Document text
"ROXIB OWENS"
Name: Rosie Hutchins Ashley
Address: Booneville, N. C.
Occupation: Widow
Date: August 30, 1939.
ariter: Clalee Dunnagan
Revisor: Margaret P. Mangum
As I approach the house of Ratio Owens, I recall the time
when it was necess,-41y for me ta go to the homo in her time of
deapair. What a contrast today/ The house, still unpainted, is
surrounded with blooming flowers, the yard in can, and rubbish
removed, a line of freshly washed clothes drying in the sun, all
show the gallant fight of a woman for her children and home.
Lievaral little girls are playinj in the yard and one of them sees
no as I walk 11:) the path to tLe little cabin.
"Too -boo, Ass jmith, coe in, i.to-m will be rIt with ye",
said the child.
"Howdy", said Reale. "Patty Rose, go git ass Smith a glass
o* cool buttermilk. as jest been a-chuanin* an* ther milk is good
an' fresh. 1 guess 1911 be =kin' butter that rest oi my life for
my family is so big hit tae.ee all that oream I can it ter keep
ohill*un in butTer. k.,111 Bess is a good cow an* I don't know
what gelid done widout her, fox' manys a time we*ud only have bread
an* milk gravy far our meals. Patty Rose here is one o° that
smaller ones. Tes/um„ we have 15 ohill*un but with all o9 my trou-
bles, ther Good Lord has blest me too.
I vent ter wori,„: in a hosiery mill in Winston when 1 was
14 yira old. Lo an* my st,ter, who was eleven then, went to work
an* we made .7,urty good money too. got paid ever two weeks an*
o.ot I *member I was paid a 410.00 gold piece, 5 OM'S ant some
silver in et- 1;:e. 1 waAter ter keep hit so much for hit was so
purty but had to give hit up fer my boerd an' keep. Sister is still
workint at ther same mill. She has been thar $1 years now.
de used ter walk ter work,an° one dny we missed a gang ol men
workin' on some 'lectrio lie. Thar was a real good lookint boy
in that gangran' evor mornie we passed them he would aorta smile
like. I wished I eould meet himlan' oho' nuff I did, ter one of ther
girls who worked next ter me in ther mill knew him an' she inderdueed
us. I Wlieve John an' I fell in love all at onct,fer we started
got& together reeler at ther fust.
"Pa's birthday was soon, an' we chill'un 'aided ter give him
a party on a Sunday, so I **cited John ter go along with Sister ant
I ter home. That Sunday was ther happiest day, I shall never fer-
git hit. 13 months later we was married.
'John was a lireman an' -lade 'bout 42.00 a day. That was good
money then. We Sound us a little cottage an' funished hit with
new furnishure. I worked 'till we &Tot ther funishure paid ter, an'
then I quit for my baby was a-comin° along then. Little Julie was
born 9 months atter we was married. John an' A3 was so happy in our
little hhme an' with our new baby.
"One day wheq Vier baby was a few months old, I heered a cyar
stop out in front o' thor house. I got up an' went on ther -poreh.
Thar was 2 strange ien in thor cyor an' hit loo:ed like somebdy was
a-layins on ther back seat. One 0' ther man ;ot out ant opened ther
back cyar door. I was 30 sc,ared I couldn't speak. I saw them take
John out o' thor cyar. I jest knew he was daid. They brought him
in ther house an' nelped it hit. in ti,or bad. Then the doctor come.
lie was therc tor ther company sent atter John fell. Thor doctor
said he was hurt riht bad but re'4 be all right soon. You $ee, ho
pull od a liement in his haek ant it bothered him up till their time a'
As death: Atter John got up we 'aided ter move ter ther country.
John's mother had a big farm 'bout 30 miles from wiaatea,
helped her farm for 6 years. Vaneouss Paul ;Inmost, an Harvey was
born at John's mothers. Van !Jul searlet fever an' was mighty sick an
3right.s disease for two years att%T.
e 'aided we needed a place a° our own as ther little ones was
comi o fast, so John went in debt for this pleee. It has 40 acres.
Ify husband cut an' sowed ther lutlber for trier hzelse an' butlt hit only
with erriff ra:.:m ter do us at that time. aimed ter add on ter ther
ha but it jeat soon lik#=4 we nlver could o' do hit 'count of sick-
ness an' one thing elnother. Clarence was born that spring. He was
a zood ;)aby. john startet our crap ant plowed up *Wier gyrden for I was
goin' tor t Ice care o' that. I planted soe oabbesge an' wanted ter
plant solle onions too. I went over tor a neibor's house am' she sold
me a=o or on sets. he meas,lrod ttiom out o' at old bucket that was
anda eert Inside. I t00% them home an' sturted settle them out.
&meat tin' ilarvey was A.ayint 'round ;14a i;ent atter 4 for some onions
ter eat. I gave t!lem s.tx;e an* wont on ttLalt my lantie. :A,xty soon,
tot% ter .4oys was sic an vonIttie sumpin awful an' nothie I elid
aruld atop them. I sent Ju.i tsr t or doctor a in a snort ti,a-c he
was. r ther house. 'rore Yre.White „:ot that.. I was most scared ter
death for Harvey
at stiffened nut an' I thou- t he was did. Thor
doctor !-Iad ter prise tLs ineth 07)on ter .ve !Iim some deoine he
se!d he ortme jet !r1 tine or else :7mrvey w41101,0 died in 'bout 30 mei
min es. You see. tioy U43 pawned by ther -arts green let' in ther
frum thar year 'fore. My neighbor was awfully upset over ther
cnill'un bein' sick but she said she didn't think about tear young
'uns estin' ther onions.
"1 guess you 'member the? flu apedimic. Back in 191,8 1 Dilieva.
IlatS pne 99 that' :ust ft:Alias here abots ter AVIII hit an' ever
bodily wa So afraid ol hit they would n. t vula In ther house but would
call outin they yard put food on ther porch far us. Virgil was
borned -.;;ear an' I tool;. ther flu when was 3 days cold. Thar
two oldest chill'un didn't have 4It but they wae too wr.all ter de
enyt.incs A, all was awful sick bat 1. mawed ter it up an did
as ma* far ther uhill'un as I oo-ad. hit's a !wonder I didn't die
an* I've been not strong ever si-lca. John had hit worsen thaw rest
0 us an' 1,,ti wasn't able ter work any a -tall ther nee suer.
Dale VAS born nee ter Virgil an' I was sick a long spell.
Rheumatiz set in so bad I couldrOt walk tar a lort tia. 3oon's I
was better t, I had a nervr.3us breakdown. it was fall nein 'fore
Itts tiA:e ter be up ant dot'.
*lilt wasn't long 'fore I knew I was big agin, an' iearl was
born ther nes* vit-. 'Tore I quit nusein' her, Ylinnie Ruth cams
along en' I had ter hv a octor with nie ttLat a-tirle. I allors
had a midwife but y health bads an' 1 didn't get along so well
with her either.
Then Pearl was 2 or 3 ;ears old we went tar see ny brother.
Brother Joe lived on a tarn like us an' he dug yarbs tar sell.
Thar was allers a bunch 0 'em dryin' 'round their place. ile nada
good money those days sellin' yarbs but you can't make much sellin'
them now-e•days.
5
"The second day we was thar„ 'bout dinner time, Pearl an' Dale
came in ant said they was sick. They was a-vomittint an* actin* jest
like ther time Ernest an' Harvey got pizoned. Both o* them was too
sick ter tell me what they had been satin'. John went atter ther doc-
tor as fast as he could an' when he came he had tarwork over than fer
a long time. When they got better, so as ter talk, Pearl said they had
chewed some ol Uncle Joe's ebaccer which was a-layin* out thar on ther
table in ther yard. Brother Joe had dug up some poke root an' was a-
dryinl hit ter sell. Thinkintlit was *baocer ther chill'un took a chew
o' hit. They got well in a few days tho' an' I was mighty happy ter
see them runnin' an' playin" agin.
"When Billy was a wee baby, Julie WAS *bout grown an' she took
off one day ant got married. I hated ter see her leave me for she was
so much help, helpin' me with ther baby.
"Billy was two years old when Betty was born. Our house was so
crowded with all ther babies omin' so fast. We jest couldn't git
enuff money a -head tel.' pay off our debts ant build onto our house.
"Welloit seemed like somethint was allers happenin* ter our
family. Hit was jest one thing er nuther. Ernest was a big boy an'
he kept fussin' fez' a guns but, John, my husband, wouldn't let him
have one ant then we didn't have no money ter buy one. But Ernest was
so anxious for hit, that he got some parts frum old guns that other
boys let him have an' Aade him one fer hisself. Hit would shoot real
good, too, ant he kept us in rabbits ant squirrels. One mornin' jest
'fore Thanksgivinl he went off ter ther woods ter git rabbits. He
wasn't gone so long 'fore he was back agin an' when he was comm' up
ther path I noticed he was holdin" hisself lie he was earryie some
thin' awful heavy. I couldn't unnerstand what hit was he had killed
that was makin' him walk like that but when he 2ot oloster ter ther
house I saw he was draggin' his foot an' his side was all covered with
blood. I got ter hia7as fast as I could an' put him ter bed. One ol
ther chill'un ran ter my neighbor's ant got him ter go for ther doc-
tor in his cyar. Ernest was so weak 'cause he lost so much blood that
when the doctor come, he out him in his eyar ant took him ter ther
horspittal in Elkin. I went, too, an' stayed at ther horspittal*while
they took pitohers ter find whar ther builit was. They could see hit
in ther pitoher an' I saw hit,too. They said they had ter oplrate
ter git hit out. The doctors out in his side, but when they got
inside, they couldn't find hit. Then they op/rated on his back, ant
still they couldn't it hit, but hits thar yit 'cause I saw hit in
ther pitcher.
'e had a little money saved up then, but hit took all we had
ter pay ther horspittal an' doctors, an' then thar wasn't enuff.
We've never been able ter pay hit yit.
"PWWohn got sick right atter that. He had high bloodlanl
a large heart an' kidney trouble. He c;ouldn't work much but would
tell ther boys what ter do. That was in ther winter ol 1932 an' 1933
"We had twelve chill'un ter home an' with so many mouths ter
feed an' sickness an' all, we got in debt good an' plenty. We were
affiered ter ast for mol credit an' we didn't have nary a cent ter
run us either, Our wheat an' corn had give out ant ol course, that
meant we couldn't have 71read. SAlieboddy tole us 'bout ther Relief
people in Yadkinville an' I went down thar ant ast fer some help
till we could git on our feet agin. They was mighty fine ter us ant
AO sure did 'prostate hit tact* farm, didn't have noth —tall.
,a couldn't even send the ter school far they didn't have
clothes ter w4ar. That was A tarrrao winter an' then I was gittin'
big agin. raUay was born tar nexe spring. 4 hoalth was bad at'
John was still unable ter work. 1134, we aloai, them Lord only
*Tans was ther only one o' -4r boys that 3ave us any trouble*
1 71t ter runninl 'round with sone 0' ther boys th&t wtire tough am'
didn't have a good name. Ue John tried ter naU) him stay ter
ae but boys hien age wolidn't listen terthar s an Pa's word,
they th,.iwht t.e:i know re'n *eam.anyone. So ont night t is gang
broke in a n t.louse. Vans stood on ter autside watched.
Thor 'whole bun o' 'est got caw,t, rie 'awe any cy ter
it him out o' jail, so had tar o on thar roads. shad ter take
nit
cine n' Alt !Ade a -Ian out 0 him, They let him off
atter he stayed or' t!ar roads 4 months, 'cause hc was a good boy.
lie had 6 months He larn't his ,esson 'cause theta V'er only
tVas e ,c;t. In trouUa.
When he was ol,.2 tmurf te se7t stayed
thar 'til tt%er money run o,lt thur 1.:a a honorable dip—
charge.
wPatty Rose was born next an' Cien VerA.os
"It was when patty no wns born, you was our caseworker.
You tzember ivin' me that order tar bad ulotzles dishes.
didn't nava snuff -lates so we culd all at at =et. I'll never
forgit what you ant ther reIlaf did ler us.
"1 was nick a lorL::: se1.4. atter Fatty Rose was /Joni. john was
good t5r ;ae. r.(:zwas wie o' thur bent .en onywherss. 2ver morninv
be went o4t aM rnyed "fere he went ter wafts t4e bsioed ter ther
PentoestIll olüese 'urcb. 1 still ee thar ever obese* I it.
m- on Verdi°, V;er baby, as 1 months old John yes taken bad
oleic .tn' had ter go torourteen dayn later he died. Ho didn't
have eny 'surance but burial 'surence an' it wasn't snuff ter pay
all ther 'spinosa. I owed than 4t4.00 attar. I put Zahn away nice
en' t7arter 7urtlost rlowers. He had been so eood tor me an' ther
:oung 'unes felt like ldn't do enuffibr bias We had his tun
ml at ter -church an' tn frlunds were all thar. Ttor choir sung
lots of hynms in' ther proecber talked 30 nice like 'bout mY Jahn.
Nit was a fun'ral
gPeoele wanted mo ter yu.'• ther little ones in a "sylun but I
azuldn't give tzem e7 Me I ad ter give up john.
"John tad 3 good fox hounds so sold tie- tar 430.00 an' give
ever penny tor ther unnertaker. I aimed ter pay over cent I owed for
John's fun'ral an' I did. I don't owe them wortaitalair nothin. e.tall
now
"We had Riood crap les° year. Thor best we ever had I b'lleve.
I nearly out debt. Atter pann° ther fert'lizer bill, I had
44 C,00 left. I I have a good crap this yer I can it out og debt
but I'm afeered their crap ain't ,7oint ter be SO 100dep
"Clarence wasAther at.4map 11 metes. he is ther best one a° toy
.-e.ver took onv Ciinf7 that be1orwee ter enrIne else. Onets
whenwa.. in
NJ
p his Lieutenant wrote me ter sent elarmum
money far hls bue fre. I aent him a doll r but ‘:lrenoe came home
'fore ne elt zoney. '4hon he ot uc& ter camp he sent ther
41.00 baolz ter cae.
naves% merriod goon atter Zahn died. He wont ter Virginia an'
got a job in a wee' =kin" $25.00 a week. Vane se hist site are
livin" thar toe, an' he works at the? same pleas whir Xrneet dom.
He makes 48040 a vow. Ho has one little baby an" I id.shalt
see har. She's real outs an' smart too. Lasteeek4 Clarenee went
ter Virgisis for they had a job for his too. He is angle back
home 3unday atter his oddlmobile. He *int married yit but 1 as
he'll be soon as be makes enuff monay ter 'map a write. Zahn taught
all thar boys how ter work on oyars. Se had a old one here for a
long Una ant they was forever tinkerin" with hit.
"Tbe older chill'un didn't git much larnIn" when they was little,
but 1 =aka ther younger onee go ever day 'less ther weather's too
roughs X tells then eddimahun means a lot ter people nowadays.
only mutt thr340 Um' 5th grimilLame John didn't go a -tall. When we
was married he couldn't awn write his name or count. I taught him
all I could. He was real inert an" lamed good.
"Yee.um4 Paul ant Earvey are married but Paul ain't livin" with
his wits. he's a sweet little tin g but Paul is sort 01 hernmsOMIWUK
like ant ain't emm ter mettle down.
"Thar ain't but 9 ahilliun ter home now-Aut when Dale come
tharill be 10 o° um hero. I glt fifteen dollars month fer ther
little luale unmar 16, thaea six o" 'ems Hit helps a lot far hit
keeps my gr000ry bill paid up mosi a' then tine an" somatimes I
managed ter git a dress for myself or for one o" then young tunes
fkly health aim' any too good now. I'm gall bladder trouble
an! I'm havin' all ay teeth pulled out. :eat have 3 left. I don't
know ..,,hen he able ter git me some or those stars tooth but
10 0,
ther doctor said ap iiid'teet12 jest likevediesa ter we, an' I wed
reel better 'hen they was ell out.
*I prey for ay ohill'un ever night, specially op, bays. Lie
week I want ter cherub an' when I got home I prayed mos" all night*
Atter I wlnt tor sleep, I had a dream er vision: I thought John
was with am an' we were in an apple await lain' up apples. The
tree was Jost full oi big purt, ones* All ther little ehill'inn was
with us an' we all was so ha!py: I than thought the:. end 8 time had
omen an' 'John was no easy frun as but ther 1itle ehill'un was still
with me. Them, I tu4t I waft eilowed tar go in New &Drumlins's'
sew ther streets all paved with gold. I bslieve hit was a.visioa
'stead o' a dream: nits awful Are ter sit alonr widout Iehn: I
dram 'bout him so =Loh. 3=stlnes my drowns are so real. I wake up
bolievini that John is atili ulth c. Vie sot aloes good an' we never
lewd
got glad nonstiguis John umeld poet
eve never be a,2_ ter add an ter er finish our house as
John planned, Hit needs a sew roof an' palette too, but I
don't know if I'll ever be able ter 4o all that needs ter be done*
I try ter keep tiler %awe clean an' ther yard neat. Mere some day
t er ehill'un will help le fix hit up:
wires, were in lots better shape than we was a few years ago, bul
I'm still lonesome fer Zohr even wlel ell !ly little 'Zs °round as.
ifilbe hit won't be no long 'fore Zahn um4 no will be together Raja**