MARY AND DAVID HIRAM ALTOM
This page is dedicated to the memory of my Great Grandparent's David and Mary Altom. David was known by family and friends as D.H. or 'Bud'. David and Mary had 4 children; three boys and one daughter. Their daughter, Frances, died at age eighteen but the three boys lived well into adulthood and each raised fairly large families. These are compiled recollectons from some of their grandchildren:
Grandma and Grandpa were very devout Christians and well liked by everyone. They were never heard to say a bad word about anyone. They read the bible every night and had prayer before they went to bed. They listened to an old radio broastcast every night of Sam Morse, who was a preacher. Grandpa led singing at New Bethel Church near Floral, AR., and Grandma sang alto. One grandchild recalled "I remember she loved to sing in church, can't remember how good she, was but she was loud". This made me smile.
Grandpa was a small quiet man. He wore a jumper in winter with only the top button buttoned and overall pants. A jumper was simular to what we called jean jackets today only cut longer with large front pockets and usually lined. He farmed at New Bethel and always took a short nap at lunchtime when he was farming. One grandchild recalls hearing that he was a blacksmith in his younger days and had a shingle mill for making roofing shingles for houses. He also grew his own tobacco, and put it into twists, which he smoked from a pipe. One of the younger grandchildren (Earl's son) has one of his old pipes with some of the tobacco still in it. He cut wood by himself. He would take one handle off his crosscut saw so he could handle it. If he cut wood away from the house he would cut long hickory saplings, haul them up on a slide(sled) and drag them to the house before he cut them up. He had a gentle horse named 'Old Bill'. When the grandkids would come to visit, he would put as many as would fit from front to back on Old Bill and lead them around the yard. They also had a flock of chickens. There was a big flat rock out beside their house and when the grandkids would come to visit, they would let them crush glass on the rock to feed to the chickens. It was a way, used by many older farmers, to clear the chickens craw when small rocks were not around. I had never heard of this till I began writing this story and was amazed at how many who had, when I questioned the reason for doing this.
They lived on a farm most of their life. But in later years they moved to Floral. While living there, he would go to his son Elmer's store every day and get him a can of sardines for lunch. It has been related to me that Great Grandma was not much of a cook....hmmm...that explains a little about my culinary talents....might be a genetic thing! (smile) One of her grandsons remembers well her cakes. He said "I liked to eat her cakes - they were one layer,and moist.She didn't beat her egg whites long enough,so they drawed up on it, but I loved to eat them with onion. She had rather carry rocks out of the fields than cook. She built a rock fence across one side of their orchard doing this".
They kept their milk and butter in a spring/creek when they lived on the farm and kept it in the well after they moved to Floral. Later in life their oldest son, Elmer, got his mother a refrigerator and was over there a few days later and looked in it to find it empty. He asked her where her milk and butter was, and she said "It's hanging in the well where it's supposed to be". So, you see, old habits ARE hard to break.
Grandma as been described as a character at times. She visited her son Elmer once when she had lost her dentures and needed help in finding them. They went over and looked and looked. No dentures. They took a closer look at Grandma and they were in her mouth
Once she was out working in her yard when a grandson(W.T) rode up on a horse and said, "Do you wanta buy a horse!" This being before Grandma got her glasses, she didn't recognize him and said, "Well, you'd have to talk to Bud, let me find him!" Bud was what Great Grandpa went by, a nickname that many in the family called him. When She finally did get her glasses, she walked outside and shouted, she was so happy she could see. There was a tree over in the corner of the yard that she didn't know was there; she had never seen it before .
Grandpa died in 1949 and about the middle 50's Granny moved in with her oldest son, Elmer, in Batesville and lived there till her death in 1959.
These are just some of the memories told to me about my Great Grandparents. I wish I had had the chance to have known them.
contributions from W.T., Farris Dean, Marcus Dean, and Donald Ray, grandsons
Lastly, I wish to share something that touched me very deeply. The night before I begain this story, I had been in contact with one of the grandchildren of David and Mary and they had given me their memories of them. That night I had an extremely restless night and found myself recalling memories of my father & feeling the grief and sadness that he was not still alive to where he could share with me these stories that I was having to search out from others. But the intersting part of this story happened the next afternoon. Sharon Thomas, daughter of W. T., another grandson, sent me infomation from her father to contribute on our greatgrandparents. And within the information she mailed me-to my unbelief -were letters that were written to my great grandmother from my FATHER!!! I never knew these letters even existed and to have these sent to me the very next day absolutely swept me away. It was if Dad was communicating to me from above. So it seems only fitting to end this story with this letter that touched my heart....thanks Dad.
13 feb51
Camp Chaffee
Dearest Grandma, Will drop you a few lines just to say hello. I am just fine hope you the same. sorry I've not written you before but I've been sort of busy since I have been in here. I like the Army OK But this weather is not so good it has been snowing all day and is still snowing. I was home last Sunday week but I didn't have time to do any thing but turn around and come back to camp. I'll try to come and see you when I come home next time. I'm sending you one of my pictures it isn't much good hope you like it anyway. Well that is about all I know to wright so I'll close for now. Your Grandson With lots of Love
Answer soon.
Boyd Wayne
this article was written April, 1998 by Linda(Altom)Smith