In 2006, five of the many Godwin great-grandchildren, Trudy, Judy, Judi, Peggy and Paul, went cruising in England and while drifting in a canalboat, pooled their memories of John Allen and 'Liva Ann Godwin:
Judy Brown Hutcherson remembers that Enoch and Nollie's children were sent to their nearby Godwin grandparents' house during the birth of each succeeding new little Godwin. Liva Ann's daughter-in-law, Nollie, once made a black taffeta dress for Liva Ann, perhaps as a gesture of appreciation for this oft-repeated assistance during Nollie's nine confinements. Liva Ann wore the dress on the occasions when she went to church for many years.
As grandparents living nearby, J. A. and Liva Ann always had peppermint candy for their grandchildren when they came to visit. This candy and saltine crackers were always given to the children as a reward for bring the mail to their grandparents. Years after the death of the senior Godwin's, the corner cupboard where the candy was kept still spelled of peppermint, an rever-ready reminder of childhood visits with Grandma and Grandpa.
When the grandchildren walked down the road to visit their grandmother Liva Ann, she liked to have them bring her a twig from a "skunkbush" which grew between the two houses. They were to chew the end of it to the proper brush condition for her to dip her snuff with it. They were rewarded with peppermint candy.
Great-grandchild Judi Godwin remembers hearing of a party at the home of J A and Liva Ann. Peggy Smith Wolfe remembered hearing her mother and aunts describe Grandma Liva Ann as a sweet, soft-spoken woman who never raised her voice. She had a beautiful parlor room in which she took great pride. She allowed the grandchildren to stand at the door and look in, but they were not allowed to play in that room! Liva Ann was a short woman with curly hair which often escaped from the bun she wore at the back of her head.
Velma Alexander Price, another granddaughter, wrote of J.A. and Liva's lifestyle in 1995:
When they first came to Long Cove they built and lived in a log cabin which had a side room where the two boys Enoch and Riley had their bedroom. Then the large house was built: 7 rooms, 2 porches, & dogtrot (or hall.) Water was piped from the windmill to the house - which was much more convenient than hand pumps on wells with buckets to draw water and to carry it to the house.
There was also an underground cistern at the edge of the back porch that caught rain water for drinking. It was hand drawn with a mechanism that had little cups that drew water as the crank was turned.
When it rained, the water was diverted to the outside of the cistern until the roof was washed. The water was kept in a cedar bucket with a dipper which hung at the corner of the porch. The water was so good & cool - fresh-drawn in summer. Of course we all drank from the same dipper!!
Also on the back porch was a homemade sort of sink (with water piped from the windmill) which usually held two wash pans and soap and towels for washing hands before meals (grandkids) especially, a good place to wash up when coming in from outside work.
At the east side of the house was another rainwater cistern, round, made of sheet iron at ground level. This rainwater was used for washing clothes for it was soft (mineral free) and made good suds - whereas the well water was hard. Rain water was also used for washing the hack.
The soap used for these purposes was lye soap made from the extra fat-cracklings from the rendering lard after hog killing. Grandpa always performed these chores - making
soap and washing clothes. The clothes were washed in a wooden washing machine with a hand crank that agitated the clothes against the corrugated sides of the tub. Of course the white things especially were put in the iron wash pot with soap and boiled to a brilliant white, then rinsed through two or three clear waters with bluing in the last rinse. There was also a clothes ringer on washing machine which was also turned by hand. The clothes were line-dried - so fresh and clean.
In the back yard, close by the smoke house hung a bell that was used to call the people working in the field in to dinner. (Our mid-day meal was always dinner.) Girls as well as boys worked the fields. Grandma sold the bell to an antique dealer.
The smoke house was used to cure the pork and store it. Sometimes sausage was fried and "put down" in stone jars of lard - usually after it had dried in long cloth bags for two or three weeks. Makes my mouth water even now!
We had such good food when we raised and prepared it ourselves. If we wanted chicken for our dinner, it was usually dressed the late afternoon before (or evening as we usually said.)
Grandma had one of the best large wood range cook stoves with a water reservoir on the side next to fire box for hot water also a "tea" kettle set on top, for very hot water, called "tea kettle" - but I never remember having tea at Grandma's - it was always milk - sweet - and best buttermilk ever. I still have her brown stone butter milk pitcher. Milk was kept in a "milk cooler" on the back porch. It was built on legs & screened in, a galvanized pan was inside with water in it. Milk in pitchers or stone jars was set in it and covered with a clean wet cloth, evaporation keeping milk cool.
There was always a bountiful vegetable garden. Surplus was "canned" in glass jars, for winter use. At the back of the garden grew tangles of Himalaya berries.
There were fruit trees, including Grandpa's favorite -
pears. Grandma always had compote of pear preserves on the table. When Grandpa sold part of his land to his son, Enoch, this pear tree was left on Grandpa's property. It is still standing as of a couple of years ago when I took a picture of it. Honey was always on the table. Bees were kept for pollenization.
I remember Grandpa saddling old Pat and taking a flour sack to collect the mail from the mail boxes which were located by the school house, later to be made was a nearby cemetery.
I wish I had a picture of him on 'old Pat." The horse was, as I remember, small. Grandpa was tall with long legs. A buggy was kept in an enclosed shed down by the cow pen and cow shed where cow feed was kept. The outhouse was also in that area.
If my memory serves me right Grandpa ran red cattle in the pasture along with one or two milch cows. The water trough was by the old wooden windmill and wooden storage tank. The metal water trough formed thick moss which the grandchildren dearly loved to pull off when Grandpa wasn't around - for that was definitely a "no-no" as it might cause a leak.
***
In addition to rearing the five surviving children of the eight that Liva Ann gave birth to, J. A. and she kept Claudia Roberts for a while in 1920, while her widowered father was unable to keep his three girls. The other sisters were in other neighborhood homes. The times were so difficult that no one home could afford to feed all three girls together.
In the 1930 census, the Godwin household included Octie Cockrum, a single female, no occupation given, but listed as a lodger. JA was age 76 and Liva Ann was 80. Ruth Godwin Gadbury, another granddaughter, said that JA and Liva Ann Godwin ordered several young women from ads in the newspaper. The Octie Cockrum living with them on the 1930 census may be one of these young women.
***
Judy Brown Hutcherson remembers that Enoch and Nollie's children were sent to their nearby Godwin grandparents' house during the birth of each succeeding new little Godwin. Liva Ann's daughter-in-law, Nollie, once made a black taffeta dress for Liva Ann, perhaps as a gesture of appreciation for this oft-repeated assistance during Nollie's nine confinements. Liva Ann wore the dress on the occasions when she went to church for many years.
As grandparents living nearby, J. A. and Liva Ann always had peppermint candy for their grandchildren when they came to visit. This candy and saltine crackers were always given to the children as a reward for bring the mail to their grandparents. Years after the death of the senior Godwin's, the corner cupboard where the candy was kept still spelled of peppermint, an rever-ready reminder of childhood visits with Grandma and Grandpa.
When the grandchildren walked down the road to visit their grandmother Liva Ann, she liked to have them bring her a twig from a "skunkbush" which grew between the two houses. They were to chew the end of it to the proper brush condition for her to dip her snuff with it. They were rewarded with peppermint candy.
Great-grandchild Judi Godwin remembers hearing of a party at the home of J A and Liva Ann. Peggy Smith Wolfe remembered hearing her mother and aunts describe Grandma Liva Ann as a sweet, soft-spoken woman who never raised her voice. She had a beautiful parlor room in which she took great pride. She allowed the grandchildren to stand at the door and look in, but they were not allowed to play in that room! Liva Ann was a short woman with curly hair which often escaped from the bun she wore at the back of her head.
Velma Alexander Price, another granddaughter, wrote of J.A. and Liva's lifestyle in 1995:
When they first came to Long Cove they built and lived in a log cabin which had a side room where the two boys Enoch and Riley had their bedroom. Then the large house was built: 7 rooms, 2 porches, & dogtrot (or hall.) Water was piped from the windmill to the house - which was much more convenient than hand pumps on wells with buckets to draw water and to carry it to the house.
There was also an underground cistern at the edge of the back porch that caught rain water for drinking. It was hand drawn with a mechanism that had little cups that drew water as the crank was turned.
When it rained, the water was diverted to the outside of the cistern until the roof was washed. The water was kept in a cedar bucket with a dipper which hung at the corner of the porch. The water was so good & cool - fresh-drawn in summer. Of course we all drank from the same dipper!!
Also on the back porch was a homemade sort of sink (with water piped from the windmill) which usually held two wash pans and soap and towels for washing hands before meals (grandkids) especially, a good place to wash up when coming in from outside work.
At the east side of the house was another rainwater cistern, round, made of sheet iron at ground level. This rainwater was used for washing clothes for it was soft (mineral free) and made good suds - whereas the well water was hard. Rain water was also used for washing the hack.
The soap used for these purposes was lye soap made from the extra fat-cracklings from the rendering lard after hog killing. Grandpa always performed these chores - making
soap and washing clothes. The clothes were washed in a wooden washing machine with a hand crank that agitated the clothes against the corrugated sides of the tub. Of course the white things especially were put in the iron wash pot with soap and boiled to a brilliant white, then rinsed through two or three clear waters with bluing in the last rinse. There was also a clothes ringer on washing machine which was also turned by hand. The clothes were line-dried - so fresh and clean.
In the back yard, close by the smoke house hung a bell that was used to call the people working in the field in to dinner. (Our mid-day meal was always dinner.) Girls as well as boys worked the fields. Grandma sold the bell to an antique dealer.
The smoke house was used to cure the pork and store it. Sometimes sausage was fried and "put down" in stone jars of lard - usually after it had dried in long cloth bags for two or three weeks. Makes my mouth water even now!
We had such good food when we raised and prepared it ourselves. If we wanted chicken for our dinner, it was usually dressed the late afternoon before (or evening as we usually said.)
Grandma had one of the best large wood range cook stoves with a water reservoir on the side next to fire box for hot water also a "tea" kettle set on top, for very hot water, called "tea kettle" - but I never remember having tea at Grandma's - it was always milk - sweet - and best buttermilk ever. I still have her brown stone butter milk pitcher. Milk was kept in a "milk cooler" on the back porch. It was built on legs & screened in, a galvanized pan was inside with water in it. Milk in pitchers or stone jars was set in it and covered with a clean wet cloth, evaporation keeping milk cool.
There was always a bountiful vegetable garden. Surplus was "canned" in glass jars, for winter use. At the back of the garden grew tangles of Himalaya berries.
There were fruit trees, including Grandpa's favorite -
pears. Grandma always had compote of pear preserves on the table. When Grandpa sold part of his land to his son, Enoch, this pear tree was left on Grandpa's property. It is still standing as of a couple of years ago when I took a picture of it. Honey was always on the table. Bees were kept for pollenization.
I remember Grandpa saddling old Pat and taking a flour sack to collect the mail from the mail boxes which were located by the school house, later to be made was a nearby cemetery.
I wish I had a picture of him on 'old Pat." The horse was, as I remember, small. Grandpa was tall with long legs. A buggy was kept in an enclosed shed down by the cow pen and cow shed where cow feed was kept. The outhouse was also in that area.
If my memory serves me right Grandpa ran red cattle in the pasture along with one or two milch cows. The water trough was by the old wooden windmill and wooden storage tank. The metal water trough formed thick moss which the grandchildren dearly loved to pull off when Grandpa wasn't around - for that was definitely a "no-no" as it might cause a leak.
***
In addition to rearing the five surviving children of the eight that Liva Ann gave birth to, J. A. and she kept Claudia Roberts for a while in 1920, while her widowered father was unable to keep his three girls. The other sisters were in other neighborhood homes. The times were so difficult that no one home could afford to feed all three girls together.
In the 1930 census, the Godwin household included Octie Cockrum, a single female, no occupation given, but listed as a lodger. JA was age 76 and Liva Ann was 80. Ruth Godwin Gadbury, another granddaughter, said that JA and Liva Ann Godwin ordered several young women from ads in the newspaper. The Octie Cockrum living with them on the 1930 census may be one of these young women.
***
In 2006, five of the many Godwin great-grandchildren, Trudy, Judy, Judi, Peggy and Paul, went cruising in England and while drifting in a canalboat, pooled their memories of John Allen and 'Liva Ann Godwin:
Judy Brown Hutcherson remembers that Enoch and Nollie's children were sent to their nearby Godwin grandparents' house during the birth of each succeeding new little Godwin. Liva Ann's daughter-in-law, Nollie, once made a black taffeta dress for Liva Ann, perhaps as a gesture of appreciation for this oft-repeated assistance during Nollie's nine confinements. Liva Ann wore the dress on the occasions when she went to church for many years.
As grandparents living nearby, J. A. and Liva Ann always had peppermint candy for their grandchildren when they came to visit. This candy and saltine crackers were always given to the children as a reward for bring the mail to their grandparents. Years after the death of the senior Godwin's, the corner cupboard where the candy was kept still spelled of peppermint, an rever-ready reminder of childhood visits with Grandma and Grandpa.
When the grandchildren walked down the road to visit their grandmother Liva Ann, she liked to have them bring her a twig from a "skunkbush" which grew between the two houses. They were to chew the end of it to the proper brush condition for her to dip her snuff with it. They were rewarded with peppermint candy.
Great-grandchild Judi Godwin remembers hearing of a party at the home of J A and Liva Ann. Peggy Smith Wolfe remembered hearing her mother and aunts describe Grandma Liva Ann as a sweet, soft-spoken woman who never raised her voice. She had a beautiful parlor room in which she took great pride. She allowed the grandchildren to stand at the door and look in, but they were not allowed to play in that room! Liva Ann was a short woman with curly hair which often escaped from the bun she wore at the back of her head.
Velma Alexander Price, another granddaughter, wrote of J.A. and Liva's lifestyle in 1995:
When they first came to Long Cove they built and lived in a log cabin which had a side room where the two boys Enoch and Riley had their bedroom. Then the large house was built: 7 rooms, 2 porches, & dogtrot (or hall.) Water was piped from the windmill to the house - which was much more convenient than hand pumps on wells with buckets to draw water and to carry it to the house.
There was also an underground cistern at the edge of the back porch that caught rain water for drinking. It was hand drawn with a mechanism that had little cups that drew water as the crank was turned.
When it rained, the water was diverted to the outside of the cistern until the roof was washed. The water was kept in a cedar bucket with a dipper which hung at the corner of the porch. The water was so good & cool - fresh-drawn in summer. Of course we all drank from the same dipper!!
Also on the back porch was a homemade sort of sink (with water piped from the windmill) which usually held two wash pans and soap and towels for washing hands before meals (grandkids) especially, a good place to wash up when coming in from outside work.
At the east side of the house was another rainwater cistern, round, made of sheet iron at ground level. This rainwater was used for washing clothes for it was soft (mineral free) and made good suds - whereas the well water was hard. Rain water was also used for washing the hack.
The soap used for these purposes was lye soap made from the extra fat-cracklings from the rendering lard after hog killing. Grandpa always performed these chores - making
soap and washing clothes. The clothes were washed in a wooden washing machine with a hand crank that agitated the clothes against the corrugated sides of the tub. Of course the white things especially were put in the iron wash pot with soap and boiled to a brilliant white, then rinsed through two or three clear waters with bluing in the last rinse. There was also a clothes ringer on washing machine which was also turned by hand. The clothes were line-dried - so fresh and clean.
In the back yard, close by the smoke house hung a bell that was used to call the people working in the field in to dinner. (Our mid-day meal was always dinner.) Girls as well as boys worked the fields. Grandma sold the bell to an antique dealer.
The smoke house was used to cure the pork and store it. Sometimes sausage was fried and "put down" in stone jars of lard - usually after it had dried in long cloth bags for two or three weeks. Makes my mouth water even now!
We had such good food when we raised and prepared it ourselves. If we wanted chicken for our dinner, it was usually dressed the late afternoon before (or evening as we usually said.)
Grandma had one of the best large wood range cook stoves with a water reservoir on the side next to fire box for hot water also a "tea" kettle set on top, for very hot water, called "tea kettle" - but I never remember having tea at Grandma's - it was always milk - sweet - and best buttermilk ever. I still have her brown stone butter milk pitcher. Milk was kept in a "milk cooler" on the back porch. It was built on legs & screened in, a galvanized pan was inside with water in it. Milk in pitchers or stone jars was set in it and covered with a clean wet cloth, evaporation keeping milk cool.
There was always a bountiful vegetable garden. Surplus was "canned" in glass jars, for winter use. At the back of the garden grew tangles of Himalaya berries.
There were fruit trees, including Grandpa's favorite -
pears. Grandma always had compote of pear preserves on the table. When Grandpa sold part of his land to his son, Enoch, this pear tree was left on Grandpa's property. It is still standing as of a couple of years ago when I took a picture of it. Honey was always on the table. Bees were kept for pollenization.
I remember Grandpa saddling old Pat and taking a flour sack to collect the mail from the mail boxes which were located by the school house, later to be made was a nearby cemetery.
I wish I had a picture of him on 'old Pat." The horse was, as I remember, small. Grandpa was tall with long legs. A buggy was kept in an enclosed shed down by the cow pen and cow shed where cow feed was kept. The outhouse was also in that area.
If my memory serves me right Grandpa ran red cattle in the pasture along with one or two milch cows. The water trough was by the old wooden windmill and wooden storage tank. The metal water trough formed thick moss which the grandchildren dearly loved to pull off when Grandpa wasn't around - for that was definitely a "no-no" as it might cause a leak.
***
In addition to rearing the five surviving children of the eight that Liva Ann gave birth to, J. A. and she kept Claudia Roberts for a while in 1920, while her widowered father was unable to keep his three girls. The other sisters were in other neighborhood homes. The times were so difficult that no one home could afford to feed all three girls together.
In the 1930 census, the Godwin household included Octie Cockrum, a single female, no occupation given, but listed as a lodger. JA was age 76 and Liva Ann was 80. Ruth Godwin Gadbury, another granddaughter, said that JA and Liva Ann Godwin ordered several young women from ads in the newspaper. The Octie Cockrum living with them on the 1930 census may be one of these young women.
***
Judy Brown Hutcherson remembers that Enoch and Nollie's children were sent to their nearby Godwin grandparents' house during the birth of each succeeding new little Godwin. Liva Ann's daughter-in-law, Nollie, once made a black taffeta dress for Liva Ann, perhaps as a gesture of appreciation for this oft-repeated assistance during Nollie's nine confinements. Liva Ann wore the dress on the occasions when she went to church for many years.
As grandparents living nearby, J. A. and Liva Ann always had peppermint candy for their grandchildren when they came to visit. This candy and saltine crackers were always given to the children as a reward for bring the mail to their grandparents. Years after the death of the senior Godwin's, the corner cupboard where the candy was kept still spelled of peppermint, an rever-ready reminder of childhood visits with Grandma and Grandpa.
When the grandchildren walked down the road to visit their grandmother Liva Ann, she liked to have them bring her a twig from a "skunkbush" which grew between the two houses. They were to chew the end of it to the proper brush condition for her to dip her snuff with it. They were rewarded with peppermint candy.
Great-grandchild Judi Godwin remembers hearing of a party at the home of J A and Liva Ann. Peggy Smith Wolfe remembered hearing her mother and aunts describe Grandma Liva Ann as a sweet, soft-spoken woman who never raised her voice. She had a beautiful parlor room in which she took great pride. She allowed the grandchildren to stand at the door and look in, but they were not allowed to play in that room! Liva Ann was a short woman with curly hair which often escaped from the bun she wore at the back of her head.
Velma Alexander Price, another granddaughter, wrote of J.A. and Liva's lifestyle in 1995:
When they first came to Long Cove they built and lived in a log cabin which had a side room where the two boys Enoch and Riley had their bedroom. Then the large house was built: 7 rooms, 2 porches, & dogtrot (or hall.) Water was piped from the windmill to the house - which was much more convenient than hand pumps on wells with buckets to draw water and to carry it to the house.
There was also an underground cistern at the edge of the back porch that caught rain water for drinking. It was hand drawn with a mechanism that had little cups that drew water as the crank was turned.
When it rained, the water was diverted to the outside of the cistern until the roof was washed. The water was kept in a cedar bucket with a dipper which hung at the corner of the porch. The water was so good & cool - fresh-drawn in summer. Of course we all drank from the same dipper!!
Also on the back porch was a homemade sort of sink (with water piped from the windmill) which usually held two wash pans and soap and towels for washing hands before meals (grandkids) especially, a good place to wash up when coming in from outside work.
At the east side of the house was another rainwater cistern, round, made of sheet iron at ground level. This rainwater was used for washing clothes for it was soft (mineral free) and made good suds - whereas the well water was hard. Rain water was also used for washing the hack.
The soap used for these purposes was lye soap made from the extra fat-cracklings from the rendering lard after hog killing. Grandpa always performed these chores - making
soap and washing clothes. The clothes were washed in a wooden washing machine with a hand crank that agitated the clothes against the corrugated sides of the tub. Of course the white things especially were put in the iron wash pot with soap and boiled to a brilliant white, then rinsed through two or three clear waters with bluing in the last rinse. There was also a clothes ringer on washing machine which was also turned by hand. The clothes were line-dried - so fresh and clean.
In the back yard, close by the smoke house hung a bell that was used to call the people working in the field in to dinner. (Our mid-day meal was always dinner.) Girls as well as boys worked the fields. Grandma sold the bell to an antique dealer.
The smoke house was used to cure the pork and store it. Sometimes sausage was fried and "put down" in stone jars of lard - usually after it had dried in long cloth bags for two or three weeks. Makes my mouth water even now!
We had such good food when we raised and prepared it ourselves. If we wanted chicken for our dinner, it was usually dressed the late afternoon before (or evening as we usually said.)
Grandma had one of the best large wood range cook stoves with a water reservoir on the side next to fire box for hot water also a "tea" kettle set on top, for very hot water, called "tea kettle" - but I never remember having tea at Grandma's - it was always milk - sweet - and best buttermilk ever. I still have her brown stone butter milk pitcher. Milk was kept in a "milk cooler" on the back porch. It was built on legs & screened in, a galvanized pan was inside with water in it. Milk in pitchers or stone jars was set in it and covered with a clean wet cloth, evaporation keeping milk cool.
There was always a bountiful vegetable garden. Surplus was "canned" in glass jars, for winter use. At the back of the garden grew tangles of Himalaya berries.
There were fruit trees, including Grandpa's favorite -
pears. Grandma always had compote of pear preserves on the table. When Grandpa sold part of his land to his son, Enoch, this pear tree was left on Grandpa's property. It is still standing as of a couple of years ago when I took a picture of it. Honey was always on the table. Bees were kept for pollenization.
I remember Grandpa saddling old Pat and taking a flour sack to collect the mail from the mail boxes which were located by the school house, later to be made was a nearby cemetery.
I wish I had a picture of him on 'old Pat." The horse was, as I remember, small. Grandpa was tall with long legs. A buggy was kept in an enclosed shed down by the cow pen and cow shed where cow feed was kept. The outhouse was also in that area.
If my memory serves me right Grandpa ran red cattle in the pasture along with one or two milch cows. The water trough was by the old wooden windmill and wooden storage tank. The metal water trough formed thick moss which the grandchildren dearly loved to pull off when Grandpa wasn't around - for that was definitely a "no-no" as it might cause a leak.
***
In addition to rearing the five surviving children of the eight that Liva Ann gave birth to, J. A. and she kept Claudia Roberts for a while in 1920, while her widowered father was unable to keep his three girls. The other sisters were in other neighborhood homes. The times were so difficult that no one home could afford to feed all three girls together.
In the 1930 census, the Godwin household included Octie Cockrum, a single female, no occupation given, but listed as a lodger. JA was age 76 and Liva Ann was 80. Ruth Godwin Gadbury, another granddaughter, said that JA and Liva Ann Godwin ordered several young women from ads in the newspaper. The Octie Cockrum living with them on the 1930 census may be one of these young women.
***
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