HOME OF UNCLE ALEC AND AUNT MOURN [GENTRY]

Click picture to see larger view.

This old log cabin is remembered by many County News readers. The picture was sent in by Miss Ida Fine of Carlton with the following description:

"The picture is a group of Erath County men and boys who were on a fishing trip on the Leon River in Hamilton County 29 years ago. The old Negro who lived in the cabin was named Uncle Alec. He was not present when the picture was made, but his sister is in the picture. She is the old woman standing on the porch.

"The man sitting on the steps just in front of her is my brother, John Fine, deceased. The man standing to the extreme right is my father, P. F. Fine, deceased. The small boy standing by the barrel is Grady Laws, manager of Barnes Lumber Company of Carlton. The man standing to the extreme left is Bob McPherson, deceased."

The County News has been informed that the old Negro mammy in the picture was known as Aunt Mourn. She was a sister of Uncle Alec and they were Gentry Negroes, former slaves of Captain F. B. Gentry, who fought at the San Jacinto and is buried in the Graves-Gentry cemetery in Hamilton.

Aunt Mourn was the widow of an Indian called Indian Bob, who is buried on what is now the Pete Fuqua farm.

Another old Negro well remembered by Hamiltonians was Aunt Bet Shockley, maid of Hannah Shockley, who married Andrew Miller during the Civil War. Aunt Bet was born a slave in Georgia and came to this county with her mistress. In her old age, Aunt Bet lived with Mrs. Minnie Miller of Hamilton who provided for her until she died. Aunt Bet, particularly helpless during the last years of her life, died in 1922 and was buried in the old Gentrys Mill cemetery, near the grave of her former mistress.

PAGE EIGHT

Friday, June 24, 1938

W. F. Billingslea, Publisher, Hamilton County, TX