peggy Newkirk came into his life, she brought a surprising balance to his
life—which I learned later on was a harrowing balance of work at the funeral
home (which Annette Fields left to him after she passed away), and also working
fulltime at the U. S. Post Office!! He certainly had a developed philosophy on
the meaning and use of time—I presume that drill sergeants learn that skill
long before their induction into the military. When she became too ill from her
battle with cancer, Uncle Oscar retired from 56 years as a mortician to care
for her in her last years. Oscar had traveled as a soldier, but Aunt Peggy was
her own “National Geographic magazine” who traveled the world and focused on
visiting the countries around the world whose peoples were predominantly brown-skinned.
Several members of our family would learn and benefit from her practical skill
and expertise as a travel agent and tour guide. I also remember a hilarious
story of how Oscar nearly infuriated one of his neighbors by showing up at his
doorstep…dressed in full garb that Peggy had brought him while in Egypt!! The
neighbor failed to recognize him immediately and nearly cursed him out!! Much
laughter erupted once Oscar’s costume ruse was discovered!!
Visits with “Uncle Oscar” were never dull…nor were they very
brief, at least for me. We shared a fascination with history and usually hit it
off with our balanced temperaments at family gatherings in recent years. Uncle Oscar
certainly had his own unique “time warp” that housed his resolute (most folks
would say plain stubborn!!) “old school” ways and means of doing things. Such
qualities served him well in over five decades of “undertaking folks”!! When
Major would come to Detroit for performances, Oscar usually picked him up at
Metro Airport—driving the hearse to transport the bass!! He often made runs to the
airport to pick up bodies of soldiers, so much that the baggage handlers got to
know him rather well. I’m sure they got more than a few chuckles from both
Major and Oscar over the bass in the hearse!!
The most profound angle of my memory is always that of recognizing
the passage of time as we measure it in the events and occasions that bind us
together throughout our lives--the birthday parties, graduations, weddings,
anniversaries, retirement celebrations…and funerals and memorial services. In
my estimation, the Biblical wisdom of the 90th Psalm speaks to at
least four things: the swift passage of time, man’s puny endurance in the face
of eternity, our need for the Almighty and our need to be validated as human
beings through the people we serve…in the work that we do. “May the favor of
the Lord be upon us, and bless the work of our hands—yes, the work of our hands”
(Ps.90:16-17). Peace…TWH
[l1]
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