Bienville Families: Gladys Whitley (Stewart), Bienville Parish Louisiana Submitted by Donna Sutton ladyhawke1214@hotmail.com ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Interview with Gladys Whitley (Stewart) 1992 Gladys Whitley was the wife of Roger Hayden Stewart of Bryceland, LA. She was born December 10, 1905, in Arcadia, LA. Her father was Thomas Jasper Whitley (b. 23 Nov. 1877 Bryceland, LA, d. 1959 Bienville Parish). Thomas’ mother was Georgiana Elizabeth J. Boddie (b. 30 June 1848 SC, d. 1919 Bienville Parish). She was a descendant of John Boddie, a Revolutionary War soldier of South Carolina. Thomas’ father was Jasper Whitley (b. 1846 AL, d. 1887 Bienville Parish), a Civil War veteran who served in the Confederate cavalry in Co. D., Pargoud’s Regiment, Claiborne Partisan Rangers, and in Co. F., 13th Battalion, Claiborne Partisan Rangers. The men of Co. F helped in attempts to oppose the march of General Grant’s army through northeast Louisiana (reference: Guide to LA Confederate Military Units 1861-1865 by Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr. Shelved in the Bienville Parish Library’s genealogy room.) Before the Civil War, Jasper attended Mt. Lebanon College (reference: probate of Littleberry Whitley, Bienville Parish Courthouse). Gladys’ mother was Martha Leona Simmons (b. 16 Aug. 1880 AR, d. 1 Jan. 1864 Arcadia, LA). Martha’s father was Thomas Simmons (b. 15 Feb. 1857 Emerson, AR, d. 26 Feb. 1931 Bryceland, LA) Thomas can be found in the 1860 and 1870 Columbia Co., AR, censuses, in the household of William Simmons (b. 1811 NC) and Mary (b. 1820 AL). William Simmons and Mary Holland were married 16 Sept 1840 in Union Co., AR. Martha’s mother was Missouri Moore (b. 30 Nov. 1862 Emerson, AR, d. 17 Jan. 1925 Bryceland, LA). Missouri Moore appears in the 1870 Columbia Co., AR census in the household of Elizabeth J. Moore (b. 1838 LA). The following interview with Gladys Whitley Stewart was conducted by her great-granddaughter, Donna Sutton, in January 1992. Describe your favorite childhood Christmas. My daddy would take us in the woods to find our Christmas tree. We would take it to the house and decorate it with fruit, candy, and toys. There wasn’t much money in those days but we enjoyed Christmas very much. It meant so much, loving one another. Describe a typical childhood dinner. Our special dinner was on Sundays. We all went to church in a wagon. When we came home would have chicken, gravy, biscuits, pies, cake, and fresh milk from our cows. We kept the milk on a 50-pound block of ice to keep it cold and fresh. What was your favorite thing to do when you were little? My favorite games to play were hopscotch, pin the tail on the donkey, and to cut out paper dolls. We had lots of fun. My sisters were Leona, Willie May, and Audrey (my baby sister who died at age 5). My brothers were Prentice, George, and Ira (he was killed in World War II). Can you remember a story about your mother? Mother was a real good cook. She made all our clothes. She made us do our chores before we left for school each day. My job was milking cows. That was a job! Can you remember a story about your mother’s parents? I always loved to go to my grandparents’. They were precious to us. They raised cantaloupes and watermelons. They would let us help in the kitchen. We enjoyed that - we had fun! Can you remember a story about your father? My father was a precious dad. He would always take us places in the wagon. We enjoyed taking rides. There weren’t any cars in those days. I can remember the first car I’d ever seen was Baxter Durbin’s and he lived not too far from us here just before he died. Can you remember a story about your father’s parents? My father had a brother Will and sisters Alice and Mary. Back then I was real small, I can’t remember but two of them. Contributed by Donna Sutton