The land had been in Larry Freeman's family since 1873

Larry Freeman
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

 

It has been over a decade since I first met Larry Freeman and his wife Shirley Freeman. The last time I visited their farm was a few years ago, when Shirley had her cage-free chicken roaming freely around the yard when I visited them for the first time.  In my last visit to her house, she told me that some animal had eaten all her chicken, and that she was very disappointed. It is my guess that she did not want to go through that experience again. During the course of her farm experiment, she had set up a honey bee hive as part of her research. There is only one guinea fowl that Shirley has now.

They live on a fifteen-acres plot of land that is home to beautiful  horses and cows which roam freely throughout the lush green pastures behind their house. Honestly, I was just curious to see what Larry day  was like on the farm, so I decided to follow him around the farm to see what he was up too. There is a lot that Larry needs to accomplish in a day, so he starts his morning very early. It was 10 am, in the morning when I met up with him, which is late for a cattleman like him. 

He gave me a tour of the fifteen acres of beautiful pastures. Beautiful meadow glistened with yellow wildflowers as the sun glistened on them, as horses freely grazed in the fields while being surrounded by the beauty of the sunshine. He took me on an additional forty-acres where he planned to move the cows later on in the week after we spent some time touring the fifteen acres. His attention was drawn to one of his cows lying down in the distance. He just wanted to make sure the cow was okay. In 1873, his ancestors purchased 160 acres of land on the original tract of 160 acres of land that was located further up the road. It is easy for me to understand why Larry says that with such pride.

"There are few people who can really say that they still own the land in their family since the 1800s? In 1888, my family purchased two hundred acres of land, but what happened to the land is a mystery to me. My maternal 3rd great-grandfather Robert Harrell bought the land along with his son, my 2nd great grandfather Alexander Harrell."

After we arrived, Larry pointed out a beautiful old oak tree that held so many memories for him.  The memories he holds in his mind are something I would like to see visually. The old oak tree brought back memories of playing, climbing, and sitting under it for Larry.  My great-grandmother Emma's homestead in Amite, Louisiana, had an old oak tree, which I fondly remember playing under with my brothers and cousins during the hot summer days. 

Cattle graze the land, feeding and giving birth to calves. Whenever Larry pulls up, cows and calves moo like a chore.Grazing on the new pastures was their desire. It wasn't time for them to rotate into a new pasture yet. There was no end to the ringing of the phone for Larry. In the middle of our day we were interrupted by a phone call and he was forced to attend to some farm matters, and that was the end of our day. Larry understands the power of land ownership. Educating their children and grandchildren about land ownership is a priority for him and his wife Shirley 

Doretha Baker Jackson of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

Doretha Baker Jackson
Photo Courtesy: Pat Jackson

Doretha Baker Jackson was married to Sam Jackson. They lived in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana., all their life. Doretha was known for working hard in the field. Her granddaughter Pat Jackson said her grandmother worked in the fields planting vegetables. She died from a heat stroke in the field where she spent most of her time.

Eugene Edwards Was Rented Out By His Father For Eight Dollars A Week

Eugene Edward
Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr. 

Eugene "Brother"  Edwards was born in 1923 in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. At the age of 93 years old, he still plants his crops and harvests it himself.  He pulled himself up on his old tractor and got to work disking his rolls for planting. I wasn't there just to interview him, I wanted to watch him work, so I dare not stop him from his day's work.  He uses to plant nearly twenty acres of land, nowadays, he's not planting near that much. He breaks for lunch and returns in the evening. No matter how hot the summer days get, he'll be out there planting and working.  The cold days can't stop him when it comes to planting. It's his way to feed himself and making a few extra dollars for the month. He left and went up to Detroit and worked in the plant for a while. I guess you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. Eugene returned back to the Deep South and never left again. 

Eugene still heats himself up in the winter with his old pot belly wood burning stove, while cooking a pot of fresh red beans and some fresh collard and mustard greens for dinner.  When visiting with him, it seems as though time stood still in his neck of the woods. The old wooden house stood the test of time.

He told me how his father rented him out to an old white man. The old white man furnished his room and board and paid the eight dollars to his father, Ben Edwards. According to his registration draft card, he lived with his father Ben Edwards at the age of twenty-three-year-old at RFD #1, Amite, La.; He was farming with his father. Eugene signed his name on the registration card.

His parents Ben and Annie Williams Edwards." His mother Annie died at a young age after falling off a horse and died from complications," said Sharonne Hall, a cousin to Eugene Edwards. This was the oral passed to Sharonne by her grandmother, Luella Butler Johnson Morris, a first cousin to Eugene."

Luella and Eugene were a couple of months apart in age. His father later married a woman by the of name Careetha. His siblings were; Geneva, Estelle, James, Willie, Shadrack, Abednego, and Machae. His three brothers were after the men in the Bible.

Eugene Edwards
Photo Credit: Walter C. Black

Farming is in the DNA of Eugene, and he will plant and harvest until he just can no longer do what he love and enjoy doing. Eugene can recall the names and history of the people who make up the Parish of St. Helena.  He came from a long line of farmers and learning the art of farming from some of the best. And yes! He plants by the moon and stands by the Farmer's Almanac like most farmers. 

It has been a long time since I visit him last. I can see the hard work of farming has taken a toll on his body. He was walking bent over more than he was several years ago. His son moved next door, and his grandchildren help him harvest the crops. 

"Are there any lessons we can learn from Eugene," yes there are? If only we would take the time out to talk with him. There aren't that many people his age left that we can talk to about the era he came up in and what he experience and witness. I was delighted to introduce him to Eddie Ponds, owner of the African American Newspaper in Ponchatoula, Louisiana.  Eddie and I talked about his oral history project, and I thought Eugene's story would be a great story to write about. 

I wish I had more farmer that I can interview about planting, harvesting and storing what you grew. My grandfather Jasper Harrell, Sr. was a farmer. He passed away when I was two years old. Although I learned some lessons of planting from his brother Palmer Harrell.  Their mother Emma Mead Harrell was a farmer. They lived in the place that Emma purchased in 1896 and 1902. She farmed about twenty acres. And she drove her mule and wagon to town to sell her produce. 

Eddie and I both were happy to see that he was still physically and mentally able to continue what he loves. There always somebody visiting him and talking with him, The wisdom and his vast sense of humor keep the visitors coming. 

Eugene Edwards Registration Card