Ruby "Big Mama" Bayless was instrumental in raising her siblings and is
well loved by them. When she married Forest Bell the church burned down
at the wedding. Ruby and Forest raised six children of their own as well
as Forest's nephew Acie Bell. Ruby drove a bus for the city schools for
many years. She is also an accomplished seamstress and baker and has
sewed many wedding gowns and has baked many cakes professionally. She
has especially enjoyed sewing small things and has designed and made many
baby dresses and doll clothes. Her grandmothers were known as Granma
Hudson and Grandma Bayless and her mother was Granny Bayless so when Ruby
became a grandmother she was called Big Mama and is still called that by
most of her family. She has many grandchildren and even some
great-grandchildren.
Ruby and Forest lived for many years in a log house on what was then
called Chocolate Bayou Rd. in Houston. All of the children loved the log
house. There was a large family room with a big comfortable day bed, a
pacifier tree and a piece of driftwood on the wall that served as a tree
for several pet birds. Outside Forest set up a couple of barrels with
saddles on them for the children. In later years the name of the road was
changed to Cullen Dr. and Ruby and Forest moved further out along the
road to a farm house where Ruby still lives.