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|  | Mollie Remembers . . .
« Thread Started on Apr 12, 2008, 2:14pm » | |
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A Tale of the Lives
of
Mary Annie "Mollie" West
b. 1852 in Mississippi & d. 1939 in Texas
&
Joseph Helidorah Nettles
b. 1832 in Alabama & d. 1890 in Texas
compiled & presented here for you
by
Vickie Lynne Everhart nee Pounders
![[image]](http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/familyscribe/fuzzy/children/button785029.jpg "[image]")
Click above for the full photo
daughter of
Forrest Lee Pounders
b. 1927 in Texas & d. 1996 in Texas
son of
Ima Lois Pounders nee Muston
b. 1906 in Texas & d. 1999 in Texas
daughter of
Emma Patience Muston nee Nettles
b. 1882 in Texas & d. 1964 in Texas
daughter ofMary Annie "Mollie" Nettles nee West
b. 1852 in Mississippi & d. 1939 in Texas
daughter of
Richard C. West
Kentucky? > Alabama? > Mississippi
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benotforgot
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| | Re: Mollie Remembers . . .
« Reply #1 on Apr 12, 2008, 2:16pm » | |
Quote:
Summer of 2000
Lee County Historical Commission
Lee County, Texas
I am a great-great-granddaughter of Mary Annie "Mollie" West (1852-1939) and Joseph Helidorah Nettles (1832-1890). Their daughter, Emma Patience Muston nee Nettles (1882-1964), was my great-grandmother. Emma's daughter, Ima Lois Pounders nee Muston (1906-1999), was my grandmother. Ima's son, Forrest Lee Pounders (1927-1996), was my father. I was born 1951 in Cameron, and grew up in Rockdale.
For some time now I have have been administrator of a MyFamily.com site entitled "Us Mississippians" (name taken from a quote from an 1871 letter written by Adela Vick). We are using this site as a gathering spot to collect and share info on ALL of the families that migrated to Texas from Oktibbeha County, Mississippi in 1869 -- many settling in and around what was at that time known as Burleson County, Texas. We are including info on residents of that area in Mississippi that came to Texas shortly before and / or after the wagon train, as they are all apparently members of some of the same families anyway.
We currently have members from all over Texas and the United States, and from as far away as Verona, Italy (i.e., Jim Vick* who is descended from Joseph William Vick). Although none of these members have told me that they have submitted info to you for the Lee County, History, I DO sincerely hope that they have done so?!?
Mollie's story, as so wonderfully told by her granddaughter, Ruby Vance nee Nettles*, in a 1979 newspaper article, isn't JUST Mollie's story. It tells something about ALL of the people who lived during that tragic and confusing time in our collective history. And that narrative is a very real part of what has inspired me to continue the quest for more and more info on these people.
This "circling of the wagons" at Us Mississippians has been a WONDERFUL experience, but it is SO far from being COMPLETE. For me, Mollie's saga is like the glue that holds all of the other bits and pieces of info together. I honestly don't feel I have enough to tell in a completely separate article without incorporating some of Miss Ruby's wonderful narrative, but I do have SOME additional info, and rather than duplicate, I thought perhaps MERGING might work better? So that's what I tried here.
As referred to earlier, most of the following information was originally published in the 19 April 1979 edition of The Giddings Times & News in Lee Co., Texas. That article was written by Ruby Vance nee Nettles* of Lexington, Lee County, Texas, and the publication date was timed to coincide with that year's annual Lexington Homecoming. Miss Ruby* is a granddaughter of Mollie, the original "narrator" of this family saga. If Miss Ruby* and / or y'all prefer to use her 1979 article as she originally wrote it, then just ignore parts 1, 2 and 3 from me, and I'll send you an "Alternate Nettles-West Story for Lee County History."
In introducing her little Grandmother's story, Miss Ruby* stated that, "One afternoon in the summer of 1932 this writer visited her aging grandmother for the purpose of taking notes on some of the Civil War stories she had heard her tell all her life. We hope in sharing these with you that many of you will do likewise. . . ."
There are an inestimable number of persons with Lee County connections who descend from Civil War-era residents of Oktibbeha Co., Mississippi. Andy Monroe, descendant of Cecelia Parker Sikes nee Perry, has observed that many of the folks on the 1850 Oktibbeha County census who later wound up in Texas, were earlier in North Carolina. He said, "I would be willing to bet that there was an earlier wagon train or pilgrimage from North Carolina."
Part One of Mollie's story tells of her childhood memories of life in and around Oktibbeha County during that time period. On 09 January 1861, Mississippi voted to leave the Union. In his farewell speech to the Senate on 21 January 1861, Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis stated that, "I concur in the action of the people of Mississippi believing it to be necessary and proper." According to Davis' wife, that night he was downcast by the turn of events, and prayed for peace. . . . [What I added here were mostly a few notes on the Meridian Campaign during the Civil War.]
Part Two deals with the 1869 reconstruction-era trek from Mississippi to Texas. The journey takes place shortly before both Mississippi and Texas, two of the last four ex-Confederate states to ratify the 15th amendment, are readmitted to the Union. [What I added here were excerpts from letters written to "Aunt Amanda" in Oktibbeha County. The whereabouts of the originals of these letters is unknown to me at this time, but it is said that Mrs. Underwood has handwritten copies which she made herself some years ago. What I have are typewritten copies sent to me by LaVerne Dixon, a descendant of Matilda (West) and Britton Valentine. My understanding is that LaVerne and her husband, Bill, are the people who did the restoration / preservation work on the Cole Springs Cemetery. FYI -- some of the members of Us Mississippians are now working on a project to photograph and document the graves of the individuals who came to Texas on the wagon train.]
Part Three addresses Mollie's life in Texas after her marriage to Joseph Helidorah Nettles. [Most of what I added here is information on Joseph's Civil War service, a few additional tidbits about Mollie as remembered by her granddaughters, as well as some info from Mollie's obituary.]
I am also sending you an additional "FYI" message which details a list of supplies they might have taken on the wagon train.
Vickie (Pounders) Everhart
Vickie.Everhart@gmail.com
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*Now deceased
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benotforgot
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| | Part 1 of 3 :: Mollie remembers . . .
« Reply #2 on Apr 12, 2008, 2:19pm » | |
Quote:
Mary Annie "Mollie" West was born 24 October 1852 to Sarah Mildred "Sally" Carter (1820-1868) and Richard C. West, Jr. near Starkville, Oktibbeha Co., Mississippi. Sally (Carter) West was a daughter of John and Theodosia Carter.
Sally had a sister, Mary (1814-1892), who married William "Uncle Bill" Valentine (1801-1872). Mary and William Valentine are both buried in the Prospect Cemetery in Lee County.
Richard West (whose father was also named Richard) had seven brothers and three sisters. The brothers were scattered when Mollie was a child in Mississippi, and she knew only one of them well -- Milt, who lived in Tennessee. Richard's three sisters were --
Mathilda West (1808-1884) who married Britton Valentine (1811-1884), and both are buried in the Cole Springs Cemetery in Lee County, Texas
Sarah "Sally" West (1823-1854) who married Robert L. Sikes Jane, who died young.
Mollie's birthplace was a one-room log house with one window and one door, and a stick and mud chimney. "We were quite poor, I guess," said Grandma, "but I never remember being hungry." Here they lived until the Civil War broke out in 1861.
Because the men folk were soon away from their homes fighting or training, the women and children often gathered in the homes of relatives who had houses large enough to accommodate them.
Sarah Mildred's sister, Mrs. Wm. (Mary) Valentine, lived in a home of six rooms, a long wide hall, two large porches and a portico in front of Mary's room. The Valentine children were Dave, John, Lou and Margaret, and their West cousins were Mollie, Billy and Dave. So for the four long years of war the Valentine residence was often home to the Wests.
"Life would have been fun," said Grandma, "but for the vast amount of work to be done. It left little time for play. Even though I was only nine years old when the war broke out I spun many yards of cloth for our own clothing and for the soldiers. Uncle Bill and Aunt Mary had a marvelous library and every spare moment I found I had my nose in a book."
"But let me describe Uncle Bill and Aunt Mary's home a little better. I've told you how big it was -- and you have to understand those rooms were large with high ceilings. There was also a large cellar under the house with two huge boxes in it that held apples from the orchard across the road from the house. I can see and smell those blossoms yet when Spring comes each year!"
"The house was surrounded by a picket fence that enclosed a large yard. The walk from the front yard gate to the house was lined with jonquils, daffodils and snowdrops. The house itself was white, set on brick pillars. So it was a pleasure to be there out of our little cramped home."
"But to get back to our spinning -- I especially remember one dress I had. Usually our clothing was on the drab side for we had little time to spend dying the yarn and sewing on trimming. But this was a Sunday dress of a lovely shade of blue and my mother trimmed it with pink braid that had been given her by a friend."
"We also made our own stockings and socks, of course, and during the war we even made our hats out of straw or shucks. I remember two I had. You know, we thought we couldn't go to church without a hat on."
"In time we had more to think about than raising food and preparing clothing, though that still had to be done. The war was coming closer and we were beginning to hear the battles being fought."
"One day Aunt Mary sent some of us under the house to dig and line a deep hole outside the cellar. Into this she put silverware, deeds, and other valuables and it proved to be a wise thing to do. The enemy never did uncover it either."
"Closer came the fighting until one day* we could hear the cannon booming as a battle was fought over a bridge maybe twelve miles from our home. I remember what they called that bridge, though I don't know how you would spell it -- Sookietoncha*, it sounded like. It made cold chills run over you to hear that cannon."
"We had already had several wounded soldiers to take care of -- Aunt Mary and Mother were fine nurses -- but now they really poured into the house. I remember that Col. Forrest had some by the day before and asked Aunt Mary for a horse to ride. She had told him to take his pick, only leave her old Tom to ride, since he was real gentle. But he insisted on using Tom, and in anger she told him, 'I hope he does you no good, Sir!'"
"Late the next day, after the battle at the bridge, old Tom came home riderless with blood all over the saddle -- Col. Forrest had been killed* on him. Aunt Mary wept in remorse and never again rode old Tom. Col. Forrest and Gen. Forrest were brothers, and we saw them often."
*NOTE -- Col. Jeffrey Forrest, youngest brother of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, was killed with a bullet to the throat near the Sakatonchee River between Okolona and Ivey's Hill during the Meridian Expedition -- on 22 February 1864. A detailed account of this campaign, written by Ronald G. Domer, was published in the May 1998 issue of "America's Civil War."
"Eugene Willoughby, about 16 years of age, was a southern boy who had run away from home and joined the army. He was wounded in this battle and was brought to Aunt Mary's. We nursed him back to health and he later left with his company."
"I wish I could say the same about all the sick and wounded we had there. Oh! We had so many that there was no more room to put them. Even the long hall had pallets from one end to the other."
"It was at this time that Aunt Mary took a sick boy into the room she was allowing a southern General to use, and the General objected because he was entertaining some bigwigs. The next morning she informed him in no uncertain terms that he could move his quarters elsewhere, for to her no one was more important than a southern soldier in need of nursing. He went to Grandpa Bell's."
"One day I slipped into the library to rest and read a little while. Uncle Bill saw me go in and followed me. 'Mollie, I thought you knew better than that,' he said. 'Why, what have I done, Uncle Bill?' 'There's a very sick man in there.' 'I'm sorry, I didn't know it.' 'Well, that's all right honey. I thought you knew better.'"
"That was the nearest I ever came to getting a scolding from my kind Uncle Bill. This same sick man was finally nursed back to health and left. Years later they had a letter from him and he addressed them 'Dear Father and Mother.'"
"The army camp was only about a mile and a half from our house and one day I saw sixty Yankee prisoners marched by. The southern officers liked to eat at Aunt Mary's. One day one of them reached over and took a piece of meat with his fingers. 'Sir,' said Aunt Mary, 'don't you have a knife and fork?' 'Yes, Ma'am,' he said. 'Then use it!' The Yankee prisoners were fed by their own cooks."
"Off and on during the war years we returned to our own home which was now a larger house of three rooms about a mile and a half from Aunt Mary's. I well remember the first time I heard the term Yankee at school. I thought it was some kind of new varmint we had in the woods, and my teacher, Miss Martha Ware, had to send her sister and a cousin home with me, I was so scared."
"Later, when the Yankee army came through plundering and burning everything, Aunt Mary sent a Negro man and woman after us, and that kind Negro man carried me all the way to Aunt Mary's. I can't describe my fright -- it was so bad that I wouldn't step on a crack in the porch floor. I was afraid a Yankee was under the house. I clung to my mother's skirts -- and I was old enough to act braver than that!"
"I was awakened each morning for a long time by the sound of Taps from the army camp near us. We watched soldiers marching to their band music. It was a pretty sight, really, and very stirring. One day some of us were at the spring washing clothes when a marching company came by with a band, and Rose, the colored girl, became so excited she grabbed my mother and spun her around, nearly causing her to fall in the pool. 'Ain't that pretty?' she cried. Pretty, yes, but oh, the meaning of it all!"
"Some of my older cousins were in the army, and we didn't always hear from them regularly. So it came about that my cousin, Dave Valentine, took measles in camp at Canton, Mississippi, and died without his family knowing of it. The body was brought home and when Aunt Mary went out to see who was arriving she fainted and fell down the steps when told that it was her son in the coffin. The last time he was home on leave my mother had made him a new shirt out of calico. He was so pleased with it that he told Mother, 'Aunt Sally, this shirt is pretty enough for me to be buried in.' And, sure enough, he was, for the casket was not opened for fear of others getting the measles."
"Well, you wanted some of my memories of the Civil War. I hope you will remember that these were from a child's point of view. I'm sure the suffering and hardships were much worse for our parents than anything a child could understand. I don't remember any partying or celebrations when the war was finally over after four long years. That was in 1865 and I was thirteen that year, but small for my age and still wearing a child's size shoe, as I've had to do all my life."
"However, don't think our suffering and hardships were all over. In some ways they were worse. It was hard to raise crops with the slaves free, the men folk scarce (so many had been killed or were sick or wounded), and so much robbing and stealing going on."
"The freed slaves were a real problem in many places, especially on the large plantations that owned so many. They had no way to make a living in many cases but to beg or steal. Our families had a few slaves but they had always been more like members of the family -- even riding in the wagon with us to church. They were members of the Baptist Church we attended, too, if they so desired. Several of them begged to continue to live in our homes, but they had to be told they could not. One aged couple simply refused to leave and they were never bothered. They even came to Texas with us and were cared for the rest of their life. . . ."
Probably weary from relating her "rememberings," Mollie told her granddaughter that, "There were twenty-one families of relatives and friends who finally in 1869 had finalized plans to come to Texas where it was hoped it would be easier to start over. So we made the long trek from northern Mississippi and that in itself is a long tale. This afternoon is about spent and I have chores to do. Come again and I'll tell you of the trip and our early years in Texas."
Miss Ruby says that, "Regretfully, this writer never did go back, except on briefer visits, to pick up where we left off that day. However, we do remember some of the things she told at times about that trip."
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benotforgot
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| | Part 2 of 3 :: Mollie Remembers . . .
« Reply #3 on Apr 12, 2008, 2:27pm » | |
Quote:
In 1974, Thomas Underwood wrote that, "By 1869 a group of people from this Mississippi area (i.e., Oktibbeha County) started to Texas, led by Johnson Perry who was a brother to Cecelia Perry Parker Sikes. . . . Most of the families who came with this group settled around String Prairie, Lexington and Tanglewood."
Mollie had lost her father, Richard West, during the war. Her mother, Sally (Carter) West, later married Joe Thomas. One son, Eugene C. Thomas, was born to them in 1866, about two years prior to Sally's death. In 1869, sixteen year old Mollie and three year old Gene came to Texas with Valentine cousins, believed to have been John and his wife, Maggie, who settled in the Rockdale area (they had daughters, Porta and Irma).
Getting through the Mississippi River bottom was quite an experience as Mollie told it. If they were not stopped repairing broken wagons, especially axles, then it was likely raining and they were mired in the sticky mud. The men cut lots of saplings along the way to pry wagon wheels out of mud holes.
Mollie said that during one of their stops little Gene was found with a jug of someone's Blackberry Cordial. He had managed to remove the stopper and was doing a creditable job of tasting it. "Good!" he said.
When they reached the great river they crossed it by ferry. The wagons and teams were lined up in the middle of the huge ferry, and the people stood round the rail. One mother in the group was very nervous about the weight of them all on "this contraption" and yelled at the children as they ran from one side to the other so as not to miss anything going on. "You'll turn this tarned thing over," she screamed.
Eventually they reached Texas, where many of the families -- people by the names of Beard, Beasley, Bexley, Boyd, Evans, Marquis, Monroe, Parker, Perry, Rife, Sikes/Sykes, Thomas, Valentine, Vick and West among them -- settled in Burleson County (re-organized as Lee County in 1874). Following are a few excerpts from letters written back home to kinfolk in Oktibbeha County after the wagon train arrived in Texas.
02 December 1869 . . . I seat myself to write a few lines to let you know. . . . We have got to Texas. We have camped in a mile of Caldwell town. . . . You must excuse all mistakes and bad writing. I had to write in wagon and on the trunk. . . . Adela Vick
07 February 1870 . . . We was on the road about six weeks. We camped here one week waiting for them to get out of the house. We are all living in the same house except Uncle Thomas and he lives in site. The house we live in has eight rooms to it, is a double house shedded all around except one end. It has three rock chimneys, we have three bedsteads. Two of them . . . cost $8 each in Lexington, the other cost $7 in Brenham. Joe & John has made three trips to Brenham. They carried cotton down and bought lumber and groceries. It is 45 miles and is a good road to go by Evergreen. . . . I have seen plenty mule eared rabbit, prairie chickens & deer & turkey. Joe killed a mule earred rabbit the other day. They are larger than our rabbits. They ears is about four inches long as well as I can guess. They killed some prairie chickens. They resemble a partridge. Julia Valentine & Jim Evans married about two weeks ago. I heard that Caroline & Jim Evans' brother was to be married last Thursday night. . . . I understand that Miss Lizzie Perry is to be married shortly. There isn't but one church in Lexington that I know of and its a Baptist. The Methodist preach in the Academy. . . . There isn't but one school in Lexington and it has forty scholars. . . . Mother has a cooking stove. It is number eight and she is very well pleased with it. . . . We live about three miles from Mr. Nallie and about two miles from Mr. Sykes and about two miles to Billy Perry. Old Billy Valentine is living there this year. . . . The roads is as good here as they are there in the summer time. They is so levil we can lope all the way to church in the buggy. . . . Give my love to all and reserve a goodly portion to yourself. . . . Adela Vick
07 February 1870 . . . I am very well pleased with the country. It is the prettiest and loveliest country I have seen since I left home. There is plenty of rail timber and firewood and also plenty of water. We have very good plum orchard and a few peach trees and no apple trees at all. . . . I made enough money picking cotton to buy two geese and two combs and a pair of scissors. I have been to church once and to prayer meeting once. There is prayer meeting in Lexington every Sunday night. Papa sold one of his mules for $125 and Uncle Berry has sold his old wagon for $135 and grandmother has sold her mule for $120. . . . When we go to church here we go by the wagon loads about 8 or 10 of us go at a time. The church is very disagreeable in cold weather. It has but one door and a little room at the end of it for the negros. I reckon they couldn't afford a gallery is why they have a room. They have Sunday school at Lexington every Sunday. Our kindred from N.C. has got (to) Evergreen. Aunt Sally Braswell had got in four miles of her sister when the hack turned over and broke her arm. She was very bad off for a while, but she is better now. Cousin Ben Braswell has been to see us twice and cousin Asim Vick has been to see us once. He is one of Uncle Nathan Vick's sons and he got his leg shot off in the army. There is a steam mill in Lexington owned by some of our kindred. . . . I wish you was here. I think you would be pleased. . . . Luvicy Vick
15 January 1871 . . . Mr. George Perry has moved from Caldwell town to Caldwell County on Mr. Johnson Perry's place. . . . I have finished my irish chain. . . . It is pieced with red and green and put together with yellow. . . . I have an album quilt started. . . . it is so cold I can hardly hold the pen. . . . L. J. Vick
20 July 1871 . . . Us Mississippians had a little fish fry the other day. We had a nice time frying and eating fish. . . . Adela Vick
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benotforgot
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| | Part 3 of 3 :: Mollie Remembers . . .
« Reply #4 on Apr 12, 2008, 2:28pm » | |
Quote:
Shortly after her arrival in Texas in 1869, young Mollie became acquainted with Joseph, a Civil War veteran twenty years her senior. On 02 July 1871 in Burleson County, Mollie became Mrs. Joseph H. Nettles. Miss Ruby recalls her little Grandmother telling her that Joseph Helidorah Nettles was born 23 March 1832 in Alabama. He had several brothers and sisters who died in a yellow fever epidemic during the Civil War. A surviving sister married a Muldrew and lived near Houston, Texas.
By 1861 Joseph was in Texas, where he enlisted for the duration of the Civil War in the Grimes Co. Greys, aka Co. G of the 4th Texas Infantry. The Fourth Texas was one of three Texas Regiments to serve in the famous Hood's Texas Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia. The Texas Brigade was often said to be the best under the Confederate flag. Having miraculously survived the battle of Antietam (September 1862), which is considered by many to be "the bloodiest single day of the war," Joseph was then wounded on the second day of fighting at Gettysburg (July 1863), and again in the battle of the Wilderness (May 1864).
In a letter dated 15 September 1871, Della Vick wrote, "I went to the barbecue in Lexington last Saturday was two weeks ago. There was a good many people there but we came home and went to Prospect to preaching that night. It is four miles. There was five joined that night and among them was Mollie Nettles used to be Mollie West."
The newlyweds lived for a time in the Rockdale area with Mollie's relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Perry, and later with Mrs. Courtney Valentine Nalley. Soon they moved to Lexington where Joseph had a woodworking shop in connection with the Hester blacksmith shop. Here their first child, Nona M., was born (1872-1949).
Miss Ruby wrote that, "Their home was on Doak Lane, the old Giddings road south of now old-town Lexington, and just across the lane lived Dr. Doak and family. In 1929 this writer (Ruby) had to have emergency surgery for an almost ruptured appendix, and the surgery was done in Taylor, Texas by Dr. Edmund Doak. Later, when my grandmother was told who my surgeon was, she laughed and told me this story."
"When my grandmother's Nona was a baby, Mrs. Doak had a baby boy named Edmund. One day Dr. Doak was called out on a case in which he needed the help of his wife. She hurriedly nursed her infant then took him across the lane to my grandmother to tend until they returned. The case took longer than had been anticipated, and baby Edmund began to have hunger pangs. Finally, Grandma could stand his crying no longer and sat down and nursed him as though he were her own. 'I had plenty for both babies,' she laughed."
"Other children born to Mollie and Joseph were --
Mary T. (1873-1874)
William E. (1874-1947)
Beulah A. (b. 1876)
Wallace Lee (1880-1881)
Emma Patience (1882-1964)
Minnie (b/d 1884)
Velma I. (b. 1885)
Joseph Alfred (1889-1944)."
"Nona married Frank Moore and they had children, Blanche, Earl, Carl, Elva, Maude, Bernice, and Corinne.
Will did not marry.
Beulah married Tom Bryant, a widower with children Jim, Ola, Betty, Tommy, and Edna; and they had children Inez, Luther, Dorothy and Claudia.
Emma married Charlie Muston and their children were Erma, Ima, Gertrude, Stella, Nona, Gladys and Pauline.
Velma married Oscar Peebles and had children Aubrey, Frank and Shirley.
Joe married Carrie B. Yeager and their children were Ruby, Frank, McLarty, Wallace and Carrie Belle.
Mollie also reared a granddaughter, Grace, who married Guy Burroughs and they had children Guy, Jr., Cecil, Vincent, Don and Joanne."
"A deed for 100 acres of land in the Daniel Walker League, bought from J. C. Coker, was filed by J. H. Nettles in Giddings on 12 October 1882. Later adjoining land was bought and here the family grew up. This was in the Cole Springs community west of Tanglewood."
"J. H. Nettles was not a well man due to hardships and exposure during the Civil War, and 01 May 1890, he succumbed to his illness. He was 58 years of age" and was buried in the Hugh Wilson Cemetery near Tanglewood.
"Gene, Grandma's half-brother, had not married so he came to live with the family and help make a crop. To baby Joe he was more like a father than an uncle. He often took the child with him as he rode horseback over the community or to Tanglewood for supplies. The girls began leaving home as they married and established homes of their own. Gene also married, but Will remained at home with his mother."
As the widow of a Civil War veteran, Mollie began receiving a Confederate pension in March of 1916. In the beginning she received $53.50 annually. By the time of her death in 1939, the amount had been increased -- to $25.00 a month.
Miss Ruby states that, "It was on this place (in Cole Springs) in a house, the main room of which was of huge hewn logs, that this writer (Ruby) was born in 1910."
Another of Mollie's granddaughters, Ima (Muston) Pounders, recalled that their Grandma would save old newspapers, catalogs, etc., and would then use the papers to fill the gaps between the logs in the cabin walls.
Several granddaughters fondly recalled Mollie's special cookies (recipe unknown) that were baked in Mollie's old wood burning stove. Mollie had an old tin container which served as her "cookie jar" and was replenished regularly.
Regarding the community switchboard which was operated by Mollie at one time, Miss Ruby says that, "I remember exactly on the log wall where that switchboard hung. I also remember the menfolk getting together sometimes to fix the lines when a windstorm or something caused a break in them. . . . And it was here that my grandmother became ill in 1938 and finally went to Lott, Texas, to live with her youngest child, Joe, and his wife, Carrie. She passed away 01 May 1939, having lived a widow exactly forty-nine years. She was buried beside her husband in the Hugh Wilson Cemetery near Tanglewood."
According to Mollie's obituary, she was known as ". . . one of earth's dearest and sweetest little mothers" and that "from the wisdom of her years she gave counsel, advice and help to all who sought it, and truly will she be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her."
Miss Ruby says, "My Grandmother never knew what it was to have an 'easy' life, but she knew how to make the best of what she had. She told this writer one time, 'You take the good and the bad as they come. But if you look at things the right way, the good always comes out ahead.'"
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benotforgot
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| | Suggested Wagon Train Supplies
« Reply #5 on Apr 12, 2008, 2:29pm » | |
This information was extracted from pages 499-500 of the Wayne County, Kentucky "Marriage and Vital Records, Volume Two." The list is what each person was allowed to take in the early wagon train migrations.
PER WAGON
150 pounds of flour
25 pounds of bacon
10 pounds of rice
15 pounds of coffee
2 pounds of tea
25 pounds of sugar
½ bushel dried peas
½ bushel dried fruit
2 pounds soleratus (baking soda)
10 pounds salt
½ bushel corn meal
½ small keg vinegar
pepper
CLOTHING PER PERSON
Men
2 wool shirts
2 wool undershirts
Women
2 wool dresses
Both
2 pair drawers
4 pair wool socks
2 pair cotton socks
4 colored handkerchiefs
1 pair boots and shoes
poncho
broad rimmed hat
MISCELLANEOUS PER FAMILY
rifle, ball & powder
9-10 gallon keg for water
1 axe
1 hatchet
1 spade
2 or 3 augers
1 hand saw
1 whip or cross-cut saw
1 plow mold
at least 2 ropes
mallet for driving picket pins
matches carried in bottles, corked
SEWING SUPPLIES (placed in buckskin or stout cloth bag)
stout linen thread
large needles
thimble
bit of bee's wax
few buttons
buckskin for patching
paper of pins
PERSONAL ITEMS
1 comb and brush
2 toothbrushes
1 pound castile soap
1 belt knife
1 flint stone
COOKING IMPLEMENTS
baking pan (used for baking and roasting coffee)
mess pan, wrought iron or tin
2 churns one for sweet, one for sour milk
1 coffee pot
per person
1 tin cup with handle
1 tin plate
knives, forks & spoons
1 coffee mill
1 camp kettle
fry pan
wooden bucket for water
BEDDING PER PERSON
1 canvas
2 blankets
1 pillow
one tent per family
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
Iron Rust
Rum and Cognac (Both for Dysentery)
Calomel
Quinine for Aque
Epsom Salts for Fever
Castor Oil
EAST-TEXAS-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com by Shirley Larson on 26 April 1999
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