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Ellis J. Crum

1928 - 2011 Arranger (stanzas 3-4) of "Precious Memories" in Sacred Selections for the Church

1877 - 1959 Author of "Precious Memories" in African American Heritage Hymnal Wright, John Braselton Fillmore (Tennessee, February 21, 1877--October 13, 1959, Brownwood, Texas). Church of God. Son of George W. and Casandra (Coley) Wright; educated in the public schools of Limestone County, Texas (at Groesbeck, Prairie Point and old Box Church); studied music in one eighteen-day singing school near Hamlin, Jones County, Texas. Married Fannie Jackson, February 13, 1898; children Harvey, Myrtle, Calvin, Carey, Leonard, Grace and Dudley. Wrote over 200 songs, both music and poetry. Began writing at about fifteen years of age; stated that "I write by inspiration, only when the mood comes on the words and melody flow from my soul like the water from a babbling brook; without this inspiration I could not write; 'Precious Memories' was born in the midnight hours as I bathed my pillow with tears, likewise all my songs came through life's severest tests." --William J. Reynolds, DNAH Archives The source of Wright's tears mentioned above was the memory of the death of his son, Everett Jackson Wright, at the age of 3 1/2 in 1922. A detailed account of this and the writing of "Precious Memories" can be found in the May 1952 edition of the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Alabama), a copy of which is located in the DNAH Archives.

W. P. Ganus

1881 - 1956 Arranger of "[Precious mem'ries, unseen angels]" in The Ganus Hymnal Walter Powell Ganus, born in Alabama, died in Florida. One of the figureheads of the Ganus Brothers School of Music in Alabama. - Garrett Herndon, from findagrave.com, accessed 5/27/2025