Bienville Families: Margaret Ruth Stewart (Sutton), 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 Margaret Ruth Stewart (Sutton) 1992 Margaret was born January 7, 1922 in Arcadia, LA. Her father was Roger Hayden Stewart, whose parents were James Pitman Stewart (b. 12 April 1876 LA, d. 9 March 1944) and Malinda Emily Stewart (b. 3 Jan. 1883 Emerson, AR, d. 3 May 1922 Arcadia, LA). Her mother was Gladys Whitley, whose parents were Thomas Jasper Whitley (b. 23 Nov. 1877 Bryceland, LA, d. 1959 Bienville Parish) and Martha Leona Simmons (b. 16 Aug. 1880 AR, d. 1 Jan. 1964 Arcadia, LA). Margaret’s siblings are: Ÿ Emily Louise, married 1)John Jones Streetman, 2) Harold Sutton, 3) Richard Suman Ÿ Malcolm Lindsey, married Virgie Sepulvado Ÿ James Stanley, married Ann Perkins Ÿ Verne, married 1) Curtis Keel, 2) A.G. Lundy Ÿ Linnie, married 1) Charles McGuire, 2) Harold Fergerson Ÿ Wayne, married Vonda McMillan Margaret married George Cecil Sutton, Jr. The following interview of Margaret was conducted by her granddaughter, Donna Sutton, on February 17, 1992: Describe your favorite childhood Christmas. When there was just three of us kids, I remember my sister (Emily) and I both got a pretty doll and my brother (Malcolm) got a little red wagon. Our house had a hall in it. When Mama called us to dinner we left the wagon and dolls there. When we came back the dog had chewed the hair off my sister’s doll. I helped her make a cap for her doll and it looked so cute that we made one for mine, too. Describe a typical childhood dinner. I remember Mama being a real good cook. This was one of my favorite dinners: chicken, biscuits and gravy, butter beans, corn on the cob, and chocolate butter roll. What was your favorite thing to do when you were little? I always loved to go fishing. We had a pond and every chance I had I went. I don’t know which I enjoyed most, catching the fish or eating them. Mama was real sweet if I didn’t have but two or three fish. She would fry them for me anyway. We didn’t have electricity those days and food would spoil if it wasn’t cooked. Can you remember a story about your mother? I remember when Mama gave birth to my little sister (Verne). Mama had malaria and the baby came at seven months. She only weighed three pounds. We were so proud of her. She had no eyelashes or nails. We kept her on a pillow and Mama fed her with an eyedropper. I remember my uncle came by to visit us and he took his graduation ring off his finger and put it on her arm for a bracelet. The doctor said she wouldn’t live, but she did. Can you remember a story about your father? When Daddy got the crops laid by, he would get the shovel and some cans and for two or three days we would dig earthworms so we could all go to Black Lake fishing. We took bacon, Irish potatoes, eggs, and canned goods just in case we didn’t catch fish for supper. Times were real hard those days and what we raised was what we ate. Early that morning we all piled in the back of Daddy’s old pickup truck. When we got to the lake we discovered that we had left the worms at home. We got busy and caught crickets and little frogs around the lake. Daddy fished with them and caught lots of fish and we all had fun.