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Lou Flourney has been, in days gone by, a faithful old soul, she was a short, stout, light colored woman with a tall skinny husband, both working at the depot cafe and they passed just as regular as clock work never missing a day nor the minute most, but she is a "good old wagon done broke down", now. She was lying down most of the time during my interview.
She was born three miles from La Fayette, Alabama, on the Driver plantation but does not remember when, so can't tell just how old but was a little girl old enough to remember some things that happened. Her mother and father were Classey and Bithey Driver; they had several other children, Wiley, Mandy, Clara, Laura, losing several as babies.
Their home in the quarters was very comfortable, as far as that went in those days, it was a log cabin with a shed room for the kitchen, having to use the fireplace as stoves, so few stoves in that time. "We cooked greens, meat, home-raised, corn bread, soot and all making our own meal and flour, and had plenty of dried fruits. We all used the big garden up at Mosters but could have all we needed.
"Our rooms were comfortable and warm and we had plenty of bed clothes. The beds were homemade, screwed together at the joints, corded across making the slats for the mattress to rest on and some were woven across with hickory strips, most of the beds were four posters some plain and some were what they called spool beds, us chillun had a stool to get in with, they were so tall.
"I was a good big little girl so they put me up at the house to do tollable well. I joined church when I got big cause I wanted the blessings and have health and to save my soul. I wanted to try to get to heaven too. I am a Methodist and belong to St. Luke in Opelika, Alabama."
Lou lives with Authur and wife now in Opelika, Alabama, on North Tenth St.
