THERE WAS A HOUSE ON THE TWENTY ACRES, WITH TWO ROOMS OF ABOUT TWELVE BY TWELVE FEET EACH AND A FAMILY LIVED IN IT, BY THE NAME OF SUNDAY. IT WAS NOT MUCH OF A HOUSE FOR THE WOODEN FLOOR HAD CRACKS IN IT YOU COULD ROLL MARBLES THROUGH, AND THE ROOF WAS TIN. THE WIND WOULD BLOW THROUGH THE WALLS AND THE DOORS. IT HAD TWO WINDOWS, ONE IN EACH ROOM, WITH THE GLASS BROKEN OUT. THE DEPRESSION CAME, OR BAD TIMES, I DON’T KNOW WHICH, AND DADDY LOST THE FARM IN SUMMERDALE, ALABAMA.
THE MANCILL FAMILY WERE VERY DEVOUT CHURCH OF CHRIST PEOPLE. MY FATHER WAS A CHURCH OF CHRIST PREACHER.
IN 1931 WE HAD TO MOVE INTO THE SMALL HOUSE ON THE HIGHWAY 98 BETWEEN SUMMERDALE & ROBERTSDALE, BUT BEFORE WE DID DADDY HAD TO GET THE LAW OUT THERE TO MAKE THE FAMILY THAT LIVED THERE MOVE OUT. THEY WERE RENTING THE HOUSE FROM DADDY OR HE WAS JUST LETTING THEM LIVE THERE FOR NOTHING. THEY DID FINALLY MOVE OUT, AND WE MOVED INTO IT. THERE WERE TEN OF US AND WE COOKED AND ATE IN ONE ROOM AND SLEPT IN THE OTHER. IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, DADDY STARTED TO BUILD ONTO THE SMALL HOUSE WITH A TWO STORY BUILDING THAT BECAME OUR HOME. IT HAD THE KITCHEN IN THE SAME PART OF THE OLD HOUSE, AND THE DINING ROOM WHERE THE BED ROOM WAS, AND ADDED A LIVING ROOM, BED ROOM AND A ROOM THAT THE HEATER WAS IN. THE UPSTAIRS WAS ONE BIG OPEN ROOM WHERE ALL OF US KIDS SLEPT. HE WAS A GOOD CARPENTER AND COULD BUILD ANYTHING. I REMEMBER THIS HOME MORE THEN THE OTHERS. WE LIVED THERE TILL I WAS ABOUT 18 YEARS OLD.
WE WERE IN THE ROBERTSDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I STARTED TO SCHOOL IN THE SECOND GRADE. WE HAD TO WALK TO SCHOOL ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILES. THE ROAD WAS RED CLAY AND MUDDY WHEN IT RAINED. THEY DID PAVE THE ROAD AFTER ABOUT FIVE YEARS THEN THEY RAN A BUS TO THE LUCKY-2 GAS STATION THAT WAS A THOUSAND YARDS FROM OUR HOUSE. I REMEMBER SOME OF THE THINGS AND SOME OF THE GAMES WE PLAYED AT SCHOOL, MARBLES, BASEBALL, SOCCER, AND RING-AROUND -THE-ROSEY. THE TEACHERS AT SCHOOL WERE GOOD TO US AND DID THEIR JOB WELL. IF YOU GOT OUT OF LINE THEY KNEW HOW TO PUT YOU BACK ON TRACK QUICK.
I REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE PLAYED MARBLES WE WERE ON OUR KNEES ON THE GROUND AND OUR PANTS LEGS GOT HOLES IN THEM. MOTHER WOULD PATCH THEM AND WE GOT TEASED ABOUT THE HOLES AND PATCHES. BUT WE WORE THEM ANY WAY. WE CARRIED OUR LUNCH TO SCHOOL AND OTHER KIDS MADE FUN OF THE BISCUITS AND SWEET POTATOES WE BROUGHT TO EAT, BUT THEY WERE ALL WE HAD AND WERE GOOD.
I REMEMBER MY GRANDFATHER MANCILL, EDMOND “ED” MANCILL, COMING TO STAY WITH US AFTER THE ROAD WAS PAVED. HE WOULD SIT ON THE FRONT PORCH AND WATCH THE CARS GO BY. HE SAID HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CARS WENT BY LIKE THEY DID BECAUSE THEY WAS NOT GOING VERY FAR OR STAYING VERY LONG BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL COMING RIGHT BACK REAL SOON. HE LIKED TO PLAY THE GAME OF FOX AND GEESE. HE WAS GOOD AT IT BUT HE WOULD LOSE TO US AND SAY “OH I DIDN’T MEAN TO DO THAT” AND LAUGH. I DON’T REMEMBER GRANDMOTHER MANCILL OR GRANDFATHER WILSON BECAUSE THEY DIED BEFORE I WAS BORN OR I WAS TO YOUNG AT THE TIME.
THE COLD WINTERS WERE BAD SOMETIMES AND WE HAD TO CUT STOVEWOOD TO COOK WITH AND PICK UP PINE KNOTS TO BURN IN THE HEATER TO KEEP WARM BY. WE WOULD GO TO THE WOODS, THAT WAS OPEN LAND, WITH THE MULES AND WAGON AND USE A CROSSCUT SAW WITH TWO OF US, ONE ON EACH END AND CUT THE PINE TREE DOWN AND SAW IT INTO LONG LOGS AND LOAD IT INTO THE WAGON AND WE WOULD HAUL LOAD AFTER LOAD OF PINE LOGS TO THE HOUSE, THEN SAW THEM INTO BLOCKS OF ABOUT 18 INCHES, AND SPLIT THEM UP TO FIT THE COOKING STOVE. WE USED PINE WOOD TO COOK ON SUMMER AND WINTER.
Mancill Family Genealogy 