EDD BLACK

The following bio was taken from page 113 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

The beginning of my family in Rusk County was known as early as 1844 when Polina F. Landers and John King came here from Bedford County, Tennessee. With them were Jacob M. and Isaac Crews, working hands for the Kings. Polina and John King had two children, Nancy (1845-1925) and J. Solen King (1848-1927). Nancy married George Meadows, and J. Solen married, first, Julia Ray, and second, Lula V. Browning.

After the death of John King, Polina married Jacob M. Crews on January 6, 1851. Jacob served in the 18^th Texas Infantry of the Civil War. He and Polina raised horses and farmed. They had six children: Mary F. (Babe) (1851-1941), who married Thomas J. Mercer; Malinda Jane (Bird) (1854-1942), who married Sam Newton Lee; Ellen (1857-1931), who married W. H. Lee; George Henry (Bud) (1860-1927), who married Jenea Augusta (Anna) Meadows; Jacob P. (1863-1903), who married (1) Janie Meadows and (2) Birdie Zuber; Cordie Lee (1866-1944), who married Frank Meadows. Polina died in 1885 and Jacob in 1915, and they are buried at Hickory Grove Cemetery. My brother and sister, Tom and Mary Black, live on some of the land Polina and Jacob settled in the County Line Community.

My grandfather, George H. Crews, and Thomas J. Mercer were partners in farming and operating a general store in the County Line Community. George H. and Anna Crews had three sons and five daughters: Henry, Charlie, Perry, Mattie, Polina, Julia B., Mary Bell, and Annie Lee. Anna Meadows Crews came to Rusk County circa 1872 on a wagon train from Stewart County, Georgia with her parents, James Kenkins and Eliza Ann Dunnaway Meadows. Anna was one of eleven children: John H: Alice, who married John Peace; Janie, who married Jacob P. Crews; Julie, who married W. D. Roberson; Emma, who married Dan Hays; Dollie, who married Fate Birdsong; Kenkins (Kit), who married Oma Utzman; Charles, who married Birdie Mercer; Sam, who married Mitter Stroud; and Frank, who married Cordie Crews. George H. and Anna Crews are buried at Hickory Grove Cemetery.

My mother, Julia B. Crews, married William E. (Edd) Black. He was born in Harrison County in the Noonday Community. My grandfather, William Thomas Black, was an ordained Methodist minister. Mary Etta Shoultz Black was my grandmother.

My father, Edd Black, was stockman, farmer, and trader. He loved to fox hunt, dance, and listen to good string music, and could play several instruments. Most weekends he loaded the truck with foxhounds and went with friends hunting. I loved those times because Mama would walk with us through the woods to Grandma Crews’ house. We would pass by the big hole of water where all the children swam in the summer. Mama’s oldest brother, Uncle Henry, a bachelor, who lived with Grandma, always had a special treat for us on arrival. There were six of us children: Juanita, Mary, Willie B., George Thomas, Annie Belle Black, and I, Betty Jo.

I started school at Lee School. We children walked and carried sack lunches. Miss Lena Barron was my first grade teacher and Jane Fambrough, Herman Edney, and Lawson Cost were among my classmates. I remember the first time I ever saw margarine. A new student at school had what looked like a butter sandwich. It was so clear looking that we children thought it to be grease, but it was really uncolored margarine. This was around 1934. Our school burned circa 1935 and we used the Forest Home Baptist Church for classes until a new school was built.

In 1938 our home burned. This was a sad time for us. We moved into one of Danny’s tenant farm houses near Holland Mountain, and Daddy bought us our first battery radio. We had an antenna outside that seemed to be a mile high. Our family sat up most of the first night listening to the Grand Ole Opera, W.S.M. and the Del Rio Station. Another thing I remember was going with Mama and Daddy to a barn dance at Mattie’s Ballroom. Daddy had carried his mule, Jack, along with bales of hay. Jack was tied inside the building, and when the music played, he would ring the building with his braying.

After moving into our new house, we soon had electricity. Bright lights and a refrigerator that made ice were sure nice. Our first utility bill was for electricity. We still drew water from a well and cooked on a wood stove. At this time we children changed to Crossroads School. We still had to walk a ways because the bus route was one half mile from our house. Those were the times when people knew everyone in the community. We would have peddlers come to our home, selling fruits, including bananas hanging from stalks, and some of the best cellophane-wrapped candy. A grocery truck also would come about once a month and sometimes a neighbor would be selling beef. We could trade eggs, a fat hen, a turkey, milk, or butter for things we needed.

My two uncles, Mama’s brothers, always traveled by wagon and mules. They never owned an automobile.

I am very grateful for my heritage, which has instilled in me love for my family, my church, my country, and my friends. My home is in the Monroe Community now, just a short distance from the place where I grew up. Members of my family are: my husband, Bobby Hearne Walker, two sons, Kenneth Ragle and Bobby Joe Walker; and daughter-in-law, Sharon Zevely Ragle: and two granddaughters, Shelly Renne and Zevely Ann Ragle.

Submitted by Betty Jo Walker.