Did I Tell You?

Jesse and Lula Anderson English with children in Eleanor, Florida around 1915.

I have always heard "it takes a village to raise a child." This past week I made contact with and met cousins I have never known. I know my paternal great grandmother Allie B. English Sims through the stories I heard my grandmother and great aunts tell. Allie B. passed away from a stroke in 1955 at the age of 54. She was the oldest living child of Jesse and Lula Anderson English. Twin daughters were born to Jesse and Lula in 1900 and passed away in February 1901. Allie B. was born April 8, 1902. The family lived in the Eleanor community of Northwest Florida. Eleanor is about 3 miles west of Graceville Florida on Highway 2.

My cousin Joe Watford, his wife Pat and cousin Jesse English and his sister Sue English Ramseyer, along with me and my Mom Patricia, my niece Brooke and nephew Colton, cousin Fran Willeford and her daughter Linda Willeford, all went to the Eleanor community, which is really just a cross roads, and looked around for any sight of the old home place. No sign of the old English home place. But there are large groups of trees where homes may have stood, and hidden under brush and overgrown bushes are heaps of debris from old houses and barns. There are two or three famalies, unkown to us, living in the area once known as Eleanor. Cousin Joe Watford recalls a general store and other buisnesses there at one time.

We also visited the cemetary of Bethel Church, where, my great grandfather Jesse's father, Rev. Eli English was the pastor, and the English family burial plots are located there. I understand from Joe Watford, son of Alma Viola English Watford that great grandfather Jesse's brother George has family living in the Noma community now. Noma neighbors the Eleanor community where Jesse and Lula lived with their girls, Allie B., Effie Mae, Ruby, Alma Viola known as A.V. and Anderson their only son, and baby Rosa Lee born in 1915. Lula passed away in 1919 due to complications of child birth.

In the years following Lula's death, Jesse, remarried and shortly after seperated because he didn't like the way his new wife was treating his children. During the years between Lula's death in 1919 and his own death in 1926, Jesse moved in with his oldest daugter Allie B. and her husband, Henry Sims and their 3 children, Luvern, my grandmother, Eddie and Louise. While living with Henry and Allie B.my great grandfather Jesse died when he was hit by a car walking home from work on the Rehobeth Highway. Cousin Joe Watford knew that it was a case of Driving under the influence of Alcohol. The person driving was never charged with anything as far as we know. Allie B. and Henry and Alma and Joseph Watford cared for Anderson and Rosa Lee until they were grown.

Effie Mae the second child of Jesse and Lula was born in 1904 and died in 1924. I understand from her grandaughter that it was due to Yellow fever. Effie Mae married Andrew Ransom Foxworth and in the early 20's they had twin daughters Mary and Martha, also known as Annie Lou and Fannie Lou and a son named Hubert. Several years after Effie Mae died, Andrew moved to Texas with the children to be near his family. The 1935 census has him in Holmes County and the twins are 14 and Hubert is 10. A grandaughter reports Andrew would not talk about Effie Mae with his children and grandchildren, and was never much of a family man after her death. According to family he did remarry several times after moving to Texas. Andrew and Effie's grandaughters are curious about their life in Northwest Florida. We know that Andrew served in the first World War. The dates for that war was 1915-1919.

I recently found a copy of an old book Momma gave me before I graduated from High School. Did I tell you?, by Elizabeth Knapp.  It was in a box of pictures and keepsakes, completely forgotten about years ago. The book is still available from the Author's website http://www.elizabethknapp.com/. It's a very special little book first printed in 1974. This copy was purchased in Callaway Gardens per the store tag on the back, long before the internet made things so easy to access. According to the website Elizabeth Knapp, the author, was sitting with a group of friends talking about their children about to graduate and they all started wondering if their kids understood the values and mind sets necessary to be a responsible adult citizen. Elizabeth also sketched the flowers and herbs that grew in her garden where her children grew up. I love my copy, it's just a small little paperback, but very special.
Did I tell you?  has been an inspiration for me and I wanted to share it with you.  Click on the link http://www.elizabethknapp.com/, to order a copy.

My niece Syndi with my brother and sister in law Greg and Kim Holland. Congratulations Syndi, we love you! Syndi will be starting college in a few weeks at Troy University. Good Luck we will miss having you at home.

This is a picture of my niece Gracie with her horse Ella. So sweet! Congratulations Gracie, Ella and Donya on your recent awards in Nationals. We are very proud of you!