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The Armistead's
(Alabama)
Daisy Purnell Webb was born February
11th, 1880, at West Bend, Clarke County, Alabama. She was the daughter of
Sydney Vaughan and Josephine E. Webb, was one of nine childdren, she had
four sisters, Mary, Jessie, Anna, and Telula, four brothers, Sydney,
Thomas, Lucius and Henry.
When she was of school age and until a young lady attended school at West
Bend about two and half miles from her home accompanied by her brothers
and sisters, sometimes there would be only three months public school,
then again a full nine months school.
Always a different teacher each school, and of course it was bad for the
children to have to change teachers so often, it kept them from advancing
as they properly should.
She was the daughter of a country doctor, who had a hard life going all
over the rural parts of the county to practice his profession, with at
that time no good roads, any time day or night as his services was needed.
Her father owned a pretty level farm about 40 acres, which always was
cultivated, he had a wage hand to work his garden and to cultivate the
patches around the home but the most of this farm was rented to a tenant
on shares.
The home was an old time frame house with long front porch, four rooms, a
hall down the center and an extra addition with dining room, pantry and
kitchen with front porch.
The house was plain but comfortable and nicely furnished with many pieces
of antique furniture. In this home her mother had everything kept in place
and the home was always neat. They had a fine peach orchard, which the
children enjoyed, were always was canned and made into preserves in large
quantities for winter use. Daisy's father having a large family to support
and educate had to try to make something besides what he could make at his
profession to help to bear the expenses which were heavy. Her parents both
had a college education, naturally that made them more anxious that the
children should have good educational advantages.
Daisy was one of the younger children and after improving every
opportunity that she could get at West Bend, was not satisfied but wanted
to go on to school so she make arrangement where she could go to
Livingston to Normal School, so as to be properly trained for a teacher as
she was planning on that for her work.
She first after coming home form school accepted a position as governess
over on the Alabama River, in Dr. Ed King's home, here she taught three
children, one girl and two boys, after this she taught a school at Woods
Bluff, Alabama, boarding with a Mrs Wilson.
After teaching and being governess she
accepted a position with Mr George Nichols, Nicholsville, Alabama, where
she worked in a general store and assisted in in the post office for some
time. After working several years at different jobs and between times
during her vacations made several trips, making visits at different places
where she met young people and made numbers of friends. She always
wherever she worked made friends and seemed to get a lot of pleasure out
of life, having a cheerful disposition. Being the youngest girl in the
family had very few responsibilities, could come and go whenever she
liked, could use what money she made for her own pleasure, spending it
anyway that she liked.
She was a perfect brunette, tall, slender, with brown eyes, black curly
hair, dark complexion, weight about 135 pounds. She would at times have
her friends come to visit her and entertain them in her home.
Daisy, when a girl, never had very much experience in home cares and did
not try to learn to sew or anything like that for she thought when the
time came she would then learn all those many duties that has to be
performed in every home. When she was about twenty-eight years old she was
married to John P. Armistead, who was born at Morvin, Clarke County,
Alabama, September 18th, 1861, he was a small man, with black hair, dark
eyes and dark complexion, he was a widower with five children, three boys,
Eddie, John and Roy, two girls, Mamie and Annie Earle. John Armistead
owned a nice home at West Bend, Alabama, this home was a frame house with
seven rooms, a long front porch, dining room, kitchen, a closed hall, back
porch, pantry and several closets. The house is painted white with green
blinds, there were beautiful Oak shade trees, making the large level yard
so cool and shady. Out in front of the home was a level lawn with a grove
of large Oaks adding very much to the beauty of the place. The land all
around the home was pretty and level all of it in cultivation. This is
where Daisy went as a bride to make her home, she at once won the love and
respect of John's children, and was a real mother to them taking care and
training them as a mother would.
As the years passed children were born into the home until Daisy was the
mother of six children. There were four girls, Lucile, Marguerite, Ruth
and Nell, two boys Sidney and Robert, the later died when about three
years of age.
Daisy and John lived in this home where they were happy and contented.
John having a large plantation on the Tombigbee River as well as the farm
around the house. He not only had his own crop but had tenants on the
plantation who were share cropers that he advanced to each year.
He and his boys worked on the farm, he teaching them and going with them
all the time, also he kept two wage hands the entire year. He owned fine
mules and wagon which was used on the farm daily, hauling all the crop,
wood for home consumption and anything that was needed on the farm.
John owned two cotton gins, one on the river plantation and the other out
in the hills near his house, he ginned the cotton for the whole community,
at the gins he bought cotton and quantities of cotton seed and by being
careful and keeping up with the market usually made a profit on both, he
contracted his seed with the oil mills at so much a ton delivered to a
steamboat on river bank and in this way was safe in buying them.
His wage hands helped at the gin and did anything that was to be done
besides working on the farm.
John was very successful and a good business man, with fine judgement and
made money in whatever he undertook. On the farm he raised cotton, corn,
peas, ribbon cane, hay, groundpeas, and potatoes.
He owned cows so as to have milk and butter for home use, raised poultry
and hogs, making their own meat and lard, also enough for all his hands.
Daisy always made quantities of sausage meat for home use.
During those years on the farm while Daisy's children were small, she had
many cares, she always when they were working on the river, prepared and
packed lunch each day for not only her husband and the boys but also for
the two wage hands. They had a cane mill at a large spring right near the
house, here they made the syrup for family use and for all his hands and
the ones he advanced to also.
After gathering the crop, completing the ginning, sacking and hauling the
seed and cotton to the river, before starting the plows for the next crop,
the fences were gone around and repaired where it was needed, the fields
cleaned off, all fence corners cleared out and maybe a piece of new ground
cleared.
John sent the older children away to boarding school and after they had
finished High School sent them to college, giving them the very best
advantages.
Eddie his oldest son married when just a boy but succeeded by farming and
working in timber business in making a comfortable living for his family,
this son about two years ago died after a short illness in a hospital, had
a mastoid operation and died under the operation, he left an interesting
family, who are getting along nicely, the boys are all working and all the
children are grown but the youngest child.
Mamie the oldest girl after completing her course at the Normal College at
Livingstone, taught for a while, then married a nice young man Walter
Willis, Epps, Alabama, she was married at West Bend church, after taking a
bridal trip they returned to that place where Walter owned a home, she is
contented and happy in her comfortable home, she has two fine boys both of
them now almost grown.
The two boys John and Roy are both married and live in Chicago with their
families, are succeeding and getting along very nicely.
Annie Earle the other daughter after finishing at Montevallo taught for
several years, then met a fine young man, Tim Carleton, Montgomery,
Alabama, who was also a teacher, now both of them are teaching, but are
not in the same school, they own a nice home in Montgomery, are getting
along just fine and seem to be very happy and contented, they are each of
them attending school each summer working for a degree. John and Daisy
sold their home and all of their property at West Bend and came to Grove
Hill and purchased them a home in order for Daisy's children to be able to
stay in the home and yet have school advantages.
John having always lead such an active life wanted something to do after
moving here, so he went into the mercantile business, but did not succeed
as he wanted to, so did not keep this business for very long for he found
out it was not making him any profit, and that instead was causing him to
loose money, so he sold out as quickly as he could find a buyer.
Lucile and Sidney both completed High School in Grove Hill. Lucile was a
very bright intelligent girl, very quiet and studious making the best of
her opportunities, finished with highest honors, and at the same time took
a competitive examination and gained $1000.00 scholarship at Breneau
College in Georgia, her parents decided to let her take advantage of it so
this is where she completed her education.
After teaching a few years, she married Gray Smith, Chilton, Alabama, they
built them a neat comfortable little home out in that community.
Sidney when just a mere boy fell in love with and married Clarice Carter,
Grove Hill, Alabama, they lived here for several years, Sidney working in
the bank then they moved to Butler, Alabama, where they lived for several
years Sidney working for the state, now he has recently moved to Oneonta
where he is cashier in the bank they have an interesting family, two girls
and a boy, they had another boy but had the misfortune of loosing him by
being drowned accidently while visiting his Aunt at Epps in a creek near
the home at the age of five years, it was such a shock that it was hard
for all of them.
Marguerite after finishing High School, went to Livingstone to school
taking a Normal course, after getting her certificate she taught three
years and during this time met Bennie Singleton, Putnam, Alabama, a fine
boy with whom she fell in love with, after a short courtship, they went to
Meridian, Mississippi, and were married, she seems satisfied and happy in
her new surroundings, they live at Putnam, Alabama, with his mother. Ruth
after completing High School in Grove Hill, went to Montevallo took a two
years secretarial course, came home worked a few months at the High
School, then accepted a position in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she is
now working.
Nell the youngest child is in her last year at High School, is now a
pretty, attractive young lady.
John and Daisy have a nice home now, a frame house with two stories a long
front porch, four rooms, a long hall, kitchen and back porch, the
bath-room is in the back end of hall.
The second story has three rooms, hall and front porch. The house has two
stack chimneys making it very comfortable in winter, it is painted white.
The first room to the left after entering the front hall is the living
room, in it they have a regular set consisting of a settee, library table,
three chairs made of reed and upholstered with floral croton, an upright
piana, a small table and several other comfortable chairs, on the mantle
piece is Ruth's picture in the center, tall straight old time vases on the
ends, on piana is pictures of the girls one on each end.
On the library table she has a basket for flowers in the center, books at
each end, on settee several very pretty pillows, there are several rugs
thrown about on the floor. The house is lighted with electricity, has a
light fixture in center of the living room with five bulbs, several
pictures hanging on the wall, the small table contains various small
ornaments.
The room to the rear of the living room is John's and Daisy's room, you
can enter either through the living room or from the hall, on center of
mantle piece is an antique clock, and this is where all John's medicine is
kept, just a regular jumble of it, so many different kinds, and any
important letter that requires an answer is put here for safe keeping, by
the mantle piece hangs a calendar and an almanac, the room has a dresser
in it with Daisy's mothers and her brothers picture on it on at each end,
a table with radio on it, bed, washstand and near the door an antique desk
in which are filed all of John's important papers, hanging on the wall is
John's, his wife and Nell's pictures, has a rug on the floor, tan shades
and white curtains at windows.
The room across the hall from the living room is a bedroom this room has a
bed, dresser, washstand, and several comfortable chairs in it, also tan
shades with white curtains., to the rear of this room and opening into it
is the dining room, has dining table in center of room, side table in one
corner, ice box and side board and the chairs, it also has white curtains.
Just to the rear of this room is kitchen which opens into the dining room
and also opens on back porch, there is a range stove a safe, table in one
corner and then a long table almost the entire length of the room with a
shelf above it, they are having hot water tank attached to range and
installing a sink, are having the bath-room fitted with tub, commode, and
lavatory, will also have hot and cold water in bathroom. The upstairs
rooms are all three bathrooms neatly furnished the entire house is
convenient and comfortable.
John has been an invalid for more than two years, never able to get out
anywhere and very seldom able to even go to the table for his meals.
Daisy and all the his children are devoted to him, waiting on him and
doing everything that can possibly be done for his comfort. He is kept on
a strict diet, can have no meats but chicken or fish, he has heart trouble
and high blood pressure. During the depression in 1933, when so many banks
failed, John lost his money in two of these banks and worrying over his
losses has made him give down much earlier.
Since John's health failed Lucile and her husband Gray closed up their
little home and came to live with them. Gray has work in Grove Hill and it
makes it so much more convenient for him as well as being company and help
for Daisy. The doctor, nurses and drug bills have been very heavy for the
last two years.
It is hard for Daisy as she has all the responsibilities to bear alone and
all the business to attend to she cannot even consult John about anything.
She tries to be brave and keep anyone from knowing how much she worries,
she has a sad smile and patient sweet expression on her face most of the
time. All the children even the married ones that are away from home, do
all they possibly can to help her and lessen her cares.
If she did not have Lucile and Gray with her it would indeed be hard for
she and Nell are the only ones left in the home and Nell is away at school
all day which would leave Daisy alone with John and all the home duties to
attend to. Daisy taught all the girls to keep house and how to sew, she is
a good manager, keeps her home neat and clean, she is naturally slow in
doing her work but when she finishes it is well done.
Daisy raises quite a number of chickens, has nice fresh yard eggs most of
the time. She has flowers in the front yard, which makes the place look
more attractive, she takes an interest in cultivating and keeping them
watered.
They always have a nice garden and plenty of vegetables canning any extra
that they have for winter use, also they put up preserves, pickle, and
jellies for home consumption. John seems to be better since cool weather
is here but now thinks he would like to go back to the old home where they
spent so many peaceful years.
When you ask Daisy about her life at West Bend she says" I would love to
own my old home and go back up to West Bend to live." She often says "I
want some day to buy the old home and go back, but do not want any of the
other property."
Sidney and Ruth both came home during the holidays for a short time, John
enjoyed their little visit.
Daisy is so proud of her grandchildren and does not like for them to be so
far away but trys to make the best of it knowing it is best for Sidney to
stay where he is.
Sidney's oldest daughter is now getting to be a big girl is attractive and
can be lots of help and pleasure to her mother, the smaller girl now about
three years old is a beautiful child with a sweet, happy disposition, such
a pleasure to them all.
John [P?] Armistead
Grove Hill, Alabama
Annie Webb
Clarke County.
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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