Submitted by Judy Smith < jrsmith@monroe.lib.mi.us & Joann Holland < joemar@kyol.net Jan 7, 2000 JOURNAL--TIMES TUESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 29, 1985 Minnie Evans, Bright And Chipper At 95 Minnie Evans smiles complacently and talks of bygone days as she rocks in her old fashion cane-bottom rocker on her trailer porch and looks out to the colorful evergreen and deciduous trees that cover the hillside. Aunt Minnie, as she is lovingly referred to by relatives and friends is 95, but who can believe it: Although her hair is white as snow, she has few wrinkles. She has a keen look in her bright blue eyes and a cheerful tone in her conversation. She appears to be void of depression and morbidity--two familiar traits of old age. She is an inspiration to family, neighbors, and friends. Her 10 children idolize her and adjust their lives to revolve around hers. Why, if Mommy said "squat," they'd all squat, or "heel," they'd all heel. It's just that way. Before we stray too far let's go back 95 years and start at the beginning. Aunt Minnie, one of seven children (three still living), was born Jan. 28, 1890 to Elisha Lewis and Sarah Jane Johnson Lewis, with an excellent high tenor voice which she entertained her family with as she grew older. "I walked over a mile across hills and over a dirt road to Upper Bruin School." She said. "My first teacher was Bill Robinson. Other teachers were Jasper Rose and Cann Oney. "At the age of 10 my family moved to Horton Flat," she continued. This time I walked two miles across hills to Lower Bruin School. My teacher was Eliza Robinson. My favorite game was baseball. "She looked off into the distance and sighed." Lots of my schoolmates are gone. "My parents raised us to sing," she said proudly. "We'd sing on the phone for neighbors." She laughed and told of the time when the twins, Hattie and Allie were born, (delivered by two mid-wives, Harriet Evans and Mime Sarah Ratcliff. "I was six and Molly four. We were not allowed to see them until we sang `Soldier of the Cross.` I recall being stood on a chair with my sister while we sang. "We children had to work hard. At the age of six I was taken into the field to thin corn," she said. "I'll never forget that back-breaking job as long as I live. "We had to go to the creek and help Ma can beans. We also went to the creek to help wash clothes. It was fun putting bluing in the water--got the clothes so pretty and white. "Everyone in those days had a hard time," she said. "There was very little money. No doctors, either. We used homemade remedies. Onion poultices and meal poultices were put on the breast to break up a chest cold. A beet leaf was put on a sore to draw out poison. “If someone died neighbors came and helped bury them. Caskets were homemade--some yellow poplar and some walnut. The walnut ones were very pretty. "I was married to Clifford Evans at the age of 21. Bill Mobley, a constable, performed the ceremony. We had an old fashion belling or shivaree. The young boys shot the limbs out of our maple shade," she laughed. "People beat on dish pans and kettles with a metal object. We passed out candy to keep from being ridden on a rail (split section of a log used to make fences). Later on people got smart and hid from belling crowds. I didn't know what was in store, or I might have hidden too," she tittered. “In those days work and fun went together. We had quilting parties and shuck tearing parties. Shucks were put in bed ticking. "I'll never forget how we had to fluff those shucks up ever now and then to keep from sleeping on a hump," she reminisced. Later on we had feather-pullings when we got ducks and geese. We'd fill our bed ticks, pillows and cushions with feathers. "Sorghum-making was a big event," she said. "We'd usually quit around 10 in the night and have a square dance or taffy- pulling. "I raised all my family (Ernest died when he was 11 months old) on Buck Lick Branch of Bruin. We made our living mostly by farming. We first used oxen to work. Later we got a span of mules. "I have up in 50 grandchildren, several great- grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren. They kept coming so fast it was hard to keep count," she laughed. “Our home was a lodging for church people," she said proudly. "Sometimes as many as 40 would stay all night. Some of our children slept on the floor. Some of the boys would sleep on the hay in the barn. The children sometimes ate at the third table. High Rogers and Jim Johnson were preachers we lodged. Jim Johnson, 90, had a long white beard. He used to baby-sit with my children, and they'd pull his beard. When they got too rough he'd reach out his cane and hook their necks." Aunt Minnie has experienced some very unpleasant eras such as the Spanish-American War, World War I, Depression Days, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. When asked what she thought about the astronauts going to the moon she replied, "I don't think they got there. The sun and moon is the Lord's work--wasn't put up there for people to live on." Aunt Minnie's eyesight is good. "I made a quilt last year," she beamed. Her hearing is super. Sometimes she calls real early, eight o'clock in the morning, to see how her daughter, Molly is feeling. (Molly has a heart condition.) A few years ago Aunt Minnie had arthritis, but not any longer. She points to a copper band on her arm. "This and my faith in God has taken care of it. Wearing a copper band is no new thing. The Egyptians wore them a thousand years ago." Aunt Minnie makes her home with a son, Lowell. How does she sum up her life? "Well, I don't have any trouble with my children," she says. "All of them are good moral people--never been in trouble with the law. I've always worked hard, ate well, gone at things with a steady pace, and kept my trust in God." [Written by Lois Bays a free-lance writer from the Webbville area. She is a retired school teacher, having taught for a number of years in Carter County School System. She is presently working on the writing of a children's book.] USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access.