Monthly Archives: July 2011

“Next door to the Freemans on George Street was the Yerger house, a big two-story house where De La Beckwith lived with his uncle Willie, who wasn’t very bright, and his cousin Yerger Moorhead. Mama and Big and Mrs. Freeman … Continue reading →

“Around on George Street where the Post Office now stands lived the Freemans. Miss Willie Freeman was strictly Old South, a very outspoken and staunch segregationist. She was ten years older than her husband, J.H.Freeman, and they had one son, … Continue reading →

“On down Walthall lived the Saffolds and Joneses. Mrs. Saffold and Mrs. Jones were sisters, who had inherited money from their father but lived in the same old houses until Mrs. Jones died and Mrs. Saffold went to the nursing … Continue reading →

“We had a lot of funny neighbors who would come to visit on our porch. Mimi McGehee was a tiny little lady who was deaf as a post and reminded you of a little chicken or bird. She was a … Continue reading →

“There was always a lot going on in our neighborhood since we were so close to the downtown area. One Saturday night we heard a lot of commotion up the street. Some Negroes had come out of the Paramount Theatre, … Continue reading →

“In the summer we would all sit around in slips and housecoats on the front porch trying to stay cool. Big always had vines covering the porch, and no one could see in, although we could always see out. Bama … Continue reading →

“Mama would sometimes let me invite a couple of friends to go on Saturday to the Paramount Inn, next door to the theater, to eat lunch and then go to the show. For fifteen cents we could get a hamburger, … Continue reading →

“At night our crowd would meet at someone’s house. We played boy-girl games such as ‘Post Office’ and ‘Clap in and Clap out’ and changed boy friends every week. I liked one of the boys, Billy Mallette, a lot, but … Continue reading →

“In the summer of 1934 I went to Campy Ki-Y in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with most of my friends. Rawa was our counselor and Tiny went, too. I stayed for ten days. It was my first time away from home, … Continue reading →

“Most children growing up in our day were not exposed to bad words, and Mama would have died if one of us had said ‘damn’ or ‘hell.’ ‘Only very common people talk like that,’ she told us. Four letter words … Continue reading →