I remember ....
This article appeared in the Lincoln Ledger on 1-12-1994
Remembering Dr. Anderson...
Dr. Edmund Cheersmund Goodmund Anderson was numbered among the leading Physicians of Lincoln County.
His birth took place in October of 1834 in the state of Virginia. He was educated at Brownsville, Tennessee and also at Richmond, Virginia where he received his Medical Degree, graduating in 1855.
Previous to this date he had moved to White County, Arkansas, living at Searcy for several years. Later Dr. Anderson moved to Lincoln County locating on Bayou Bartholomew. In 1871 he came to Star City where he had a large and lucrative practice and where he remained untilhis death in December of 1880.
Doctor Anderson belonged to the Masonic Lodge, The Knights of Hope, and politizally was a member of the Democratic Party. In connection with his popularity and success he was largely intereste in agricultural matters as a farmer.
Few men have been, at any time or in any County, more generally liked and respected as was Dr. Anderson by the citizens of Lincoln County. A devoted member of the Baptist Church, a thoroughly charitabel and kindly man, and with all most intellectual, the Doctor easily won friends. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in March 1862, and was wounded in Corinth, Mississippi the same year. He was taken prisoner while there and and was tenderly cared for by the Rutledge family. Upon returning home he joined Colonel Thompson's Regiment, of which he was made a Surgeon, serving until the close of the war.
Dr. Anderson married Maria L. Jones of Alabama, the daughter of Henry P. Jones. The ceremony was performed in May of 1861, and of this union five children were born, of whom only two survived. Their son E.C.G. Anderson born in March of 1870 and their daughter Sadie Anderson Quinn, born in 1873, both at Tyro, Arkansas.
The family belonged to the Baptist Church. Words are after all entirely inadequate to render full justice to the memory of such men as Doctor Anderson, one of whom all men honor. Doctor Anderson is the grandfather of Mrs. Iris Anderson Curry, who is a resident of Lincoln County.
I Remember Emanuel Alexander Mullikin...
The family moved from South Carolina to Tippah County, Mississippi
between 1852 and 1854. The reason I have concluded the time period, is
that the 1860 Census lists James, born in 1852, as being born in Mississippi.
Emanuel Alexander Mullikin, was born November 16, 1842 in Anderson Area,
South Carolina. He died December 9, 1899 in Feenyville, Star City, Arkansas,
and is buried in Heflin Cemetery, Star City. The family had relocated to
Tippah County, Mississippi. When the Civil War broke out, the family was
still in Mississippi, and Emanuel enlisted in the 23rd Regiment of Mississippi
Volunteers, at Luka, on September 19, 1861. He served with Company F, and
the Blackland Gideonites. He served, along with his brother Leander, under
Capt. J. M. Wells, 2nd regiment, 1st brigade. He and Leander have the same
military history. They were captured at Fort Donelson, Tenn. on February
16, 1862. They were sent to Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Indiana. Here they
were in a prisoner of war exchange in August 1862, and they again fought
with their unit. The 23rd surrendered at Vicksburg, Mississippi on July
4, 1863. They later located in Jackson, Mississippi, and reenlisted with
CSA under Capt. J. S. Thompson and Generals Tilgman, A.C. Alcorn and F.M.
Boone. The continued serving until 1864. After returning home from the
war, Emanuel married the widow of David W. Feagin, Edna M. Geno Feagin,
on August 1, 1865, in Tippah County, Mississippi. David and Edna had married,
December 19, 1860, and had one son, Thomas Jefferson Feagin, born in 1862.
David served in the same unit as Emanuel and Leander, but died while at
Camp Morton, and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Edna was the daughter of Francis and Mary Geno. Emanuel and Edna had a
son, William Edward Mullikin, born June 13, 1866, in Tippah County. Edna
died during the period of time and Emanuel's second marriage to Margaret
Elizabeth Morgan, on December 7, 1868. She was daughter of Jacob and Allie
Reed Morgan. To this union were born two children, Rufus Kendrick Mullikin,
and Agnes Allie Mullikin. Rufus was born in Mississippi and Agnes was born
in Arkansas. Thomas Jefferson Feagin remained in Mississippi at this time.
Submitted by Peggy J Riley Reichard
.
LERA MARTHA MULLIKIN
"I remember" by Wendy Gayle Walkup Barry, grand-daughter of Lera Martha
Mullikin
She lived with my father when she became ill from cancer, and he cared
for her until she died. She had a house in Wagoner, Oklahoma that he kept
until her death. She raised Toy Poodles, Miniature Schnauzer, Miniature
Yorkshire Terriers, etc. She had a kennel in her back yard that they ran
around in. They barked when they thought it was necessary and she would
open the back door and let them have it with the loudest "Shut Up" we ever
heard. You could go to her house at different times in the year and she
would have newborn puppies in her den, that she was keeping warm, etc.
She made them special dog food on the stove that consisted of Bil Jac and
some kind of dry food with some milk or water mixed in. She would tease
me and tell me that was my breakfast or that she had just made my dad a
nice lunch. She also watched other people's unusual pets for them while
they were out of town, etc. At one time she had 2 Myna Birds and a beautiful
Parrot, and they all talked. When you walked into her house, one of the
Myna Birds would wolf whistle at you. They were neat. She had some parakeets
in her hallway that were laying eggs, and one morning she cracked one open
and told me they were a delicacy and she was going to cook it for my breakfast!.
The egg was unfertilized. She was funny. She loved Coca-Cola. For a long
time the Coke truck made a special delivery to her house. She swore by
the 10 oz. bottles, which, when the quit putting them in stores, she was
upset since she believed they were the only ones that "tasted" right. I
remember one time, she took me and my half sister, Cindy, to a Sonic (Hamburger
drive in) in Wagoner, and the "waitress on wheel" had a huge "Passion mark"
on her neck, and Grandma let her have it. She told her how disgusting her
neck looked and how she should be ashamed of herself. I was in awe of Grandma,
but my sister just put her head down in embarassment. She loved to
clip things out of the newspapers. She would always have a shoebox full
of them whenever Dad and I would come to visit. We would tease her and
tell her what a fire hazard her boxes were, but now we are glad she had
them, because they were a great source for my genealogical research. She
clipped them out for everyone, including friends. She was a big fan of
the tabloids so we had to try to discern whether some of the articles came
from the tabloids or not. Some of these articles were easy to tell because
I am almost certain that none of our ancestors "gave birth to their own
twin"! When Grandma took ill, Daddy moved into her apartment and cared
for her there. Meals on Wheels came by to give her lunch if for some reason
Tammara (daughter by Gordon's first marriage) could not bring her something.
I guess you could say that Daddy and Tammara both took care of her. I was
living in California for most of her illness. I regret that she never got
to see me get married or see her two beautiful great-grandchildren. Grandma
herself had 3 husbands: Harold Clifford Walkup, John Kirk, and Leo Vester
Harris. They only one I ever knew or saw was Grandpa Walkup because
of course, he was my grandfather. She divorced Grandpa Walkup when
my father Harold Gordon Walkup and aunt Peggy Jean Walkup were very young.
The other two husbands were gone before I was born also, but that's another
story! She sewed a lot of different things; her spare bedroom held several
different projects at any given time, and I have one of her sewing machines
that she used. I also have several old cameras she had. I don't think she
threw much away. The camera collection included a "Brownie". I also have
a pearl necklace that she had; it had one single pearl hanging down from
a dainty chain, and is so old that the gold is pinkish. We miss her humor
and smile very much. To view my grandmother's clippings: Grandma's Shoebox
- https://sites.rootsweb.com/~okbits/shoebox.html Submitted by: Wendy Gayle
Walkup-Barry - grand-daughter Email: <[email protected]>
Our Memories, by Peggy J. Riley Reichard & Margaret Ellen Mullikin
Scifres
Rufus Kendrick Mullikin,
or Kendrick, as everyone called him, was born in Tippah County, Mississippi
on October 16, 1869, a son of Emanuel Alexander and Margaret Elizabeth
Morgan Mullikin. On October 20, 1947, he suffered a stroke (arteriosclerotic
heart disease) at his home in Feenyville, and died. He is buried between
his two wives in Heflin Cemetery, Star City. Emanuel Alexander, his father,
owned a lot of land in Arkansas, and gave to Kendrick, the "Old Cunningham
Place", located at Feenyville. The pre-civil war house still stands (1999)
but is only used for storage now. Kendrick married Ellen Anne Blasengame
on September 11, 1889, at Star City. She was called "Annie" by all. Annie
was born July 8,1868 in Mississippi, and died August 10, 1907. She had
a child, Rufus Kendrick Mullikin, Jr. on April 13, 1907, and never recovered
after the birth. She died of what they termed "milk fever". We have been
unable to get a death certificate so we do not know exactly what the diagnosis
was at the time. Kendrick and Annie were farmers. It was a hard life, but
a good life. Besides farming, Kendrick ran a store at the crossroads, about
1/4 mile north of the farm. When he needed supplies, he drove the horse
and wagon to Pine Bluff. Here he slept in the wagon, in the wagon yard,
before making the return trip home. The family attended the Lone Grove
Missionary Baptist Church, also located north of the crossroads. It was
a weatherbeaten, plank building. The church is now located at the crossroads,
but is now a brick building. All that were baptized here went to Griffith
Springs, and were baptized in Turtle Creek. All the roads in the area were
dirt, and were either dusty or muddy. Many people had trouble getting their
wagons through the mud. "The Old Military Road" runs past the farm. This
is the road the soldiers, on their way to fight at Vicksburg, cut out.
The road is now blacktopped and well travelled. The farmhouse had a wide
galley, or open hallway, that ran from the back to front of the house.
Some people called this a "dog-run". The house was whitewashed and had
blue shutters. It had a large porch across the front, and a board fence
around the yard to keep the animals out. The stock ran free in the woods,
and there was an abundance of food for them there. There were blackberries,
persimmons, acorns, grapes, and other wild berries. The family cattle brand
was M, and the pigs has a semi-circle at the top of the ears, called an
overcrop. Pork hung in the smokehouse, at the rear of the main house, on
Bear Grass or Yucca Plant from the front yard. All the cooking was done
on an open fireplace or on the old iron cookstove in the kitchen. Flour
was kept in a large wooden barrel in the kitchen, and sifted each time
before use, to make sure there were no weevels in it. Butter was churned
by hand, and then put into a wooden butter mold with a wheat shock pattern
on it. This butter mold is now in possession of Margaret Scifres. The kitchen
table was made out of planks and had long benches on each side. Kendrick
always sat at the head of the table in an old rush chair. The most amazing
thing about him was that he did not use a fork to eat his food. He had
a thin, flexible, round end knife that he used. He could roll peas down
that knife and into his mouth and never miss a one. Everyone ate off of
enamelware plates and drank from enamelware cups. Some of the silverware
had wooden handles. The only refrigeration they had was a lard can lowered
into the hand dug well in the back yard. There was a pie safe in the kitchen
where non-perishable food was kept. Wood was used for cooking and heat.
All the food was home grown and preserved by smoking or canning. Visitors
were always welcome at this home. There was plenty of food, fun, laughter,
work, and a place to sleep here. We remember the deep feather mattresses
on the beds. The beds were made out of thin rods of iron and then painted.
It was wonderful to snuggle there on a cold winter night. The hayfields
were seeded with Blue Stem Grass. Once it was seeded, it grew on its own.
Hickory Cane Corn was always planted, and the fields were plowed in two
directions. This was called Checking. A one room log house stood across
the road from the farmhouse. This is where Kendrick went to school. Another
school was built later, 1/4 mile west of the crossroads. It was made of
planks instead of logs. A mile east of Kendrick's farm stood another log
house. This was the home of his father and mother, Emanuel and Margaret.
These two buildings no longer stand. All the water was drawn from hand
dug wells. There was one in the front and one in the back of the house.
Kendrick always grew big, lucious watermelons and cantaloupes. He would
put them in the branch (creek), which ran in front of the house, to cool
them before cutting. This branch had an old wooden bridge over it so that
cars and wagons could approach the house. As children we were permitted
to wade in the branch, and sometimes we fell in accidently and got out
clothes all wet. Ha. We were then permitted to swim, or "MudCrawl" since
the branch was very shallow. The branch had smooth, white, washed stones
on the bottom, and water was crystal clear. There wasnt much pollution
then. The creek no longer runs. There was an apple orchard and a pond near
the house. We fished there with string and a bent straight pin and caught
"Sunnies". Around 1900 there was a sawmill that stood near where the pond.
This was the sawmill of Stephen O. Feeny. Sunday afternoon was a wonderful
time to sit on porch and laugh and talk. This was the only day of rest
on the farm. The children played hopscotch in the dirt. There was no complaining
about being bored, or work was found for you to do. One thing "I" remember,
being the youngest, the older kids always tried to get away from me. My
sister, Mickey and Margaret Ellen tied me to a tree and ran off before
I could get loose. I remember the two of them hanging on the cow's tails
and being pulled along, as they brought them in for milking in the evening.
Even in those days, there were few "Angels" flying over Feenyville. The
lye soap was made in large iron kettles in the back yard. Unfortunately,
this was tragic for one of the children, Margaret Agnes. She was playing
and fell into the pot of boiling soap. As a result of the severe burns,
she died 2 days later. She is buried beside her mother, Annie, in Heflin
Cemetery. The laundry was done in wash tubs and scubbing board. They were
rinsed and wrung out by hand and pinned on clothesline to dry. The ironing
was done with a cast iron iron, heated on the back of the stove in the
kitchen. To the union of Rufus Kendrick Mullikin & Ellen Anne Blasengame
Mullikin were born the following children: Chester Irene, Maggie Mae, Infant,
Emanuel Frank, Lewis Dee, Arthur Jackson, Margaret Agnes, Eshter Ophelia,
and Rufus Kendrick, Jr. To the union of Rufus Kendrick Mullikin & Belle
Monk Mullikin were born the following children: Grace Mae, Buck Creed,
Gus Collins, Gladys Inez, Margaret Ellen, and Jake William. Kendrick was
a tall man with dark wavy hair and dark brown eyes. Later in life he had
snow white hair and a mustache. He was a quiet man, but a stern man. In
later years he walked with a cane, and if he pointed that cane and told
you to do something, you moved. He loved his family and his God. Ellen
Anne had dark hair and eyes. Belle was a tiny woman, standing only 4 foot
11 inches. She had gray eyes and black hair with tiny waves all over. Belle,
or Miss Belle, as everyone called her, was always laughing. She was an
excellent cook, and made the best fried chicken in the world. She would
have surely put Colonel Sanders to shame. She always made everyone that
came to her home feel welcome, and we know that we loved her dearly. Gus
was retarted and lived with the family until after the death of his mother
and father. He died in a nursing home in Star City of poor circulation
and heart disease. He is buried beside his mother and father in Heflin
Cemetery. We will always remember the warm glow of the fireplace as we
sat there in the evening. The only light was the fireplace and an old coal
oil light. We will cherish the thoughts for the rest of our lives. Submittted
by Peggy J Riley Reichard
, granddaughter.
Joseph "Joe" Floyd Newman ...
I remember going ‘down home’ to visit my grandpa, Joseph "Joe" Floyd
Newman, in the late 1940’s.. His brother, George Newman had a one room
house that sat back off the road that Joe lived in, as Joe never kept anything
that he owned. There was an old iron bed with a homemade mattress which
was made from ticking and stuffed with hay or cotton, a small dining table,
a pot belly stove and a couple of cane bottom chairs. There were nails
on the walls for Papa to hang his clothes, saddle, bridle or anything else
he could think of. Out back was a smaller house that the roof slanted on
and used as a summer kitchen. He would smoke meat in it and cook on the
pot belly stove in the winter. He didn’t have running water, electricity,
telephone, or an intdoor toilet. He rode his horse every where he went.
He would only get in a car if he was going a long way from home. If he
accepted a ride from anyone, he would stand on the running boards instead
of getting inside. The horse had a colt, so you could see Papa riding his
horse and the colt following them. Papa had an old fiddle. He played it
at barn dances sometimes, but he carried it with him every place and would
play it for us anytime. Once at Uncle George’s house, my Aunt Cille asked
George’s wife, Aunt Alice (Blasingame), if she could have a beautiful old
highboy dresser if anything happened to her...this gave me an idea. I went
into the parlor and asked Papa if he died could I have his horse. Of course,
I got into trouble about doing so, but Papa just laughed and said "Okay,
I’ll die and Will you my horse." Joe was born October 26, 1878 to Charles
Vernah and Elvira "Missy" Melissa (Reynolds McLemore) Newman in Feenyville,
Lincoln Co. and died August 8, 1950 about one mile from where he was born.
He was a horse trader..trading one thing for another...and hardly work
during his life. He married Virgie Mae Spears on February 24, 1905. They
had six children; Effie Harriett, Lucy Elvira, Stark Joseph, Susie Melissa,
Julie Mae, and Ralph Leroy (Roy) before Virgie died in 1920. In about 1925,
Joe married Ollie Belle (Reaves) Stringfellow. Children born to them were:
Herbert McKinley and Ruby Mae. They were divorced around 1930. When Papa
died, they sold the horse and colt to buy a tombstone. The old furniture
was just left in the house, which fell in. His only other possession left
was the fiddle. It had been promised to all of Joe’s grandchildren but
my mother, Sue, inherited it. It is now encased in a nice shadow box with
Papa’s pictures and names of old tunes he used to play and a story about
it. It hangs in my dining room. I didn’t get the horse, but I got the fiddle!
Submitted by Diann McDaniels grand-daughter of Joe Newman E-mail: <[email protected]>
Alva Oma Johnson...
ALVA OMA JOHNSON
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith. II Timothy 4:7 Our dear mother went to be with Jesus on Sunday,
April 6, 2003 at Triumph Northwest Hospital in Houston, TX. She was 90
years old. Alva was born February 28, 1913 in Star City, Arkansas
to Jimmy Edward Moore and Ethel Mae Blasingame Moore. She married Otha
Hagen Johnson on April 30, 1945 and was a wonderful, loving mother to her
four children. Mother was a homemaker in every way. An excellent cook,
she enjoyed preparing meals. Nothing pleased her more than to have her
family all together. She was very proud of her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren
and delighted in showing love to each one. Mother loved God with
all of her heart, and she honored Him in her ministry to others. Her Christian
service was manifested in many ways, including taking food to families
and intercessory prayer. She always had a heart for the elderly, caring
for those older than herself until she was well into her seventies.
Alva was the bookkeeper for the family business, Someburger hamburger stands,
and was her husband's "right hand" in keeping the business running. She
had a sharp mind for numbers and was a keen businesswoman.
Her love for her church was well known. She attended Channelview United
Pentecostal Church for several years. Later she attended Life Tabernacle,
until a few years ago when she was no longer able to drive into town. At
that time she began attending The Pentecostals at Royalwood which was her
home church at the time of her death. Mother readily shared her faith
and witnessed to people, asking them to come to church. If you called her
house, she always answered, "Praise the Lord!" She loved to sing and praise
God. Alva was preceded in death by her husband, Otha, of 29 years
and brothers, Havis Moore and Odist Moore. She leaves behind many
friends and family members who love and honor her memory, including sisters
Eva Tucker of Star City, AR, Clara Clark and husband David of Alexandria,
LA, and Violet Waters and husband Laron, also of Alexandria, LA. Brother
James Moore and wife Bobbie of Pine Bluff, AR. Sons Otha Hagen Johnson,
Jr. and wife Karen in Baytown, TX and Donald W. Johnson of Channelview,
TX. Daughters Brenda Blankenship and husband Tony of Huntington, WV, and
Debbie Bullard and husband Jerry of Tomball, TX. Grandchildren Richard
Johnson, Terrie Lynn Cleavinger, Jerry Johnson, Bryan Loyd, Kyle Loyd,
Cordee Novak, Amy Hargrove, and Jeremy Bullard. Great-grandchildren David,
Audrey, Rachel, Nathan, Victoria, Ruth and Julie Cleavinger, Ashleigh,
Joy, Benjamin, Anna Catherine and Charity Johnson; Alexis Loyd, Hunter
Loyd and Matthew Novak. Alva Johnson touched our lives, and we will
never forget her. We are so grateful to God for the long, full life she
lived. Visitation will be on Tuesday Evening, April 8, at Howard-Glendale
Funeral Home, 1015 Federal Road (at I-10), Houston, TX 77015 from 7-9 p.m.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, at
The Pentecostals at Royalwood, 7803 Uvalde Road (at Beltway 8), Houston,
TX 77049. In lieu of the usual remembrances, donations may be made to Tupelo
Children's Mansion, in care of The Pentecostals at Royalwood.
Published in the Houston Chronicle on 4/9/2003. |