The
Joyner’s Mighty Oak Tree, Part III*
Y’all gotta give me a minute while I try ‘member things. I ‘member the good times we all had as a family. Wheresoever we lived, we always had good times together. Every year after ‘bacco was sold and cotton picked in October, we’d have a dance where we roasted three pigs in the ground, cooked up a mess of food and tell all the neighbors to come celebrate with us. We’d always had somebody playing a fiddle, geitar and mouth harp. Anybody, black or white, brown or purple was welcome, we didn’t care. We was known to have the bestest dances. Yessiree, Jim and me can still dance a jig! Jim, come here, honey, let’s show these here folks what we can still do. Watch out there now! Don’t turn me too fast! You gonna make me pop my coattail for sho’! Whew! Wait, wait a minute, let me catch my breath! Y’all see what I mean! Just ‘cause theys snow on the roof, don’t mean they ain’t no fire in the heater. We worked hard, loved hard and played hard—Jim seen to that. He’s a good man and I love him. We was happy!
We teached and showed our younguns that family is important. Some things I’d seen and heared in my life-- like how some no account cheating husbands treated they wifes, how some sorry wifes treated they husbands, and and how some mean tail younguns sassed back at they ma and daddy, and and how some sorry tail mamas and papas treated they younguns—things like that, that turned my blood cold to even try to ‘member. You’s family and you claims to love ‘em. Ain’t no need a-cussin’, a-fussin’ and fightin’ all the time ‘cause family the onlyest ones to stick by you thick and thin ‘cept the good Lord. Course we teached them to always wait, believe and trust in the Lord. You gotta have faith in Gawd and He’ll work it out. He might not come when you want Him to, but Gawd is ALWAYS on time. Whatcha know, there might even be a colored president of these here United States one of these here days. You go on and laugh if you wanna. Me and Jim knows first hand what Gawd can do! He brought us out of slavery! I wanna thank You Gawd! Iffen you try live by the commandments, you won’t go wrong. Whiles we was living in Spring Hill area in Wilson County and Beulah in Johnston County, we ‘tended a lil’ church called Southern Grove right outside Kenly. I loved Southern Grove ‘cause it felt like home and we could thank the Lord for all the blessings ‘stowed on us. I hated to leave Southern Grove, but it was a long way to go back to when we moved back to Boon Docks. Anyhow, the Joyner’s roots will always be at Southern Grove.
Jim and me been married many a years and now we’s enjoying the fruits of our labor. Our fruit didn’t fall far from the oak tree--all our younguns was hard working, honest upright folks who had a deep love for family and they roots. We always told our younguns to find somebody that you is as much in love with them as they is in love with you. You gotta help one ‘nother, you gotta try make their dreams come true, best you can and you gotta take care of one ‘nother. Well, my Richard felled in love with Anna Flowers and they got married ‘bout 1889. Can’t for the life of me ‘member what date! Anyway Anna was a sweet hard working young gal. She said her folks was from ‘round Duplin County Sampson County way and they moved up here to work farming on halves. Anna’s ma and pa was Matthew and Virginia Moore Flowers. My Richard, bless his heart, he put John as his first name when he got married--said he’s always liked that name. Now he calls himself John Richard Sanders, some times Joyner. Hope he be happy now--but he always be my lil’ Richard. He and Anna started having younguns right away. I was so proud of my grandyounguns! Our oak tree was still growing. But we was shocked when Chaney up and said she was gonna marry Charley Williams. Jim and me was throwed for a loop. I knowed Charley been coming ‘round a lot but never ran through my mind they was talking about getting married. I was both ‘cited and surprised. ‘Cited about my baby getting married and ‘bout having some mo’ grandyounguns. ‘Member what I said ‘bout woman’s work is NEVER done, well Chaney sho ‘nough gonna find out now! I was surprised ‘cause Charley didn’t seem –well something just didn’t seem right ‘bout him. But Chaney was happy so I was happy. Chaney and Charley Williams got married at our house in Beulah township June 7, 1896 by H. H. Richardson, Justice of Peace. Best I can ‘member, I ‘member they didn’t stay married long, maybe ‘bout one – two years. Don’t rightly know ‘xactly what happened, Chaney never said why and I never asked. From talk going ‘round, Charley turned out to be one of ‘em no account menfolk. I could see my Chaney was hurting even by calling his name and I didn’t want her to hurt no ‘mo. So I told her it was better to end it than to stay and live in misery and suffer by his sorry no accountness. I told Chaney she could always come back home and that’s ‘xactly what she done—she come home. Time and the good Lord will mend her broken heart. Then Julia comes and tell us that she is getting married. Lord, my babies getting married so fast ain’t nobody gonna be here but me and Jim up here in this house! Well, we knowed she was courting Arcellous Kent and figured it would be just a matter of time. Sellers, he liked to be called that, came from a good family. His pa and ma was Ned and Lydia Barnes Kent. They lived in the same area we did ‘round Spring Hill and Beulah so we knowed what type of folks they was. Sellers had been married before to Jane Aycock ‘round 1899. But she and they baby died in childbirth. Losing a baby is like losing a limb-- I should know, as many as I lost. But losing a wife and baby at the same time is like losing your heart and soul. But faith in the Lord will mend a broken heart, I’m telling you what I know about. Sellers and Julia got married October 6, 1904 at our house by Elias Barnes, Justice of the Peace. I hope for more grandyounguns for me and Jim to love! Well next, my Isaac found himself in love with this here light-skinned gal called Bettie Ann Skinner. Ya’ll know what they say ‘bout light-skinned folks—that they think they’s better than you, always looking down their noses at ya. I’m here to tell ya, that ain’t so. There’s good and evil in all colors of folks-- I’ve seen it for myself. You can’t blame everybody by the meanness of one person. Bettie Ann and her whole family was hard workers and the nicest folks. While I’m talking ‘bout it, her family ‘minds me of Jim and me and our younguns. Bettie Ann and her family lived close by when we lived in Spring Hill Beulah area. She said her pa was John White but her daddy and ma was Ben and Mary Kimball Skinner—we know how that can go! Bettie Ann said they come from Brinkleyville up in Halifax County to here so they could do better. Sounds like us moving here and yonder! Isaac and Bettie Ann got married October 30, 1906 at our house in Old Fields by a Baptist preacher called R M E Robison. My Isaac was natured up like Jim. He loved to have fun and to make you laugh. Even ‘til now Isaac will come up to me and ask to sit in my lap! He just go to laughing, he thinks that is the funniest thing-- him being a grown man and all sitting in his mama’s lap. I ‘magine Bettie Ann can handle him, tho. They remind me so much of Jim and me!
We got a lotta of grandyounguns and they’s still coming. Jim’s dream is coming true for a big family and the Joyner’s Oak Tree was still growing. One day in April, 1910 ‘nother gov’ment white man came by counting again. I don’t know why they keep counting folks down here—I just don’t get it. Anyway won’t no body here but me, Jim and Chaney. Everybody else was either gone off working or blue goosing ‘round or married off. I don’t ‘member where lil’ Robert got too. Ain’t no need to tell him’ bout Robert—he ain’t gonna count him no way. So the man just wrote down us three. My body is getting tired but my spirit is strong! Now mostly Jim, me and Chaney be’s at home most of the time. Everybody else doing, like the young folks say, they thang! Chaney does most of the cleaning and cooking. She can sho’ ‘nough cook some good mess! Chaney puts lotta love in her food. Jim ‘specially like her cabbages, chicken stew, ‘tater jacks, cornbread and sweet tea the bestest. Chaney said she wants to take care of Jim and me ‘cause we took care of her. She’s a good daughter! I love my Chaney.
My Everett had been courting Harriet Bell for some time now. Harriet lived in Spring Hill area and she already had some younguns. Everett loved and treated them like they was his own. Harriet’s mama and papa was Sallie and Isaac Bell ‘round Spring Hill. We ‘membered them—they was good folks. He comes and tells us he’s getting married, too. Our family just keeps on growing. Everett and Harriett got married September 1, 1918 at the house of G. W. Watson, Justice of the Peace in Spring Hill area. Jim and me was feeling a lil’ poorly that day so we could not make it but we sent our love and blessings. But Isaac and Bettie Ann was witness to it.
Me and Jim’s getting older and moving a lil’ slower but our love and spirit is still strong! We always wanted our family to be close and have fun together so grandyounguns will know ‘bout one ’nother. That is one reason we had those dances every year. ‘Member I told you my Isaac was natured up like Jim? Well, Jim and me been telling Isaac when we ain’t ‘round no more to keep up the dances each year for the family. He said that he would and we trusted that he would.
I’m very sick and don’t know if I gonna make it or not. I ain’t scared and I ain’t ‘fraid to die. I lived a hard life in slavery but Gawd saw fit to set me free and be blessed with the love of two good men, my Ransom Sanders and my Jim Joyner, and all my younguns and grandyounguns. Thank You Lord! Glory be to Gawd! While I lay here on my deathbed, I got to tell Jim how I feel one last time. “Don’t cry, baby. Baby, don’t cry. Honey, come hold my hand. Jim, you are so wonderful! Being near you is all that I lived for. You showed me more kindness in so many ways than I’d ever known in all my days. I will love you forever. Jim, you are a rare quality of a man. Your love means the world to me and you never asked for nothing in return. You are a wonderful man. Sometimes I’s be up, sometimes I’s be down but your love is always ‘round. Words of confidence you speak to me and when you place a tender kiss on my cheek. It makes my burdens a lil’ bit lighter, it makes my life a lil’ bit brighter! You really more than I deserve and from my heart I mean these words. You are a wonderful one and I will ALWAYS love you.” I am happy ………..
Continue to The Joyner’s Mighty Oak Tree, Part IV
Back to Part II
* Disclaimer:
This information is intended for the sole purpose of genealogical
research. Any names, places and dates are taken from actual historical
documents. Use of this narrative text, in part or in whole, for profit is
strictly prohibited without prior written permission of Bessie Lessie
Researchers. Contact us by email: bessielessie@hotmail.com