September 8, 1981
It is easy to remember all the good things of the past. Today and I would like to recall some of the hardships my parents encountered in their lifetime - also some of the progress made during the same time.
They were born before the turn of the century. The south still had not recovered from the "War between the States."
They were both from farm familys and had had little chance for much education.
Daddy rented land and farmed for awhile before World War I. Came home[,] married, and began a family - still renting. Prices were high but farmers had little cash. Each year they had to borrow money on their next crop in order to have cash to buy seed, fertilizer, replace plows, etc. They in turn loaned money to the people, mostly negros, who "lived on the place" so they could buy staples until the new crop came in.
Each year at cotton selling time (Sept, Oct) after the settling up of debts[,] a farmer would often find that his cash left over would not be enough to carry him until fall again - so he would have to borrow on his next crop. This for most farmers was a constant struggle.
My father moved us to a farm on Ashford Ferry Road [located in Chester County, SC, about 8 miles south of the town of Chester, SC] when I was a baby anticipating buying the farm. However he couldn't come up with the cash so he had to rent it. This usually meant a bale of cotton went to the landowner.
This farm was owned by a Dr _______ Durham who lived in Columbia who had grown up on the adjoining farm. He was helpful and never pressured my father about the farm.
Daddy added on to the farm house several times as his family grew. [This house was torn down circa 2001.]
Finally, after the big depression of the 20's & 30's he was able to borrow enough money thru a Government Farm Agency, I can't recall what it was called (Farmers Home Agency) and he bought the farm in Fairfield County [located about 13 miles south of Chester, SC on Ashford Ferry Road, which is called Old Douglas Road once it enters Fairfield County] where we lived until Daddy and Mama moved to Columbia with my Brother and his family in [the] 1970's.
We as children never thought of ourselves as being deprived as most of our friends were farm children. There was plenty of food from the garden. We all worked around the house, garden and fields during summer and after school. My parents would have liked to send us to college, but could not but they were determined we would have as much education as possible.
My oldest sister [Jessie] attended school after graduation from high school to learn to type. She helped some in the elementary grades[,] substituting for teacher whos[e] mother was ill[,] along with taking the business courses available. She became a bookkeeper.
Emmie[,] my sister just older than I[,] went to work for Telephone Co and then worked for a Dentist and became a very competent dental assistant.
I worked a year as a waitress at the Hotel in Chester saved and borrowed enough money to go to a Business School in Columbia. I worked as a secretary at Thomas and Howard Co (a wholesale Co.)[,] then Borden Milk Co. and finally Springs Mills Inc before giving up work to raise my own family.
I worked at T & H [Thomas and Howard Co.] during World War II. One of my responsibilities was to keep a record of sugar supply - Sugar was rationed during war. Each family was allowed so much sugar per year and to purchase it you had to present a sugar stamp (The same was true for meat - gasoline and shoes). The sugar stamps were pasted into coupon books by the stores and presented to wholesaler with their orders for sugar. These were deposited in the bank to a sugar account from which the wholesaler would write a check to accompany a sugar order. This was one of my duties, keeping the sugar account.
We worked long hours during these times. Reporting for work at 7:30 or 8 AM and working until 6 or later plus 6 hours on Sat.
I bought a bicycle to ride to and from work. We lived in rooms rented from Miss Jessie Oates (we were me, Emmie, Jessie[,] until she married[,] and cousins Pat & Lucy Shirley. We had meals at Mrs. Collins boarding house. We had to give her our sugar and meat stamps so she could provide good [food] for us.
Those were sad times and yet looking back good times because being young the war couldn't stifle us completely.
I wrote Harry a letter every nite during these years. We did most of our courting by letter. He being stationed in Texas - Norman, Ok., Jacksonville Fla. and then Brazil and England - then on West Coast at end of war.
Pammie (Ruby Frances), my youngest sister, went to Winthrop for a two year commercial course staying one year with our sister in Law, after Arthur was killed. We all helped her with expenses. The last year she lived on campus.
John Wallace our younger brother became draft age at 18 just out of High School and altho we had just suffered the tragedy of the death of Arthur he chose not to ask for a deferment on the grounds of last surviving son. He served in Germany during and after war. Came home grown up. He worked at several jobs before going to work for S.C. Employment Agency and by dent of hard work, devotion and ability rose in agency to a very responsible position.
He took a lot of courses by correspondence and all those offered by agency and probably has as good an education as any College graduate.
Advancement in life, both spiritually and financially[,] I believe comes from the inner being. A desire to better oneself with a willingness to give the best of yourself to each job eventually has its rewards.
I am glad that our three sons had the opportunity to go to college and the ability to get their degree. I hope each one will lead a happy and rewarding life. Contentment in job and surroundings to me is more important than wealth.
I began this to talk about the hardship of the late 20's & 30's.
Having 6 children to feed is and always will be a tremendous responsibility.
Remember during these years very few people had telephones - electricity or cars.
In order to use a phone one either walked or rode a horse or mule to nearest phone - the lucky rural family who had money enough and lived where Telephone Service was available. In our community, it was the Colvins.
Illnesses were treated at home until they went away or became so bad that the doctor was sent for. My mother said she treated us with liquid aspirin and prayers.
My oldest brother had colitis and pneumonia at an early age. My sister Jessie contracted pneumonia one year at Easter time. There were no powerful drugs to use. It was a matter of good care, nursing during a week of high fever. Pneumonia at this time took many lives. Finally her fever broke and Mama, Daddy, family a[nd] friends who had nursed her were able to get some rest.
I fell off of a bale of cotton and knocked my right elbow out of joint. Had to be taken to town to the doctors office to have it set. I was 6 - 2nd grade - had just started school for the year. My arm was left in a cast for 6 weeks. When finally had it off I had to exercise it for a year to get mobility in the elbow again (I blame my poor handwriting on this experience)
My Daddy used to say he was never able to completely pay the Doctor's bills. There was always someone in family needing attention so he just payed something each month.
We all had whooping cough (This was before innoculations were available) chicken pox, German measles and red measles. Somehow we missed mumps and had them as adults.
Can you imagine 6 children having these diseases. It would take all winter or about 3 months from onset for it to run the gamut.
I was never very ill from these childhood diseases but Emmie & Arthur ran high fever with measles - suffered nose bleeds of such proportion that the doctor was called.
At that time when you had red measles you were kept in a dark room and not allowed to read for fear of eye damage. I was so bored the few days I was isolated.
My grandmother (Maggie McKeown) was gravely ill for more than 6 weeks before her death. She was nursed around the clock by her children, friend[s] and neighbors. The greatest burden falling on my mother as she was living with us. Mama sent the 6 of us off to school each day - cooked, did the laundry, and other chores with part time help from a negro lady named Ann Brice.
Ann was a good cook. She later stayed with us the week Michael was born to cook for Harry and look after Harry Jr.
My parents were fortunate in that they did not lose a child until Arthur was killed in the war.
5 children are still living and all the grandchildren -- & great grandchildren are healthy. What a blessing!