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Excerpts from Mom's Journal to her Children
written in 1992 | discovered in 2016

Childhood

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"We really had a very hard time growing up, but I thank the Lord for taking care of us.

 

As a child, times were hard. Me, my two older brothers and my sister next to me had it harder than my younger sisters. We had to work from sun up to sun down. We had to go to work before sun up, and when we left the field, it would be sun down. 

 

Part of the time, we did not have food to eat. I remember when we had to make a meal out of bread and water; sometimes, we ate parched corn for food. We didn't have shoes to wear sometimes, and had to go bare feet to the field. Sometimes we didn't have shoes to wear to church, but we went. My mother had an old lady to make me and my sister some clothes and shoes. 

 

We didn't have but two dresses to wear.  We had to wear one to school and one to church. The one we wore to school, we had to wash it out every day. I went every other day and my sister went every other day; sometimes we did not go at all. My two brothers had to work all of the time; they did not get to go to school, but a very little.  They didn't have a choice; they had to work to help my mother take care of us.

 

My mother was a hard working woman and was a good woman.  She did all she could for her children. She went without for us. God blessed her."

Teenage Years

"I joined the church when I was 13 years old, and I really went to serving the Lord. I have been serving Him ever since, and I plan on serving Him until I die.

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When I was 17 years old, I got married to your Daddy, Vander Cherry. We got married in December 1936 in the court house in Perry, Georgia.  (Our 30th family reunion was held in Perry from (July 18-21, 2019), 83 years later. We stayed with Aunt Onnie Lee and Jimbo for two years. Then, we decided that we would move to Miami, Florida to live."

Young

Adulthood

 

 

"When we moved to Florida, your Daddy got a job with the WPA and wasn’t making but a very little pay, but we made it somehow until we could do better.  Then Sanders was born in 1938, in 1939 Annie B was born, then in 1941, Bernice was born.

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When Sanders was born, we were staying with a lady named Mrs. Thompson; we stayed with her for about one year. Then, we moved to 3rd Street and 2nd Avenue.  We stayed with Ms. Levy and Daniel for about two years.  Your Daddy was still working at WPA.  Then, we moved on 3rd Street, 22nd Avenue.  I later got a job working at the M & M Cafeteria in Miami, Florida. I worked there for six years."

Adulthood

"While I was working, your Daddy got sick; he had a nervous breakdown and I had to stop working at the M & M Cafeteria and could work nowhere for a while.  Then, I had to get a job and try to work and try to keep food on the table.  I worked for a lady named Mrs. Karpe; I worked for her for five years.  I had to work at night and did not get home until around 9 o’clock at night. Sometime I would have to cook; sometimes Vander would have cooked, but most of the time I would have to cook. Later when I was working, I cut the leder (sic) (ligament/tendon) in my finger; then I had to stop working for a while until I got well."

Prime Time

"We moved from Miami, Florida in 1955, and all of our children were small. Sanders was around 16 years old, and the rest of them were under him.

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Your Daddy was sick when we moved to Perry. I had a hard time. I had to try to get up soon in the morning and get all of my children ready for school, and then get ready for work, and take care of all of the bills. I had to walk to town twice a day. I really had a hard time in my life.  Then, I got sick and had to go to Battie State Hospital (Rome, Ga.) for seven months. I was worried about my children. I didn't know how they were getting along, but I prayed hard to God to make me well, and He heard my prayer."

Service

"Your Daddy died in 1973. Me and James Harris were married, but he died two years later. Later, every body got married, but Emily and Marbra. Emily was in her last year of high school; when she finished high school she went to college for four years.  Then she go out, worked a while and then she got married. It didn't leave no one at home, but me and Marbra.

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James' son's wife died and she had four small children. Me and James took the children and raised them. Later, James died October 4, 1976, then I had to raise the children by myself. I had a hard time, but the Lord was good to me and helped me to raise them.

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Later, I waited on my sister-in-law Mazuria Fudge for about five years. I waited on Maggie for about seven and 1/2 years. Then, I waited on Minnie Mae West and waited on my husband, James Harris for about three years. I also waited on my brother-in-law, James Cherry and also Jimbo for about seven months.

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When I got through raising James' grand children and they left, I waited on my sister-in-law Pennie Mae Donnelson for about five years.

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Later, I was left alone by myself, but I thank God I don't be afraid, because I know the Lord is with me. I serve God every day of my life, go to church every Sunday, and sometimes I go through the week..

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I still go around helping sick people when I can. I thank God; He keeps me going, and I thank Him very much."

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