MY MOTHER LORENE WROTE A STORY ABOUT HER MOTHER AND I AM GOING TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.!
THE STRONGEST WOMAN I EVER KNEW: BY LORENE MARIE (MYERS) AARON.
IT WAS A HOT JULY AFTERNOON AS MY OLDER SISTER, A FRIEND AND ME WERE WALKING HOME FROM SINGING SCHOOL. WE WERE ABOUT HALF WAY HOME WHEN WE MET OUR FRIEND'S FATHER. HE SAID THAT MY FATHER HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND MIGHT BE DEAD. HE WAS GOING FOR HELP. IN OUR NORTH ALABAMA RURAL AREA THERE WERE NO PHONES IN 1931. WE RAN THE REST OF THE WAY HOME WHICH WAS ABOUT A MILE. WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME, MY MOTHER WAS SITTING ON THE GROUND WITH MY DAD'S HEAD ON HER LAP. HE COULDN'T BE DEAD. HE WAS ONLY THIRTY SEVEN YEARS OLD, BUT HE WAS.
MY MOTHER WAS ALSO THIRTY SEVEN. THAT DAY SHE BECAME A WIDOW WITH SEVEN CHILDREN. THE OLDEST WAS ALMOST FIFTEEN AND THE YOUNGEST WAS THREE. THE DAY WAS JULY 31 1931, JUST AS THE DEPRESSION WAS BEGINNING. LUCKILY WE HAD A GOOD CROP THAT YEAR. WE HAD PLENTY OF CORN, PEAS AND HAY TO FEED THE MULES AND TWO MILK COWS. THE COTTON CROP WAS ALSO GOOD. AFTER PICKING AND GATHERING THE COTTON AND BEFORE HAULING IT TO THE GIN, THE COTTON HAD BEEN PUT IN A VACANT HOUSE ON THE FARM.
WE WERE IN THE BACK PART OF THE FIELD ONE AFTERNOON PICKING MORE COTTON WHEN WE LOOKED ACROSS WHERE THE PICKED COTTON WAS STORED. WE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE HOUSE. THERE WAS NO RUNNING WATER AND NO WAY OF PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. WE BEGAN RUNNING TOWARD THE BURNING HOUSE. WHEN WE GOT THERE THE FIRE WAS BLAZING ALL OVER THE PILED UP COTTON. THREE OF THE YOUNGER CHILDREN HAD GONE INTO THE HOUSE TO GET SOMETHING INSIDE. ONE OF THEM FOUND SOME MATCHES AND STRUCK ONE; THEN DROPPED IT ON THE COTTON. THE OTHER TWO WERE IN ANOTHER ROOM. WHEN THEY SAW THE FIRE, THEY HAD TO GO OVER THE PILE OF COTTON TO GET OUT. LUCKILY ALL THREE GOT OUT SAFELY.
WE PICKED MORE COTTON AND IT WAS HAULED TO MARKET AND SOLD. MY MOTHER PUT THE MONEY IN THE BANK HOPING TO HAVE ENOUGH TO PAY A PAYMENT ON THE FARM, PAY FOR FERTILIZER AND BUY A FEW CLOTHES FOR WINTER. SHE HAD ALSO GOTTEN $500.00 FROM MY DAD'S MEAGER LIFE INSURANCE POLICY. ALL OF THE MONEY WAS DEPOSITED IN THE BANK; PART OF IT JUST THE DAY BEFORE THE NEWS CAME THAT THE BANK HAD CLOSED.
NOW WE HAD NO MONEY, NO CLOTHES AND NO MORTAGE PAYMENT. BUT WE DID HAVE PLENTY OF CORN AND PEAS IN THE BARN AND WE DID HAVE OUR COWS. WE THANKED THE LORD FOR THAT. WE ATE CORN BREAD AND MILK FOR SUPPER AND MILK GRAVY AND BISCUITS FOR BREAKFAST. FOR FOOD, WE ALSO HAD DRIED BLACKEYED PEAS AND A COUPLE OF HOGS. WE KILLED THE HOGS AND CURED THEM IN THE SMOKE HOUSE. WE ALSO HAD SOME SWEET POTATOES WE HAD GROWN. WITH THIS WE WERE NEVER HUNGRY.
MOTHER HAD US SHELL A FEW BUSHELS OF CORN AND THRASH SOME PEAS. SHE WOULD TRADE THEM TO THE ROLLING STORE (PEDDLER) FOR FLOUR, SUGAR, COFFEE AND OTHER STAPLES WE HAD TO HAVE TO COOK OUR BREAD. AT THE TIME, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH TO EAT AS WE DID.
AS I GROW OLDER, I REALIZE JUST WHAT A GREAT WOMAN MY MOTHER WAS. SHE HAD A HARD LIFE AND DIDN'T ASK ANYONE FOR ANYTHING. SHE KEPT US FROM GOING HUNGRY AND KEPT US TOGETHER. MY MOTHER LIVED TO SEE ALL HER CHILDREN GROWN AND WITH FAMILIES OF THEIR OWN. SHE DID IT ALL WITHOUT SOCIAL SECURITY OR WELFARE. WE OWNED A MILK COW AND GREW FOOD. WE DIDN'T NEED WELFARE ASSISTANCE.
EACH DAY I LIVE, I LIVE TO APPERICATE MY MOTHER MORE. I DOIN'T KNOW THAT I EVER TOLD HER OR NOT. BUT SOMEHOW I THINK SHE KNEW. MOTHER ALWAYS SAID SHE HAD A GOOD HELPER AND THAT WAS GOD.!! SHE WAS TRULY A GREAT WOMAN.
LORENE MARIE (MYERS) AARON; THIS STORY WAS ADDED TO THE FAMILY HISTORY: MAY 9 1998
BUEL BASCUM AARON and LORENE MARIE MYERS had the following children:
+365 i.
VIRGINIA CAROLYN AARON.
+366 ii.
GARY WAYNE AARON.
+367 iii.
SAMMY (SAM) BUEL SR. AARON.
Return to Table of Contents