This is a transcript of a recording my great-grandfather, Papa Joe, made for those of us too young to visit him on the upper hospital floors in November 1978. He died 2 months later...

Hello Rebekah and Timothy and James and Susan and everybody

How are ya?

Don’t bother about me I’m gonna be alright

They treat me real good in the hospital

We have a good hospital

And we have a God we can depend on

And if things don’t seem right to us

They will be to God

Because that’s the way he wants them

So let’s don’t bother about anything

I’ve had a good life

And I love you all a whole bunch

So you see how it is

I just want you to love me

Whether I’m here or whether I’m not

But I really, really hope to be here

And I’ll see you one of these days...

Be real good...

And think of me sometime...

And I love you...

Bye