Daddy was a big farmer. He had six people working for him and he made a good farm every year. They raised everything they needed on the farm. Daddy raised sugar cane and made his own syrup. Sugar cane grows as high as ten to twelve feet. You take it and put it down and cut the top off. This little cane you see here in the stores, that ain't nothin but trash. He also raised cotton, corn, sweet potatoes and popcorn. We had plenty of everything—chickens, hogs, guineas, and ducks. You name it, we had them. We ate real good. My father was a good farmer and knew how to take care of business. He was doing fine there and we all had plenty of everything. Even had a wagon and a buggy. Never had to borrow nothing from nobody.

Daddy and Mama got along just like two peas in one hole. That's the way they got along. I never known my Mama or my Daddy ever cross a word. Never heard them squabble or spat. No bad language between them. No, no. That's why you never hear me say bad language. Never. Between me and my wife, she never heard me say a bad word to her. Willie Mae has never heard me say a bad word or cuss. Never. How angry I get, I never get angry enough to use bad language. No, no, cause I wasn't raised like that. I never had no problems with nobody coming up because I got my style from them. I was never fighting, or getting into things cause that's the way they lived and that's the way I live. That's why everybody likes me, cause I never bother nobody.

There was seven of us children living at home. My oldest brother, Curly, was born in 1901. Then came my sister Maggie. I was the third child, born on June 19, 1903. After me came Coleman, George, Alice and Henry. George, Alice and Henry were born after we moved to the farm. No, no. I just say Alice. I remember all of their names but hers. I can't think of her name, so I just give her that name.ii I don't remember Mommy or Daddy ever punishing us. You never hear my parents holler or fuss at us. I don't know, there just never was no squabbling amongst the kids or nothing like that. Curly fight, but not with us. We just get along.

After we moved to the new farm, I started working out in the fields with my daddy, just to be with him. I learned how to plow and help him in the fields. I was the only one that went everywhere he go. Everywhere he went, I was right there with him, doing anything he needed that I could do. I just wanted to help him. My daddy was always working and talking to himself, laughing, planning. He was jolly; all the time jolly. I liked being with him and learning how he do things. I just wanted to be a man like my daddy.

Copyright © 2004 Susan Gluck Rothenberg. All rights reserved.