Going back to my grammar school years, I had many friends – Anna Hawn, Alice and Perl Reddell, Beaulah Gill, Edna Ludwick, Gladys Mickler, Lillian Thompson just to name a few. All of which at one time or another had gone home from school to spend the night with me and enjoy mom’s good homemade bread. Mom vowed they knew the day she baked. Of all of these, Lillian Thompson remained my close friend. We raised our children and kept in close contact, even though she was living in Atlanta after she married. She took her business course at Mrs. Jones Business College at the same time I did. By the way, the Jones Business College has become quite a large and well known school in Jacksonville. When Lillian and I went, Mrs. Jones conducted classes in her home out on Pearl Street in Jacksonville.
Year 1913 or 1914 – This is truly going back and in fact it was before Gertie was born. I was almost four years old. The Bakers of Southside were very good friends of mom. I remember the many times she visited our home. She didn’t have any children and always had me on her lap or hear her when she visited mom. On this day, she and mom packed my bag to let me go home with her. A trial period, I understand. That if I was happy and content, mom would let them adopt me. Gertie, after she was born as well. Theirs was a lovely home, lavishly furnished, sitting on a city block in Southside, south Jacksonville. I think the house still is there. It was still there before I left Jacksonville to come here to Sebastian. Daddy Baker was beside himself to have a little girl. I remember one night he took me on his shoulders and took me into the living room where they had this victrola with a big horn. I well remember him getting such a big kick out of me inspecting and looking into the horn to see where the music was coming from. He promised he’d get me a pony and buggy if I’d just stay with them and be their little girl. I don’t recall how long I stayed with them, but began to get homesick and wanted to see mom. Nothing they did made me feel any different. I don’t remember crying, but I imagine that was the reason they soon had to take me home. That ended that episode. They later adopted and raised two girls. Hearsay is that the girls didn’t turn out too well and gave the Bakers problems.
Year 1923 or 1924 – Therabouts anyway. Lillian and I finished our business course and were sent to our first secretarial jobs. I think I mentioned once before that my first job was with Wadsworth, Howling Paint Supply Company. I was with them not more than six weeks, maybe two months, when I got married. End of my business career for a long time.
I’m getting ahead of myself and would like to go back to many of the fun times before I got married. Mom bought a place off St. Augustine Road – her shack, she called it. When you came up to it, it truly was just that – a shack. Inside was a different story. Mom had a knack for making it transformed into a neat and comfortable home. Papa let Buddy and I use his car, and weekends were our fun times. To friends homes for parties, to square dances and to beach parties. This was before I was seriously dating Red, or anyone else for that matter. I always had more fun going places with my brother anyway.
I met Red through my stepfather’s niece, Toledo. She and I were good friends and I loved her mom and dad (Uncle Joe and Aunt Mamie), and visited them quite often. I was spending the weekend and Toledo had a date and had him bring a friend so we double dated. This is how I met my future husband. It so happened that they both worked for the Florida East Coast Railroad. Truly I wasn’t too impressed with Red James on our first date. He and Nute Gavey had brought along a small bottle of moonshine (homemade whiskey). In case you’re wondering, moonshine (whiskey) was against the law to make or sell. This was during prohibition. We were driving down to the beach when the bottle was passed to the back seat for us to take a drink (no glasses) out of the bottle. He handed it to me and I refused. He thought he’d be real cute and force me. I turned the bottle toward him and poured it on him. Sure made a mess of a nice looking suit. Needless to say, I was not too impressed with Red James.
In the country where we lived (Spring Glen), we retired early. This night, mom went downstairs to answer the knock at the door. It was Red wanting to know if I could go to the movies with him. Mom called to tell me I had a visitor. It was Red. He wanted to know if I could go to the movies with him. Mom told him it was agreeable with her provided Buddy or Gertie go along too. Mom didn’t think I should date at such a young age – 15 years old, looked 18. Of course, this changed as Red became a constant visitor.
Saturday, October 31, 1925 – The popular thing to do was elope. Red knew that papa and mama went grocery shopping on Saturday morning. He was at my house soon after they left and we packed my clothes in my suitcase, and I went to a co-worker and notary public, Mr. Sharrett, who married us. Mrs. Sharrett was our witness. We went to Waycross, Georgia, and checked into the Ware Hotel our first night. The next day we went out to meet Red’s big family on the farm in Manor, Georgia. It would be impossible for me to remember my first impression as this sixteen year old city girl came into the lives and hearts of the James Family. As I’ve said and known all my life, my guardian angel (who tapped me on my forehead at the tender age) was looking out for me. After coming from a rather dysfunctional family background, myself. This James Family, who were gentle, God-fearing people, was something to base my own family structure on. They were all farmers except Red and his brother, Wallie (who at a young age had rheumatic fever, leaving him lame in one leg). He had to use a cane. He was a school teacher / principal at the school where he taught. This James Family, well known and highly respected in that part of Georgia, owned a goodly part of that county (Ware County). As each of his sons got married, Red’s dad gave them each enough land for their own farm. Of the seven sons, Red and Wallie chose not to farm and were given money instead. Each of the six girls was given a trousseau (a bridge’s wardrobe), homemade quilts, dishes, etc., to begin housekeeping. Yes, this was fourteen children (seven boys – Bill, his brother, was the seventh son of a seventh son and seven girls), with Red’s mom, with tears in her eyes, telling me of the little infant girl who died.
Red and I began our married life in a small apartment in South Jacksonville. He worked for the Florida East Coast Railway within walking distance of where we lived. We were just as happy as bugs in a rug – except for the fact that I’d never cooked a meal in my life. And if my memory served me right, we visited mom most evenings at supper time.
By the third month of married life, I realized I was pregnant. The thought of food was revolting. I was sick morning, noon and night. Bless my dear mom – she had us move in with her until I was over that period. Papa (my stepfather) worked for Alfred I. Du Pont who owned a large estate in San Jose. Papa was in charge of the water works. Not only was he paid a salary, but lived in one of the houses owned by Du Pont. At this time, Red was working down the state and I was living with mom in San Jose. It was getting near time for my baby. On August 14, with dear Dr. Watts’ much needed assistance, our beautiful baby girl was born. Papa insisted we name her Betsy Ross – we cut it short to Betty and, of course, Red added the Marie. When Betty was about six months old, Red and I bought our very first home. The house left a lot to be desired, but we were very proud of it. Our dear friends, the Furmans, were our neighbors. Lena and Henry Furman were both wonderful cooks and taught me so much. Actually, I couldn’t boil water without burning it, that’s the little I knew about cooking. They loved my baby and would have kept her at their home if I’d let them.
Thank you so much for what you do. It is so interesting to read Mom’s history. Thank God her memory was so good.
God bless the “House of James”!!!