Return to the Land

Grandmother was a small quiet woman who not only was a loving and caring mother of her children but also was a supportive and devoted wife. She called her husband J.H. and he addressed her as Miss Minnie. Their love for each other surpassed any hardships that came their way. She became a midwife and assisted her neighbors at birthing time. They disciplined their children in such a way that a lesson could be learned with each escapade. Margie Lee Miller Thompson, their granddaughter by their eldest son Edgar, tells the story of such a lesson. As with all children in their preteen years arguments and sibling rivalries would arise. Stella and Edgar, their older children, were having such a confrontation. Grandpa, as he was known by many of his grandchildren, said to Grandmother , ‘I’ll take care of this’. He went to the barn, saddled up the horse and returned to the yard gate. He took the feuding children to the horse, tied their hands with a small rope a nd sat them on the horse and said, ‘I’m gonna take you away so we don’t have to listen to this nuisance.’ The two dismayed children looked toward their mother standing on the porch. They were hoping for motherly intervention but she merely nodded in appr oval of Grandpa’s decision. With no help coming from anywhere they realized their no win situation and began crying and pleading for mercy. Grandmother in her soothing and gentle voice said to Grandpa ‘I think they’ll be good children now, so let’s not take them away.’ Needless to say these two were angels for some time to come. Another story, as told by Margie, took place during spring planting season. Grandpa and Grandmother had been planting potatoes across the creek from the house. At the end of the day they returned home by crossing the creek. Grandpa was leading the horse that was pulling the sled on which grandmother sat among the baskets and sacks. He stopped to let the horse drink from the creek and then continued to climb up the hill to the house. At that time Grandmother fell from the sled. Not knowing what happened Grandpa went to the top of the hill where he happened to look back and saw Grandmother lying on the ground laughing so hard that she was crying. Grandpa thought the worst and ran down the hill calling to her, ‘Oh my baby, my baby.’ The only things damaged that day were their prides. Margie Miller Thompson and her parents lived just west of the home place by about 100 yards. So as a youngster she knew well these two gracious grandparents. Margie recalls that Grandpa Miller was over 6 feet tall and had broad shoulders. He joked and had a good sense of humor and was fun to be around. He was a good dancer and attended many weddings and would dance endlessly. He would tell stories with such realism that he would keep his audiences spellbound. The neighborhood knew him as Uncle Harv and Grandmother was known as Aunt Minnie. She taught the children’s Sunday school class at the Salem Methodist Church. Grandpa had an imaginary friend named Alec Cumfrey with whom he’d play jokes on friends and family. He’d say to Margie’s mother, ‘Pearl, are you going to the funeral?’ she’d reply, ‘Oh my, who died?’ Grandpa would sheepishly reply, ‘Alec Cumfrey’. When Margie would overstay her visit in the late evening at her grandparents Grandpa would say, ‘Oh Minnie! I feel it coming on; Minnie, I’m going to have a fit – Minnie.’ Margie would become frightened and she’d run all the way ho me in the dark and up her front steps, breathless and with her heart pounding.

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