Sikeston native honors late grandfather’s wishes and pens book

SIKESTON — A promise to her late grandfather and her experience working several years with senior citizens prompted a Sikeston woman to pen a book of short stories on growing older, respecting elders and simply showing kindness.

Through the process, Sikeston native Tonya Mitchell created the short story book, “Nothing Remains the Same: Stories of the Senior Citizens and Why I Love Them.”

“These are stories that will make you giggle and make you laugh,” Mitchell said.

And they will also make others think about to how treat others, especially senior citizens, she said.

A book signing will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12 at JC Penney in Sikeston, where Mitchell’s book will be available for purchase with a free gift. Mitchell will also read a story from her book every hour on the hour. Refreshments will be served.

“This was a venture between me and my grandpa, L.V. Montjoy,” explained Mitchell, 42. “He had a journal that he had been doing and I had a group of senior citizens I took around to different places. My grandfather and I said we would put our stories together and write a book.”

Montjoy died on his birthday April 27, 2014. He was 94 years old.

“He was a pioneer of Sikeston; he drove the school bus for Sikeston Public Schools for years,” Mitchell said of her grandfather.

Mitchell said her grandfather’s entries are published the way he penned them.

“Every thing he put in his journal, I put in the book,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said it took her about five years to complete her book.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t happen before he passed, but he gave me his journal (to publish). I know he would be proud,” Mitchell said of her grandfather.

The book is written in two parts: the first part is Montjoy’s journal, and the second part chronicles a few of the adventures Mitchell had with senior citizens through the group she founded and operated, Senior Citizens on the Move. She volunteered with the group for 12 years.

Through fundraising efforts, Mitchell was able to take the senior citizens to Nashville, Tenn.; Kansas City; St.Louis; and Washington, D.C. These experiences taught Mitchell a lot and also provided her with a lot of writing material.

“You will find yourself laughing out loud when you read about the trips and the antics of these fun-loving seniors,” she said.

Seniors deserve recognition and honor for the lives they’ve lived, the struggles they’ve overcome and the raising and teaching they have provided, Mitchell said.

“Seniors teach you these things that this is the way life should be. If it weren’t for the seniors, where would we be?” Mitchell pondered.

It’s true senior citizens have lots of wisdom to share, she said.

“They can show you how they were with their families; the parents took their children,” Mitchell said “With education, a lot of them didn’t get the education, but if they could have went to school, they would have. God gave them the mind and ability to be able to read and write, and so as they got older, they pushed their kids to be the best they could be and education is very important.”

That was definitely this case with her grandfather, Mitchell said.

“He graduated high school, and he was definitely a guy who was big about education. He was very proud of his diploma and definitely an accomplish no one can take away from him,” Mitchell said of her grandfather.

And sometimes sometimes they will teach things some may not want to know, Mitchell laughed.

“A filter is not part of their vocabulary,” she laughed. “They will say anything. They’re like children; seniors just blurt out stuff. If your feelings are very easily hurt, you may not want to hang out with seniors.”

It’s important for everyone to make time for senior citizens and care about their well being, she said.

“Seniors know they’re older and they know this from the time they wake up and look in the mirror and from the time they’re born from toddlers and on.

She continued: “They like people to give them compliments; it makes their day. I don’t mean to just say it to be saying it, but be sincere, and if you see lady in her 80s and you know they look good, just tell them: ‘You look good today, ma’am.’ Just see what they say when you do this.”

The same works for men, too, she said.

“If you see a picture of man when he was younger, you’ll go: ‘Wow, he was hunk. I’m sure them women thought you were a fox.’ They like to hear this stuff. They’re not dead; they’ve just gotten older,” Mitchell said.

She recalled something one senior citizen once told her.

“She said: ‘I’m not old; I just look like this because I’ve been around longer,’” Mitchell said.

Respect, for elders especially, is needed in today’s society, she said.

“Young adults and children should look at senior citizens and say: ‘Ma’am, do you need help?’ Pay it forward, and that’s what life should be about with seniors,” Mitchell said.

For example, if someone sees a senior citizen in a checkout lane counting out their change and struggling to quickly find the correct coins, give them that dime or a nickel, Mitchell said.

“I think if everybody did something good for a neighbor or friend or stranger at least once a week, we would be much happier,” she said.

Younger people who read the book will learn from it, and, hopefully, instill that in their children, Mitchell said. Maybe it will make them want to work even harder, she said.

It’s important to have a support system in life, she said.

“I had a good circle of friends and family of encourage me in this book, and that’s important for whatever we do in life,” Mitchell said.

Feedback from those who’ve read her book has been positive, Mitchell said.

“One of them said she was laughing so hard she was hoping no one would knock on her door because she thought they’d think she was crazy if they heard her,” Mitchell said. “Another said: ‘This could not be real. Some of the stories — you’ve got to be kidding.’ You will laugh more than cry.”

A graduate of Sikeston High School, Mitchell attended beauty school. She is the mother of two daughters and grandmother of two. She’s also a member of Christ Sanctuary in Bell City.

Still, Mitchell said she’s pinching herself because she can’t believe she has a book signing at a national retailer.

“I never thought that my name would be on anyone’s book,” Mitchell said. “I never thought that my book signing would be at JC Penney.”

Mitchell’s book is also available at amazon.com.