Memories of Mamie Lee Beasley Harkins, Bowie County, TX ***************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ***************************************************************** Submittted by Jo Autrey GRANDMA HARKINS .2 The following is an article written by Mamie Lee Beasley Harkins, daughter of Henry Malone Beasley, who lived to be 91 years of age. The original article is in the possession of Mamie Lee's children. No corrections of any type have been made, it is exactly as handwritten by Mamie Lee Beasley Harkins. {Please refer to current research} My Memories The first I can remember I wanst quite 3 years old Pa had gone to town and ma and Bettie gave Lossie Alice and me all a Bath Bettie Bathed me I can remember so well.....and she said to Ma less put Lossies Baby Pants on her and see How she look and they did I can remember to this day how they Looked Ma was keeping them and the little blowse was white with a saylor coler and a Embrordery ruffel around it and 2 down the front and around the cuffs and the Pants were lite Brown and they just fit me. And when they Put me down I remember Bettie Stood me on the stand table in the front room I just struted all over and they laughed and Betty said ant she sweet and Lossie come in with his base Ball, he was nearly 8 years old. And he said, oh, I got a little Brother. And Picked me up and we went out in the yard to Play Ball and Alice come out and he tolde her she couldn't Play Ball she was just a girl and after that he wanted ma to dress me in pants all the time and I wanted to were them to. Then the nex I really remember Ma - and Bettie raked the leaves and trash in the yard Burned it and Mother robed the behive and had a big Dish Pan full of Honey and I run through a Pile of live ashes where they had burned the trash and just Blistered both of my feel. Ma had this pan of honey and she set it down on the grown and called Bettie to Bring her a clean rag and she covered my feet with that warm Honey and tide them up took me in and put me to bed. And she got sick. Pa come in and she was crying and he said Bettie, you should not of worked so hard and lifting lee she is to hevey for you to lift. He went for the Dr and next morning Hattiy was there the prettyest sweetiest Blue Eyed Blond haired Baby you ever saw. That was in Sep. The next is Christmas and Santa brought us a little china doll a Peace and then on new years Eve nite they had a party at our house and they had Music and the young folks Danced and they set the children in one End of the roome and let us watch and that was just be fore I was 4 years old and Pa and Ma Dansed to gether waltzed 2 steped shadish and the Pokea cake walk. I remember mother had on the Prettyest Dress and she had on Hoops and she was so pretty and they danced so good together. And Pa was so good looking and Dressed so nice that is the first I ever noticed about any thing like that then the next I remember was Pa going to Plow and telling Mother to send him a Drank after a while well that was after my berthday and he had got me a little bucket and cup for my 4th Berth day. I got my bucket and cup and went to th spring and got a bucket of watter and was taking him a Drank but Mother didn't no anything about what I was doing for one of the cows come up with a new calf and she was Milking her. And I got in to one of those old big red ants beds and was Baged up to my shoulders in it and they was stenging me all over Pa heard me crying and come found me are I would of Died rite there he took me to the house and Mother had milked the cow and had a 5 gallon Bucket over half full of warm milk. She just set the Bucket down and took my close off and Put me in the milk and rubed it all over me tell the milk got cold took me out soped in her apron to the house Bathed me in warm soda water and Put me to bed. I had a fever but got all rite. The nex I remember was when Ma was Baptized in the Colorado River at Blufton and Pa set on the Bank of the river and held hattie on his lap and I set be side him and he had one arm around me and hung my feet off just like he did and they sung on Jardon Storym Banks I Stand and Cast a wishful Eye to Cannons fair and Happy land where my possession lye. If you have a Book with that Song in it you can sign it well I lokked across the river and there is a high bluff on the other side and I thought that must be that land over there. And that was in Aug. 1889 the next insedent I remember Ma took Alice me and Hattie to the garden with her and Put a quilt down rite close to where she was gathering tomatoes and she told our Dog Grundday a new foundlen to watch us children and she gathered a lap full of little tomatoes for Alice and I to Eat So we were Eating our tomatoes when a big old rattle snake called up close to our pallet and grunday realy let her Know she come to see what was the matter he kept the snake after him tell Ma got there we Knew we were in danger Alice pulled Hattie in between us and we huged each other so tight and watched the snake and Dog - it would coil and spring at him. And he would jump back out of its reach and when Mother got there it spring a gane and before it could coil that time grunday got it and poped his old head off- well I could tell a lot more about Grunday but will make this short when I was 7 years old Pa and Ma moved to Mr. Monra Walfs place out on the Preary still in Burnet Co 10 miles from wher I was Born. And oh ill have to tell you about when Bettie and Will were Married the 15 of Oct 1891 We still lived wher we had and it was the first part of 1892 that ther Move in Jan and we Lossie Alice and I were going to school at Blufton and Mr. Staniffer didn't want Pa to take us out of school so we stayed with him and his wife and went to school tell school was out in April Midle of April then we went home and the fall of 1892 we went to Naruna to school. Well they got a man to teach I can't remember his name but one thang I do remember he had the Bigest head I ever saw on any Person and the funiest shape he just taught 2 months and quit and we never had any more school there that school year. Then the year after I was 8 they got Mr. O. Harkins and his Daughter Miss Pearl. And he taught and was teaching ther when we left I went to him when I was 8 9 and 10 years old road harse back 6 miles only sometimes we stayed with Will and Bettie they lived just one mile north of Narona all it was was a store blocksmith shop school house the post office in the store and the mans name that owned the store and Blacksmith shop was Narona and a Mr. Ivey lived on a farm real close a Mr. Claud and they had 3 girls and Mr. Babey and Mr. Bruton. There are the only ones I can remember now. And by the way while I thank of it when I was at your Uncle Losses the last time he called a young man to fix his tev.set and his name was John Burton and when lossie enterdused us I said you wouldn't be any kin to Mr. Thorn Bruton - he said I sure would he is my grate Grand Pa and my fathers Father was Robert Bruton and so we all talked and he said he was going back to see his Mother and Dad and wanted Lossie and me to go with him he was just 25 year old and I would have went so would Lossie and we would of got to see again where I was born and I sure did want to go and that young man sure wanted us to go with him. But I got the letter from the government to come sine some paper to take part of the ground out of Production so I come rite home and you know what happened I sold instid of sineing. Well that is way a head: but on the 2 day of Oct 1895 we got in our wagons 2 of them and started back to Ark we had 9 head of cows and 4 heffer calves and 9 head of horses Pa had 4 horses to his wagon a brand new Studebaker and we found hills on our way that it was all they could do to pool that wagon load. And they were young big big horses I have even forgot there names Bill and mike were the wheel horses and hiny and rawn a Brother to old rone that you all fed the Biskets too and Mother Drove the 2 ponnies. They were a Dark red with Black mane and tail then rone was to young to ride are work she just followed with the cows and there was Sasie a Dunmair that Alice and I took the time about redeing on a side saddle, helping Lossie Drive the cows and claves and Lossie had a real western Cowboy saddle that your Uncle Will gave him. Will was a Cow Boy be fore he and Bettie were Married. And Lossie had his saddle ponies little Him they called him he was a cream coller white mane and tail. Lossie rode him the Hole 6 hundred miles we were on the road one month and 2 days left Burnet the 2nd day of Oct and got to Bowie the 4th of Nov. and Ma Drove all the way and we lived as good as for Eats as we would of it we had ben home we fed the cows 2 twice a day let them graze som at noon and watered and milked them twice a day and we had milk and Butter and she would bake the Bread. And corn bred and Biskets and cake and Peach cobler Pyes. And make chickens stues and sqarel stues and Dumplens Ham with Patotoes roast sweet Patotoes in the ashes my Mother was a wonder full manager and was so Happy with Pa she would of went with him to the End of the Earth and lived any way and ben Happy just with him and us Kids. Well in Dec 1896 he bought a Place. We made a good crop that year and got a good price for the cotton so he Bought a farm 26 a with just a 2 room house on it and 20 acres cleared. Well the poor man nearley Killed his self giting it redy so we could move in to it. They had had a tarnado ther at Redwater. And Mr. Morr the man Pa rented a farm from the first year we were in Bowie and saw the mill and he had a lot of lumber cut and Planed and redy to sell well this tarnada blew his saw mill a way and scatered the lumber. And would have got him but they had shut the mill down and went to Diner and that way no one was hurt there but one old man was killed about a mile from the millGrandPa Kemielous no kin to any of us but they were old and every one called them Grandpa and Grand ma well Mrs. More saw it coming and he did too and he droped on his Knees and begin to Pray and she run to sut the Door and tolde him to come help her holde the Door not to waste tell the Devel had him an then go to Praying it was to latae then so he was really converted and he wouldn't tuch a Peace of that lumber said if the Lord had of wanted him to have it he would have not Blowed it a way. And he liked Pa so well when he heard he had Baught his place he tolde him now Malone I wouldnt tuch that lumber for any thing but if you want it just go git it Pa tolde him Bill ill pay you what ever you say it is worth and he said you wont pay me a cent just go git it all if you want it all you have to do is hall it so Pa did and built him a good house smoke house barn and improved the place and we moved in Jan of 1897 and then he and Hattie got flue. Drs Didn't know what it was then but people Died just like they did in the winter of World War one then the Drs said that was the same thing they had in 1897 so Mother was a freaid she couldn't pay for the Place and she let it go back and didn't try but now sense I have went through what I have I think she just couldn't stand to stay there and see and know what he had done for them to live to gather and now that he was gone she just coulnt live there with out him so we moved to the Marret Place and I have tolde you Johnnie died there and mother come very near and we move from ther to the Odom Place and Both of those years we made good crops and done very well the next year 1899 in Dec - we moved back to Mr. More for 15 Dollar a month and his room and Bard Alice cooked for Mrs. Moor for $10 a month and her room and Bard and Ma rented 25 acres of ground from him and I was 15 years old that year 1900. And I farmed that 25 acres myself only I swaped work with Uncle Tone he farmed 35 acres and I did more for him I had 4 acres of oats and he had 5 and he had 30 of corn and I had 20 and I fixed all of my ground rdy to Plant and he got his redy to plant and then I went to his Place and he sowed the oats and I disked them in and then he sowed mine by hand and I disked them and hired them then we both got our corn ground redy and he opened the farrows and I droped the corn rite be hinde him then he coverd it with one furrow and I plowed all the middles out and then we went rownd for raund to gather harrowing it his 30 ac. And my 20 acres and I had a acre of garden vegetables and Ma and Jim Peddled the vegatabls and milk Butter Eggs ad chickens to the _______ m saw mills and Redwatter and I did the milking and feeding hogs chickens cows and horses Jim Charley and Clara were to little to do any thing only Bring in wood and gather the Egts. Mother managed to do the cooking and keep the house and 3 times a week after vegetables got redy she would take Jim with her, he was 10 but no larger than a 6 year old normal childe and take a wagon load of them and sell them and I would take Charles and Clara with me to the field and on those days I would work in the field tell 11oc and come in and cook Diner she generly got her good solde by noon and we all ways got up at 4 oclock and gathered them and she would take them and be at Redwater by 7 0 the mill was a mile south of Redwatter and it was 3 miles to Redwatter. Well we sure worked but we made good money then in August Clara Died Alice was sick so was Jim and Charley when she was burred we come home and Ma got sick Alice got all rite and went back to work and Ma was in bed Jim and Charley got ok an our watter had dryed up and we had to go to Aunt Dolres to wash so Lossie was home because Mother was sick so he said for me to git redy and hie would take me in the wagon so I got th close all redy and went in the closet got me a clean dress Put it on and a spider Bit me under the arm I went on nad got the close all washed and out but the Boys over all and I got so sick I just couldnt so when Lossie come after me he had to finish them I just like renching them so he took them home and went for the Dr. and he said if I had of went much longer he couldnot of saved me I went uncontion when he got there well I broke out with blood boils all over got the scars yet. Then Lossie got Malar Fevar and Uncle Lomal come over put a matres in the wagon and Put Lossie in it and took us all to his house and we stayed there tell Lossie got well and abel to go to work my cousin John West come up and Ma let me go home with him and I stayed with him he was Aunt Doras son and his wife was Pearl my favret cousen Aunt Ettas Daughter I staded with them 18 months and Ma moved to Mr. Hammets place and the small pox got bad all down in ther Johnie and Perl were 80 miles SouthEast of Stamps Ark an they wernt any ther but Bad at Stamps and Redwater too. So they were going to quarntoene Redwater so Ma sent far me to come home and I got home the 8th of Febuary. And the very next day they stoped any one from coming are going out then that same year in Sep I went to work for Mrs. Spence and then the 17 of Dec 1901 Alice got married and then Mother Bought her home and we moved in in time for Christmas and then the next year nothing but work then between Christmas 1901 and New Year 1902 Daddy come in and I knew I had found my Water Lou. I loved him the second time I ever saw him and it was the same with him and I could write more about those two years than I have all redy wrote but im to tired now. And I thank if you stop and thank I have tolde you so much and you can remember a lot. We mite of disagread on some things but we realy loved one a nother with all of our hearts and was true to one another and now I cant tell you any more and only that we had a lots of sickness and truble that way but we had lots of pleasure and Happeness to be loved and wanted all of our children so now I hope I have tolde you something you wanted. You will read this and pick out what you want and tipe it but you can't give them all of this you see my life is not very romantic your Aunt Alice would tell you I went with every Tom Dick and Hary in Bowie Co but I wouldn't give a snat of my fingers for any of them tell you Dad come along then I realy fell and your Uncle Tobe and Aunt Alice realy loved him to so did your Uncle Lossie and Everyone else to know Dad was to Love him and he sure had lots of good Friends every where he went you saw what at his funeral we were married the 5th of June 1904 about 5 miles south of Redwater Tex and he Died the 27th of Oct 1956 and oh me why couldnt I of went with him, oh that may be a sin I must live tell the Lord sees fit to take me Home and live so I will be redy to meet my God my Savior my King Jesus Christe and im doing the best I can - tho when I git to thanking of Dadie I git that Longing tho Papa Scheffer is so good to me. And we have such a nice home so war and comfortable and I don't have much to do - and I love him and we are Happy I long for you children and if I wasnt with him I couldnt have you all are be with you all the time so ther it is. Mother