Memories of My Family

Lula Frances Everett Ratcliff 1894-1923

By Mae Louisa Ratcliff Godley

Unfortunately, memories of Mama are very few. However, once when Mama was cleaning the house she sent me out side to play in the dirt by the barn. I went outside just as Mama asked me to do. A little while later I heard Aunt Sallie, who I loved dearly and who lived up the lane that went by our house close to our barn. She asked me to "Come over to my house and play". "I can't" I replied. Mama said to play out here until she was done with her cleaning, and then she would come and get me and give me a bath. But Aunt Sallie, wouldn't take a no from me. I loved my Aunt Sallie, dearly. She said that it would be okay that we were going to play a trick on Mama, So she said come give me your hands I'll help you over the fence. I remember that I was barefotted and the wire hurt my feet.

I played with a dish on the table in the living room. It was full of lots of things to entertain children. Suddenly I heard Mama calling for me. Mae,...Mae,... each time she called my name I could tell she was getting closer. Aunt Sallie hid me in a closet with a sheet over my head. Mama came into Aunt Sallie's house and asked her if she had seen me out side playing? Aunt Sallie, smiled and said "NO" and pointed to the closet. Mama, opened and the door and said "I found you little one". We all laughed and Mama, talked to Aunt Sallie for awhile then we went home and I got my bath.

The last memory I have of mama is when she died. I cried and cried. I wanted to go into the bedroom where she laid. A man with a big black hat picked me up and took me to the car. He talked to me and tried to calm me down. I was later told by my Daddy that this man was a preacher.

I wish I had more memories of Mama. I still miss her everyday, but I'll always keep her in my heart.

John Nicholson Ratcliff 1884-1968

By Mae Louisa Ratcliff-Godley

Daddy was a loving father to me. He always called me sister. I don't know why but this was my nick name. Daddy had a hard life; people said he had an easy life as he knew how to make a living without hard labor. He did farm the farm, raised hogs for the meat, chickens for eggs and meat, cow for milk and butter, Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes. Since the farm was small it meant he had to have another source of income. He was a born salesman; he could sell anything it seemed to me. People would come looking for Daddy when they had something to sell like oysters, fish, vegetables and bull frog legs.

I can remember one time when Daddy and myself went into town to sell bull frog legs. I got so mad with the people when they would see Daddy and yell "Bullfrog Man, do you have any legs today ?" I would say to Daddy, "don't talk to them till they call you by your right name." He said, "sister, they don't mean any harm." I wouldn't go across the street with him to talk to these people. But when Daddy returned I didn't refuse accepting some of the money to spend on myself that he just made. Most of the people in town continued today to call Daddy the Bull Frog Man.

One time he worked away from home; I guess I must have been about eight years old. I was living with Uncle Milton, Daddy's brother and Aunt Sallie Ann at this time. It was coming up close to school starting; Daddy came and brought me a new coat with fur on the collar and cuffs, a pair of shoes, that had little heels... they were too small. I cried and cried because they hurt my feet so much. Daddy said, "I will carry them back and get a pair that do fit you." I was afraid they wouldn't be like these... they were really pretty. Daddy managed to find the right pair that did fit. He brought me my first hoses (Rayon) it had been cotton stocking up to then and after too, until many years later.

Daddy would always talk to me even when I was young. I guess I was six years old when he came to see me. At this time I was staying with Aunt Jane and Uncle Ben Ratcliff (Daddy’s brother). I went to live with them when my mother died. Daddy had this lady with him on this visit and he asked me if I would like a new mother? Of course I got excited over the idea as I thought she was a really pretty lady. I said yes and that I wanted her to be my new mama. The next time I saw her it was at church. I saw her and my Daddy come in. I went to meet them and I called her Mama. She looked down at me and said "You wait until I become your Mama before you call me that" I went back to Aunt Jane and told her what this lady had said to me and that I didn't want her for my mother. Not long after that my father did marry her. Life wasn't easy with this step-mother and neither she nor my brother (Horace Lee Ratcliff) and I never really got along. Her name was Hattie Taylor. My Daddy and Hattie, didn't get along very well and this made things very hard in the house.

I had my Daddy for many years and lots of good memories to cherish. I could write a book about Daddy and maybe one day I will put down all my cherished memories of him. He stood by me when I was young and I stood by him when he grew old. Daddy, passed on of Cancer of the throat in 1969. I LOVED my Daddy and miss him very much. I know that he is watching over me everyday.

Memories of My Grandmother

Martha Respess Everett 1867-1960

By Mae Louisa Ratcliff-Godley

Grandmother Martha Respess Everett is my mother's (Lula Everett Ratcliff) mother. I always loved going to Grandmother's house out in the country. Grandmother lived in Bath, Beaufort County, North Carolina. She was kind, loving and a hard worker lady. I can't ever remember her going visiting until she wasn't allowed to keep house by herself any more in her old age.

Grandmother lived in a three story house; when you entered the front door it open into a large hall and whenever you said anything it would echo back to you. I would run in and call out "HELLO" and it would answer back "HELLO". I did this all the time; why grandmother never told me to stop I will never know, I must have gotten on her nerves. There were a lot of stairs in this big house. I can remember putting on Grandma's shoes and going up and down them all you could hear were these shoes clicking and clicking-- I would do it for the longest time. Once again Grandma would never tell me to stop. She must have nerves of steel for her to put up with me making all that noise.

Grandma had two bachelor sons-- one was a drinker, Uncle Authur. One day Uncle Authur came home with his bootleg liquor in his belly and his hand. Uncle Authur knew grandma wouldn't like it so he brought it into the kitchen where we were at the time. Uncle Authur, said "I don't need anymore of this." He gave it to grandma to put up. Grandma told him he had better go on upstairs and go to bed because he wouldn't be getting anymore of it tonight. Uncle Authur went off up to bed but it didn't take long before that he had decided he needed one more drink before he could go to sleep. Grandma knew this would happen so she caught me by the hand and the bottle of the moonshine and said come with me. We ran out of the house and hid behind a big tree. She asked me to be real quiet. Then the door opened, out came Uncle Authur to look for us. He started going around the house saying "I WILL CATCH YOU BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE HIDING FROM ME!" After a while he gave up and went back upstairs to bed. I can remember laughing and grandma had to keep telling me to be QUIET

Grandma made lots of quilts. She would sew the scrap pieces of material into beautiful designs; she taught me how to make them. I would help her make the batting for the quilts. She would pick the cotton from the fields. We would set by the fire place at night and pick the seeds out of the cotton. I can remember that when she would go out to the field to pick the cotton she would pick all of the bugs out of the cotton first. After we had picked all the seeds out of the cotton she would card it for batting for the quilts. We would go up to the third floor of this big house to make all of her quilts. Grandma would spend hours up there all by herself working on the quilts.

Sometimes I would go with her to the barn to watch her put bottoms in the chairs. She would use corn shucks. She would carry a kettle full of boiling water and pour it over the corn shucks to soften them so she could twist them together and weave them in and out to make the chair bottom. When the corn shucks dried it was like a new chair.

Grandma would let me cook cakes. She had a big black walnut tree. I would set for hours picking out walnuts. But she never would let me cook when she was cooking. After she had finished cleaning up the kitchen she would say the kitchen is yours. Cook anything you want but remember you have to leave the kitchen in the same shape that you found it in. That meaning I had to clean up all of my mess. I had a great time at Grandma's house and will always have fond memories of Grandma. I loved her very much.

Millard Vance Everett 1902-1972

By Mae Louisa Ratcliff-Godley

Things at home were unsettled as my dad (John Ratcliff) and stepmother (Hattie Taylor) were having misunderstandings still. My uncle heard about this and came to my Daddy and asked him to let me go stay with him until things could get better there. I think I was about nine years old at this time. Uncle Millard and Aunt Addie had a girl named Margie; she was about three years old at that time. My job was to help out with the babysitting during the summer so they could work in the fields. I lived with Uncle Millard, about two years and attended Bath School.

I can remember my very first meal that Aunt Addie let me do all by myself. I was nine years old. Aunt Addie said to me one day "you have been wanting to cook so bad. This afternoon you can cook supper all by yourself. As I need to help your Uncle get this barn of tobacco ready for the market tomorrow." I was so proud she would let me have the kitchen to do the honors of making supper. Aunt Addie left it up to me to decide what I would cook for supper. She said that you can do it all and surprise us.

I didn't mind as I thought I could remember all the stuff you had to put to make biscuits. Well I got right in and started making supper. I felt so grown up and it really made me happy to do something for the both of them. I worked for quite some time and just when supper was about done my mother's baby sister, Aunt Irene, came up on the mule and cart. I was excited as I told her I had cooked supper all by myself and that I wanted her to stay and eat with us.

We all got to the table and started eating and Uncle Millard looked at Aunt Addie and then to me. He said "Didn't you forget something that you were supposed to put in the flour to make the biscuits raise". I started naming the things that I had put in the mix salt, lard, butter, milk. I couldn't remember anything that was missing. Aunt Addie said "What about BAKING POWDER?" I knew that I had messed up and the whole supper was ruined. I felt so bad that I was starting to cry. Aunt Irene spoke up and said "Mae, you have done good; you should have seen my first biscuits." Aunt Irene started saying that the first time I cooked biscuits I forgot to put in the lard and you could have thrown them up against the wall and they were so hard they wouldn't even had broken." Everyone starting laughing and I began to feel better about my flat biscuits. Mine may not have had baking powder and were flat but at least they weren't as hard as Aunt Irene's.

When I didn't have to watch Margie, I was out selling seeds, Rosebud Save and Cloverine Save. Working at the tobacco bench to make money to buy my school clothes or material so that my Aunt Addie could make them for me. I remember one dress we ordered already made. It was white with ruffles and ribbons. A real party dress. I wanted it for the school closing night. This was the year of 1928. My shoes were wore out had holes in the bottom and I didn't have any money to by new shoes. I guess my Uncle didn't have any money either for I'm sure they would have gotten me a new pair of shoes. I wanted white shoes to match my dress. I started to cry and my Aunt said for me not to cry. She would find my old tennis shoes and she would clean them up for me to wear. That is just what she did and there I was with this pretty new party dress with my old white tennis shoes.

I will always remember my time with Uncle Millard and Aunt Addie, with much love in my heart for them to take me in to their home to make my life better.

Hattie Elizabeth Everett-Foreman 1890-1977

By Mae Louisa Ratcliff-Godley

I lost my mother when I was a very young and lived with many different family members. Times were very hard back then and many of my relatives were farmers who didn't have much money, and to take on one more mouth to fill was a hardship for them. I was shuffled from family to family. It was 1934 and I was now 15 years old and living in Belhaven, a very small town in Beaufort County, North Carolina. I had quit school, something that I really enjoyed, because I had to get a job and pay for my own way.

Aunt Hattie told me that she had heard many of the young girls around had gotten them a job picking out crab meat. Maybe I could find a job there. You had to be at 16 years old to be able to work there. I knew that I could pass for 16 so I told a white lie about my age and went with a few of the girls on our street the next morning to see if I could get a job there. Well I got the job but the first two nights I didn't pick many crabs the instructor did most of the work as the odor was so bad it made me sick. I would lay on the wharf with my head over the water, most of the time. After a while the odor didn't seem to bother me any more. The bakery cart would come through about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning with their hot goodies and I would get me my break to eat my lunch. I started work that at 2: a.m. and had to work until my allotted amount was picked out. This would take me to around 9 or 10 a.m. before I would be able to go home. I would go home take a bath, and go straight to bed to get some sleep so that I could be ready to go again the next night. I would walk to work I guess it was about 10 to 15 blocks. Most of the time there was someone to walk with.

One thing was good about this job you got paid by the pounds and they paid you every time you went to the scaler to weigh up on the amount that you had picked. The job only lasted during crab season so after that I went back home. It was a great job while it lasted.

I'm very happy that Aunt Hattie and Uncle Scott let me stay there with them so that I could earn a few dollars. At that time period that is about all you did earned.

Ivey Galloway 1916-1967

By Mae Louisa Ratcliff-Godley

The way we met some would say that is a NO! NO! This girl friend and I were on our way to the County Fair. Walking from town to the fair ground when these two men in a car keep stopping and asking where we were going and that if we would get in the car they would carry us there. We never got in the car then. We went on to the fair; this was in 1938 in September, I think. Well they came on to the fair and found us. We had lots of fun on the rides and they seamed like nice guys. so we let them take us to see a store this other man owned that he wanted Mary my friend to run for him. Mary decided to take him up on the offer if I would stay with her and help her out. There were living quarters in the back of the store.

We moved in and went to work. Ivey, would come by ever day or night. Then disaster stuck so I thought. Ivey came by one night and told me he had struck a man with his car. The man was drunk and walked out in front of him. I asked did he stop? He said no I had to come and see you and tell you about it myself. I said, "you have got to go back up town and give yourself up." He said, "O.K. I know they will put me in jail but don't come to see me as I don't want you to see you through bars."

Ivey got out on bond and at the trial he was set free as it was ruled accidental. November he asked me to marry him. I was crazy in love with that brown eyed handsome man but it seemed we were moving too fast. So one night he said, "I will ask you again... if you say no that will be it. What is your answer?" I said yes and we took off for Virginia with a friend of Ivey's. It was the 26th of November 1938. Snow on the ground icicles on the light wires about a yard long. When we got there the one that sells the marriage license was in bed. We called and woke him up; he was ill and said if you insisted on me coming out this time of night I will make you pay double to marry you. It was about 11 o'clock p.m. so we decided to wait until the next morning. We went to the edge of town where this place of business stayed open all night long. Ivey told the man our circumstances and he was kind enough to let us stay in the kitchen until the next morning so we wouldn't freeze to death in the car. So we married on November 26, 1938 on a Sunday morning.

We came back and stayed with his mother a short while. We moved into his Aunt’s where we had one room furnished. Then we moved to Wilson, NC and farmed there to 1940. We left and went to Norfolk, VA to live. In 1942 Ivey was drafted into the service. Was in service till 1946. I followed him whenever I could, stayed in Presgoe, Maine five or six months and Manchester, New Hampshire about 2 1/2 years. After Ivey's discharge we went back to Norfolk to his old job.

After a few years we moved back to North Carolina; were we farmed Daddy's farm for about two years. Then it was on to Jacksonville, North Carolina in 1948. Went into the grocery store business there. We had been married almost twenty years and were not blessed with any children. After a long time we decided to adopt a child, so in 1958 our adopted daughter was born, Brenda Faye. We were such a happy family just the three of us. Life couldn't have been any better for us.

Nine short years later on a Sunday September 17, 1967 our marriage ended with Ivey's death by drowning. My life has never been the same with out My Brown Eyed andsome Lover. I know some day we will meet again.

Memories of My Brother's Wifes

By Mae Louisa Ratcliff-Godley

Cassie Anderson Craddock-Ratcliff 1919-1946

The month I lived with Buddy and Cassie was great. I enjoyed the children and Cassie and me got along like sisters. We worked together and laughed together just like two young girls. Cassie really liked to do outside work more than inside. She had some material so I would set and sew dresses for her; it was so nice because we both wore the same size. I would fit them to myself and wouldn't have to bother her to try them on. When she got sick and passed away so fast I couldn't hardly handle it. It didn't seam real, Cassie and myself were the same age. It was hard to understand how someone so young to die so early in life-- we were both 26 years old. Cassie took sick and in three weeks later she died of Leukemia in 1945. I'm glad that she didn't have to suffer any longer.

Helen Louise Squires-Ratcliff 1929-1955

Louise, my brother's second wife and myself met when I came home on a visit. She was young and lively and a very good housekeeper. When I came home it wasn't for a long visit so therefore I never got really close to her. She loved me and I loved her; she would share things with me about Daddy and Buddy... just family talk. Again when she fell sick and died it was like a shock it being Christmas Eve and the tree up and all the gifts under it that she didn't get to open. I can't even remember what year it was, but I believe it was either 1953 or 1954. Louise had diabetes and had made many goodies for Christmas. I had heard that she had been sampling the candy and other goodies and that was something that she shouldn't have done. Louise was only 26 years old when she was taken away. With the little time that I got to know her she was a really sweet gal. My brother lost Cassie and Louise, both at the age of 26 years old. My brother was saddened by the loss of his wives at such a young age.

Marion Evelyn Lane-Ratcliff 1933-Living

Evelyn, was my brother's (Horace) third marriage. Evelyn was once again many years his senior. This marriage lasted a full 37 years ending with the death of my brother in 1994. I got to know Evelyn very well over the years. After Ivey, passed away I moved to Washington, North Carolina. To be closer to my brother and his wife. Buddy ( was my nick name for him) and Evelyn lived out in the country so every Sunday after Church I would go and take supper with them. Buddy and Evelyn, were told many years ago that they were going to have a baby. Evelyn, had stated putting on great amounts of weigh and they were looking forward to the great avent. After many months the doctors told Evelyn, that she had Elephantits. With would attouct for the great weigh gain. Though all these years she has had her ups and downs with this decese. I can remember many years ago when the doctors told her that her leg was it such a bad way that they need to remove it from the knee down. Evelyn, said "NO" that she didn't want to live if she didn't have both of her legs. Then later the doctors told her that she wouldn't live very much longer if she didn't have her leg removed from the hip down. Again Evelyn, said "NO" she must of knew something that the doctors didn't know because she is still living to day with her new husband and doing fairly well. She still has to take care with her leg but does get around.