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(Pernella Anderson)
Ah wus be'n de first year niggers wux free. Was bern in Caledonia at de Primm place. Mah ma belonged tuh George
Thompson. After mah ma died ah stayed wid de Wommacks, a while. Aftuh dat mah pa taken me home. Pa's name
wux Jesse Plueur. Ah worked lak or slave. Ah out wood, sawed logs, picked 400 pounds uv cotton ovah day. Ah
speck ah married de first time ah wux about fo'teen years ole. Ah been mahrid three times. All mah husband's is
daid. Ole man England and ole man Cullens run business places and ole man Wooley. His name wux reason
Wcoley. De Woolies got cemetery uv dey own right der near de Cobb place. Nobody is buried in dar but de fambly
uv Wooleys. Ole man Allen Hale. he run or store dar too. He is yet livin right dar. He is real ole. De ole Warrch
Mitchell place whar ah use tuh live is Cuvosnt land. Warren Mitchell, he homesteaded the place. We lived dar and
made good crops. De purtiest dar wux around, but not hit's growed up. Don lived dar and made good crops. De
purtiest dar wux around. Dar is whah all mah chillun was be'n. Ah use tuh take meh baby en walk tuh El Derade to
service. Ah use tuh come tuh Kl Dorade wid a oman by de name of Sue Foster. Nothin but woods when dey laid de
railroad heah. Dey built dem wid hosses and exes. Ah saw em when day whoop de hosses and oxen till dey fall out
working den when dey laid dat steel. Ah wus at de first buryin uv de fust pusson buried in Caledonia graveyard.
Huh name wux Joe Ann Pelk. We sot up wid huh all night and sing and pray. An when we got nearly tuh de church
de bells started tolling and de folks started tuh singin.
When evah any body died dey ring bells tuh let yo know some body wux daid. A wux born on Christmas day, an ah
had twe chilluns born on Christmas Dey. Dey wux twins and one uv on had twe teeth and his hair hung down on her
shoulders when hit was born but hit did not live but or wek.
Occupation: Domestic. Resident of Ferdville. Age not given.
