Today was my day off from work. It has been a long one. I haven't accomplished a lot today, but that's OK. I've earned the right to do nothing if I want to.

Earl Jr. called me early this morning to tell me about someone hanging a funny looking flag at our great grandfather's grave. Our great grandfather was a Confedrate soldier in the Civil War. Each year at the cemetery where he is interred, a committee hangs flags at all the soldier's graves. A Confederate flag is hung at the head of his grave each year on Memorial Day and is taken down that afternoon.

The flag in question is somewhat like a rebel flag and is hanging halfway down the flag pole. Funny looking Earl says. It has been hanging for quite a while because it is weathered looking. It's a mystery. We have absolutely no idea who would have done such a thing, but I vote to take it down.

Another mystery we don't understand. Earl and I are both on the cemetery committee where our Dad and Julius are buried. Someone placed the name of this cemetery on the list of one of the charity bingo halls that have sprung up all over our fair county. We had been approached about this subject once before and the committee voted NO. We just recently found out about the cemetery being listed. We have no idea who placed it on that list and who is recieving the money from the bingo halls.

I suppose all of life is a mystery to some extent. It's a mystery to me why I wound up living in the same place I was born after all these years, but here I am. For what reason was I born in this little community anyway? And for what reason did I wind up being alone in my later years? These questions arise in my mind when I am thinking about the big scope of things. There is a reason I'm sure.

Things I cannot figure out, I am not going to worry about. For right now though I AM interested in helping Earl figure out who put the flag on g-grandpa's grave and, for gosh sakes, who put the name of our cemetery on that list at the bingo hall?

All this DEEP thinking is taxing my brain! We will figure it out though. You can bet on that.

Written by Rosie Nail, May 24, 1987

I was the age to date But I didn't have anything to wear. There was a church on West Pratt hill. It was made from an old house. So we had such good meetings there. I didn't get to go much because I didn't have anything to wear. Had to wear old cotton hose and I was so ashamed. Oh well, after I fell and got my arm out of place that is when Earl came into my life. I loved him so much. We dated three years before we married. He came to our house that nite and gave me a letter. He told me that he realized he realy loved me when they told him I was hurt. During that time I didn't even have a pain pill to take. But God was so good to me. He seen me thru those bad times. God gave me a husband that I realy loved And I always will. God also gave me five wonderful children that I also love so much. Mama and Papa loves all of us to. They always was so consern. I think all you children was the sweetest thing in Papa and Mama's life. They loved you all so much. Well I wish I could put all my life in words but I can't. May 1987

Momma stopped writing at this point. I don't know if she just lost interest or felt overwhelmed and just couldn't do it. I wish she had continued. As I was reading this story, I felt the hurt and anquish in her words. I definitely know they (my grandfather, grandmother, Momma and Charlie) had an extremely hard time surviving through the depression.

They praised President Roosevelt for his efforts to restore jobs to Americans. Momma said she believed they would have starved to death if he hadn't.

Thank God he did! My mother was a strong woman and she showed that strength up until the day she died. I loved her so much.

In memory of Rosie Nail Hicks Green
April 12, 1920---February 23, 1998

(Continuation of the story my mother, Rosie Nail, wrote about life when she was little.)

Then we moved back to West Pratt in an old house called the Corruth house.It was large on each side with a big hall in the middle. I didn't like it very much. We all would love to see the trains pass by our house. Well the track and road was in front of the house. There was a big train that would come up every week from Birmingham. It was called the big Maddic. It was so big and long. Mama had my and Charlie's picture taken by the railroad track and tipple. Well we lived there awhile. Then we moved in a real small house up the road on in West Pratt on the old Will Lynn place. We stayed there for a year and half. Then we bought two akers of land an build a log house. I was only six or seven years old. You know we was real poor, But we was a family that loved each other and was always together. After so long a time the mining companys began geting low. Then Daddys work began to stop, so we realy did go thru hard times. We hardly had clothes to wear. Daddy morage out place for enough money to plant our field. He wanted to farm that year Thinking we could be better off.But the season of weather didn't hit that year. So we lost our place for the amount of $7.50. Well times was hard when we couldn't even get $7.50 to save our place. So we moved to Charlie Cample No. 2 saw mill. That was a mile north of Mulberry river Forks. We lived in a small room house in a very steep holler. We wanted to come back to Dora to visit, So we left daddy at home and came back. So hear I go again. We walked all the way to Dora and didn't even have any lunch. We stayed a few days with Mrs. Fore.
Then we walked back to Hull. Then a guy that new us gave us a ride almost home. Gee that sure did help us out. I felt like I was flying. Then we moved to Dora in the old Daniel house. We stayed there for awhile. Then moved to Aunt Martha Vinsin house. At that time I was 11 years old. Dady still didn't have any work to do. Aunt Martha house was on down closer in Dora.

To be continued....

As I read over what Momma has written I can feel the need they had in their life at the time. I can feel the hunger pangs that must have been a constant companion to them each day. Their life was extremely hard but they were survivors. My mother was one of the strongest women I have ever known in my whole life. I would not have traded her for any other mother in the world. I love you, Momma!

Written by my mother, Rosie Nail, describing her growing up years. Written May 24, 1987

Then we moved to West Pratt Hill. Then that was quite of an exsperince for me. One nite Charlie was only trying to Frighten me. he told me to go to the gate and back from the steps. So I did and it was dart. Then he made a real bad noise, and I picked up a rock and thru it at the noies. I hit him between the eyes and it blead. But I didn't get a whiping. I don't know how I did that in the dark. But I love my brother. I was just mean I guess. Well when we first moved on West Pratt hill, Uncle Billy Hicks moved us to West Pratt hill by mule and wagon. Our first house we moved into, They had to blow it up to stop a fire that was spreading on the hill. Old Negro Rose had a girl that wasn't right, that set thier house on fire. Then it all spredded. That was so augful looking. Well I caught on fire while we were living there. Mama thought I was real bad off. But I made it. Oh there was lots happen there, But I never did like going to the storm pit. That was when I could realy show out. So hear we go again. We moved over to Bergen. We lived in frount of the old cotten Gin. I can remember dady was working in the mines, And every evening he would bring me and Charlie a sack of Apples and candy.We would always look for that. There was so many things in my life That I can't put them in words. There was always so much quiteness and peace in our home back then. We could talk-- and sleep-- we had lots of time for each other. We didn't have a car to run in, or raido to hender. I had lots of playmates to play with. But by then I should have been in school. But Mama wouldn't let me go to school till I was nine years old Because Charlie didn't go till he was nine. Now I thought that wasn't right For I loved school so much. But realy God has been so good to me all down thru my life. He gave me a Husband that I realy loved. Also my five children.

But it never did do any good for me to beg to go to School. But along that time when the augful Depression came. It was the low price Depression, we just had a very hard time. Noughting to eat half the time and nothin to wear.

(To be continued)

The time Momma was writing about was in the 1920's. The Depression began in 1929.

When I first began genealogy no one in my family was very interested in my research. No one cared a hoot about knowing who our ancestors were, where they came from, etc. I continued on my quest to learn about my past anyway. I had a passion to know who they were and what their life was like back then. I have found many interesting stories but none as much so as my mother's interpretation of her childhood.

The following is her words. I have copied it just as she wrote it. It was written May 24, 1987.

My Life As A Little Girl

I was born in Jefferson County near Mt. Olive. Mama and Daddy moved to Dora when I was a year old. I must have been a great surprize for them; ha they could hardly keep up with me. Charlie was seven years old when I was born. So he realy had it rough. He had to chase me up and down the road. Every where we went he had to carry me on his back. "Well I was only Mama's little girl." I had no shoes to wear So Mama made me some shoes out of Daddy's old hat. So when they put them on me I began to dance all over the place. (But that was Mama's little girl.) Charlie wore long tail dresses until he was seven. Then when I was born he had to change someway To be so different then I was. (For I gave him a chase.) Oh, I was always peted, But there was not a thing I couldn't handel, For I caught on very soon just what to do. ha! Grandpa would bring me candy at the age of two, and I wasn't going to give Charlie any. That wasn't right. So when Mama got thru with him, Then he gave Charlie candy too. That never happen again.

Now by this time we were living in an old log house near the Reed place in Tin Can Hollar. I could really walk good by then so I got in some more things. Mama was washing down by the Spring one day. She told Charlie watch me and not let me get hurt, as she was washing. I was setting in Charlie's lape and I wet on him. And what did he do? He pushed me out of his lape, and I rolled down the bank. It didn't hurt me, But I cried. I knew where there was a hole in the side of a tree down below our house. so Grandpa Jones would carry me and left me up high, so I could put my finger in the hold. (Well, I was just being Mama's little girl.) I bet by this time they wish that they had never saw me. ha. But I loved my Grandpa Jones. Mama was going to spank me one day. I run to Grandpa and he carried me off and kept me off all day. I don't know where he went, But Mama was glad to see me when we came back home. so I didn't get a whiping.
By this time we had lived there around Three years. As sad as it was my Grandpa Jones passed away. He told Mama He didn't my dieing if it wasn't for leiving me. Well I can remember them carrying him away in a horse and wagon carried him to Burnwell, put him on a train. We all went to Brookside. Then to Mt. Olive.

(to be continued)

Grandpa Jones was buried at Mt. Olive Cemetery beside his beloved wife, Sarah Elizabeth Graham Jones and his son Johnny Jones.