Born out of necessity the ancient people for the foothills of south central Georgia used what they had to make their way. Along with growing their own food and making their own shelter, these early settlers used skills they brought with them from Europe and skills they learned from local native people. My grandfather was no different growing up at the feet of his mother and grandmother, his family were sharecroppers working the ground of the landowners for a share of the crop. But it wasn’t easy at the time with most young men drafted to fight in the great world war. Which left the planting and the harvesting to the old men, the wives, and the children.
After the war things got better, but the bitterness carried by some left behind put a heavy weight on the families, especially the children. Joseph Higgins my grandfather was the oldest of five children born to my great-grandparents before the war. With his father gone he was as left to tend to the mule and help his grandfather plow the acreage allotted his parents and grandparents. His younger siblings did other household chores, including tending to the animals, helping at harvest, and tending to the garden. Their mother, to my understanding, wasn’t fond of farm life. Raised in the low lying swamps along the river, her family were of the more leisurely kind making corn whiskey and selling potions.
Joe’s grandparents were tolerant of their daughters-in-law less than hardworking ways due to the extra money her potions brought in. That and along with the spirits her family made that seemed to help Grandpa’s gout. But once Hud, Joe’s father came home things appeared to improve. First they took the money he made while in the war and brought their own plot of land. But as with most good things wanderlust began to settled in. So Maggie Mae, Joe’s mother, continued remembering the promises Hud made to her years ago when courting. So the dull routine of farm life and motherhood started wearing thin on her. (Stay tuned for Part Two).
After the war things got better, but the bitterness carried by some left behind put a heavy weight on the families, especially the children. Joseph Higgins my grandfather was the oldest of five children born to my great-grandparents before the war. With his father gone he was as left to tend to the mule and help his grandfather plow the acreage allotted his parents and grandparents. His younger siblings did other household chores, including tending to the animals, helping at harvest, and tending to the garden. Their mother, to my understanding, wasn’t fond of farm life. Raised in the low lying swamps along the river, her family were of the more leisurely kind making corn whiskey and selling potions.
Joe’s grandparents were tolerant of their daughters-in-law less than hardworking ways due to the extra money her potions brought in. That and along with the spirits her family made that seemed to help Grandpa’s gout. But once Hud, Joe’s father came home things appeared to improve. First they took the money he made while in the war and brought their own plot of land. But as with most good things wanderlust began to settled in. So Maggie Mae, Joe’s mother, continued remembering the promises Hud made to her years ago when courting. So the dull routine of farm life and motherhood started wearing thin on her. (Stay tuned for Part Two).
RSS Feed