The Garden Plow like Papa would use for his massive garden.
My Daddy- Truman Quillen Sr. Mama-Ella Vermell King Papa-Charles Franklin McNair
In 1990, I returned home (Vernon) so that Daddy could drive
me around the county to revisit all of the old homesteads. On our visit to
Lockett, the Baptist Church was still standing strong, but the little green
brick house was abandoned and mostly in a dilapidated state. It was actually open and we were able to peak
in. There was an old wooden chair that I picked up and brought home, but there
is no certainty that it belonged to Mama and Papa. It is identical to another
chair that I have that I am certain belonged to Papa. Daddy explained to me that somewhere in the
time frame of 1923, he and Papa built two homes, one on the farmland east of
town (that mother and daddy moved into) and the other was the little green
house in Lockett where Mama and Papa lived. This makes sense because Papa
listed his profession in 1910 as a carpenter. Daddy explained how they even
made the bricks (and sun dried them) that were used on the exterior walls. Papa
did the framing.
Stories that I heard about them that I remember most:
When my grandmother (Ava) gave birth to her first child, Jo,
it was a difficult labor. Jo was stuck in the birth canal. It was a home birth,
and when Jo finally made her way into the world, all hope was given up that she
would live through the night. Ella stayed up all night extracting mucus/debris
from Jo’s airways. Jo survived, though she was deformed from being in the birth
canal too long. I was blessed to grow up knowing Jo as I learned how to see her
as a person, rather than seeing her as a deformed person.
Papa was always dedicated to preaching the gospel. He was a
‘hell, fire and brimstone’ preacher. I was able to secure some of his thoughts
in letters that he wrote to his son and grandson. I have pictures of him
baptizing people in the river.
Mama and Papa were the ones that took in Mother’s (Carolita
Jones Quillin) family, (J.C. Jones and
Ava and FIVE children) when their home was destroyed by fire. They had nothing
but the shirts on their backs, and Mama and Papa took them and bought clothes
and shoes. They provided shelter for the
Jones family until J.C. could secure another dwelling.
Possession from Mama and Papa that I have – bible, Hull
vase, iron skillet
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