Eastern Living - November 2021

NORTH CAROLINA

EASTERN LIVING

More of

Our Stories

Gattis Hodges: A voice for all seasons Rock Stars: Hands-on Museum Whirligig: Festival for anything

Layout 72. BIOGRAPHY Windsor mayor retires

Becky Wetherington beckyweth@gmail.com Michelle Leicester mleicester@ncweeklies.com Photo 70. ALL IN A DAY’S TRIP New Bern’s silent sanctuary 80. VIEWS Old barns from our region

Lou Ann Van Landingham lavan@ncweeklies.com Kelly Ayscue kayscue@rmtelegram.com Chris Taylor ctaylor@rmtelegram.com 66. Life at a community school 86. PARTING SHOTS A Thank You Note 84. MARK IT! DeMille Family

Ahoskie.

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Jim Green jgreen@ncweeklies.com 78. GRANDMA’S KITCHEN Recipes for eating better

Sandy Carawan Sarah Davis Sylvia Hughes Gene Motley Lewis Hoggard Kelly Grady Sarah Hodges Stalls Deborah Griffin Tyler Newman Emily Wells Todd Wetherington Donna Marie Williams Paige Minshew Janelle Clevinger Frank Stephenson

Staff Gene Metrick gmetrick@rmtelegram.com Leslie Beachboard lbeachboard@apgenc.com John Walker john.walkernc@yahoo.com Brandice Hoggard bhoggard@ncweeklies.com Andre’ Alfred aalfred@ncweeklies.com FARM LIFE SCHOOL 7

Step back in history

Edgecombe County museums are important part of history

Story & Photos by John H. Walker

Edgecombe County is home to three museums — The Blount-Bridgers House and Hobson Pittman Memorial Gallery, the Edgecombe County Veterans Military Museum and the Princeville Museum and Welcome Center.

The Blount-Bridgers House is currently open to the public Monday-throughFriday, while ECVMM is open on Friday and Saturdays.

The Princeville Museum remains closed as recovery and restoration efforts continue following Hurricane Matthew in 2016, although the Princeville Mobile Museum was developed by the N.C. State School of Architecture Design+Build summer program and was dedicated in August 2019.

The Blount-Bridgers House, located at

130 Bridgers St., was built about 1808 and is a historic home that was also known as The Grove. It was the home of Thomas Blount, who was a Revolutionary War veteran and statesman. It is a two-story, five-bay, Federal-style frame dwelling and has a gable roof and pairs of double-shouldered brick end chimneys.

It has been owned by the town of Tarboro since the 1930s and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is located in the 45-square-block Tarboro Historic District.

The first floor serves as a history museum, where visitors will see period-appropriate Edgecombe County furniture, historic documents and a map of the Carolinas printed in 1775.

The second floor of the house features a permanent collection of works by internationally known Tarboro-born artist Hobson Pittman (1899–1972), including oil paintings, pastels, drawings, prints and watercolors.

Blount-Bridgers House also features locally-made period furniture and 19thcentury paintings as well as works by Thomas Sully, Thomas Landseer and William Garle Brown.

The House and Gallery regularly feature works by local and area artists, including local watercolor artists Teresa Bray Muse and Russel Yerkes II, and also features changing exhibits of contemporary artists.

In addition, 19th-century ceramics and 20th-century Jugtown pottery are

Hobson Pittman Memorial Gallery

The Blount-Bridgers House

featured in the collection, along with silver and iron objects. Also included is the Batts textile collection, which contains 19thcentury clothing, quilts, military uniforms and household linens.

On the grounds of the Blount-Bridgers House, visitors will also find the BlountBridgers Arboretum, the Silas Everett House and the Phillips Dependency.

The Silas Everett House, also known as the Pender Museum, is an example of the Carolina Coastal Cottage style of architecture and dates to 1810. The Philips Dependency is a typical antebellum outbuilding dating from 1851. Both are located on the northeastern corner of the property.

The Tarboro Edgecombe Public Arts Council (TEPAC) is located in the Blount-Bridgers house. TEPAC produces the Happening on the

Common, which will celebrate its 50th year in 2022.

Also in Tarboro in the Edgecombe County Veterans Military Museum, located at 106 West Church St., in Historic Downtown Tarboro.

The museum, which is dedicated to preserving the memory of the men and women of Edgecombe County who have served their county in the military, was founded in 2004.

The late Joel Bourne, a retired attorney and former Marine who fought in the Pacific during World War II conceived the idea of creating a veteran’s museum to honor and give tribute to the veterans of Edgecombe County, living or deceased.

The Edgecombe County Veterans Military Museum opened on July 5, 2004, in temporary

quarters in downtown Tarboro. Over the next two and a half years, the Veteran’s Museum grew and expanded while accumulating memorabilia and artifacts and on April 21, 2007, the Veterans Museum moved into its own building, owned by the town and located directly behind Tarboro Town Hall.

The museum includes a wide variety of military memorabilia dating to the Revolutionary War and includes more than 1,000 photographs of Edgecombe natives who served in the various branches of the military.

The museum, regularly, sets up static displays so that visitors can picture what things might have been like during a particular period.

For example, there is a display of medical equipment with a field cot covered in

The Silas Everett House

Edgecombe County Veterans Military Museum

Edgecombe County Veterans Military Museum

Edgecombe County Veterans Military Museum

Princeville Museum and Welcome Center

mosquito netting to depict a field hospital setting.

To commemorate the service of all Americans in Vietnam, the replica of a forward outpost was recreated.

The museum is home to the military collection of Gen. Henry Hugh Shelton of Speed, who served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is the highestranking military officer ever from the state of North Carolina.

The museum collection also includes:

• Hundreds of uniforms from all branches and carrying all ranks, including that of Gen. Shelton. • Shelton’s final check from the 82nd Airborne, for 82 cents.

• A collection of awards and badges, including bronze and silver stars and the Purple Heart

A World War II-era Jeep, now 80 years old, that still runs and is used in parades in the community.

“We feel like our collection is noteworthy,” Museum President Herbert Whitehurst said. “We are governed by an allvolunteer board and there is no admission. We’re always looking for volunteers and we will train you so that both you and those guests you welcome into the museum will

have an enjoyable experience.”

Across the Tar River in Princeville, planning is still ongoing to effect the best possible recovery and display of artifacts that were housed in the Princeville Museum and Welcome Center at the time it was flooded by rising waters from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

The significance of maintaining the history lies in the fact Princeville is the oldest town in the United States that was founded by African Americans.

While the museum remains a regular part of the discussion during monthly recovery meetings, it sits closed with the bottom few feet of siding removed as part of the process to stop the deterioration of the building.

Before Matthew’s incursion, the former home of the Princeville Grade School had been beautifully restored with immaculate hardwood floors and a collection of the town’s history presented in interpretive displays.

While the permanent facility has yet to reopen, there is a mobile museum ± “Freedom River “ — that was conceived, designed and built by N.C. State University’s Summer Build Design Studio Students in

2019. It was dedicated in August of that year.

The museum was designed to be mobile … so that it could be taken to other locations, whether around the community or county or the state … so that people might learn about Princeville.

The exterior of the building is a weathered metal with the town’s name and founding date cut out. Inside, the museum includes copies of photos and documents that are tied to Princeville’s history.

John H. Walker is a Staff Writer for the Rocky Mount Telegram and Eastern North Carolina Living.

‘The Adoption Lady’ finds her other family

Story by Kelly Grady Photos by Kelly Grady & Contributed

Diane Gray, of Chocowinity, found meaning in this quote as she completed her journey in the hopes of finding her biological parents.

Given the name, Mary, at birth, she was born to a young (not yet married) couple in upstate New York in July of 1955. During those years, it was unusual for a young working woman to keep a child born out of wedlock, so with her maternal grandmother’s strong encouragement, Mary was given up for adoption.

At just five days old, Mary was fortunate enough to be adopted by a loving couple and their fiveyear-old (also adopted) daughter, Ann. Mary’s name was then changed to Diane.

Diane was five years old when she learned she was adopted. She was often reminded how very loved and special she was, but she did have fleeting thoughts and questions about her birth parents.

She enjoyed her childhood and loved spending time with her family hunting, fishing and being outdoors - especially as her dad’s “little buddy.”

However, at the typically petulant age of 13, Diane was less than happy when her father announced the family was moving to Virginia for his job with GE.

While the world was experiencing so many changes and turmoil in the late 1960s, Diane was

experiencing being bullied and threatened at her new high school.

She dealt with comments such as: “Nobody wanted you; your parents gave you up.” “You’re a damn Yankee, go back home.” “We’re going to beat you up.”

Diane tearfully confided these comments to her mother and the harassment stopped after her mother contacted the school.

Hearing those comments fueled Diane’s curiosity and she often found herself wondering about her “other family.” She wouldn’t be going through this if she was still with them. What were they doing? Did she have siblings… aunt… uncles... cousins? Did they ever think of her?

Eventually, Diane adjusted to her new surroundings, made new friends and graduated high school. She then embarked on a 25-year career in radio advertising before retiring and opening her own bridal shop for seven years. During those early working years, she married and had two sons of her own.

Her family continued to flourish and grow - now including three grandchildren - for everyone to love.

happy as she was, she continued to be frustrated having no medical history to share

As

The apocryphal Mark Twain states, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you found out why.”

with her sons and their children. She again wondered strongly about her “other family.” Did they have any significant medical/health concerns? She wanted and believed it was her right to know this information.

Sadly, Diane’s father passed away in 2007 and her mother in 2009. While she and her sister sorted through their mother’s belongings, they each hoped to uncover some secrets or clues to their biological families, but were unsuccessful in their attempts.

Still wanting answers to so many unanswered questions that she felt were owed to her, Diane saw a commercial for the 23 and Me DNA kit. She ordered the kit, sent in her test, and anxiously awaited results.

She was ecstatic when she received such interesting information, but what did it all mean? Looking for help, Diane reached out to a Facebook Group that helps interpret the results.

Soon, a “search angel” named Carol reached out and offered to help her. Carol, a genealogy researcher, has been successful in helping hundreds of adoptees find their biological families. But, when it came to Diane, she described this situation as being one of the hardest cases she has come across.

This was not the answer Diane was hoping to receive. In the meantime, Ann, her adopted sister, who had also been searching, had found her birth family.

Not to be discouraged, Carol told Diane to purchase the AncestryDNA kit which has more members than the 23 and Me database.

Ancestry DNA focuses more on connecting family members compared to the 23 and Me which focuses more on ethnicity.

Once again, Diane completed the test and shared her results with Carol. After two false leads in finding her birth mother, Carol finally called Diane with the news she had been waiting on for so many years.

At the age of 64, Diane learned she had three biological sisters and her (divorced) parents who still live in upstate New York.

Diane’s faith and hope during the last 4.5 years had gotten her this far, so eager to find out more, she picked up the phone and called her youngest sister. She left a voicemail stating who she was and shared a few memories of places and things she remembered from when she lived there many years ago.

Her prayers were answered the next day when she finally spoke with her sister. After a heartfelt conversation, the decision had been made. Diane was going to fly to New York in January 2019 for eight days and meet her birth family! (She did admit to facing a bit of a challenge in eastern North Carolina finding winter apparel and snow boots deemed appropriate for the frigid and snow-laden northeast.)

She soon met her three sisters over lunch; comments were made about physical characteristics they shared with each other. Stories were shared, laughter was heard and tears were shed.

Unfortunately for Diane, her birth mother was not interested in meeting the daughter

she had given up. However, her birth father was quite the opposite. He would finally meet the daughter he had no decision in giving away because he was never put on the birth certificate.

Surrounded completely by her “other family,” and with tears streaming down everyone’s faces, Diane and her father were finally able to meet for the first time. As they embraced, he told her, “I thought of you every single day. I hoped and prayed you would persevere in finding us.”

Having found the answers she had been looking for, and hoping to give strength to other adoptees, Diane shared her story in her self-published book titled, Faith, Hope & Perseverance.

Since publishing her book, Diane has immersed herself in helping others, earning her the nickname, “The Adoption Lady.” She currently serves as the Ambassador of the Children’s Home Society of NC, she serves on the Board of the Coastal Pregnancy Center in Washington, is an adoption advocate for the 12,000 children in North Carolina waiting to be adopted, and is a lobbyist working with Congress to pass the bill granting the rights of adoptees in obtaining critical information from their birth certificate.

Diane has shared her journey with groups of various sizes across eastern North Carolina and Virginia and continues to be available for speaking presentations. She can be contacted at fhpspeaker@yahoo.com.

Discover the beauty & charm

are back

It’s a curious thing how certain foods can make us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

For instance, the chicken soup your mom would give you as a child when you were sick or the ice cream you’d have on a hot summer day while playing with friends. Food can make us nostalgic for a happier time, a simpler time.

Lucille George, better known as “Mrs. George,” was the owner of The Carolina Cafe from 1942-87. While her delicious home-cooked meals were a staple of the Rocky Mount food scene, her peanut butter pie is what made her an icon.

George’s nephew, Matt Kannan, and his wife, Brandy, were eager to help revitalize Rocky Mount. Brandy Kannan, a stay-athome mom, said she wanted to contribute to the community in the midst of rebuilding and rebranding itself as a social and economic region in eastern North Carolina.

“Our hope is that this venture will bring positivity and nostalgia to the people of Rocky Mount who she loved so much,” she said. “We believe Rocky Mount is a great city because its people are great and we want to be a small part of its strong economic resurgence.”

Brandy Kannan spent several months perfecting the “secret” recipe. While she

and Matt are withholding the identity of the person who gave up the recipe, they did recruit 30 taste-testers to help refine the pie. All testers were original Mrs. George customers, so their opinions were make or break for Brandy.

“It took a long time to get the recipe just right, but with the help of our tastetesters, we were able to recreate it to a T,” she said. “We are Mrs. George’s Pies and our mission is simple — to preserve, protect and celebrate the legacy of our dear Aunt Lucille George, or as many in the community knew her, ‘Mrs. George.’

“We may be biased, but it is our belief that if Rocky Mount had a taste that it would be Mrs. George’s World Famous Peanut Butter Pie. And if we could only pick one icon of this great city, we think that Mrs. George would sit at the pinnacle. We hope to honor her and make her proud in everything that we do.”

Books and Beans Coffee Shop at the Rocky Mount Mills recently welcomed Mrs. George’s Pies into its cafe in a special piecutting ceremony. Single slices of pie and whole pies are now part of the Books and Beans menu.

Orders for whole pies also can be placed at www.mrsgeorgepies.com.

Story by Paige Minshew

Batting a ball, Digging in the dirt, Hanging with a hound

Story by Sarah Davis

Photos by Sarah Davis & Contributed

“I’d rather strike out swinging than walk to first base every time.”

Those words, spoken by Lee Britt when a varsity baseball player at Hertford County High School and remembered more than two decades later by life-long friend Dr. Clay Thompson, summarize Britt’s philosophy of work and life.

He works hard, never expecting or even wanting anything to be handed to him.

The use of a baseball comment to describe Lee is natural. As his aunt Becky (Hawkins) says of him and farming: “It’s in his blood,” and

so is baseball.

Influenced by both grandfathers, longtime Chowan University baseball coach Jerry Hawkins and long-time farmer Thomas Wade Britt, when asked about himself, Lee declares that all he ever wanted to do was bat a ball, dig in the dirt and hang with a hound.

The Britt family has been digging in the dirt - the same dirt - for many years.

Neighbor Annette Thompson remarks that they live on “ancient Britt land.” Lee’s greatgreat grandfather bought the present farm and home site in 1910, and for five generations

Britts have dug in the dirt and farmed the land.

In that regard, Lee Britt and the Britt family are unique; whereas at one time, it was just assumed that farming would continue from generation to generation, that is no longer the case with many family farms being swallowed by larger, commercial operations. The Britt farm, however, has remained a family enterprise.

After divesting the family farm of row crops, Lee’s father, the late Ricky Britt, advised Lee that he needed to find something that would make “tobacco money.” On his own, and without formal training to do so, Lee began looking for that niche crop that would sustain his farming passion.

As Dr. Thompson said of him, all he ever talked of doing was farming from the time he could drive a tractor, which was long before he could drive a car.

Rejecting other possibilities, Lee “stumbled” on sunflowers as his crop with the idea that he had a product he could market directly to consumers. Through trial and error, he moved from the idea to the reality, but there were many innings to play before he would reach home plate.

After about a year of research, he persuaded his father to devote a nine-to-

ten-acre field of pasture land to sunflowers; in 2015, he experimented with his first crop, determining whether Britt land would grow sunflowers. With most sunflower crops in the Mid-West, he didn’t have a local example and had to experiment by himself.

The first crop was beautiful with blooms as large as dinner plates, but he quickly discovered that size was difficult to manage and more difficult to harvest. He learned to concentrate on a medium-sized bloom.

Having determined he could grow the sunflowers, he was ready to press the oil which involved another year or so delay. With the equipment coming from Germany, he had to wait for it; then, when he did run the first press, it was lackluster, not what he demanded for market.

It might not have been a strike-out, but it was a walked base, and he couldn’t have that. So, there was another delay. He adjusted the presses, and by 2018, he had the clear Carolina Gold oil he wanted. Along the way, of course, he had to develop a business plan, and his uncle, Perry Britt, helped formulate it.

He now plants 35-50 acres each year, having increased the acreage this year in order to expand into the bird seed market.

Sunflower oil, unlike canola and olive oils, has a direct connection to the farm, to the dirt; it goes from soil to oil to the stove or grill to the table. With a high oleic oil content and a high smoke point, it makes a good substitute for butter.

Stable, with a long shelf life, it is healthylowering cholesterol, boosting heart function, improving the immune system, giving an energy burst and reducing inflammation. Cold-pressed, it is not heated which can affect the character of the flavor; nothing is added; it is pure oil, truly Carolina Gold.

A versatile product, in addition to its obvious use in cooking, it can also be used in

soaps, lotions, massage oils and lip balms as well as asphalt rejuvenation.

Once Carolina Gold was what he wanted it to be, he was ready to market it, and with the aid of his mother, Jerri Lynn, and nephew, Dixon, he sells at farmers’ markets, craft shows, pop-up enterprises, and local stores.

In Hertford County, it can be found at Wisdom Produce, Home and Garden, Rambling Rooster, Colonial Pharmacy and ACE, among other stores.

Belinda Harrell, ACE Associate in Murfreesboro, enthusiastically endorses the oil, especially the infused oils. She immediately tells how she used Carolina Gold in last night’s supper whether marinating a steak or giving flavor to asparagus cooked on the grill. She particularly recommends the garlic infused oil for the latter and is partial to the Italian infused oil for a number of uses including bread dipping.

Purchases may also be made online at carolinagoldoils.com.

The infused oils (Mediterranean, Italian, Cajun and garlic) are available in 8 oz. bottles; the regular oil is available in 8 oz. to 2.5 gal. containers as well as attractive gift boxes..

Lee has found his niche; it allows him to continue a farming tradition in an interesting new way.

Aunt Becky notes that it is a family endeavor. His mother and brother, Joel, help every step of the way from planting to harvesting to pressing to marketing. The business is mainly housed in what had been an empty storefront in Harrellsville.

For years, “the store” or “Mr. Jupe’s store,” a grill and grocery, served as the hub for local farmers. Then it closed, but now it houses the manufacturing of Carolina Gold Oils and is once again a hub of activity.

Neighbors Monte and Annette Thompson declare that they are “proud of the effort

and time he has put into getting this off the ground and rolling.”

So are relatives, friends and connoisseurs of the product.

His uncle Chris Hawkins declares “Lee is an inspiration - in his attitude, his humor and his work ethic. He put his mind to the sunflowers and never gave up, despite setbacks. He forges ahead to make an impact.”

Lee has made an impact by continuing the Britt family farming tradition and resurrecting a previously closed store. He has put Hertford County on the map, taking the product to “It’s Got to be North Carolina Festival” as well as the “Southern Women’s Show.”

With online sales to thirty-eight states, including those as far away as Alaska and Hawaii, Carolina Gold has made Hertford County a household name throughout the country.

Having established his own business, Lee has also assisted others, such as Hailey Foster and her Gruesome Beauty Business. Her soap is made from Britt’s sunflower oil. She says he has been most supportive of her business, and she is grateful for the help of what she calls “good people.”

Good people are the type who might want to bat a ball, dig in the dirt and hang with a hound.

Visit the ancient Britt land off 45 on the way to Plymouth, and you’ll quickly realize Lee hangs with many hounds (his mother is described as a magnet for stray animals), and you can even hang with Sweet Tea if you are willing to pat his head and rub his tummy.

Lee may no longer play baseball, but his digging in the dirt has certainly produced a home run for him, the Britt legacy, and all of Hertford County.

Sarah Davis is a retired librarian and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

A Voice for All Seasons

Potecasi

With his smooth, distinctive, velvettoned baritone, Gattis Hodges had the voice that could have taken him to the pinnacle of radio play-by-play announcing. Instead, he chose to stick close to home.

A native of Potecasi, Hodges, spent close to four decades behind the microphone. He decided to give his tonsils a rest beginning

this fall, surprising some when he revealed he is retiring from announcing high school football and basketball games.

But he didn’t completely give up the ‘cans’ (slang for headphones) on his ears. He remains with his weekly talk show, ’Coaches Corner’, on WDLZ-FM, Earl 98.3 in Murfreesboro at 7 p.m. each Thursday,

as well as continuing as the ‘Voice of the Hawks’ - doing play-by-play for Chowan University football and basketball; part of a duty that landed him in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

“I kind of made the decision after 40 years of covering high school sports that it was time to step away,” he stated from his

Story by Gene Motley Photos Contributed

Northampton County home. “Just the travel, my age and the coronavirus pandemic kind of showed me I didn’t miss it as much as I thought I would. I only did three (high school) games in (the Spring) 2021; so, it was time and I have no regrets. It’s been a great ride.

“My press box people and my scorer’s table people are who I’ll miss as much as anybody. These were just people you enjoyed being around and meeting,” he acknowledged.

A graduate of Northampton High School, Hodges began as Sports Editor for the Northampton News covering the local area schools.

“That was back when I was typing stories on typewriters, and I learned how to use White-Out really well,” he joked.

His writing prowess helped him land a job with Georgia-Pacific as a Chemical Process Safety Manager. He retired from G-P back in early 2020 after 28 years.

Still, he kept his hand in sports after being asked to serve as the PA announcer at the then-Chowan College men’s basketball program from 1983-1985. His knowledge of sports and his on air charisma landed him a job at local radio station, WBCG 98.3, as a game analyst. That would then turn into a sideline radio reporter’s gig with halftime and post-game interviews.

“I was Erin Andrews before Erin Andrews,” he humorously noted, referencing the FOX Sports personality. “I interviewed Lefty Driesell, Bobby Cremins, Chuck Amato, all the big-college coaches that would come to see Chowan play. Not to mention Chowan’s own Hall-of-Fame coaches, Jim Garrison in football and Bob Burke in basketball.”

The college football success encouraged him to move upstairs into the radio booth for more announcing, and that’s when Hertford County High School came calling. It would be a relationship that lasted 28 years.

And it was not just games in North

Carolina, through the First Media Radio Group he worked for a station in South Hill, Virginia.

“I was broadcasting (state championship) games for a station out of Lawrenceville, and one featured Greenesville High School from Emporia,” Hodges recalls. “Turns out they were coached by Ruby Allen, who was the women’s basketball coach. We found out in an interview prior to the game that we’d grown up about a mile apart. We found it odd that both of us from the small crossroads of Potecasi, and here we were on the biggest stage in Virginia high school basketball doing a state championship game.

“For seven straight years, I did the state

championship games,” he said. “One of the most wonderful times I had. They just appreciated what the radio station did for them.”

During his time, Hodges has called 23 North Carolina High School Athletic Association and Virginia High School League state championships, three Babe Ruth World Series Tournaments, two Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournaments, several NCAA and junior college regular season and post-season games, two Oyster Bowl football games, and the 1988 East Bowl.

Hodges’ part-time work now leaves him free most Friday nights, but it hasn’t triggered a yearning to return behind the mike.

“The first free Friday night’s of the football season I was working,” he said. “I’ve been listening and I still follow it pretty closely. I haven’t been to a high school game. I listen to a lot of guys who’ve followed me (and sometimes text some tips). But it’s nice to not have to do a lot of traveling.

“Here’s the bad thing, all my grandkids are grown and not playing any sports on Friday

nights anymore. So just when I get a chance to go see them play, they’re not playing anymore, so I kinda miss that,” he related.

On ‘Coaches Corner’, which recently celebrated its second anniversary, Hodges has a segment called ‘Fun Zone’ where he asks what’s something about you that people don’t know.

“And if I had to ask that about myself the answer would be I don’t miss calling high school sports as much as I thought I would,” he remarked. “I’ve gone from bringing it for everybody to just being a listener. I’ve really enjoyed that part of it.”

As he exits the booth, Hodges imparts some advice for any would-be announcers hoping to add their own golden tones to the airways. It stresses dedication, and comes from a man who’s made many a familial sacrifice to make sure there was someone who needed to hear the game.

“First of all, you’ve got to be committed to it, because it’s going to be a three month commitment of Friday nights,” he maintains. “Then there’s the best advice I ever got, and I

got it from

when I first started doing it. He said to always remember that regardless of the magnitude of the game, it’s the biggest game of the day by the people who’re playing it, and you need to treat it as such.

“I hope I’ve done that. I’ve tried my best to do that,” he concluded.

Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

“The Only One”

Sammy Doughtie (the late famed Roanoke-Chowan region radio announcer)

HALIFAX

ROCK STARS

Halifax County emporium tells visitors the stories of stones

When Kaye Lee Brady trekked across her native Utah as a child with her mining specialist father, she soon realized there was a lot more beneath her feet than dirt and that the rocks she would collect held more within them than most folks might suspect.

Later, she moved to eastern North Carolina with her husband, Kelly, in 2015 and created a 501c3 charitable institution, the Kaye Lees Corner Foundation.

“When I first started the Foundation we were hunting for a house (in Beaufort County) and so I saw this cute building and I had all this stuff, so we bought a museum at the same time,” Brady said. “We had three programs

within the Foundation: the museum, the Arts Council of Belhaven and the Senior Club of Belhaven.”

The museum was founded with the goal of providing a place where people could discover and learn about the beauty and diversity of the world beneath their feet and dedicated to furthering the lapidary arts and sciences.

Early on the Bradys would take their rock demonstrations to schools, as well as entertaining large groups from several counties away at the museum.

The museum’s goal is to be a primary resource for education and information to

the community on the earth sciences related to geology and paleontology.

“I’ve collected my whole life,” she declared. “In Utah I started an organization called ROCK, which stands for Rockhunters Outreach for Community Knowledge. My father, grandfather and uncles would take me rock collecting (in the Utah Basin) and I was just always attracted to that. I would collect turtle shells, fossils and things like that, so I was always interested.”

Brady has worked with the Fossil Festival in Aurora (Beaufort County) and that led to working with Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck. The potential for what

Story & Photos by Gene Motley

they saw in southeast Halifax County led to another relocation in 2019.

“Between our home and the museum before we moved we had 10 large storage units filled with (mostly) rocks - literally tons,” she noted. “For a while we went back-andforth. We intend to stay here long term.”

Next came a home purchase and a lease nearby on the former pre-school building off US-258 that has become the museum home.

The museum currently features a mix of exhibits that range from specimens of raw minerals in their natural state to polished stones and other finished material.

Among the popular highlights of the exhibits are the displays of minerals found in nearby counties and throughout the state of North Carolina, which has some of the nation’s most diverse mineral deposits. Also popular, especially with youngsters, are the museum’s displays of fossils which are highlighted by

dinosaur bones and prehistoric shark teeth.

“Originally, I put together an educational program of presentations at the local schools,” she related. “One of us would talk about the rocks, another about the equipment and safety; then we would build a rock collection in an egg carton, let the children identify them, see a sample and tell them all about these rocks.”

A mineral is a naturally occurring substance with distinctive chemical and physical properties, composition and atomic structure. Rocks are generally made up of two or more minerals, mixed up through geological processes. A rock is defined as having two or more minerals which form the Earth’s crust. The three types of rocks are: igneous (volcanic, like granite), metamorphic (big change, like slate, marble), and sedimentary (sediment or layers, like limestone). Brady also says classes are structured so that the students gradually

learn more about rocks with each museum visit.

“If someone takes more than one class, then they get more rocks,” she said. “They (the students) will take them out, identify what type of rock, mineral or whatever, and that’s how they learn. Every collection they get is different.”

Classroom students, as well as those who are home-schooled, participate in the museum instructional activities. Whether a rock-hound or a pebble-puppy, there’s something for everyone.

“The schools usually bring busloads of students in to see us so it’s like a field trip,” Brady observed. “Classes are available and they can take a two-hour class to a four-hour class (children and adults).

“We’ll do lectures, we have tables set up where they can build a collection, there are different creative activities where they can

build stuff, we do questions-and-answers and we have prizes we give away,” she added.

There are also mounds of soil containing fossils and minerals where youngsters can dig through finding gems and such with their tweezers and a magnifying glass and then identify them.

“We also do lapidary work, where students can take rough rocks, fossils and coral which are then cut on a trim saw and they can do engraving and polishing,” she said. “We can get a beautiful display when they’re done, or we can put them on a chain; some of which we sell in the gift shop.

The Museum’s Gift Shop, a primary source of revenue, has loose rocks for sale which can be added to one’s collection.

The Brady’s say their rock collection numbers somewhere near 10,000.

“We’ve got rocks from all over the world,” she maintained. “We purchase some, but not that many because we have found about 70 percent of the ones in our museum. Once a year we do a road trip across the United States in search of rocks.”

The Brady’s are planning a rock show for the near future in Scotland Neck.

“We’ve got a large yard, and we’ll set up canopies for vendors to come in and do the show,” she admitted. “I want to do one in the spring so the vendors can travel, we just have to figure out a date.”

Visitors to the museum leave having quickly discovered that there is more under our feet than just dirt and that there is much more to rocks than just skipping stones.

“There’s actually more there than most people suspect,” Brady concluded.

The Rock Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of Kaye Lees Corner Foundation located at 37 Food Lion Rd. in Scotland Neck. It is volunteer run with free admission and open Thursday-thru-Sunday noon to 5 p.m. A donation or gift shop purchase is appreciated as these are the primary source of the museum’s income. Learn more at: rockmuseumeducation.com.

Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Wilson’s North Carolina Whirligig Festival A Festival for Anything

Story by Emily Wells Photos by Janelle Clevinger

When autumn arrives and temperatures begin to drop, most people see visions of pumpkin patches and apple orchards.

In Wilson, the trademark event of fall isn’t centered around produce, but art.

For seventeen years, the North Carolina Whirligig Festival has been attracting visitors from across the nation to Wilson during the first weekend in November. A celebration of art in motion, the festival draws inspiration from the Whirligigs and their creator, Vollis Simpson.

Simpson was a native of Wilson County, hailing from the small town of Lucama approximately eleven miles from the City of Wilson. As he approached retirement, the World War II veteran and farm machinery repairman began tinkering with scrap metal, bicycle parts or anything that was shiny and made noise.

The end product was gigantic, colorful windmills that twirled with the breeze — commonly known as “Whirligigs.”

The field at Simpson’s farm became spotted with Whirligigs, some reaching fifty

feet in height. They served as friendly way markers to all who passed and took on their own personalities. With the help of the wind, each Whirligig told a story. Mules pulled a wagon. A dog wagged his tail. Airplanes took flight.

The farm became a destination for art enthusiasts from across the country, even though Simpson never considered himself an artist.

Maintenance of the Whirligigs proved to be a huge undertaking.

In 2010, plans were announced to create a park centered around the Whirligigs in Historic Downtown Wilson. Just before he

died in 2013, Simpson was able to see the first Whirligig moved to its new home. Today, the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum is home to over thirty Whirligigs, a stage, a lawn and a pavilion. Since its construction, the park has been the heartbeat of the festival.

But Wilson natives saw the value of drawing attention to the Whirligigs years before the park was conceptualized.

Before there was a Whirligig Festival, there was the Golden Leaf Festival. Once the World’s Greatest Tobacco Market, Wilson’s identity is inextricably tied to its agricultural legacy. The Golden Leaf Festival began as a celebration of that heritage in the early 1980s. When the

popularity of tobacco products declined, so did interest in the festival. It eventually dissolved in 2000.

After the Golden Leaf Festival ended, the desire for a community festival still lingered. In 2003, a group of community members organized through the Wilson Chamber of Commerce’s Diversity Committee gathered to examine Wilson’s unique offerings that would draw enough interest for a festival. After much consideration, the group chose Simpson’s Whirligigs, which were still being produced and growing ever-popular by the year.

The first “Wilson Whirligig Festival” was held in 2004. Upon Simpson’s death in 2013, the Whirligigs were deemed the official folk art of North Carolina and the festival’s name was changed to the “North Carolina Whirligig Festival.”

Much like the Whirligigs, the festival is always moving and changing. The mission has always been to bring awareness to artists whose work incorporates recycled materials, just like Simpson. Over time, musicians, food vendors, inflatables, extreme challenges, stunt shows and more have been added to the festival lineup to meet growing interest.

This year, a Facebook user

dubbed the NC Whirligig Festival “a festival for anything.” Festival Director Theresa Mathis takes that as a compliment.

“One of the best compliments we get each year is that our festival is different in that it is not just one note,” she shares. “It’s not just an arts festival or music festival. It is a festival that has a good mix of everything.

“From our vendors to our entertainment, the festival represents the whole region with a variety of arts and crafts and a mix of live music styles. It includes non-profit benefactors and is family-friendly. We have a good balance of interests that ranges from the Whirli-Kidz Zone to the beer gardens,” she added.

Mathis has served on the festival planning committee, a group composed entirely of volunteers, for fifteen years. In 2010 she assumed the role of Festival Director, giving her a front-row seat to the event’s evolution.

“I’ve often joked that we are a ‘teenage’ festival, as we are celebrating our 17th year. Teenagers by nature are unsure of what they want to be when they grow up, ready to be on their own, but not sure how and still figuring out what they really want to do,” she said. “As

Much like the Whirligigs, the festival is always moving and changing. The mission has always been to bring awareness to artists whose work incorporates recycled materials, just like Simpson.

a 17-year-old festival, we have done lots of experimenting over the years to test the waters. Some ideas have succeeded and remained, while others were one and done. We want to be that festival that has a 75th anniversary, and we are working hard to make sure a succession plan gets us to that milestone.”

Part of making it to year seventyfive is staying relevant. The NC Whirligig Festival does that by remaining true to the needs and desires of its vendors and attendees.

“One of our purposeful missions is to keep the festival free so that all children and all families can attend. We do not charge for admission, parking or fees for any shows. We’ve received lots of feedback over the years that this attribute is a driving factor in attendance,” Mathis said. “People have shared that once they paid an admission fee for the whole family at other events, they couldn’t afford to do much of anything else once inside the gates. Our mission is to create a festival where all children, families and friends can enjoy the festival fun and not worry about affordability. We enjoy seeing families from every corner of Wilson and every surrounding area in the region giving it a whirl.”

Like most in-person events, the festival took a hit in 2020. The committee hosted a virtual “Whirli-Week” that culminated in a food truck rodeo rather than hosting a full festival with limited numbers. They experienced relative success, but nothing that could compare to the estimated 50,000 in attendance in 2019. This year, Whirligig Festival fans were ready to get “back at it a gig” despite cold temps and wind gusts of thirty miles per hour.

Art vendor Scott Trope has been participating in the Whirligig Festival for ten years. His creations? Hand-crafted sculptures of airplanes, helicopters, indy

cars, sea vessels, dragonflies and rockets out of aluminum cans. As a vendor who has over 300 festivals under his belt, the return of the Whirligig Festival was a welcome occasion.

“I love the new park, and there is always good attendance and good music.

I had a blast even in the 35 miles per hour winds. I do about ten festivals in NC, SC, and VA each year. The Whirligig Festival is in the top three; they have a little bit of everything. They have me — I am as different as they come,” he said.

On a stroll through the festival at any given time, handfuls of festival-goers can be seen gazing up at the Whirligigs performing in the breeze. There is no distinction in who they impress. Young and old alike marvel at how the ‘gigs move and change before their very eyes.

The NC Whirligig Festival has embodied that characteristic. Year after year, dedicated volunteers, vendors and artists contribute hours of work to ensure that the festival continues to thrill and inspire. Their attention ensures that the “festival for anything” is exactly what Eastern North Carolina seeks.

Emily Wells is a Sales & Marketing Manager for Greenlight Community Broadband at the City of Wilson. She resides with her cat and five chickens in Nahunta.

Gary L. Gardner

Broker, Realtor®

Office: 252-792-2300 Cell: 252-209-6422 Fax: (252) 792-5200 118 W Main St., Williamston, NC 27892

www.roanokerealtyteam.com Email: gary@roanokerealtyteam.com gary.go2d@gmail.com

Angela Waters

Broker/Realtorge

Cell: 252-714-9952 Fax: 252-792-5200

118 W Main St. Williamston, NC 27892

Office: 252-792-2300 Cell: 252-217-5364 Fax: 252-792-5200

Web: www.roanokerealtyteam.com Email: paul@roanokerealtyteam.com Mail: PO Box 8, Williamston, NC 27892 Office: 118 W. Main St, Williamston, NC 27892

BERTIE

Perry-Wynn’s and herring helped put Colerain on the map

Bertie County was once proclaimed the largest Herring Fishery in the world. Whether or not that statement was true is probably unprovable.

Certainly, millions and millions of herring have been harvested in Bertie County and then shipped around the world by the PerryWynns Fish Company from Colerain.

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company was formed in 1952 by L.D. Perry and Leo Wynns.

There had been earlier businesses that had packed herring and herring roe in Colerain on the shores of the Chowan river, but Perry Wynns Fish Company became the company for this product. This company grew to the

Story by Lewis Hoggard Photos by Lewis Hoggard, Frank Stephenson & Contributed

point of having over two hundred seasonal and permanent employees.

The herrings and herring roe were sold under the names of the Tidewater Brand, Bertie Brand and Chowan’s Best. The canning of the herring allowed the long distance shipment of the product so people around the world knew the names Bertie and Chowan. This business was a big part of the economy in the area for over fifty years.

There was a great reduction of the herring population in the 1990’s in the Chowan River. Whether that was caused by water quality or perhaps a loss of food sources such as zooplankton is not exactly known.

The commercial aspect of the fishery was certainly curtailed. Perry-Wynns Fish Company was reduced to about 10 permanent employees and maybe double that number of seasonal workers.

Hurricane Isabel hit eastern North Carolina in September of 2003 with one hundred mile-per-hour winds and great damage. Perry-Wynns Fish Company was devastatingly hit with the destruction of nine of its eleven buildings. This damage proved to be too much for the company to survive.

In 2006 and 2007, the commercial and recreational harvest of alewife and blueback herring was halted by the North Carolina

Marine Fisheries and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Lots of debate about the necessity of a moratorium on the harvest of river herring has occurred, but the moratorium has remained.

Murfreesboro writer Frank Stephenson penned a book “Herring Fisherman: Images of an eastern North Carolina Tradition.”

Stephenson stated, “It’s a way of life and culture that is gone, it’s a terrible loss.”

Certainly in small communities like Colerain the loss of the herring fishery was not just culturally, but economic in its impact.

The river herring has played such an important role in our community for hundreds of years as a food source and part of the lifestyle of all our peoples. The Native Americans would set up fish camps along the rivers and creeks in the county to catch

the herring as they spawned each year in our waterways for weeks at a time. There were so many herring that they were used as a fertilizer in crops.

Early European settlers to North Carolina discovered the plentiful nature of the herring which is a fish species that had visited European waterways. The culture of the area adapted to when the herring run or spawning happens in March and April.

The herring were taken by gill nets, pound nets, seine nets and dip nets. The herring also

can be caught by hook and line occasionally by fisherman or caught in fish baskets.

Herring were prepared in a variety of different ways for consumption by locals. Fried herring is still a favorite delicacy. The herring were also preserved to be a food source for the rest of the year by salting or smoking by the last few hundred years in our community. Herring at times were eaten all three meals of the day when times were difficult.

Some of the thickest collections of herring

The river herring has played such an important role in our community for hundreds of years as a food source and part of the lifestyle of all our peoples.

would gather at the base of mills placed on the creeks to harness water power to turn grindstones. At some of these small dams, folks would state that they felt like they could walk across the school of herring because they were so thick in the water.

What an incredible site if one ever had you the chance to view the congregation of herring spawning up the blackwater rivers and creeks of the county.

Fishermen would man small boats and use dip nets to take the herring out of the river and swamp. It was a pastime that was enjoyed almost as much as the herring fries that followed the fishing. Unfortunately, the decline in the population of river herring has led to the aforementioned moratoriums that have not been lifted in North Carolina.

The loss of the Herring fishery has impacted the area in multiple ways, not just limited to the economic

impact on a community like Colerain or the commercial fisherman whose livelihood was taken away.

Bertie County is losing culturally the spring herring fish fry or fundraiser which was interwoven into part of our lives. If the fundraisers still happen the prized herrings have to be purchased from out of state.

Let’s hope that one day again we will be able to legally harvest that flashing silver fish that has been part of eastern North Carolina for hundreds of years known as the river herring.

Some photographs, memorabilia and articles may be found at the Café 45 Restaurant displayed on their walls at 105 South Main Street in Colerain. Stop by for a look at a time passed and a time not likely to return.

Lewis Hoggard is Executive Director of the Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

HYDE From Humble Beginnings to an Established Business

The Etheridge family has been in the oil and gasoline business for nearly 90 years, a legacy that has spanned four generations.

Tommy Etheridge has many fond memories of his father, T. Etheridge, and how his father’s business grew over the years to meet new demands in Engelhard’s fishing and agricultural setting.

T., or Thomas Jefferson Etheridge (1913-1986), was born in South Mills to Joseph Gordon and Margaret (Bartlett) Etheridge.

In 1930, seventeen-year-old T. left Gates County for Hyde County where he went to work at the Roeder Mill in the Dark Woods community operating the mill commissary first established by his father.

In July, 1934, T. became one of Engelhard’s newest entrepreneurs when he purchased for $1,000 an oil business, a Texaco station, from Sam H. Spencer, a salesman for the Texas Oil Company.

Then, in October, 1934, T. married Agnes Spencer (1915-2015) and together they raised their children Alice Fay and Thomas Jefferson (Tommy) Etheridge Jr.

“When Daddy bought this business, he was twenty years old,” said Tommy. “The Texaco Company wouldn’t take his check for $500 because he owed them $1,000 and had to wait until he was twenty-one to write the two checks for the products he needed.”

As automobile sales and motoring grew more popular, not only did automobiles demand more attention, but so did motorists who were driving farther as roadways improved and grew.

To draw more interest, T.’s July, 1944 business advertisement in the Hyde County Herald read: “We Are Prepared to Wash and Grease Your Car. Let Us Give You a Good Job.”

While Tommy stated that his father sold more oil than gasoline because automobiles burnt more oil, his father also adapted his service station to fulfill customers’ needs by providing auto accessories, batteries, drinks, cigarettes and even hand-dipped ice cream.

According to Tommy, his father owned a dock and

Story by Sandy Carawan

Photos by Sandy Carawan & Contributed

Their combined knowledge, education, experience and reputation for quality service, passed down from generation to generation, have bolstered their business in which each new generation is made stronger by the past generation in their service to the customer and the community.

tanks where Sammy Williams’s dock is now. He said that when he was fourteen years old, he’d assist his father by filling boat tanks.

“I’d have two or three boats or sometimes five or six backed in,” remembered Tommy. “But I’d fill all those tanks up and go to Daddy’s to tell him how much I’d put in and he’d make the ticket. Sometimes we’d put out 2,000 gallons from 4 o’clock in the afternoon until 10 o’clock that night.”

In 1958, when Tommy was eighteen, his father had the new flat-roof station constructed that not only included a mechanic’s bay for changing oil and tires, but another bay for washing cars.

“When I came home in 1961, I put on the uniform, pumped the gas, washed the windshield, vacuumed the car, changed the oil and the tires,” Tommy recalled. “A gallon of gas cost 23 cents. Sometimes we’d wash fifteen cars

a day, a dollar and a half a piece.”

Aside from the service station, T. and Tommy frequently delivered kerosene to homes and businesses, which was used as heating oil before they switched to LP gas in 1975.

“I’d take the five-gallon tank and fill it to the marker, remove it, and fill two more. He’d bring back the empty tanks and carry two more,” explained Tommy. “Daddy had to step high up on a bar and pour the kerosene in a 55-gallon barrel using a funnel. He finally got an air-cooled motor on the side of the truck so he could pump kerosene.”

In 1964, Tommy married Barbara Midyette and together they raised their sons, Jay and Randy, who now run the family business. Barbara has also worked for the business in different roles over the years.

Similar to Tommy, after graduating high school and

college, each family member has had the opportunity to pursue other interests before joining the business full-time.

“I can say one thing about my two boys,” Barbara said, “they know this business from stem to stern because at a young age they started at the bottom.”

Starting at the bottom meant picking up trash and painting tanks that eventually led to work more suitable for their age and experience — pumping gas, washing windshields, carrying 100-pound cylinders, delivering fuel, changing oil, changing tires and working as a mechanic and clerk.

“Randy and I really built the tire business,” said Jay. “We were selling twenty-five to thirty tires a week. I know we were selling a hundred a month because the tire company gave us a computer to run inventory and make orders.”

The year 1986 presented challenges for the Etheridge family. Not only did a tornado blow through that summer with winds strong enough to cause structural damage, but T. passed away in September. Shortly thereafter, the station was rebuilt on the same foundation. Then, in 1987, T. J.’s Restaurant was added, which operated until 2001.

Regarding the business, Randy stated that you cannot stay the same.

“If you want to stay viable you have to keep evolving, changing and staying up with the times,” he insisted.

The Ethco Service Station not only offers self-service gasoline and diesel as well as a full-service mechanic’s shop, but is also a convenience store and sells North Carolina Education Lottery tickets.

Etheridge Oil & Gas, Inc. also provides appliance installation and service, including tankless water heaters, selling and servicing air conditioners, gas piping systems and plumbing for whole-house generators.

A lot of fond memories have been built among the Etheridge family, their employees and customers.

“We’ve had some really good people work and help build our business. Without them we would not be where we are today,” Barbara said. “Even without the two secretaries we would have a hard time doing our business. They play a big part.”

“Tyius Watson has been a real asset to our business, too,” said Jay.

Little could T. know nearly ninety years ago how his business would not only involve every family member who would go on to play an important part, but how this business would so greatly impact Engelhard and other Hyde

County residents in the decades to come.

Jay’s oldest son, Drake, is now the fourth generation working at T.’s business.

“I’ve always been around here. I’ve learned things over the years that I didn’t realize I was learning,” said Drake. “I’ve learned all kinds of skills doing my work. It’s a lifestyle more than anything.”

“Granddaddy T.’s business began in humble beginnings when it was simple,” said Randy. “I think it’s a testament for each generation and what they’ve been able to do with the business when it was their turn. I think Jay and myself have done what we’ve had to do, what we’ve wanted to do, and we have a vision of where we want to go. I don’t know what Drake and his vision will be. He’ll make his own.”

“It’s special in that someone has given me a way to provide,” Jay stated about his role in being the third generation to run this business. “I think the most valuable thing that allows us to be successful is the reputation that was built a long time ago.”

Equally important, Tommy is proud of his sons and grandson for carrying the family business into the future.

“They are educated and they have common sense,” said Tommy. “Their ideas are better than mine.”

Their combined knowledge, education, experience and reputation for quality service, passed down from generation to generation, have bolstered their business in which each new generation is made stronger by the past generation in their service to the customer and the community.

Etheridge Oil & Gas, Inc. is located at 34970 U.S. 264, Engelhard and they can be either contacted at (252) 925-4301 or through their website at https://www.etheridgeoilandgas. com/.

Sandy Carawan is an English Language Arts teacher at Mattamuskeet Early College High School in Swan Quarter and a longtime contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Jim Green Sports

Best of Tyrrell County

Scuppernong River Festival returns after one-year hiatus

Talk to just about anyone in Columbia, and indeed in all of Tyrrell County, and you’ll find two reasons they love their home: the people and the natural beauty.

“The people here are just good salt of the earth folks,” Columbia Mayor James Cahoon said. “They love God, family and county. It’s a wonderful place to live.”

In addition, everyone from the mayor on down rave about the natural beauty of the Scuppernong River along with the quaint town of Columbia and the historic communities located all around Tyrrell County.

So, what better way than to have a big

party, gather for fellowship and invite all the neighbors in Washington, Tyrrell, Chowan and Bertie counties to come along too?

That’s exactly what happened in early October when the Scuppernong River Festival made its return to Columbia and Tyrrell County. Folks gathered from near and far to spend the day celebrating all that is good about Tyrrell County.

“The River Festival has lots of meaning for folks with Tyrrell County ties,” Tyrrell County Manager David Clegg said. “It is a time to celebrate the harvest of the region and to take stock of personal connections.

“From children enjoying BMX demonstrations and carnival rides, to everyone enjoying music, exhibits and fireworks, the day is an unapologetic tribute to Tyrrell County’s allure,” he added.

This year, the festival returned after having been canceled in 2020 – like many events of its kind – due to COVID-19. This year’s festival returned with a bang as people gathered from throughout the region to enjoy a day filled with many attractions.

The festival began with the annual parade through downtown Columbia. The festival featured entries ranging from the Columbia

Story by Thadd White

Photos by Andre’ Alfred

High School Marching Band to the Tyrrell Volunteer Fire Department to Smokey the Bear to town and county officials.

From there, festival goers moved on to a variety of events. Children were able to ride on rides while children of all ages were able to enjoy helicopter rides.

In addition, there was entertainment ranging from live music to water activities to the Down to Earth Aerials performance. Down to Earth performed their highlytechnical orchestrated routines on scaffolding with silk scarves at the Tyrrell County Courthouse.

A pair of queens also highlighted the day, meeting the people of Tyrrell County and taking time to take photos and be part of the festivities.

Miss North Carolina Carli Batson was a hit with the young and young at heart. She was also a participant in the parade. In addition, Miss Rhododendron Queen Taylor Loyd was part of the festival, traveling from the western part of North Carolina.

A highlight of the festival each year is the naming of the Scuppernong River Festival Distinguished Citizen of the Year. The

award is given annually to a distinguished Columbia or Tyrrell County citizen.

This year the festival honored Joe Landino. He served as a Tyrrell County Commissioner, championed 4-H, Agriculture Extension and Farm Bureau programs. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Columbia and served in leadership roles with many local, state, region and national agriculture-related organizations.

“This year the Scuppernong River Festival Committee honors a person with deep Tyrrell County roots who has made an impact on the business community

Folks gathered from near and far to spend the day celebrating all that is good about Tyrrell County.

in Columbia, in Tyrrell County and beyond,” stated Scott McLaughlin, in making the presentation on the eve of the festival.

The Distinguished Citizen Award is given for lifetime or special service to the community through civic, cultural, service, church, volunteer, business, professional, elected or other dedicated and committed contributions to the town and county.

Presented annually since 2005, recipients have included Carlisle Harrell, Barbara Spencer, George G. Owens Sr., Shelton Ludford, David and Fiono Finch, Frances Voliva, Philip E. House Sr., Joseph B. Wynns, Dr. Alan Brickhouse, Janie Spencer, Thomas W. Spruill, W. Braxton Voliva, Steve Bryan, Dana Summerrell, Durwood Cooper Sr. and Scott McLaughlin.

In addition to all the festivities at the festival, Bob Waters presented his tribute to Stephen Foster on the eve of the festival at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Columbia.

The 2021 Scuppernong River Festival went off with the only small hitch being some inclement weather, but even that couldn’t dampen the spirits of the people in attendance.

Those in the region won’t want to miss the 2022 edition next year.

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living and four community newspaper in northeastern North Carolina.

MARTIN

Story & Photos

by Deborah Griffin

Bear Grass Fire and Rescue lost one of its finest in June of 2020.

Firefighter and first responder Michael “Mike” David Canada was honored in October by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), along with 87 other firefighters across the nation, who died last year in the line of duty; eight of whom were from North Carolina.

Each October, NFFF honors firefighters who lost their lives the previous year, during a memorial service at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, M.D., (90-minutes outside Washington D.C.) This year’s event was live streamed for those who could not attend.

Because last year’s event was canceled due to COVID-19, 82 firefighters who died in 2019 were honored this year as well.

NFFF presented each family with an American flag flown over the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the U.S. Capitol.

Since its creation in 1981, names of fallen heroes have been permanently added each year to the memorial in Maryland.

The NFFF also shares firefighters’ stories at www.firehero.org, where people can read about how the heroes lived their lives, and what they meant to their loved ones, communities and the nation.

Canada, who was 66, is survived by his bride of 44 years, Donna, and their two children, Heath and Heather - and their families.

Originally, he was from Chesapeake, V.A.; she is from Henderson. They met at what was then Chowan College in Murfreesboro, fell in love and married.

Mike’s job with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service would take them many places - where he was usually stationed no more than three to five years. As a registered nurse, Donna was able to find work wherever they moved.

Because of his love for helping people, he

worked as a volunteer firefighter and EMS most places they lived.

When Canada was stationed at the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge in Bertie County, they realized Bear Grass would put them within a two-hour drive of their respective families in separate directions.

They moved to Bear Grass in 1990, and found “home,” she said. They planted roots and were embraced by the tightly knit community.

Mike joined the BGFR and Donna became a member of the BGFR Ladies Auxiliary.

“Mike started out as manager of the Roanoke River Wildlife Refuge. His job was to protect the refuges and work with duck hunters because ducks are federally protected,” she said.

“He truly loved his work at the refuge. He was there in the early days of its formation,” she added.

Later in his career, Canada joined the USFWS’s law enforcement branch in nearby Washington.

In 2015, he retired after 38 years.

Five years later, a day after their 44th anniversary, Mike suffered cardiac arrest on June 12, after responding to two BGFR calls earlier in the day. Though Canada was home when his heart complications began, he was considered to have died in the line of duty - because the complications were directly related to his service.

The couple had just returned home from a dinner out celebrating their anniversary, when his complications began.

“He was talking to me one minute and gone the next,” she said.

First-responders to Donna’s 911 call were, of course, friends. They performed CPR but were unable to bring him back.

“All the guys working on him were his buddies,” she said. “It was really hard for them.”

Bear Grass Fire Chief Jody Griffin said Canada’s presence is missed “big time.”

“He not only took calls with the fire department and helped with fire training, but he was also very dedicated to the community,” he said. “His biggest things were devotion to being a fireman and helping the community.”

Donna echoed those sentiments.

“He was such a social butterfly,” she said. “Everybody loved him - and he lived to help people. His happiest moments were serving others and spending time with family and friends.

“He loved helping people,” she added. “In fact, the weekend before he died, he was out with a search party in Bear Grass looking for a teen who had disappeared in the woods. (She was found the next day), but he was always willing to go and do stuff like that.”

Griffin said Canada was always helping at community events, like the annual Chicken Mull Festival in October, something he and

Donna helped with together.

Volunteers from the Fire and Rescue Department cook several drum kettles of the mull, a stew consisting of shredded chicken and saltine crackers. The concoction is sold in to-go cups as a fundraiser for Bear Grass Charter School and the Fire Department.

Despite losing him, Donna has continued helping with the event the past two years.

“It gets a little easier over time,” she said. But she still misses him.

“Mike enjoyed mentoring young people,” she added.

He was a Scout leader when their son was in Boy Scouts, and when their children attended Bear Grass High School, he was on the football field three to four nights a week, helping prepare the kids in marching band for their next competition, she said.

He was also active with the Roanoke Cashie Youth Dream Team in Windsor (a group that takes special needs kids hunting).

“He loved being a member of the BGFR Department and helping with the community,” she said. “Above all else he loved his family, God and country.”

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for

-Donna CanaDa

firefighters to go into cardiac arrest “from the stress and excitement of going to a call,” Donna said. “Heart attacks are covered (for the Memorial honor) if it’s within 24 hours of a call. Those who are honored were not necessarily killed in a burning building, or by something that happened at the scene, but by something directly related to what they were exposed to,” she said.

Donna admitted losing her life-longpartner has been hard.

“Combined with COVID, it has been a tough place to be,” she said. “I guess it helped somewhat to be a nurse and know how deaths like that work.”

Canada lived for a few days in the hospital hooked to a ventilator.

“I knew - as a nurse - his brain was gone, unless a miracle happened. But I guess it helped he didn’t die that night … to be able to say goodbye. We didn’t think he was really there - but he had a heartbeat and we felt like he could hear us,” she added.

Donna was unable to attend the NFFF Memorial event in October, but watched the livestream from home.

“I had wanted to attend so badly,” she said,

but some of her own family members were dealing with cases of COVID.

As she watched, she said she “felt an overwhelming sense of loss - not just for my beloved husband, but for all the lives lost honored there. Mike’s name is forever inscribed on the bronze Memorial with others who sacrificed to serve.”

She plans to attend a Memorial Service in the future, with family, she said.

“We are grateful, honored and feel a deep sense of loyalty to continue serving others with humility and kindness to the best of our ability,” she said.

“These are the things Mike demonstrated in his own life, which ended so abruptly,” she added.

Donna said, through it all she has felt supported at the local, state and national level.

“That is what got me through,” she said.

Special help programs are offered through the NFFF.

“We had a psychologist mediate weekly Zoom meetings for those who lost spouses, or parents who lost adult children,” she added.

The meetings introduced her to people across the country, all sharing similar grief.

“One thing Mike loved was the brotherhood [fire departments] have. They really are like another family,” she said. “They’ve been very good to me.

“Bear Grass Fire and Rescue, under the leadership of Chief Jody Griffin, did

Everybody loved him - and he lived to help people. His happiest moments were serving others and spending time with family and friends.

an outstanding job in the days immediately following Mike’s death and contributing to his memorial service at Maple Grove Christian Church,” she added.

Canada’s remains were transported via fire engine to the fire station one last time before being driven to the church. Four of his five grandsons were able to ride on the truck with their granddaddy.

“The last call that went out on the Martin County EMS pager for 631 (Mike’s number) was done so honorably at his memorial service at Maple Grove,” she said.

“Our minister, Kurt Honican, who is also BGFR Chaplain, did an outstanding job preaching the service,” she added. She also credits the Williamston Fire Department for their help.

“The fire departments came in and orchestrated everything for the funeral,” she said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Color guard performed a flag ceremony.

She hopes the legacy her husband left will be passed down through generations.

Their son, Heath, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, lives with his wife, Mary, and their three sons in Newport. Heather Canada Moore, a registered nurse, lives with her husband, Chris Moore, and two sons in the nearby community of Farm Life.

Donna said Mike spent most of his free time with his family, enjoying the outdoors - hunting, and fishing - especially with his grandsons. He taught the boys how to fish and handle a gun safely.

“They adored time with him,” she said.

“We plan to forever love and honor his memory – by following his example of serving others,” Donna added.

As she reflected over his life, Donna said she thought of a quote by St. Francis of Assisi, “Remember when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received, only what you have given: A heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”

Deborah Griffin is a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

CHOWAN Sip & Shop

Edenton hosts festive downtown event

Story & Photos by Tyler Newman

There are times to sip and there are times to shop.

On Nov. 18 in Edenton, there was time for both.

Destination Downtown Edenton held a resurgent Sip & Shop event after a darkened 2020, which was thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dedicated to the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, Sip & Shop returned in 2021 to bring a wave of evening festivities to the Broad Street commercial corridor.

From Byrum’s Hardware to Surf, Wind and Fire and everything in between, shoppers had a plethora of options throughout downtown Edenton to choose from on Thursday evening for holiday gift shopping.

Christmas decorations welcomed them, freshly installed and adorning the streetscapes of downtown. Wreaths hung high, lights casting a warm glow up and down sidewalks as neighbors greeted each other in passing.

Dogs trotted ahead of their owners, children

buzzed about seeing the bright and colorful storefront displays and old friends caught up amidst the shopping extravaganza, with plenty of bags in hand.

Mild weather saluted the event, with a few calm breezes sweeping up from Edenton Bay to keep temperatures above average and pleasant for a November evening.

Between 5-8 p.m., the Sip & Shop hubbub meandered across Broad Street, ushering in the peak of the shopping season.

Local business owners were enthusiastic about the return of the event, with some being newly minted members of the party.

“This is my first time [participating],” says Annette Ringeisen of Cloth and Twine. “It’s a great idea, something like this should be once a month or every Friday, to bring in more people. Especially for people who can’t make it out because of early shopping hours.”

At Edenton Bay Trading Company, Debbie

and Malcolm King are both ready to see the holiday season return in a bolder fashion than before.

“It’s great to see Sip & Shop kicking off the holiday season,” the Kings said. “We’re glad to see the holiday season back and better than ever after a crazy year last year.”

This is the first Sip & Shop for DDE Executive Director Morgan Potts, who is excited for the levels of participation she saw from downtown businesses.

“I am beyond pleased with the number of businesses who are participating this year - 21 retailers,” Potts said, who took over as Executive Director in October. “COVID-19 has altered the usual holiday plans for the past year and I know citizens are looking forward to getting back to normal and celebrating the holidays - which includes gift giving.”

At North No. 4, Alexandria Evans is looking forward to spending her business anniversary with the event. A significant milestone.

“I’m excited to celebrate my one year anniversary with Sip & Shop this week,” Evans said. “I’m excited that it’s back.”

Ore took on a Santa beard and waltzed to Michael Bublé’s serenades as shoppers came and went. Some sipped on the hot apple cider just outside the shop, others were laser-focused on their gift hunting.

Just inside the Bazaar, Amy O’Hara greeted all those who entered with a warm smile and the offering of wine and cupcakes.

“I’ve enjoyed participating and meeting

people, it’s great to spend time sipping and shopping with friends,” said O’Hara, alongside Sandy Moats.

Post-event, Potts hailed the return of Sip & Shop as a “success.”

“Remember, shop small, shop local!” Potts said.

Tyler Newman is a Staff Writer for the Chowan Herald and Eastern North Carolina Living.

Outside Broad Street Bazaar, Maria

CSIC is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational body of believers whose vision is to love all people, win them to Christ, build them in discipleship, and send them out to fulfill their divine destiny!

903 S. Catherine Creek Rd • Ahoskie, NC (252) 332-6113 www.csicministries.com

GATES Flying High

Red Baron football coach glad he stayed close

Story by Gene Motley Photos by Andre’ Alfred

There are 800 miles between Sarasota, Florida and northeastern North Carolina, but that didn’t matter to Gates County High School football coach Matt Biggy when he was recruited as a lineman to play football at then-tiny Division III Chowan College.

“Steve Lee was the coach here at the time and while he was there for my first year and a half they had a bunch of coaching changes after that,” Biggy recalls. “Looking back on it, while we didn’t win a lot, the experience was worth it because I made a lot of great friendships from that program.”

Growing up on the southern Gulf coast of the Sunshine state, a move to the small town of Murfreesboro was quite the experience for a young lad, who lists the University of South Florida, Mars Hill and Elon as among the schools who pursued him for his on-field talents.

“I liked the area here,” he related. “I liked the small community and it was kind of nice to go places and know a lot of people; and it was the same thing with a small school environment. It’s been something I’ve grown to like, because there’s something about it that feels like home.”

An ankle injury that required surgery would curtail his football career, but in the meantime Biggy studied to become an Athletic Trainer. However, the school dropped the program as a major during his underclassman days so he switched over to Exercise Science with a minor in Biology.

With a year of playing eligibility left, it was hard for the 6’-3”, 250-plus pound lineman to give up the game completely, so as part of finishing his course work he went to Hertford County High School as a student volunteer with the Bears’ football program.

“Dealton Cotton was the head coach, so I spent a year working with the football team, and then the following year I coached some of the Chowan lineman under Steve Hill,” Biggy said.

When Biggy finished college, he was able to land a local job allowing him to remain in the area.

“After I graduated, Coach Mark Long (another Chowan grad) was working in Northampton County and encouraged me to apply for a position at the alternative school there as a lateral entry Science teacher so I could get my (teaching) certification,” he noted. In addition to teaching, I also coached wrestling.”

Part of the journey for Biggy was learning more and more about the game with each new opportunity.

“Some of it’s little stuff, some of it’s X’s and O’s, and then there’s the stuff that’s totally off the field,” he acknowledged. “I was pretty fortunate to be around some people I could learn stuff.”

In 2006, Gates County High School had a head coaching vacancy in football and Biggy applied. 2021 marked his 15th

season with the Red Baron program.

“Those first two years were kind of rough, but we started building and since then we’ve been pretty competitive,” he said. “We have our ups-and-downs as any small school does. Sometimes you graduate a big group and have to restart a new learning curve, but I think overall we’ve been pretty competitive with the rest of them.”

Known for coaching a solid ground game from the ‘Barons, he admits an air attack is not his team’s forte.

“We actually completed one pass this year,” he laughs. “But the crazy thing is something I was sharing with some of the other coaches is that in the 2018 season we threw the ball a lot. We didn’t have a 1,000-yard rusher that year so we pushed the ball downfield a lot and actually had six (passing) touchdowns that year. Then the following year we didn’t complete a forward pass until Week-8 of the season.”

Biggy says much of what transpires offensively depends on the personnel he has each season.

“If we’ve got the guys to spread it out and throw it a little bit then we will, but I’m not going to try to force it,” he related. “Because if we’ve got the guys who can run on top and over you, then we will. I don’t want to put guys out there in a position where they can’t be successful.”

He admits he’s happy to grind it out like the

late ACC coach and trench fighter Bill Dooley, who was teased often for his running game philosophy of “six yards and a cloud of dust.”

“I’m patient,” he stated. “I’m also passionate because if we get three yards, and three yards, and four more, that’s a first down, so I’ll take it. If we hit a big play I’ll take it. If not we’ll just grind it out and get chunk yardage on every play.”

When asked, he also has just one doctrine when describing his favorite offense.

“One that scores points,” he confesses with a chuckle.

Being a small school (with a 1A classification according to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association), Gates County has

bounced around from several conferences based on their enrollment.

“We’ve been in conferences with Louisburg, Weldon, North Edgecombe, Manteo, Edenton, Plymouth and, of course, Tarboro,” he explained. “You just have to go out there and prove how good you are. A lot of these leagues you just have to line up and make a run at it.”

Six years ago, Biggy married his wife, Beth, a nurse. In addition to their dog and their cat, the couple follow their three young nephews’ gridiron exploits through Pop Warner football as well as middle school basketball.

“We stay busy with that,” he said. “Watching a lot of games.”

Biggy credits the administration at Gates County High with helping keep him grounded so he can remain in charge of the Red Baron football program. He admits there have been some other offers to relocate to other schools, but for now he's staying put at “li’l ol’ Gates County”.

After a season just ended in December, he can now turn his attention to getting his players in the weight room and in the Spring, he will follow them some more as the school’s assistant track-and-field coach.

“Hopefully we’ll have a full off-season after the pandemic year last year,” he stated. “February is what gets us ready for August.”

Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

GREENE

FAMILY FARM

Sauls descendants celebrate heritage, working the land, building community

Like his father and grandfather before him, Andrew Sauls has lived his entire life on his family’s homestead in the Greene County countryside northwest of Snow Hill.

At the age of 83, he recalls most of the years he worked on the farm, including in the family’s tobacco crops.

“I started crooking tobacco in the summer of 1946 at five years old. It has been 76 years ago but I can remember good 75 years ago,” Andrew said.

“My momma didn’t want me to crook tobacco. I was the youngest in the family and I wanted to follow the older boys.”

He is the fifth generation to work the land, which has passed from parent to child for more than 200 years — a difficult feat for any family, but a great one for a black family who did it through slavery and Jim Crow to the present.

The farm nourished the family and the family nourished the community with thrift, hard work and ingenuity. They built other enterprises, created a grassroots network to

support neighbors during hard times and even hosted a Rosenwald school that still stands on the property today.

The family continues to make its living from the farm, leasing much of the land now due to Andrew’s age. But a new era is dawning

as the next generation has seized on the history their family has made and works to preserve and share it.

A man freed

The Sauls family traces its roots to Norfolk. It was there in 1712 when Capt. John Fulcher

Story & Photos by Donna Marie Williams

died and willed his 640-acre plantation to his enslaved children, simultaneously freeing them by an act of manumission.

Despite the will, a Virginia council later issued a ruling that people granted freedom could not cohabit the same area with slaves. The family could not remain on the land and remain free.

While some of the children chose to stay in Virginia, many moved to North Carolina. Daniel Artis was among them.

He was able to acquire land on what is now Nooherooka Road, near its intersection with N.C. 58, not far from the village where Tuscarora Indians were slaughtered in 1713.

Daniel Artis passed the land to his daughter, Prior Ann Artis. She left it to her son, Issac Sauls Sr., who passed it along to his son, Issac Sauls Jr., Andrew’s father.

Currently, the farm includes more than 400 acres purchased by the family over the generations.

Andrew was one of six children. He and his siblings, Cain, Andrew, Johnnie, Isaac III and Hattie, helped their father with the farm.

“My daddy was a businessman and carpenter by trade. He wasn’t educated and he had a sense of humor. He could be almost anything he wanted,” Andrew said.

“His trade was carpentry. He took up farming, but I don’t think he ever plowed a mule. He owned mules,” he added.

Andrew remembers the family’s 14 mules they used to tend the land and can still remember when the family began using tractors to replace the mules’ labor.

A free man

Issac Sauls Jr. pursued other endeavors. He ventured into real estate and began buying and selling property in Greene, Wayne, Wilson and Pitt counties.

He entered the funeral business along with Levi Hamilton. They constructed a funeral home in Snow Hill. Andrew’s brothers were not keen on helping their father in the enterprise.

“Them boys didn’t want to deal with the funeral business. They had to wear suits and hold services on Sunday,” Andrew said.

“When they built the funeral home, they thought they would be able to deal with it. Back then, they didn’t bury anybody during the week. They buried them on Sunday.”

Prodded by his sons, Issac Sauls Jr. then opened a saw and stick mill in 1947.

“It was to supplement income. We sawed lumber and logs and had a log truck. We did that in the winter time. When we finished with the farm work probably in September, we would work there every day in the winter unless it was too cold,” Andrew said.

“I was hauling lumber with a two-ton truck at 17 years old. I was still in school then. (His father) bought me a car. When I got off school

I had to come straight home — not stop at no store or nowhere,” Andrew said.

“When I came home the truck would be loaded with lumber. Me and my cousin had to take that load of lumber to Wayne County and unload it,” he added.

The enterprising spirit of Issac Sauls Jr. and his ancestors helped the family keep the farm through difficult times, his son said.

Businessman

Hardships included being freemen in the antebellum south, the Great Depression, the Great World Wars and living as African Americans before and during the Civil Rights Movement.

It was during the depression that Issac Sauls II carpentry skills were put to work.

“Through the Great Depression, my father wasn’t educated, but he had plenty of common sense,” Andrew said, adding his father would work as a handyman to earn extra money.

“He said during the Depression, things were kind of tight. You had to learn how to deal with the Depression. We weren’t making a lot of money, but if you don’t have a lot of bills to pay you can get by,” he said.

When civil unrest began lighting fires across the nation, the Sauls family was not immune, Andrew said.

“We ran into little bumps and bruises and threats, but we didn’t pay it no mind. It was

kind of tough. You got called some bad names and threatened. Daddy told us to do — just be careful and not to back down,” Andrew said.

“I had been stopped by people like that, but when I was 21 years old I was just as crazy as they were.”

Cain Sauls Jr., Andrew’s nephew and grandson of Issac Sauls Jr. added, “My granddaddy struggled with these racial things but he had a business mind. He kept everything under control. That’s why it’s here now.”

Despite some misconceptions, many African Americans in what is current-day Greene County owned land for many years. Through tough times, they worked together, Andrew said.

“From here to Snow Hill, pretty much all that land was owned by black people,” Andrew said.

“Our families worked together. We were cousins and uncles. Another thing about farming back then was the expenses won’t as much if the families worked together. Most of what we needed was what we raised.”

Along with landowners, there were businessmen, craftsmen and more.

“There were a lot of free men and women of color that inhabited this area,” said family member JoAnn Artis Stevens.

“This history is really important because our young people need to know we were more than slaves. There were free African Americans too.”

Community

African American families in the

community supported each other.

“It shows the unity of African Americans in that day. Issac was a businessman. He purchased land from other farmers when farmers were losing their property. He and his wife helped them by mortgaging it for them. This helped them keep it,” said Artis Stevens said.

Issac Sauls II was also a supporter of his uncle, C.D. Sauls.

“C.D. went to Tuskegee and spoke. They had a business league with Booker T. Washington. He was an incorporator of the Concord Cotton Mill. They established the first black bank in Wilson. C.D. Sauls owned a lot of property in Snow Hill while Issac owned a lot of property around (the Sauls family farm) and in Wayne County,” Artis Stevens said.

“They had people such as Issac supporting their efforts.”

With help from Booker T. Washinton’s Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears-Roebuck, the Best Chapel School was constructed on the farm, teaching children in the community through the first half of the 20th Century. The Best Chapel School is one of the few remaining Rosenwald Schools in North Carolina.

The two classroom school taught children from grades first to six grade. It operated with a coal heater, outdoor plumbing and water was received using a hand pump.

A small kitchen served the children unable to return home for lunch.

Jannettie Sauls, Andrew’s bride, was one of the many students to attend the school that

sits across a short walking distance from her current home.

“We learned a lot,” Jannettie said.

The school also served as a center of community for the children and their families.

“Our parents back there were farmers and they tended hogs. Every Mayday they would kill pigs and have barbecues. The women would fry chickens and we just had a spread. We would fix a big ole table out here in the yard. We had a big ole pole.They put different materials on the pole and we would wind the pole. That was a big ole event we had here,” Jannettie said.

Annie Reid Sauls, daughter of Mabel and William Sauls, also attended the school. She was in second grade when the school closed down.

“We lived in a small house across the field. I walked to school every day because I lived right there. At lunch time, I would go home, eat and then come back,” Annie said.

“It was good to me.”

History

When the school closed, Issac Sauls Jr. converted it into a home where many fond memories were made.

“We could have been professional baseball players, because every Saturday and Sunday we would get out in the field and play softball. We could play,” Annie said with a laugh.

Annie lived in the home until she was married in 1974.

Her mother, Mabel, continued to live there until 1992. Annie’s sister moved in and resided there from 1996 until her death in 2010.

Now in her 90s, Mabel still feels at home there.

“It still feels like home. It’s a blessing to still see the school here,” Mabel said.

With the building vacant since 2010, the family begsn a new enterprise — turning the school into a museum and listing it on the National Register of Historic Places. Artis-Stevens is currently working on the renovations and national listing.

“We grew up in this house and worked these fields. There were some good memories here. I just love JoAnn’s vision of restoring this place and for all of us to be here today to celebrate the legacy of my grandfather,” said

Sauls of Raleigh, daughter of Mabel and William Sauls

“We had our struggles and hardships, but we overcame. We were able to maintain this farm. At that time, for black people, that’s an honor. I feel proud saying I’m the granddaughter of Issac Sauls.”

Plans are still in the works, but preserving the family and other African American history is important, Artis-Stevens said.

“I think it's important because it shows the perseverance of a people that have been oppressed but they did not let the oppression hinder or stop them. They found ways to survive and make it. Listening to family stories, there was a lot of love, there was hard work, there was working together unity and faith. We’ve lost a lot of what kept them together and what made us strong. We’ve gotten away from it. It’s important so we can reconnect to the morals, the values and the faith and the ethics our forefathers had,” ArtisStevens said.

Artis-Stevens is thankful for her family's cooperation while the family is thankful for her efforts.

“I never thought it would be like this. Thanks to JoAnn — she saw a vision. Thank God for that,” Annie said.

Keeping the tradition alive has been difficult for the family at times, but always worth it, Andrew said.

“We had to do some sacrificing. In order to keep something this long in the family you can’t just live outside your income. You have to be protective of how you spend and don’t be too high on the hog,” he said.

“It’s something to think about. We had to do a lot of sacrificing and hard work to keep it. It was not easy to maintain this land and keep it out of debt. We did some struggling to keep this land back in the day because the odds were against us. But thank God we made it. …

“It was hard work, but I can look back now and see it was worth it. Hard work will not kill you. Laziness will kill you. I worked hard. It didn’t bother me because it was well worth it. I got something to show for it,” Andrew said.

Cain added, “We have a lot of history passed on with my father. We’re trying to keep everything intact. I’m hoping as it goes down, generation to generation, they can keep everything going.”

Community built

Farm Life School shaped more than education

The iconic brick building once known as the Asa J. Manning Farm Life School has not housed students for decades now. Its purpose may have changed, but the building and the amazing people who came and went through those doors are the source of great memories for those who were once students at the historic school.

It would be years later before I understood the role my own family played in the history of the Farm Life School.

I was one of the fortunate ones who attended Farm Life School from kindergarten through sixth grade. As a child, one of my favorite pastimes was to sit in the Farm Life School library and wander through the giant old history books stacked in the corner. Many of them were so heavy, I would struggle to get them off the shelf.

The books were old with ornately detailed covers and their pages were brittle and worn. Sometimes I would find pencilsmudged notes written in the margins. Many of them had been there for decades.

One day I was flipping through one of the books and when I went to the back inside cover, I saw a pencil-smudged signature that looked familiar. I may have been in the fourth grade at the time, no more.

I eased the book cover back to safely get a closer look and there it was, my grandfather’s signature - Oscar B. Roberson.

We were not supposed to be able to take those books from the library, but the librarian let me take it home that night. I could barely carry it on the bus and then manage to not drop it as I walked up the lane when we got off the bus.

I was able to sit and look through that book with my grandfather and hear his memories of checking out the very same book. This was my favorite day as a student at Farm Life School.

Grandaddy Oscar, who was born in 1904, was 75 years old or better when we made this memory. Even then I was a fan of history, but my only regret is I wasn’t old enough to ask more questions.

He began school at Corey’s School which was one of the three that consolidated to form the Asa J. Manning Farm Life School in 1922. This school stood across from the Daniel Road near the modern day intersection the Hollow Pond Road and N.C. 171 in what is now known as the Farm Life Community. Then, the community was called Griffin’s Township.

The other schools that were consolidated to form the school were Getsinger School #42 and another known as Hardison’s or Kelly’s Hill - #9.

The Getsinger School was located on what is now the E.H. Williams Road across from the original Piney Grove Baptist Church.

The final location of Kelly’s Hill School was beside Raymond Gurkin’s Store near the intersection of Maple Grove Church Road and N.C. 171.

Students also came to the Asa J. Manning Farm Life School from Lilley’s Hall School, which was located on what is now Fire Department Road between Meadowbranch Road and Yarrell Creek Road. Others came from Smithwick’s School closer to Jamesville.

Consolidation of the three schools, along with approval to build the brick building, was given during the July 1921 meeting of

Story by Sarah hodgeS StallS • PhotoS by Craig danielS & Contributed

the Martin County Board of Education.

The state building fund contributed $6,000 towards the construction of the school.

The naming of the school had special meaning. Asa J. Manning, who was from the community, served as county school superintendent from 1914 until 1923.

The school opened for its first term in October 1921.

My family tree goes back to the opening of the school where I found my great-grandfather (Oscar’s father), Henry Roberson, on the first local committee of the school along with N.R. Manning, W.H. Daniel, C.C. Coltrain and P.E. Getsinger.

Francis Manning, local newspaper editor and historian, wrote the school was “destined” to have an important role in developing the community that would become known as Farm Life.

“From that time forward,” Manning wrote, “community activities were largely centered in the school and the section (of the county) gained wide recognition as one of the most progressive and cooperative rural areas of the state.”

“The federal government then was beginning to encourage and offer financial help for establishment and operation of farm life type schools,” Manning wrote.

North Carolina’s General Assembly first authorized the concept in 1911. By 1961, there were 21 Farm Life Schools in operation in North Carolina.

In addition to regular academic studies, students received training in modern agricultural methods to promote better farming and home economics. These studies were designed to help improve conditions at home for many and help them better prepare for life after school.

The concept would later be replaced with what was called Vocational Education and now Career Technical Education.

“The school was a success from the start,” according to Manning, “and later gained the North Carolina High School Standard Rating.”

The school was enlarged in 1935 by three classrooms. Thanks to the dedication and skills of those in the community, a gymnasium and lunchroom were also added to the campus.

In a bold move for the time, a teacherage (two-story house) was established on the north edge of the campus. Young teachers came from all over to begin their careers at the innovative school.

The gymnasium is long gone, but was the source of countless basketball games and epic haunted houses in the 1970s and 1980s.

Today, the lunchroom is still the home of the Farm Life Ruritanette Club. In 1952, Farm Life School’s high school consolidated with Williamston High School.

From the day the doors first opened, Farm Life School led the way in education for everyday people.

Skills learned there sent the Greatest Generation off to war and helped them establish a life and living for their families when they were fortunate to return home.

The school turned out everything from farmers to teachers and Major League baseball players. Farm Life School saw the first black

female principal in the county who left a legacy of hard work and character that improved the lives of every student who crossed her path.

At Farm Life School, everyone was family. Respect was the universal lesson learned and some of us even recited Bible verses on the school bus – only on Fridays.

The events of the March 2, 1987 Martin County Board of Education meeting changed things. Efforts to keep the school open were unsuccessful and it was decided the school would close at the end of the 1986-1987 school year.

Although sad, that decision could not take away the lessons we learned from the school that shaped a community.

Sarah Hodges Stalls is a longtime contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

ALL IN A Day’s Trip

Story & Photos by Todd Wetherington

Cedar Grove Cemetery New

Bern’s silent sanctuary

Behind its walls embedded with shells, mollusks, and other river invertebrates, visitors to New Bern’s Cedar Grove Cemetery enter a world older even than the city’s towering Masonic Temple and Harvey Mansion (though not quite as old as Tryon Palace). The Spanish moss draped cedar trees that give the cemetery its name and the majestically arching mausoleums stand sentinel over a landscape still very much alive with the stories of those who rest there.

Established in 1800, the cemetery was owned by Christ Episcopal Church until 1853, when it was transferred to the city of New Bern. According to local historians, it’s almost certain that the cemetery was established in response to the yellow fever epidemics of 1798-99. During the epidemic “so many persons succumbed that at night trenches were dug in the Christ Episcopal church yard in a line near the adjoining property to the northwest... and the bodies were buried there indiscriminately,” reads one contemporaneous account.

After 1802 the cemetery became the major New Bern burial ground. The grave markers and cemetery records read like a “Who’s Who” of 19th and 20th century North Carolina’s most influential citizens: William Gaston, congressman, writer, state supreme court justice, and author of the North Carolina state song; William Williams, a portrait artist who painted from life the only Masonic portrait of George Washington; Moses Griffin, who established a free school and served the state throughout his life; John Stanly, lawyer, politician and public servant; and Mary Bayard Clarke, 19th century New Bern poet and writer.

With a good map a visitor might even locate the grave of perhaps New Bern’s most famous son, Caleb Bradham, who concocted his Pepsi-Cola formula in a local drugstore in 1893.

Cedar Grove Cemetery also bears witness to the region’s brief but lethal engagement in the Civil War. At the cemetery’s mid-point a bronze Confederate soldier rises 18 feet above its granite column, parade rifle at rest, a cannonball propped by his right foot and a sword slung at his side. The monument sits above a vault where approximately 67 Confederate soldiers are interred. A Latin inscription at the statue’s feet reads, “Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori,” (“It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”)

But for all it’s famous dead and memorials to history’s murderous advance, Cedar Grove Cemetery may be more well known among tourists for its looming black entrance arch than its celebrity occupants. Built from the same shell stone as the cemetery’s wall, legend has it that if the arch “weeps” or “bleeds” its sticky, rust colored ooze on a pallbearer passing beneath, the unlucky individual will soon be the guest of honor at his or her own funeral procession.

Inscribed over the arch gates is a hymn composed by Francis Lister Hawks, grandson of Tryon Palace architect John Hawks: “Still hallowed be this spot where lies Each dear loved one in earth’s embrace Our God their treasured dust doth prize Man should protect their resting place.”

In 1972, Cedar Grove Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the cemetery is part of a New Bern downtown that has seen massive revitalization, as the city long ago embraced its heritage and earmarked funds to preserve its historical structures.

For many, the cemetery now feels more than ever like a sanctuary. An island, for the living and the dead, carved from an older and stranger world.

Cedar Grove Cemetery is located at 808 George St, New Bern.

For more information visit www.newbern.com/ cedar-grove-cemetery.html

STORY BY THADD WHITE PHOTOS BY THADD WHITE, LESLIE BEACHBOARD & CONTRIBUTED

Jimmy Hoggard

Career of service comes to a close

Each step of his political career Jimmy Hoggard has known when the timing was right.

That was true as he closes out his life as an elective office holder earlier this month and handed the mayor’s gavel to his successor.

“I’ve always heard you just know when it’s time,” the retiring Windsor Mayor said. “I want to do some traveling that I haven’t been able to do and I want to get further invested in the grandparent business.”

Those reasons led Hoggard, who has been mayor of Windsor for a dozen years and served as a commissioner for two decades prior, to decide now was the time to move on. He didn’t run for re-election in November, and indeed backed his successor, Lewis Hoggard, for the position.

“Lewis will make a good mayor and I’m excited for him,” Jimmy Hoggard said. “I’ll be here to support him any way I can, but I also know the best way I can support him is stay out of his way and let him be the

mayor in his own right.”

Hoggard’s political career began when he sought office as a town commissioner. He said several things factored into that decision, including high utility rates and low police officer pay.

Hoggard said he felt the board of commissioners –both then and now – have done a good job of rectifying both situations.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is the professionalism and training of the Windsor Police Department,” he said. “They are as good as they come.”

The mayor said he has kept in mind the importance of never returning to the financial struggles the town has faced in the past.

“You can end up back in those situations through no fault of your own,” he said. “We’ve been cognizant of that and tried to make sure we are as prepared as you can be.”

After 20 years in two different stints on the town

board, Jimmy Hoggard decided to seek the mayor’s office when the late Bob Spivey chose to retire.

“I served with Bob for a good while and I learned a lot from him,” Hoggard said. “I was watching him, even when he didn’t know it, and trying to learn.

“When he decided to retire, I wanted some projects to continue, and I had a few things I wanted to initiate myself, so I decided to run,” he continued.

One of the benefits of seeking office at the time, according to Hoggard, was the town’s employees.

“We had – and have – a superb administrator, excellent department heads and good employees,” Mayor Hoggard said. “It was a real benefit that I didn’t need to make personnel change and could focus on other areas. I’m proud to say I’m leaving it like I found it.”

During his three terms as mayor, Hoggard has seen three “horrific” floods, which he says has been the biggest challenge of the municipal government.

“We are still working on some of the flooding programs,” he said. “Over the course of time, 58 houses, give or take, have been purchased or elevated.”

Hoggard said the town didn’t have to be part of the flood program for homes, but chose to because they felt it was the right thing to do for the citizens of Windsor and Bertie County.

He said the town is still working to help commercial businesses who have yet to receive any financial aid from the flooding.

A bright spot for Hoggard’s administration has been tourism.

“I found out early on when meeting with other mayors that tourism was growing 20 percent per year and we weren’t getting any of that,” he said.

Hoggard led the town to work with officials at East Carolina University and the plan was developed to modernize the old campground. Those same officials suggested something that was considered somewhat revolutionary for the region at the time – tree houses.

“I don’t make rash decisions as a general rule,” the mayor said. “I thought about it, but I felt because it was so different it could be successful.”

Since that time, the campground has been completely upgraded and four tree houses have been built as part of the Cashie Treehouse Village.

“I went out there the day before Thanksgiving and there were no spaces open

in the campground and the tree hues were full,” he said. “That was about 60 people who were in Windsor that may not have been a few years ago.”

The mayor said those visitors spend money locally, thereby increasing business for local restaurants and merchants.

“They don’t use our schools. They don’t use our jail. They aren’t costing taxpayers,” he said. “They are simply spending money in Windsor and Bertie County.”

Hoggard said of the $1.5 million spent on the Cashie River projects, the town only put in about $400,000.

“It is paying dividends,” he said. “I think sometimes people don’t know how much.”

Another area of pride for Hoggard is the Windsor Fire Department.

“The town of Windsor has always been supportive of the Windsor Fire Department, and they have repaid our trust and faith in them,” he said. “We buy a new truck every four years or so to make sure no vehicle in service is over 20 years old.”

He said the department has worked hard to train and bring down fire insurance rates.

While Bertie County has seen a population decrease, Hoggard said he is proud the town of Windsor has basically been stable over the past 10 years.

“We’ve held our own,” he said.

Hoggard also said he had learned it isn’t the big issues that often cause public concern.

“It’s dog leash laws and horses and things you may not expect that get people upset,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve learned to be a good listener.”

The mayor also praised Town Administrator Allen Castelloe for his work.

“I can’t even begin to say how good Allen is at his job,” the mayor said. “He is so proficient not many problems came to my office. I can truly say he allowed me to work on other challenges because I rarely had to be involved in personnel matters and the like.”

The mayor also credited his board members for their dedication, while saying

he was heartbroken to have lost four board members to death during his time in office. He said all four – Joe Alexander, Bob Brown, Collins Cooper and Lawrence Carter – were people he respected and missed.

He said the current board – the retiring David Overton, Cathy Wilson, Randy Whitaker, Camille Rascoe and Randy Walston – had been excellent to work with as well.

“We are fortunate to have had board members who don’t have a private agenda,” he said. “It has made my job easier. The commissioners have always wanted to do the right thing for the citizens of Windsor.”

As he steps aways, Hoggard said his best advice to his successor is to work on things that move the town forward and not get bogged down in the day-to-day operations.

“It’s a lot easier to say that than to do it,” he mused.

The mayor said he was proud of the people of Windsor and grateful for his time serving the citizenry.

As he steps away from public life, the mayor will continue to own and operate his local business.

“I’m not retiring from work. I’ll still be here,” he said. “It’s just time to step away and do some other things.”

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living and four community newspaper in northeastern North Carolina.

The mayor said he was proud of the people of Windsor and grateful for his time serving the citizenry.

Grandma’s Kitchen

Probably most people would agree that 2020 was a year we never saw coming. If someone had told us we would be wearing masks everywhere and avoiding other people, we probably would have doubted their sanity.

While challenging and stressful, it was not quite as difficult in Eastern North Carolina as it was in many large cities where restrictions were much tighter. Still, many people were shut in their homes much of the time or at work with no contact with other people except perhaps a few coworkers.

Like many people, I found myself cooking recipes I hadn’t tried before in order to keep myself busy.

Many of them I found online. Some were successful and others were not. I tried some artisan bread which didn’t turn out very well. I find now that it was a lack of cooking in the proper pot.

I also tried many different kinds of muffins; some were good, others didn’t suit my taste.

One pot meals and meals baked on a sheet pan that I hadn’t tried before was another experiment. I found most of those on YouTube.

The results of trying those recipes was about ten pounds I didn’t carry with me before. My doctor was not amused nor impressed with my cooking experiments. She suggested I try healthier things to cook.

But here I am almost at the end of 2021, still carrying those extra pounds and having just seen my doctor again. She said I must cut down on starchy foods.

Have these last two years found you with extra pounds too? Just in case they have, I will share some of the things I have found and some I am trying. One thing I am sure of is that I have not been eating enough fruits and vegetables. That is my starting point. Buy fresh vegetables to cook for most meals and eat and cook fresh fruit.

Second, I will only eat starches sparingly. Just a note here: while beans are starchy, they are also very healthy, Third, I will make sweets without the white sugar. Now if only I stick to it!

Two things I tried last week were soup and stew minus potatoes or pasta. I found a recipe online for breakfast or snacks with blueberries that was delicious.

Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.

Sylvia Hughes with her grandmother, Bertie Dameron.

Beef Stew

2 pounds stew beef

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 package frozen green peas

1 package baby carrots

2 small cans V-8 juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cook stew beef with bouillon cubes in large pot for about 1 hour on simmer.

Add peas, carrots, V-8 juice and salt to taste.

Bring to a boil and turn heat to low. Cook about an hour, then mix cornstarch with a little water and add to pot. Cook about five minutes or until a little thick.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 ½ pounds 93/7 ground beef

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can Margaret Holmes okra, tomatoes and corn

I can Margaret Holmes triple succotash

1 small can sweet peas

1 small can green beans

Brown beef. Add rest of ingredients, bring to a boil. Turn heat to simmer and cook at least an hour but the longer the better.

Cooked blueberry Snack

Bring one package of blueberries, a little water and maple syrup to taste, to a boil and simmer five to seven minutes. Add two tablespoons of cornstarch to some water, mix and add to blueberries.

can add a swirl of yogurt or some low fat whipped cream (Cool Whip or canned) for a delicious snack. This would be good on pancakes or French toast if you are indulging. This recipe can be used with any kind of berry.

Views

Barns and old buildings like these can be found around the 14 counties.

Photos by Andre’ Alfred

Grace & Truth

Setting Up the Pins

My kids have been obsessed with the sunrise as we drive to school these beautiful fall days. They’re yelling out, “Look! Pink! Mommy, blue and purple!”

Graham, our youngest’s, version of ‘orange’ is the best, “Mommy! Sky is ornesh!” I love it.

We’re out the door with our kids by 7:15 a.m., six days a week. And, when I get tired of the drill, and it starts feeling like groundhog day, I’m reminded of one of the reasons I love Bertie County and its people so much.

We embrace the things that really make life meaningful here. Hard work, time with family, the mission of God, all are woven through our lives, held together by gratitude and steadiness. I have admired that about Bertie and Askewville.

And it has challenged me. Farming in our veins, there is an agricultural attitude in Eastern North Carolina. It’s a willingness to wait for the good things. It’s an appreciation for the slow and steady work of each day, bringing a pleasure in the work itself as well as the end result.

I sometimes spend my days waiting for the next exciting day to arrive, like I’m in a continuous countdown, looking forward to another “wow” moment. Don’t you know that sort of perspective fastforwards your days? It covers our ‘regular’ days with a lackluster haze of ingratitude and makes us force them past.

But, truly, exciting days are few and far between. The wedding day, the birth of a baby or grandbaby, graduations, the moment you’re finally cancer free. Absolutely momentous. And rare.

Most of life, like Joyce Meyer says, is just, “Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday…and if you can’t get happy in that, you’re going to be pretty miserable.”

So, I’ve taken a queue from many of you on how to live contentedly, seeing miraculous in the mundane and finding purpose in the plowing and plodding of the everyday. As the Psalmist says and we sang as children, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” 118:24

You’ve challenged me to see my life differently and to stop waiting. To enjoy it and give it meaning in the very moment. Thank you, for that rich gift. You’ve shown me the beauty in things that take a little extra time, need to cook a little longer or require just a bit more sunlight. You’ve slowed me down and helped me take my eyes off the pavement to see the rich soil instead.

For those of you reading this, and you’ve got school-aged children, the humdrum comes especially fast and furious. You barely get to work and finish your day before it’s practice-homework-dinner-clean uppack the lunches-pack the backpacks-do the bedtime deal-and then you blink and you’re resetting it all again. Be of good cheer, what you’re doing is full of miracles and beauty. It is absolutely profound work. One of my very favorite songs is called “Setting Up the Pins.” Sara Groves says, “My grandmother had a working song, hummed it low all day long, sing for the beauty that’s to be found, in setting up the pins for knocking em down. Cook a dinner, clean the kitchen, hit the light, brush your teeth, read a book, say a prayer good-night Everyone everywhere some way somehow are setting up the pins for knocking ‘em down it can feel simple but it’s really profound…”

Today, as you set up your pins for knocking ‘em down, remember your “why.” Remember how absolutely miraculous it is that you’re here, that you have children, or meaningful work to do. And thank you, friends, who have shown me a beautiful, new way of seeing life.

Amanda Hoggard is Connections Pastor at Askewville Assembly of God and a resident of Edenton. She can be reached via email at amandajhoggard@gmail.com.

A m A ndA H oggA rd

From big to small. From farm to front yard. As a Farm Bureau® member, you’re eligible to save.*

Platinum 2 savings for Farm Bureau® Members.

John Deere Rewards is happy to announce that all Farm Bureau Members* will automatically receive Platinum 2 status. That means instant savings on a wide range of John Deere products: from lawn tractors to skid steers, zero-turn mowers to utility vehicles, and more! Plus you’ll save money on Home & Workshop products and at JohnDeereStore.com. To find out more on how you can turn your loyalty intosavings, go to JohnDeere.com/FarmBureau. Sign up today!

County: Beaufort Marker ID: B-28

Original Date Cast: 1951

Title To Begin Here

the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

North Carolina lays claim to several members of the deMille family, show business pioneers. Playwright Henry C. deMille was born on September 17, 1853 in Washington, North Carolina, the son of William Edward and Margaret Blount deMille. The Civil War disrupted young deMille’s life. His father left to fight for the Confederacy and the family moved to Greenville as Washington became Union occupied territory.

At the conclusion of the war, with the Washington area utterly devastated, deMille was sent to live with his grandfather, Thomas A. deMille. In 1867 he entered Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn, and four years later entered Columbia University. He graduated with A. B. and A. M. degrees in 1875, and taught school at Lockwood Academy and Columbia Grammar School.

Throughout his life, deMille remained devoutly Episcopalian. He briefly considered becoming a clergyman in the late 1870s but instead turned to theater, a passion that had been ignited years previously at Adelphi Academy. From 1886 until his death from typhoid fever in 1893, deMille wrote some of the most popular plays in American history such as The Wife, Lord Chumley, and The Lost Paradise.

DeMille married Matilda Beatrice Samuel at St. Luke’s Church in Brooklyn in 1876. They had a daughter who died in early childhood and two sons, William C. and Cecil B. deMille. William, born on July 25,

1878, in Washington, North Carolina, and Cecil, born on August 12, 1881, in Ashfield, Massachusetts (while his mother was vacationing), both followed their father into the entertainment industry. The boys both attended private schools in New Jersey including the Henry C. deMille School named for their father.

In 1895, Matilda took William to Europe while Cecil stayed in America at the Pennsylvania Military School. William spent a year in Freiburg, Germany, studying at a private academy before returning to the United States and entering Columbia University. After graduation he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and took postgraduate courses at Columbia. In 1902 he returned to teach at the Henry C. deMille School.

William began writing plays in 1901, when he wrote his first work, A Mixed Foursome. Several more plays followed including Strongheart and The Woman. In 1914, William left playwriting and moved from New Jersey to California persuaded by his younger brother to enter the motion picture industry.

Cecil had entered the American Academy of Dramatic Arts while his brother was at Columbia. Like his father and brother, Cecil began his career writing plays and short stories. He helped organize the Standard Opera Company and founded the DeMille Play Company with his mother.

In 1913, Cecil moved to California

REFERENCES

William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, II, 51-53—sketches by Louise L. Pitman Cecil B. DeMille and Donald Hayne, The Autobiography of Cecil B. DeMille (1959) Anne Edwards, The DeMilles: An American Family (1988) Phillip French, The Hollywood Moguls (1971) Gene D. Phillips, The Movie Makers: Artists in an Industry (1973) Louis D. Giannetti, Masters of the American Cinema (1981) Official Cecil B. DeMille website: http://www.cecilbdeMille.com/

DeMille Family

Home of motion picture producer Cecil B. DeMille & his father, playwright Henry C. DeMille, stood five blocks west.

MARKER TEXT

Rabore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no

Information courtesy of

and joined Samuel Goldwyn and Jesse Lasky in founding the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company. Cecil became the senior play director. Five years later the company became the Famous-Players Lasky, and in 1927 became Paramount Pictures after the men realized the profitability of motion pictures. Cecil left the following year to join Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a producer and director, but returned to Paramount in 1932.

Over the next forty-three years, Cecil B. deMille produced seventy films including Cleopatra, The Greatest Show on Earth, and The Ten Commandments. During production of the latter work, deMille suffered a heart attack after climbing a 107-foot ladder to the top of the set made to look like Pharaoh Ramses’s temple. Refusing to be sidelined from production, deMille returned to work four days later.

Cecil’s brother William joined him in the motion picture industry, producing and directing nearly sixty films. During the 1920s, William served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of which is brother Cecil was a founding member. In the 1940s he took an academic position as head of the drama department at the University of Southern California.

Both brothers were active politically, and defended freedom of speech within the motion picture industry. Cecil was censured from American radio from 1936 to1945 for refusing to pay a one-dollar political assessment fee levied by the American Federation of Radio Artists. He also founded the DeMille Foundation for Political Freedom. During the 1950s both brothers actively opposed Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Commission.

William C. deMille died on March 5, 1955, and was buried in Hollywood, leaving a widow and two children from a previous marriage. Cecil died four years later on January 21, 1959, of congestive heart failure. At the time he was negotiating the directing rights to Ben-Hur. He is buried near his brother in Hollywood. He left a wife and three children. The Golden Globes Lifetime Achievement Award is named in his honor. Both men have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

PARTING SHOTS

Thadd White

As the current staff concludes our third year managing Eastern North Carolina Living, we’d also like to take a moment to say a heart-felt “thank you” to those of you who take time to read this magazine, spend money advertising in it and send us your feedback.

Without you, there wouldn’t be an ENCL and we enjoy very much the opportunity to bring it to you. Here at Adams Publishing, we value our readers and advertisers. We don’t take them – you – for granted.

Also, as editor of this publication I want to say a personal thank you to the writers and photographers – new and longtime contributors alike – who take their time and give their all to write stories for Eastern North Carolina Living. Our magazine would not be what it is without their hard work, effort and dedication.

I think its fitting that I especially recognize Sandy Carawan, perhaps our longest continuing contributor, for her dedication to Hyde County and this magazine. She is one of a kind and I can’t tell you how much I and our other staff appreciate her.

In addition, Sarah Hodges Stalls is one of the longest contributing writers and we are thankful that even with a demanding job she has taken time to continue her writing.

The full-time staff of the Bertie LedgerAdvance, The Enterprise, the Chowan Herald and the Rocky Mount Telegram are instrumental in making this publication tick and I am grateful for all they do.

I would be remiss if I didn’t offer a special thank you to Lou Ann Van Landingham, who heads our advertising sales and has been a major reason for the success of this publication since its inception.

Likewise, I’m thankful that Michelle Leicester continues to contribute to ENCL even after moving to a new full-time post. She has been involved since the beginning, and this magazine wouldn’t be the same without her.

We also have the best graphic designer in the world and Becky Wetherington has been a Godsend.

In addition to the best graphic designer, we have the best publisher – Kyle Stephens

– anyone could ask for. His dedication to this product and willingness to be involved in the process are not taken for granted.

Thank yous also go to our other staff –Jim Green, Kelly Asysue, Chris Taylor, Gene Metrick, Leslie Beachboard, John Walker, Andre’ Alfre and Brandice Hoggard.

Our regular contributors over the past three years – Sylvia Hughes, Sarah Davis, Gene Motley, Lewis Hoggard, the Rev. Webb and Amanda Hoggard, Kelly Grady, Travis Jackson and Deborah Griffin have been nothing short of wonderful to work with.

Also, we’ll be working towards offering subscriptions for those who want them for family not living locally. Keep that in mind.

We’ll be back next year with the 14th year of Eastern North Carolina Living and I couldn’t be more excited.

Until next time, remember… all who wander are not lost. Continue joining us as we wander through Beaufort, Bertie, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Tyrrell, Washington and Wilson counties.

Thadd White is a father, an editor and a fan of everything from Duke University basketball to the late John Ritter. He is a longtime writer and is currently Editor of five Adams Publishing Group properties, including the N.C. Press Awardwinning Eastern North Carolina Living.

Without you, there wouldn’t be an ENCL and we enjoy very much the opportunity to bring it to you.