Document text
Federal Imiterst Project
i.aul Diggs
Lakeland, Florida
Amember 28, 1968
Stembridge, Vill Julia
607 Florence ,.ve
Lakeland, -.Clorida
Will and Julia Stembr age
At the end tthis sandy street lives Will and Juaia Stembridge,807
North Florence Avenue, in a weathensboarded house that is unpainted
The steps entdring the house are out of lime and are badly,in need
of repairing. The front porch was covered with running vines, and
there were pots of flowers sitting around the edges, with sevral
large tarns in standing vessel*. A swing was an the north end and
a green rocking chair on the south end.. The flooring on the porch
was old and very loose.
On ienocking„ answered fr m the kitchen where he was eat-
ing. He said, "come in brother,. come back and hops something to eat."
Through an a,,ology this courLesy was declined; an the purA)se of
the visit was explained.Will laugheJ aild.said," if I can se it in
print I will tell all about myself ,if itwill be of Any 'ate Well he
saidon us long Ls it is you I will try to satisfy you."
"You see I am just camping in this ranche(meanng his house
Goad heu. es are scarce here in Lakeland, and I don't know when I will
be able to own one through these bard timet.".
You have to pass through the frant room which is expensive*y
furnished., A large fire place sits in the center of the house paint-
ed white, which se,erates the front room from the kitchen. The same
flue is used for the large wood stove. There was a bed room adjoin
the front room with a lovely suit of furniture in it. The windows
all had shades and curtains to them, they were neatly arranged and
clean. he kitchen was very large. It served two -urposes„ to cobki,
26088
unu .in.ng r.om. The uriiture ri the kitchen waL not mo,,
ern thL.t in the 14-yrit m,s an, be:i-ro-m. Entring from
the the Liteben an -the bed r'o,]4 ,a-41ch crittined eno
Lu-
b.kt bed, single be,L. fhc. rt oX the fw.a.iture
_ne 1teuodel oil urri4.4- sittilig. in the mid :le of
the floor. Lis ste_-d-ught_r ziiet4. in bed IL this
iJ.w .artstv:, ih the uniforu of the Ar-st_ne Cemk-ny
1.r 1ia wrks. It was grt; by fr o the ce-s Ii e serviced
uring the day. his wife c -41,e in from out of the v(1 aLd skolLe-
very 1,1e,rtly..She took a Se t. listene
tinue,i to talk. Loti,Jing the Lunfl:u znirts -41 the sofa
,.4hen I came in, Jult_ w,s dia the race she re
„lied thet she aid. Stating thLt she tAees in lz,.un..ry'in
urr
to L_ssist her hLstand, I lave tn doing th:;t for yeas."
14-A.11 continued, wolI I Lo i thL,t C;hristmLs w.s god to you,
LI nice titutworgixu, ntrid,ng _round seeing uy friends.
%iib kroud thkt I was living."
an it me,42s business Ahen ever you c41, what's
big Lbout ue thet y -u zLt t I cc frou
,nd but
uy ktio,le. I ain't nothing but el ioer aorkLng been 4th
one cny ten years."diii t ki tb i:leasant smile -t
t.me t this koint Julia s id, tei hi,- whLt yeu kLo- it
way be worth something to
lie stat_d that he -s five feet and eleven inches in height.
-eit;hte two hundfod and nine koun s. Light bro.4n in comiaeltionio
an_ forty y: rs old. 11 I wi..s b_rn in a 1,4 cab -n t..c mius out
:row Fort Vey„ Gek,rgia. The log cab. onLy -h_d four rooms,
.there:o.as five of us- in the fail4r.. 4r 1.-,r-nts veer John _Who -thy
tembrii,e, :4), Mother lais Ana marrie-: fr tie6 suacu• the dt:•.th
at my i
I live_ in Geor,L uhtil I was,twerity yecL1-6 old. my e.
-were shi-ecreepers. They hiaL ch-rge of thirty ::,cre farm with
fourteen mules on it. Aaile Lin this faria I wor,e. bL with my
brother 47-atiga, the only one bill° st_yed -,r1 thy old el ce.
4
other br-ther rLla -round f.,14 elace to eL-ce. Qy tw_ sisters,
,ry erki M.ttie died. My f,Aher l. ter movod to Fort Vl_tay nd
o,enea a merchand.Lse stre, this stele he ran for thr-e yee.rs.
Later he uliltd, all4 my _other mhirrioU daJidy mzete
me gits it this f%,r1.1.I uit eAierytt11116 wela big en .ugh
to :Ao. Bee, ,iyu dig ditches, plant ,eoctonselek it, buiit fence*
_La iOo.tid fter the antmi.31s.. ste uid not Wieive in
014 thing Lut work."
L never knew t money uring, tlowm times. I left
there and came te Le.Lel_nas Flori,,,.4 in 41b. You s...c I have
only to klaces ih my life u,. thm,.re tiown here. heri
first eaMe to LakeinasI found a, jeb with the L,tne.- ru
_nysoh Weir Drive, I stayed with then until J.L, I
was gettihg thieo doLlars nd fifty cents rLLodn 1Atge
tan.4 Cr, w,th g- eline nu oa."
"I lelt 4hiseciLany-w went to work for Ceniber,
who sat thit tioe locL,ted Al in ,;tre-t pe r Tennesee 4,eire-
hUe• I t yYd with lu until i5, tkk.re I changed tirs. Aal,e
worL4ng fed'. Ar. Coniber I ,Ilarried to my Life sitting over there,
waS a,juli_ Hail. _Ire ha three ni, en- james -1c) lives
in '4_Thingtun„ ores ;_sa la,.rks._:t the rennt4iviniL i ilre,u Ot,-
Marie,n, wers at Futch ?uneriA Les
Florid avenn,
ahu AMAO,wort .t the ,411:41unt :Ty Clkl. no. -s -b_ L. Flori(la
kVianUo,
I left -Ir. Coniber und wulked for .kendrick wad Dichou.suit
Tire Cout,any. I Laid ti s Job down until
left ,this Job and st-rted working for t restone C
hi in 15. y bos- man i x. Joe Daniels. Hts 4;ives -e
thirtoendo‘l.ars .w,ok since they cut our a,l-ry, $1 go to work
at ,,even ocio;.:k Ln the rz4xg an. quit _t eight ()clock A night
have se,n many mun come -n. slime I have been on this Job,.
One gu_d tiAing I uonit owe anybody, ,i1 of my iminiture is koid
for,
n Ai -t I have le,rnea hik.4 been i-om h,ving good compactions.
You see my rookie only allowed lat to go as r_a:.
grade in school. I lave kioked u ore since thut ti_41. I h,rdelb
4 over forget anything. of thc tire ruri th,
BliAc4 nu ke ti-bs on e iythir tht cuwas They trust
we topulth
was :_sked if he uoieu zili ho
the house from kayng
-le :E... id wth t he
....no one h if
ver 'lok ,He Jurther st-tA th4t ,tJokle WL.J.t ke y..ur -oney ,but
thy nut fix u, ro,,rty, i o buy- :-.ow,o sowo
4. he zi..i ie orie-7: his ez4c. It ws a 1J, For, :41v.1 it
tixg.11 the b,ek TL.id xid 1.uke to be in f lriy g6 u conuit..n.
Tho..re w,s 0.el..kiatt.d shod. buiLt to house .Lt hot f.r from the
btk door.. Banked ar .und the b..ck uoo.. ere m;:.hy butted -flowors.
In the y._ra is lots oz l_ember. Thele rourrii their
yard, it t'..fled out to the :iley.
hen rohedub.ut voting,
th...t he 11.6 never
vA,A1 in his ii.. u But I do- th_nk it I_ half way right to vote,
On. C4314 got he ask for if
I didInt-have to .hiahce whenI tki to j..ny
thing abut this tang eall oitit.. I w.,u1,1 -vote for
iuent if the Akarie. fre. age I ,aia
to the "1-ed drosS. You hLvo ro 4a the front
foilow ne_rs noff len he, el. .hen I am ka;. thk•
j -b I her
Lut.
.Ldili; o ut ho is Lgo:J:1. As. Ala
kik tr a lot by i161,
he I was in Georgia 1 w s a wewber of tht,
BaA,tist (;;Lturch•o siuc 1 hi_ve bo„-n in i:loriq I ain't nothin6•
It ls a sh. e to s.y it, but I nit even go to church. I live
.ty go lie, nove b. n riany t'oubt nwy life.
lifts a.,roAy giuk recor d..htt y u think. I think it is about
tiwe..ta_taAe 4 peace wh tio Loro, he like ugly.".
It I
rutty he ity now, but 1 _aou 'levers k41,.: when he
get sick. I never na doctor to we in ..;y ife, yela
i has 'ha one. I thank she .aShos to much. Juii- s id that the
easihngu.nt wvrii het are. AleL sh,: first stLrted it
cause in her wrist a/Jet oiao tiwis I gec a scratch or
- ic
cruise frow ch_nging tires ar- caeli, hen 1, ilrs
e r boots. I knoi, lots of boys -ho st4_ r fr w rhi.watism
ir w not t_,:int; c rL f theivos. we tiwe I i'orA arour,ti
battery ae,tirtuent -Cid fr w thew cuse we to cou6h. si-
thet nothing hurts w.e.
In this hoe whose furnishin woit --nother s vi ence.
of c. iiinei al arclad. Julia takes lots of ,ride in
gpo,
koetivii;
a -is hi -1 the boauty of the furniture.
'14Jue b- s .weie maae u, tXC tti.,t„ one "rade s SJ irg in. 'ihe
4,4%; -Is welt. A: I• colors aL_ res.,
ed ,n a gingh.w dress. Will is above the average In his line 1
6
work 4h e.Lights to tL Loit t he coh do row c
helias lived in this couty for a nuabor of ye r..ond is well
by both 1-4CO23•
;111 ,id, n I bie to get :what I d..nt, with the assist
of wy..,ifels chi Len who giv ea _ f their erning to-
wers foou., u*end around five doli,rs f f000. You soe
1 hore good co ,14,inwy ud how te IA: thew
bculta aria corn bre- i iiea lie then•
Th t br ught
o silo to Juii-Isroe, She stating th_t she to cook.
s.,..Le of ti' good things she 1.,re..a.res for t.r.le thLt
they c,die h..;140 hungry, they a. Ways fink: goel hot fo,, on
the s...ove.n
a,• th-t h. gr.. test trueb.Le eoting to _Axil
s- eLs„ 4 1 li...e wy tardy too. But
1.t1prer
ou th, j -b.
ILi. it i ti,ae f„,r to got bac4 on the job '.,4heh I get
_co of wy tof1 I can helre th..ngs 11...eI u.,e o n the
ant y.,Ju to se us rieilag see lots of
kj,.. COS 1 uld io to own if I h. the aorey. ts tt&_ bitfg,st
thir.„; 1 lo lahen oil the jb. I fltu frieW _id rie to '13
11 to --n t.r,ke a n&( he ....ohm a Irink) I get tots of
sure out .of
R I I CoUld te:Li y -u ;hr,re aLout lawny
tiiirAg wy ee here _1,,
grown an- _Lie to
_ut fur thow seives. get L. faceLy together. L'.1
Liszt A .yUe sh(fuid live, ue u hte XIUsA.tip,ell alter ell
ooluive I wiiiamonatto £Ai1eth1g.