THROUGH
MOUNTAIN MISTS
Early Settlers of
Their
Descendants...Their Stories...Their Achievements
Lifting the
Mists of History on Their Way of Life
By: Ethelene Dyer Jones
The mountains
of yesteryear - Jefferson Beauregard Dyer and Rhoda Jane Souther Dyer
The
Mountains of Yesteryear is the title of a delightful
little book that came to my desk recently. A gift from Ronald Eugene
Miles of
Thanks to Jane
Berry Thompson of the Union County Historical Society and Museum, Ron
Miles, a kinsman of the far-flung Dyer-Souther
Heritage Association whom I had not met before, got in touch with me.
We have enjoyed making connections and sharing genealogical
information.
The book his
mother wrote was edited and published by Ron Miles in 1999 prior to his
mother's death in 2000. In novella form, Ruby Lee Sergeant Miles wrote
of the life and times of Jefferson Beauregard Dyer (1861-1944) and
Rhoda Jane Souther Dyer (1863-1942), her grandparents.
The "Foreword,"
by the author's son and editor of the book, is a lofty and eloquently
written tribute to the way of life and the people whose story is
revealed in the book. Ronald Miles writes: "Ultimately, this family
trail would wind from the foot of
Ruby Lee
Sergeant Miles (
The book was
illustrated by a friend of Ron Miles, artist Gregory R. Wimmer of
Jefferson and
Rhoda Jane were married
Rhoda Jane's
mother was Sarah E. Collins (1840-1872), daughter of Frank and Rutha Nix Collins. Sarah died when Rhoda Jane
was only nine years of age, and being the second child of seven and the
oldest girl, it fell her lot to help take
care of her siblings who ranged in age from eleven years to six months
when her mother died. On
Ruby Lee
Sergeant Miles imagines that Jefferson Beauregard and his bride-to-be
took picnic lunches and visited the land he received from his father,
James Marion Dyer. I am not sure that young people of that day would
have been permitted that much unsupervised time away from elders. But
in the granddaughter's account of their courtship, she allows for time
for the young couple to dream of their future life together:
"On Sundays, Jeff would take Jane up for the day, to picnic and
plan a life in their new home. These times were very thrilling for
them. They could almost see the morning glory vines growing over the
end of the long porch." (p. 23).
With much hard
work, Jeff finished the cabin before Christmas, 1879. The couple had
their marriage ceremony at the Souther home. And on Christmas Day that
year, Jane and Jeff invited their parents to their cabin and served a
typical mountain feast to celebrate their marriage and to show their
home.
Ruby Lee
Sergeant Miles follows the year-by-year life of the Jefferson
Beauregard Dyer family--filled with hard work and births of their
twelve children, four sons and eight daughters.
The family
moved from Choestoe to
The older
children were also employed in the mill.
The last half
of Mrs. Miles's book has vignettes about
"Yesteryear in the Mountains," including myths, early homes, producing
and preserving food, animals, people caring for one another, and plants
and herbs. She included recipes for some of the dishes prepared at the
fireplace in an iron pot or in an iron Dutch oven covered with coals.
Thanks to
Ronald Eugene Miles, retired from his career with Minnesota State
Parks, for editing and publishing his mother's book. It
is an excellent addition to our written mountain history. The Book Nook
in Blairsville has some copies or one may be ordered from Grassroots
Concepts,
On the back
cover is an "Afterword" written by poet and
essayist John G. Neihardt. He states:
"This story will not turn back the hands (digits?) of
time, but it does advocate lessons the earth still has to teach us. And
when mists lift off the mountains, is there a more
fulfilling, refreshment than a long draught of pure, cool spring water
bubbling from the Giving Earth?"
For those of
you who enjoy reading about mountain ways and families of yesteryear,
this insightful book will be an excellent addition to your library.
c2006 by Ethelene Dyer Jones; published
[Ethelene Dyer
Jones is a retired educator,
freelance writer, poet, and historian. She
may be reached at e-mail [email protected];
phone 478-453-8751; or mail 1708 Cedarwood
Road, Milledgeville, GA 31061-2411.]
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