|
LIFE HISTORY OF ALMA AGEE
Collected by John W. Garrett June 17, 1940
(I transcribed this account from a scanned copy of the original hand-written document. For the most part I have left the original spelling and punctuation without corrections. —Nancy)
Alma Agee was born on a small farm of one hundred acres near the Buckingham Court House. Her parents owned the home. An old fashioned house it is, containing eight rooms. The ceilings are high and the large windows extend from the ceiling to nearly the floor. Through these windows Alma and the children use to run in their play. These windows are covered with draperies and curtains, giving the rooms a cheerful and cool appearance. The spacious hall running through the house, from which the stairway is obtained, leading to the rooms upstairs. The house is painted, and surrounded with shrubbery and flowers. The tall Boxwoods are invaluable, having been set generations past. “Yes. The florist has offered us good prices for these Boxwoods, but we didn’t especially need the money and we thought they were worth as much to us as any one,” and would not sell. The beautiful magnolia was set out after we bought the place. Its blooms are very fragrant. The girls have planted Peonies of every kind all around the place. By the end of the front porch is growing a large holly tree, and every winter it is covered with beautiful red berries the whole winter through. The well in the back yard is under cover. A shed is built to protect its users in inclement weather. Alma herself with two sisters have chosen to live unmarried. Alma is fourty four, and Mary and Nora who are a bit younger. And after their education was completed, have helped their father Charles in his store. Ruth, the youngest child is a teacher and is married. Willie the only boy is married and living on part of the home lace which he purchased from his father. Alma in her early school days wanted to get a good education, and become a teacher, and as she rode over the country on horseback, which was her favorite sport, she longed to teach. She graddated at the Buckingham Court House when she was at the age of fifteen. That was twenty nine years ago. It was not convenient for her to go away to school, so the next year she taken a post graduate course. She then attended the teacher’s college in Farmville in the summer and taught in the winter. Alma said, I kept this up for twelve years. I wanted an education even though I must work my way through. I wanted to continue in my college work.” In nineteen and seventeen I went to West Virginia to nurse for various secret orders. And attended the Marshall College. I enjoyed my work, and part of my time while in West Virginia, I was a teacher. I remember on school I was teaching was close to the railroad, and the children were famous for running away to play on its tract. There was an old man there by the name of Hicks, who was working as a wachma, and he told the boys, “I’ve got a big hole I put children in up here on the side of the mountain who play on these here tracts.” The boys became frighten and stayed of the tracts after that. One day a little boy said, “I wish ole man Hicks would hurry and get that hole filled up so we can play down on the rail road some more.” About nineteen and twenty four, I became interested in the Salvation Army work and went to Atlanta Georgia. There I went to school for nine month training for that work. I studied hard to prepare for the work with the Salvation Army. Studied musice, of several instruments and excepted a position as a suppervisor over the orphanage and relief work. In the meantime I went to the Atlanta Bible institute untill I graduated. I worked my way through this institute, taking four subjects twice a week for four years. “Yes it was right hard,” but I enjoyed my work.” “Why I hardly ever know what it is to have a nite off.” “And when I do it’s a real treat.” One nite I am studing, then teaching, then in service, on the move all the time, but I enjoy working with children, and all ways have. When I taught school, I all ways wanted the first grade. Children are so interesting. “Yes, I have worked my way through, getting my education as best I could, and though I am forty four, I expect to keep up my studies, “learn all I can.” I need all the education I can get. Every year I get my vacation and visit my parents in Buckingham, but this year I miss my father, who died last winter. I was sick myself at the time, so I couldn’t get to come home, even to attend the funeral. Father is burried in the family cemetery, down on the side of the hill, near the house, but we still have our “dear mother.” She never goes any place, and when I come home, it seems strange to me to be in every nite. I like to be going some places, but still the rest is good for me.” “Would you like to go down to Hopewell for the weekend and attend the annual conference? “Sure would,” sais Alma. “Why Alma” said her mother, you can’t go way down there. Why you will tired to death, and you haven’t been to see Willie yet. (Willie lives on the place.) and you will havt to go see him. Why you know you couldn’t go away down there.” “Mother never goes any place and she think that’s a great undertaking.” “Sure I will go.” This set of Compton’s pictorial encyclopedia was given to me, I all ready had a set, but I thought I could give them to some one who could use them.” “Why Alma, you wouldn’t give these away, said her mother, as she turned their pages. “Why these books have pictures of people and things that I didn’t know there was any things like these in the whole world.” “Yes,” said Alma. There are two or three things in there you never saw before,” as she smilingly handed a book to her mother. Why, I will get more from than a little looking through these on Sundays and at nite, when I am here alone. Well, I will give these to John and he will bring you one and get yours, and you will get to see them all that way.” You won’t have any need to use them, and John will.” Alma is a very free hearted girl, and is all ways on the out look for the opportunity to help some one and she finds plenty of them. While her mother finds that she should save every thing for her self. Alma, a tall stately built lady of business, and of a fine character, who doesn’t seem interested in the opposite sex. “Oh, Walter said he could have gotten me, if he’d a wanted me [illegible]. That’s a joke, but maybe I should have taken him in. I think not, even if he were one of my girlhood sweethearts, as she smiles, and said, “I love my wrk, and am well satisfied, only I want more knowledge.” “I shall go to Greenville, South Carolina, after my vacation to take over an orphanage, over which I will become its supper visor. We will have forty two children.” “I will be glad to get back to my work, and I call them my children. I have all ways loved children and enjoy working with them. They are so interesting.” |
