|
|
(Lee County, Alabama)
"Aunt Mandy" Jimmerson is one of the oldest persons in Lee Co. Up until a year ago she was very active, but since she has had a stroke of paralysis, she has not been able to walk alone.
When I took Aunt Mandy's picture we had to have her carried to the porch.
She is a very abrupt person and not very particular how she talks. Her room was very untidy, her person also. No one to wait on her tho but little grand-children and one grown daughter, but she is not right mentally.
Aunt Mandy was born in the Chattahoochee Valley, Lee County in 1853. She was twelve years old when freedom came. Her father and mother, Amos and Caline Williams, lived in a small one room log cabin and says it was just like all other houses then and their beds were just like other folks and 'they et whut others et.' This shows how abrupt she is. When I would ask her more about them she would say, "O, I dunno."
Her Mother was the mother of a large number of children but having only four living, Fronie, Cindy, George and Amanda. I saw Nellie, she being much younger than Aunt Amanda, also much more intelegent; but not knowing Aunt Amanda's condition that morning, I didn't question Nellie about her.
Aunt Mandy was owned by Ann and Will Williams, their children were Tom, Bud, Dina, Martha, and William.
The Williams lived in a large weather-boarded house about onequarter of a mile from the negro "quarters".
She said her Master was good to them but they sure did have to work hard and not play, it was from early dawn till after dark.
Aunt Mandy staid on with her Master for several years after slavery, he told them they were free as he was and gave them a few provisions to start a crop on and they worked as share croppers.
She married John Jimmerson and was the mother of thirteen children but three was all she could remember anything about. They were Cleesie, Nellie, and John. Nellie is the afflicted one and is sitting on the steps in the picture. She has perfectly white hair and it in curls.
