Newspaper, Profile of Emma Jean Washington, LaSalle Parish, La.
Copied and submitted by: Pat Ezell; PatEzell@worldnet.att.net




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From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal, Wednesday, April 5, 2000, Section B,
Page 1 
Thank You to the Times -Signal for allowing the following to be added to the
Archives. 
A Times-Signal Feature...."Citizen Profile" A Very Special Salute 
This weeks' Citizen Profile has worked hard all of her life and has helped
raise and care for many of Jena's children over the years. While she is not
from this area originally, she is very much a recognized figure in the parish
today.
Mrs. Emma Jean Washington was born on May 4, 1907, in Utility, Louisiana,
about five miles east of Jonesville on the banks of Little River.
Her father, George Nelson, was a sharecropper in the fertile farm lands of
Catahoula Parish and her mother, Clara Simpson Nelson, helped work the fields
as well as maintaining the house.
All together, the Nelsons raised 12 children, with only two still living
today; Mrs. Emma and her sister, Elouise Lee.
Back during those days, according to Mrs. Emma every member of the family
learned how to work early in life to help out on the farm and around the house
to make ends meet.
"During those times we were brought up to work" Mrs. Emma said. "Kids and
everyone worked on the farm. That's just the way it was."
She continued to note that because of this, that most children never got into
trouble during those days because they were too busy working.
"It's a whole lot different today than back then," she said. "Back then, the
children worked everyday just as hard as the men and nobody went to jail.
Today, you see more walking the roads than working, and by the time they are
18, 19, and 20, a lot have gone to jail."
Mrs. Emma also said that along with children not working like they used to,
parents are not disciplining their children like they used to when she grew
up.
"They ain't raising the children like they did back then," she said. "Now-a-
days, they let them raise themselves and just look at what's happening to
them. Things are a whole lot different today than back then."
She continued to note that children today are not being taught manners and
that was very important when she was growing up and even when she was raising
her children.
"Back then, you'd better say 'sir' and 'mister' or you'd get a whipping," she
said. "And not only would your parents whip you, you could get a whipping from
a neighbor. And if you got a whipping from your neighbor then get ready,
because you'd get another one when you got home. Same way at school."
Mrs. Emma said that what many people call child abuse today was the foundation
of making good children back when she was growing up.
"I've always said that if they would have had child abuse back then my mamma
and daddy would have stayed in jail," she said. "That's part of what's wrong
today, nobody wants to whip their children and they do what they want. But
children need that."
While growing up, Mrs. Emma attended school at Old Mount Olive Church. The
school, which operated in the church house during the week, had one teacher
and went to the eleventh grade.
Mrs. Emma attended school through the sixth grade, and when she was 16 years
old in 1923 she married Louis Washington.
Mr. Washington's daddy and Mrs. Emma's daddy worked together farming and the
families were very close like most families back then.
"We grew up together," Mrs. Emma said of her and her husband. "We went to
school together, church together and did everything together. Back then, all
the people did things together, from working, to church, to school,
everything."
"The folks back then all worked together and helped each other out," she said.
"That was just a way of life during those times."
The Washington's lived and worked in Catahoula Parish for several years, until
in 1953 when Mr. Washington moved his family to Jena. They bought a house near
what is now Tarver Park in Jena and Mrs. Emma still resides in that same house
today.
Mr. Washington had several jobs in Jena, including mowing lawns, tearing down
and building houses, and many other manual labor jobs.
Over the next few years, they would have and raise 12 children of their own
and Mrs. Emma would partly claim rights to many other Jena children through
her jobs.
For many years, Mrs. Emma worked for various families in Jena, doing
everything from cleaning, to cooking, to baby-sitting and taking care of
children.
"Shortly after moving here, I went to work for the white folks, cleaning,
looking after kids, cooking, just about a little of everything," she said. "I
helped raise a many of white children here."
All of the children Mrs. Emma took care of during those years are now grown
and have families of their own. In fact, many of them are now grandparents as
well.
One of those children that stands out in Mrs. Emma's mind was a young child by
the name of Cleveland Poole, or Brother, as he was known by many.
"I helped raise Brother along with helping Sadie (Cleveland's mother), she
said. "They were all fine folks and I knew Brother would turn out good."
Many of the people that Mrs. Emma worked for she has trouble remembering.
"I worked all over Jena and I just can't remember all the people that I worked
for," she said. "A lot of them knows me. I've forgot them but they know me."
In 1972, after 49 years of marriage, Mr. Washington passed away - ironically
on his birthday on November 7.

We had a good marriage and a good life together," Mrs. Emma recalls. I loved
that man and he loved me."
She said that what made their marriage so special was the fact that they were
good to one another and they served the Lord.
"That's what it takes," she said. "Treat one another good and work together,
that's what makes a good marriage and that's what we did."
Mrs. Emma said that they raised their children up to work and to serve the
Lord.
"I always say, serve the Lord and He'll help us," she said.
Serving God has long been apart of Mrs. Emma's life, even before her and Mr.
Louis were married.
"I was called and baptized when I was a young girl at Old Mount Olive Church"
she said. "I was baptized in the Little River during one of the baptizing
days."
Mrs. Emma recalls that some of her happiest memories come from those early
years in the church services and baptizing services.
"They don't have church like they used to," she said. "They used to have some
church, let me tell you. Oh, Lord, we used to have some church."

"I remember when we would have our baptizing, the whites would come by and sit
on the banks of the other side of the river watching the baptizing and they
would stay 'til it was over," she said. "Everything has changed, but I'm glad
I was raised the old way."
Mrs. Emma said that church has always been a vital part of her life and
recommended all people to become involved and be a part of a church.
"I think everybody ought to go to church," she said. "I think that's a good
idea don't you?"
After moving to Jena, the Washington's started attending Trout Creek Baptist
Church where she still goes today.
"They have a good church at Trout Creek, but it's still not like the old
time," she said.
One of the differences in church's today and when she was growing up was the
way the different churches came together for services and events.
"That's the way it ought to be, everyone coming together," she said. "Now-a-
days we have several churches and everybody plans something at the same time."
Mrs. Emma remembers the day when different churches would coordinate together
so that every member of each church would get to participate in different
events.
"Along with Old Mount Olive church there were two others along the river that
most everybody went to," she said. "And when one would have one thing, the
others would come and be a part of it. We just don't have that togetherness in
our different churches today."
She added that the Lord has said something about this as well in the Bible,
when He said that "together you stand - divided you fall."
"But don't you worry," she said. "He'll fix it though when He comes. Oh, yes
sir, He'll fix it all when He comes."
"People need to serve the Lord and stay with Jesus," she added. "Christians
everywhere need to come together and start serving Him together."
Mrs. Emma said that throughout her entire life church has been an important
part of her life and the people in the church have been good to her and her
family."
Today, soon to be 93 years old, Mrs. Emma still attends church faithfully each
Sunday.
My son and grandson carries me to Sunday School and church every Sunday," she
said. "My knees don't stop me from going to God's house."
Mrs. Emma was referring to her bad knees, that began to fail her shortly after
Mr. Louis' death in 1972. It wasn't long until she had to stop working
altogether due to her bad knees. Today, she is confined mostly to her recliner
and bed, and when she does walk for very short distances, she must use a
walker.
But bad knees or anything else can't stop her from being in God's house each
and every Sunday.
"All I'm able to do now is sit down," she said. "But I'm going to enjoy that.
I've always been a happy person and just because I can't et around like I used
to doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy myself."
Mrs. Emma said that the hardest thing for her to accept was the fact that she
could no longer work.
"When a fellow has been used to working and then he can't, well, that gets on
him, she said. "That's hard to do, but I've got to take it."
"I was raised to work and I loved to work," she continued. "I worked 'till I
couldn't and I worked for a heap of a lot of people out here."
Mrs. Emma said that she is thankful for many things in her life, such as her
Lord, her church, her family and her friends.
"Oh, I've got a bunch of friends," she said. "It's good to have good friends
and since I've been crippled, I've found out just how many good friends I do
have. When you've got good friends, they're going to come and see about you.
And I've got many friends that do just that - whites and blacks."
When asked if she would like to say anything to everybody in the parish, Mrs.
Emma replied that she hoped that everyone has a happy life and is blessed by
God. She also hoped that everyone lives to reach the age that she has lived
to.
"Tell 'em all I've got birthday coming up in May and I'll be 93," she said.
"Tell them to pray for me -that's all."
Mrs. Emma summed up by saying that all she has experienced in life and been
allowed to have is credited to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
"I just thank the Lord that He's let me have all that he has during my life,"
she said. "He's always been there for me and blessed me more than I deserved."
Mrs. Emma's life has been a blessing to all who have ever come in contact with
her, from her children to families that she worked for.
"She has been a great mama in every aspect," said son, Larry. "She's caring,
that's what really stands out and she is the one that really holds everyone
together."
Many people in LaSalle Parish know and love Mrs. Emma Washington from the
white community to the black community. It is her love for her Lord and her
love for people that makes her so attractive.
This week, as Mrs. Emma prepares to celebrate her 93rd birthday in just one
month, we salute one of LaSalle Parish's outstanding citizens and thank her
for her example of hard work and loving character of which this nation was
built upon.