24 July 2021
Today was a stumble down memory lane. Jo wanted me to check and see if I could find Leonard Agnew’s grave at Hodge Hill, one of four cemeteries I know in Scott county. Archie and I traveled US 80 which has its own specific memories for me – not the least of Jimmie and me playing in the highway. That got shut down real quick when Lauris Sessums, the police chief came with flashing lights and took us to our parents. Busted!
As we drove east we pointed out various landmarks we knew. First on our right was my Aunt Mabel’s sister, Opal and Gordon’s house. I visited there with my cousin Jimmie several times. It had a large pasture in the front and back and Gordon would entertain us while Aunt Mabel and Opal caught up with each other.
Further east was the Tip Toe Inn, on the left. It was a notorious hangout and bar (when beer and whiskey were illegal in Mississippi. Archie said it had red vinyl bar stools and red vinyl booths for the patrons. There’s not even a shred of evidence of the place now but come to think of it, it was pretty dilapidated even when I knew of it.
We both thought we knew where Ma Fortenberry’s place was. That was the closet bootlegger to Morton and you always met the best people of town there. I remember seeing the Methodist minister there one night – obviously picking up something for medicinal use.
Bootleggers had to pay the sheriffs not to raid their places. One story I heard about Ma was she failed to make the payoff and the sheriff came knocking. She hid her immediate stash in the toilet and sat on the toilet pretending to be using the toilet to hide the booze from the law. Perhaps apocryphal, but knowing Ma like I did, it was probably true.
At one time, most sheriffs in Mississippi were taking home more than the President of the United States. Ridiculously, we knew that fact because they were declaring their bribes on their income tax returns. After all, they didn’t want to go the Al Capone route.
Once we got to Hodge Hill Cemetery, we realized it had grown significantly in size since we had last seen it. We did the obligatory reading of head stones and recognized most of the names from our childhood. Finally, at the very back of the cemetery in a small fenced area, we found what we were looking for.
The other stone next to it was very difficult to read. Time and weather had taken its toll – like it will on all of us.
From Hodge Hill, we backtracked to Morton and turned left at Keen Inn. This was one of two Black sections of town. Right where I remembered was the Keen Inn Methodist church where I sometimes attended Sunday service with Mary Moore – who pretty much raised me. I liked the service there better than Morton Methodist – which could be a little staid.
On the left from there was Betty Mae Jack school. At one time, before integration, it was an old rickety wooden building. I remember that once our textbooks at Morton High School got too ratty to use, they were sent to Betty Mae Jack High School. Today, instead of the wooden building are brick buildings built in the 60’s. They finally upgraded the school when it appeared integration of the school system was getting close and in hopes to prevent it. My graduating class of 1966 was the last segregated class in Morton High School. It was the end of an era and the beginning of the proliferation of private schools in Mississippi to prevent white students from going to school with Black students.
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From there, we followed the Keen Inn road east until it merged with the Hillsboro Road and turned south back onto US 80. We passed Kalem (and Ross Tank where my grandmother Ruby was raised). Archie tells me Ruby was out plowing one day at their home at Ross Tank (the tank part was a water tank to add water to steam locomotives) and plowed up a pot of gold dollar coins. It was apparently buried long ago during the Civil War to protect it from Yankees. It turned out to be a bumper crop that year for the Tadlock family that year.
As we headed back west on highway 80, we turned south again on the Blossom Hill Road. It leads to Pulaski where my Dad was reared. I stopped in to visit the graves of my Dad and Mom, my Grandad and Grandmother, Dad’s oldest brother Albert (still born) and my Uncle Jack and Aunt Sue Risher. No wonder it is called the Searcy Cemetery. Across the road is the old home place and it’s still standing but grown over.
As we drove Pulaski Road (SR 481) back to Morton, we came to the Strong River bottoms. Strong River, I think, is the longest river inside the state of Mississippi (95.2 miles), flowing into the Pearl River near D’Lo and then into the Gulf of Mexico. The bottoms were also where Mack Alford was killed and Rita Mashburn was injured in a car wreck. It’s amazing how specific sites jump back into your memory. Rita had obvious scars from the accident. In a small town like Morton, it hit the town pretty hard. If I remember correctly, Mack was the drum major for the high school band at the time.
I pulled into the Morton Cemetery and viewed Ruby and Hollie’s grave (maternal grandparents) along with Edna Lee and Oliver Prince’s. Edna Lee was one of seven Agnew children: Hollie, James, Jr., Deliah (Deelee), Ernestine, Edna Lee, Velma, and Alice. I knew all of them well. Some a little too well.
Archie told me Main Street in Morton was desolate. It truly was during my last visit but I’m happy to say it seems to be making a little come back. At least the stores on Main Street looked a little better.
We made a detour to Second Street and decided to see if Spivey and Zera Mae Crimm’s house was still there. It wasn’t. Spivey used to ride me on his foot (horsey style) when I was a babe and Zera Mae always had me come in and eat something anytime I was playing around Hollie’s chicken coops. Zera Mae always smothered me in a great big hug every time she saw me. Her grandson is William Dunlap who is a very successful artist. I think he’s most famous for his landscapes. I came across his site one day and emailed him to see if he was the grandson of Spivey and Zera Mae and he replied yea and we shared a few stories between us.
We passed Ruby and Hollie’s house on the way west. I’m glad to say its been painted and spruced up since my last viewing. A great deal of my childhood was spent in that house. That was were Hollie was brought for viewing before burial. I remember people coming to the front door – unusual in that everyone always came in through the back door – and paying respects. Morton didn’t have a funeral home at the time so viewings were often in homes. I still have the floor lamp that stood by his coffin and use it in my home.
On the way back to Brandon, we stopped at the local Sonic and ordered burgers for me, Archie and Tanis plus three chocolate shakes. I sent Jo a photo of Archie with a shake just to piss her off. She had three chocolate shakes during our road trip and compared them to the shakes of our childhood at Gunn’s Dairy made my Miss Ivy. Now those were some great shakes!
Tomorrow I head to Tallahassee for the first of a two part journey back home.
Stay tuned!