Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Your Ancestors in the 1930s Great Depression

  From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  What did your ancestral families do during the Great Depression (1930-1940)?  Did they keep their jobs and standard of living?  Did they suffer personally or economically?  

2)  Share your information about your ancestors in the Great Depression in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook or other social media post.  Please leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

Here's mine:

My paternal grandparents, Lusion Keman 'Loosh' Tapley (1870-1935) and Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley (1895-1970) resided in Johnson County, Georgia, between Kite and Bartow during the 1920's and early 1930's.  They had six children at home (5 boys and 1 girl), including my father, the youngest.  They were farmers and things got hard after the 1930 census.  They lost their home and had to move into a rental house in Wadley.  I believe this is what led to Loosh's passing in 1935.  He was a broken man after he lost the farm.  

In the 1930 census, they owned their own home.  There is no value listed on the census, but they owned it.  Papa was 57 and Grandma Nealie was 35 years old.  

I asked Gemini about the conditions for farmers in Georgia after the stock market crash.  Here is its reply:

    "Following the 1929 stock market crash, the condition for farmers in Georgia was already dire, as the state had been struggling with agricultural decline for most of the 1920s.  The crash served as a catalyst that intensified these existing hardships into a full-scale catastrophe."

    "Even before 1929, Georgia farmers faced significant obstacles:

    *    The Boll Weevil: Arriving in Georgia around 1915, this pest ravaged cotton crops, causing a massive decline in production and profitability.

    *    Soil Depletion: Decades of "cash-crop" agriculture (focusing almost exclusively on cotton) exhausted the soil. Practices like intertilling and poor contour plowing led to severe erosion and reduced land productivity.

    *    Economic Pressures: Farmers were struggling with falling cotton prices, high debt from purchasing new machinery they could barely afford, and a major three-year drought that began in 1925.

    When the stock market crashed, the situation for the state's predominantly rural population (69% in 1930) deteriorated further:

    *    Widespread Poverty: The typical farm family lived without electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing. Diets were poor, often consisting only of molasses, fatback, and cornbread.

    *    Foreclosures and Sharecropping: As bank failures spread and loans dried up, many farmers could not pay their debts and were forced off their land. By the onset of the Great Depression, approximately 2/3 of Georgia's farmland rather than owners.

    *    The 1930-1931 Drought: To make matters worse, the state experienced its worst drought on record shortly after the crash, which decimated what little production remained."

    According to the Mortgage Default filed by the The Federal Land Bank of Columbia (South Carolina), my grandparents borrowed $1,000 to buy their home and land in May of 1924.  There were two parcels of land; one was 58 1/2 acres and the other was 142 acres. By March of 1932, they were behind three payments in the total amount of $97.50.  So their home was foreclosed and sold "at public outcry before the courthouse door" on March 1, 1932 for $750 cash.  I am betting that my grandparents owed the bank the other $250 plus interest and fees after the sale.  

    My grandparents moved into rental housing. They and their older sons because sharecroppers.  My grandfather died in 1935, probably from a broken heart. My grandmother was left with six children from ages 19 down to 7 to support on her own.  They moved around a lot, probably following the jobs.  

    My maternal grandparents, Charles Morgan Tapley (1907-1973) and Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley (1913-1973) were not married to each other until the late 1930s.  My grandfather lived with his first wife and her parents in Covina, California on the 1930 census.  He was listed as a Preacher.  

    My maternal grandmother was 16 years old and lived in Redlands, California according to the 1930 census. Her parents owned their home and its value was $6,000. They also owned a radio, whereas my paternal grandparents did not. Her father (Luther Boardman Ranney [1870-1943]) is listed as a Pruner for private families.  Grandma Ethel mentions in her diary from that time that her father (age 60 in 1930) did work for the WPA (Works Progress Administration) during the 1930's.  The family seemed to survive the Great Depression well because she doesn't mention any hardships.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 9): Disaster

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm probably going to be always behind on this exercise so don't go by the date and week I'm writing about and take it as accurate.  (Yes, I skipped Week 8... for now.)

When I heard the prompt for this week, a topic came to mind immediately.  In 1932, my Papa and Grandma Tapley (Lusion Keman Tapley, 1870-1935 and Nealie Drake Tapley, 1895-1970) lost their property in the Great Depression.  It was a disaster in their world... and they never recovered from it.

On November 26, 1894, Papa purchased 147 acres of land in the 55th G.M. of Johnson County from R.L. Tapley.  I believe that was his uncle, Robert L. Tapley.  This land was located kind of "behind" his parents' land, in the Fortner Pond area.

Here is a plat for the land when Papa had it surveyed in 1915:

On April 5, 1906, Papa paid $500 to J.M. Tapley for 58 acres of land in the 1326th G.M. of Johnson County.  J.M. was Lusion's father, James (Jim) Madison Tapley.  From what I was always told,  Jim did that for all of his children - sold (gave) them a piece of property off their homestead.



Papa was a farmer.  He had a total of 10 children. That was a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of feet to keep shoes on.  Farming is hard work and is has many bad years to withstand.  While, I don't know the exact reasons why Papa and Grandma borrowed money on their land, I am sure it was to keep the family afloat.

So on May 17, 1924, they took out a mortgage on both plots of land for $1,000.  The semi-annual payments were to be $32.50 made payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year for sixty-five annual payments.  (Now there is a lot of fine print in the note that I don't quite understand, but I hope I've shared the gist of it.)

Five years later, in 1929, the stock market crashed.  Shortly after that, the country fell into the Great Depression.  It was not over officially until 1933, but I'm sure the effects lingered until World War II.  It had clearly been a tough time for my grandparents because they got behind on their mortgage payments, and on March 1, 1932, the bank foreclosed, and their property, their livelihood, their home was sold on the courthouse steps to satisfy their debt.

I cannot even imagine how humiliating and sad that was for this family.  At the time they had probably six children still at home - ages from 17 down to 3.  Not only did they have to find somewhere to live, they had to find new jobs... because they no longer had their farm.

According to his death certificate, Papa never worked again after that.  The family moved to Wadley, and Papa died there on July 3, 1935.  He was sick near the end of his life, but it has never been clear what the ailment was.  His death certificate is quite readable except for the cause of death.  I can only make out "Heart" something.  I remember my father telling a story about how one of his cousins would come take Papa for a ride in the car every now and again to cheer him up.  Did he die of a broken heart?  Very possible, I believe.

As far as my Grandma Nealie, she had a tough life.  When Papa died, she was 39 years old with about 4 children left to raise.  There may have been more that were over 18 still living at home.  She had to go to work.  She did a little bit of everything.  She took in laundry or sewing, she sharecropped, she worked at the phone company in Kite.  She never owned her own home again; she rented and then when she got older, she lived with her son, Russ, and, after his death, in a public housing apartment in Augusta.

It's not that she didn't have family support and love.  She did.  But they didn't have money to share.  However, Grandma Nealie had a strong faith in God.  I am sure that her faith and devotion is what got her through the hard times.  I was told that when the family was living in Wadley, she would drive a horse and buggy almost 10 miles to get to Powell's Chapel Church to play the organ every Sunday.  She wanted to give back, no matter how little she had.

This disaster in their lives had far-reaching effects throughout the next generations.  The children did not stay in Johnson County and moved away.  The grandchildren did not know Johnson County or the life their parents and grandparents led there.  The losing of their home forever changed the trajectory and tapestry of the Tapley family.

Those Places Thursday: Wadley, Georgia

Current address:  1384 Coleman Chapel Road, Wadley, Jefferson County, Georgia

In 1932, my paternal grandparents, Lusion Keman Tapley and Nealie Drake Tapley, lost their home in Johnson County, Georgia to foreclosure.  They had to move.  I don't know why, but they ended up living over in Jefferson County, in Wadley, in a rental house. Amazingly, the house is still standing, and I took the above pictures in 2009.

My Papa Lusion became ill while they lived here.  I am not sure exactly what the illness was, but he would seem to go out of his head and not realize what he was doing.  He was a big man - somewhere over 6 feet and well built to boot.  Therefore, the family had to lock him in the bedroom.  Believe it or not, the funniest story in my father's family's history comes from these sad circumstances.  Now this story is really meant to be shared verbally for the most effect, but I will try to get the point across here.

Lusion Keman Tapley on right - between 1903-1912

One evening while she was cooking supper, Grandma Nealie told my Uncle Dempsey and my father, Gilbert, to take their father's medicine in to him and have him take it.  (Dempsey would have been about age 12 and Gilbert about 6.)  Dempsey took the medicine in while Gilbert stood back by the door.  Lusion was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, with his cheeks resting in his hands.  Dempsey says to his father, "Daddy, Mama said to take your medicine."  Lusion says, "I don't want no medicine."  Dempsey repeats, "Daddy, Mama said it's time to take your medicine."  Lusion again says, "I don't want no medicine."  And my father, Gilbert, ever the wise-cracker, says very loudly, "Don't beg him, Demp!  Just grab him and pour it down him!"  ...  and that's when all HELL broke loose.  Lusion jumped up from the bed and slapped poor Uncle Dempsey across the room while the medicine went flying in the opposite direction.  My father ran out of the room and locked Dempsey IN the bedroom with their father.  Dempsey is beating on the door and begging Gilbert to let him out.  Papa Lusion just simply sat back down on the bed and assumed the same position he was in when the boys entered the room.

Gilbert finally let Dempsey out, who promptly ran to their mother crying (And this where the verbal telling is handy because evidently Dempsey had quite a cry... kind of "WAA - HAA" in a whiny voice.) and told her what happened.  She promptly fixed more medicine, took it to the bedroom and said to Papa, "Lush!  Why'd you go and do that?"  And Papa took his medicine from her without a word of protest. 

Now some of you will be horrified hearing that story and think "child abuse."  But Uncle Dempsey wasn't hurt and it was a different time back then.  In addition, Papa didn't know what he was doing... he would have been devastated if he had.  (As a matter of fact, the story was that during this time, he burned Aunt Irene's doll in the fireplace, and once Grandma told him what he had done and he comprehended it, he was very upset.) However, this story was always one of the top stories told when any of the brothers got together.  It was always a favorite of mine to hear.  I am sure hearing it from the horses' mouths - Uncle Dempsey and Daddy - added something to it.  

Papa Lusion passed away from heart disease in July 1935.  Daddy was only 7 years old.  When it happened, Grandma sent Daddy down the road to his brother's (James or "Fella" as he was called) house for help.  I cannot imagine being 7 years old and having to make that trip.  

Uncle James's house is still there too, though in disrepair:

Grandma and the children moved soon after Papa died.  I am sure she couldn't afford the rent.  They moved around a lot from 1935 until Daddy was grown in the mid to late 1940s. 

I am sure that this place held a lot of memories for my father.  Not only was it where he lost his father at such a young age, but it was also the time of his life (age 5-7) that he began to form lasting memories.  He spoke of their time in Wadley a good bit. 

Fearless Females Blogging Prompts

In honor of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month. 

I have yet to participate in this series.  There just doesn't seem to be enough days in the week for all the daily blogging prompts out there!  So since I had a quiet Saturday night, I thought I would catch some of these that I missed.  Warning:  This could be a loooong post.  

March 1 — Do you have a favorite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

I believe that one of my favorite female ancestors would be one of my paternal great-grandmothers, Rebecca Page Tapley. What I want to learn about Becky are not her vital statistics... I have most of those, if not all. I know that she was the daughter of Solomon Page, a wealthy landowner. I know that she was married to a cousin who was killed during the Civil War before she married my great-grandfather, James Madison (Jim) Tapley. What I wish I could do is confirm some of the stories that I have heard about her... like she was a fiery redhead who ruled the roost with an iron fist; that she actually did tell her grandson to dress as a woman to "hide in plain sight" from the military when he went AWOL during World War I; or that she hit a man with a hammer when she saw him abusing his wife. She sounded like such a character... if even half of the stories are true!

 

March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

This is my maternal grandmother, Ethel Ranney Tapley.

We can only guess, but Mom and I believe this was taken before she married... so about 1932-33... maybe about the time she was writing her diary. She would have been in her early 20's. I selected this photo because she looks happy, carefree, and fun, and she didn't have a chance to be that way much in her life.

 March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

Not a first name, but my middle name, Elizabeth was given to me in honor of my aunt, Elizabeth Taylor Tapley, the wife of my father's brother, John Russell Tapley. She was such a sweet lady; I'm afraid I could never live up to her name.

(I've always been grateful that I wasn't named after either of my grandmothers!)

 March 4 — Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

My paternal grandparents, Lusion Keman Tapley and Nealie Drake were married April 5, 1914 at the courthouse in Louisville, Jefferson County, Georgia. I have not pictures. It was his third marriage (both wives died) and her first. He had four children and was 25 years older. Based on comments my grandmother made, her family was not thrilled with the union, because of the facts stated. All indications, though, are that they loved each other very much. Papa died in 1935. My grandmother never remarried and lived until 1970.
My maternal grandparents, Charles Morgan Tapley and Ethel Ranney were married December 3, 1939 in San Bernardino County, California. I do not know exactly where. However I do have a picture:

It was the second marriage for both, and they each had one child. They were together until they died on the same day in 1973, almost 34 years later. (See this post for the story.)

March 5 — How did they meet? You’ve documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your grandparents met?

Lusion and Nealie met at a cane grinding. Those were big social events at the time, and it explains how two people who lived far apart by the standards of the day met each other.

Charles and Ethel met when he was the ice man. He delivered ice to her home one day, saw her son, Bobby, in the kitchen and commented what a pretty little girl she was. My grandmother indignantly replied that he was a boy. I guess the rest, as they say, is history.

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

This was my maternal great-grandmother's (Bessie Carter Ranney) china head doll. The story of this doll is here.

March 7 — Share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. Why is this dish your favorite? If you don’t have one that’s been passed down, describe a favorite holiday or other meal you shared with your family.

There were no recipes passed down in my family; just cookbooks.  My mother makes wonderful cornbread, as I've mentioned before, but there is no recipe.  It's just a couple of scoops of cornmeal, a little self-rising flour, and water.  You have to learn the feel of it.  

I do remember that every Christmas Eve, Mom and Dad would make oyster stew for dinner, and I would eat waffles.  

March 8 — Did one of your female ancestors leave a diary, journal, or collection of letters? Share an entry or excerpt.

Grandma Ethel kept a diary for 1933 and part of 1934 which I have been sharing here on this blog on Fridays for the past 9 weeks.  Her mother, Bessie, also kept a diary that my mother and I are in disagreement at the moment as to which one of us has it in our possession.  Never fear:  It WILL be located and shared here... someday.

March 9 — Take a family document (baptismal certificate, passenger list, naturalization petition, etc.) and write a brief narrative using the information.

I'm afraid I have to pass on this one... not all documents are scanned yet.

March 10 — What role did religion play in your family? How did your female ancestors practice their faith? If they did not, why didn’t they? Did you have any female ancestors who served their churches in some capacity?

My grandma Nealie was very active in her church, Powell's Chapel Methodist Church in Johnson County, Georgia.  She played the piano there and drove her horse and buggy for 10-15 miles from Wadley to attend church on Sundays.  

I am not sure about Grandma Ethel.  Her husband was very religious and even became a preacher in the Four Square Church, but I do not know how she acted out her faith.

My mother is very religious.  She tried to raise me in the church, but due to circumstances beyond her control, she couldn't get me to church every Sunday.  Now that my father has passed away, she is very active in her church.  

March 11 — Did you have any female ancestors who died young or from tragic or unexpected circumstances? Describe and how did this affect the family.

I honestly cannot think of any unless you count my grandma Ethel dying the same day as her husband, Charles (see reference above).  Those were definitely unexpected circumstances.

March 12 — Working girl: Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation. 

My mother worked every day for Southern Bell, BellSouth, and then AT&T.  She retired after almost 40 years of service.  

Grandma Nealie mostly farmed; the only outside job I know she had was as a telephone exchange operator in Kite, Georgia. (Yes, she plugged those cords into a board just like you've seen on TV!)

Grandma Ethel had a few odd jobs before she married my grandfather, but once she got married and became ill, she did not ever hold another job outside the home.   

Whew!  I'm caught up now.  If you have hung in here this far, thank you.