Aunt Lou Amma's Memoirs - Part II

Lou Amma Bramblett Armstrong, my mother's oldest sister, at age 79 wrote down a few pages of her childhood memories, growing up in Johnson County, Texas, in the early 1900's, along with 7 bothers and sisters, parents and grandparents.

 Lee Bramblett, member of the Stubblefield Cornet Band

Papa was smooth tempered. Didn’t get mad often but when he was mad, he was mad all over. He went on peoples notes and would have them to pay. That’s how he owned his first Jackson car in 1908. [Marginal note: “My calculation was wrong. It was some later.”]

The slogan for the Jackson Automobile was, "No hill Too Steep, No Sand Too Deep"

He went on Dr. L. L. Harris’ note and had it to pay and Dr. Harris turned it over to him - No. 300 plus in the country ever bought. (Mr. Blasingame’s was #26 for the first car in county and the first car I ever saw) Dr. Harris operated on Elna for appendicitis at 13 years (I think) he would not take a penny for it.

John and Frances Boyd Bramblett

When papa and mamma married papa took his bride into his parents home [John and Frances "Fannie" Boyd Bramblett] and they lived there until Tommie was born then G’Pa died and papa moved to Stubblefield and G’ma with them. G’ma was partial to Homer. He admitted later she would slip him nickels.

G’ma had strokes for 5 years and 2 years before she died she broke her hip. She couldn’t have it fixed and suffered a lot. Papa took care of her of nights and mama in day. Papa averaged getting up 3 times a night to let her sit on the side of the bed awhile then lay her back. We didn’t have a rolling chair but papa bought her a chair (recliner) much like we have. Cost over $200.00. A foot rest and etc.

She broke her hip by stepping off the porch. One day she asked me to help her walk. I did and have felt guilty all my life because I figured that she only fractured her hip and the walk I took her on broke it. She was only 73 when this happened. Since mama was pregnant with Erwin I did the lifting and for a while never got to go anywhere with her. Elna was too little to lift her.

When Elna was 2 years old she would talk only by whispering. G’ma said “I wish to the Lord couldn’t any of you talk above a whisper.”

In 1913 papa was very anxious for a rain before July 4th (makes for a better cotton crop and that’s what ginners liked). He promised us if it rained enough to run the tank dam over he would build us a new house. About 4 PM that day a dark cloud came up from the N.W. and rain it did and build the house over he did. We have a photograph and the floor plan is still in my mind.

The new house, which burned in 1918

On the south was a living room, boys bed room and a back porch that had a wall on it. Middle had a hall, Dining room and kitchen. On North was papa & mama’s room. Had 2 beds in it, Cora and Ina on one, the parents on the other.  Girls room had two beds in it and next was bath room that also opened into the kitchen. The fire place was in papa and mama’s room. Mama never like us sitting on the bed. Homer attempted to break us of the habit so he fixed up some pins and placed them point up under the spread. Guess who got caught first? He did.

Our bath tub was galvanized iron, had to carry water to it across the kitchen from the well. In the many shelves that was across the west end of bath room I found Erwin’s baby clothes hid out. Mama was too modest to tell her 14 or 15 year old girl she was going to have a baby brother (I was smarter than she thought).

Papa built an out building, a room we called meat house, a buggy shed and a wash house with 2 wash pots in a furnace. We had a hand powered washing machine.

In the next segment: life was hard in those days, and death was a frequent visitor.