Providence Smiled -
My Deaf Brother's Story

A book by Grey Benson Tate

Grey Tate felt called to write her 80-year old deaf brother’s life story as they were reminiscing about his exciting lifetime career, a trouble-shooter as an aeronautical mechanic for the government through four wars. She felt his life would be an inspiration to deaf children, and the wisdom their strong Christian parents displayed as they reared him could be a role model for other parents.

It took Grey a while to write it — she took three years out to serve as an Elder of Second Church, continues her volunteer work, and stays in touch by e-mail with a large family, but PROVIDENCE SMILED: MY DEAF BROTHER’S STORY, was finally published in October 1997. Her brother, Elwis Benson, is now 88 years old, and still in good health.

PROVIDENCE shows the role of parents in helping a child to accept his handicap, to achieve self-esteem and self-reliance, empowered to live a happy, productive life. It also shows an intimate picture of rural southern life in the early 1900’s that is fast fading, a lifestyle children and adults alike will find fascinating, and older southerners will find nostalgic.

She writes in an easy-to-read style that will entertain both Deaf and Hearing readers. A bonus: After reading Tate’s inspiring story, the Hearing public will see the Deaf as normal people who can’t hear.

Dr. Robert Davila, Vice President, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester, NY says:

"Few, if any, have told the story of the Elwis Bensons who live in every community ... live happy and productive lives, and yet remain unknown or unfamiliar to people in general. [Grey Benson Tate has told] a story that needs to be told ... a story rich in human interest and loving kindness, a story that will become part of our heritage."

Janet Isenhour and Bobbe Nunes, The Carnegie Center For Literacy And Learning say:

"This is a book that will make you feel like celebrating. It is a story about affirmation -- about the power of love and family to give us the strength to transcend hardship without minimizing the difficulty of the struggle."

About Grey Tate, the Author of

"Providence Smiled - My Deaf Brother's Story"

After growing up in southern Alabama, Grey Benson went to Washington DC to serve in Civil Service during World War II. In 1943 she was married to Harry Clayton Miller. They lived in nearby Fairfax, Virginia, where their two sons were born. In 1952, a family business, in which Grey was active, took them to Rochester, NY.

In the Sixties, Grey, divorced in 1959, was in that early group of mature people who later became a flood of older Americans going to college. She entered the University of Rochester as a freshman when she was forty, and was graduated (With Distinction) in June, 1968, with a degree in General Studies, and permanent certification to teach English in the State of New York. One month later she and Charles Tate were married (after courting during her senior year). They lived in Rochester until Charles retired from Eastman Kodak in 1976, when they moved to Kentucky to be near family.

Charles and Grey enjoy their combined families of five children, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren -- they use e-mail and a lot of travel to stay in tough with them all! They are active members of Second Presbyterian church, where Grey is an elder, and they both volunteer at Helping Hand, an Alzheimer day center, and in Meals-on-Wheels.

As she began her brother’s story, Grey took some graduate level writing courses at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and continues to take classes as time permits. She and Charles have traveled widely, are avid bird watchers, and are thoroughly enjoying retirement life. However, Grey had to take quite a bit of time out of retirement to write this, her first book.

Mail to: greytate@aol.com