'THIS OLD HOUSE'

This is the old house in Slocomb Ala, I was raised in, thats me standing there.
This picture was taken in 1985; This is the front of the house; it had a porch, a
porch swing and chairs and steps. you can see there were two places of entrance,
to the left was our living room and Mother and Dad's bedroom, the same in one.
to the right was all the children's bed room, all of us. The kitchen was adjoined to
Mother and Dad's bed room/living room, bathroom was "OUT SIDE'
The large field was behind the house and the picture of my Mother at age 37.

We were share croppers, that means we do all the work and give more than half to the
man who owns the farm and lives in a big house.
Dad died in 1947 and left my Mother with 7 children at home, two were married and
living other places.
We worked like slaves and the children,me and my siblings were paid a nickel a day and
my darling Mother was paid maybe 25 cents a day. I am not kidding, this is true.

I was nine years old when Dad died and had never been to school, my dad died Aug.
1947 and I was to turn 10 in December. School started in September and Mother put
me in school, my dad would not let me go while he was living and the State did not require
making him let us go.

I started to school at nine almost ten years of age. Spent one day in first grade, ha ha see
how smart I was!!!!? The problem is that I was much bigger and taller than all the 6 years olds so
next day I went to 2nd grade, had no idea what it was all about. I got my first and last spanking
that very day. Why? "you say" Because the teacher put spelling words on the board and let us copy it down
then she erased the board and gave us a test after we were suppose to put away our copies.
I had no idea what to do so I kept my copy and of course as she called out the words I would pretend
I was writing them, of course she knew what I was doing. When recess came she kept me in and
let me have it. It took me some time before I understood what I did.

No one would play with me because I didn't look like they all did, I didn't have shoes or nice dresses
to wear, in fact my mother made my dresses out of flour sacks. Yep, that was a long, long time ago.
The kids were very cruel to me. I was very sad but some how handled it, but of course I was in school only about 3 weeks out of the year because of having to work in the fields.
There were two girls who later took some time with me because they saw how others were treating me.
I will never forget their names, Betty Smith and Nina Roach. Those girls will always be etched in my
mind.
One day one of the girls gave me a small new testament and the teacher taught us John 1:1 In the beginning
was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
You see how people can influence you life even at a small age. That's why its so important to look
for the needy, like I was. I think that was a beginning of a change for me.

Look at my Mother's picture here, she was a slave but took care of us and loved us and
taught her children how to love, to work hard and not to complain. I never heard her
complain. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever known. She was the best!!!
She went home to be with the Lord at age 87 back in 1998 January.
I was on a mission trip to Ukraine and Russia during that time. A very sad time.
I did get home in time for her funeral. 63 of her children, grand children, great grands and
probably great great grand children. We loved her more than life itself.
My son Garry did the funeral, he is a minister, her favorite song was:'Going Home"
On her tomb stone we put" "Gone Home."
My Mother had humer even though she suffered so much hardship in life. She left her
children, grandchildren and etc. a legecy for which lives on in us. We love her.
She has a life with Jesus now forever. she has Eternal life, Go get yours.
Eternal life is throught God's Son, Jesus.