Oral History Interview: America Jarrell
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Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar 0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection Digitized Manuscript Collections 1973 Oral History Interview: America Jarrell America Jarrell Follow this and additional works at: https://mds.marshall.edu/oral_history Recommended Citation Marshall University Special Collections, OH64-35, Huntington, WV. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Digitized Manuscript Collections at Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in 0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MARSHALL UNIVERSITY JAMES E. MORROW LIBRARY n.S~ccrA-~·.::...::; HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA 25701 ORAL HISTORY GIFT AND RELEASE AGREEMENT I , '__/,-rr, JL/1 , the undersigned, of ~ _ __,,:.-.=--=-~""-J;=~:,__~_;.;_.r...::,~(/.;.,i.J..IV\.6~tf'>1,,/::W~ ......~...;._ , County of vf!o-tr??..?/L:;J_ _, State of ~qzf_4.... , , grant, convey, and transfer to the James E. Morrow Library Associates, a division of The Marshall University Foundation, Inc., an educational and elee.~osynary institution, all my right, title, interest, and literary property rights in and to my testimony recorded on ~~ - [- , ~ /4 , 1 ~23, to be used for scholarly purposes, including study and rights to reprodu~tior.. Open and usable after my review. initial Closed for a period of years. initial ----- Closed for my lifetime. initial Closed for my lifetime unless special permission initial is gained from me or my assigns. / ) Date ✓ - JL/ ') { ,(/_.,n-JA-<.'-<'.mJ U-o/1/.!..,<_J! 1?, .' -------"------- (Signature - I-nterviewee) ;''1 f}6 y, ,;/cf E.,r. Vi<./ _';Ji . Addres's 11~i[1i1l~111l11l[1~~~~ioo1~lijij[1i11~~11 1170324855 1\JN ......,,.., A -::Y°l'Y1>..n.7"'&~J.fl)..-r. H'll.l.-S ~ r -,\ :i -1 ,, ,c, J. ,1 "'--' £:1. ] ai~rell T al~e§ ' Delight iKll Beingf tli§ trjiy~oolt' . .. ' - ' .· . · By John G. Morg!ln .:· ··t went to Madison, then known as Boone~ • Stnff Writer town. But "som~timl'S we would i,::o up as far as ·Aunt Ducky's who lived up the riv• -· Mrs. iarrell \VM; bor~ at _Twilight, er." This was two or three miles up the :\unt Ducky was the one whll told the lie flows Boone County, March I, 1878. She lived for wes t (ork of Pond Fork, which into Sia· told about Trouncer harking and many ye~rs at Bcrndytnwn, nc~ir Twilight,. Little Co:il Ri\"er. bJrking ni ght. Mrs. Jarrell i3 the mother of tl:rce chil b st As a cl1il~ _she· traveled litUe. She n~vcr H~ barked so much that P3p got up, put dren: Bessie Jarrell, 75, of Ch.1rl eslon, his clothes on and went outside and found a and Claudi" and George Cecil Jarrel( both little bitty baby, crying. deceased. Her husband, Jacob Jarrell, PJp brcught the baby insid e and gave il who cut timber, built fences ai1d farmed, to :,.[oth.::r to ke€p until it got big enough died several years ngo. to w alk. Her contribulicn to the oral hi~lory p~o 1i'\at was the end of the lie , told to r-.·trs. ject indudes vivid early memori ~ or sto Ac:t: ricJ .l:!rrell. 97, when she was a little len sugar c:i.ke;,, stolen d ewing tcJhacco, girl. • • • · a father \',ho never got drunk, capturrd _ . bears, a rattlesnake seen whil e ginseng ESSE:--iTfALLY, THE lie was an early · · · hunting, shfep ravaged by wolve:-, ~plash verslun of th-? stork story, told to littlP. dams, baptism in ice water, hoedown children t:-, explain the presence of _a new dances, oxen. mules, hard wint ers and a baby. midwife named "Granny Dick." ~.lrs. Jur~ll, who was th~ fourth of 10 She mentions two pieces or '1dVice she child ren. tJkes delight in tclli:ig th~ lie as received from her parenlc:, Leftric!g'.! ar:d she h~ard if from her Aunt Ducky in the Olly Miller. hm g ago. ·~ · • . : "The first thing was to stay out of bad · Tht> l~H't a tape recordinr, as p-'rt of a company. The nt~:-:t thing was to honor thy l~n gt hv com,ersation Mrs. Jarrell had father and mother, and thy days shall be with: her great nephew, Gaiy ~llller, a pro!ongt:d here on c.1rth. I can rem~mber te2..-: her at Sissonville Junior High Schco'i. daddy sayinr, that." Th~ recordi!lg. made morP thari two On the subject of scg.1 r cz: kes. !he s:iys: \·ea rs :1;:?0 , is included in th~ Marshall "Ye:, sir, I stole man:; a one . We m<!de lJn i·:~rs:ty collection on the oral history of homem~de sug:i.r, tapj::ed th e trees, Ao ca\3chia. l.~W~~i;~.u- packed the water. I packed the water, .Si ne~ the interview, Mrs. J;!rrell's boiled it down in lw? big kettles. h~alth has declined somewh at. Sh e now Mrs. America Jerrell liv~s in a r. u:-sing home in Madison. In Oral History Book (Please Torn to Page 2A, Col. 2) '( f ,: _; Tho Ch~rlest~ -Goze{a 1001 Virginia St_ E. q[ _J., Chcrlestan, W. Vo. 25330 J,/.2'1//§ .,_! · .•./\ _.:- .··· ,· /"• •• ·-• ······-·••"' "' '' ..... .. .· - -· · .. 1~MX::~}i%\~~5i:Qi/ "But I never toUchl?d one (sugar rai:e). unless it was broke on, but goodby when . it Was broke on. Npw : \, . I ain't.goiTlg to ._\ell you a _He. if I know__it A lie w!ll s"1nd_ in- -1 .Ju.dgmenl;-N(!w)·,;.tole .~.h.e~:l wa~ a-chil_d.:1 - : 3t bonie.'.' ~-.-; :'J\7~ ~ ;,, ~·-.:~·/ .:: !- _;?/1\: .\-::·i~~ j _.. .::: Mrs.·Jartelt:lS. 3Sked When She·started'\ :. _ :·~he·.ting_tobaCCO '.t\~·:-.· ·;·: ":. -\ :: .:5::\: -~ :::/ -~ :<~.' · ,~.· .. 1 was big e'no~gh tO steal it out of dad--~' dy's pocket,"she saj,s _with a.Iaugli ___;:~ h•_ · ~~th will _sta~ \~ judgmen_;~? ·.·., . _·. ··;. ;: As to her father's drinking habits, Mr,;. Jarrell says ::. ·? ./:.f~\ /i tr~..... h ft/ ~:~f:· . ''Ne ...·er saw him drunk 1n my hte;never:·: did. He always kept whisky ___ ·ne had a ·· big tumbler that his_mother gaVe bim, ...: white on the inside and clouded.on. the ·· outside. • .·.?f- ~,;t ..; :~~;; :~:~,·./:/~ .'.:(.·_·::··· . "He'd get up ~very mOrning Of his life .ind sweeten that.up lull.of wh isky ~.He's go to mother firS(alld he's give us 'every _. single one a drink of that whiSky, ·and I :._ think that's .the reason we all .was healthy ;_ like we was." ·: '· : :_ . ". ::··~·:. .''.. ~~ ·:.:. .: ::., Mrs. Jarrell gives this explanation· for ~ her nickname. "Tiggle":. · :, : ;: ·_.\.':.";',/.":: "Grandpa gave me that n3me. He said :' he couldn't say America. He just said Tig~!ed~e:m'~ re~-~lf ~~w t~~ ~i~~~~~-~S of some rcL1tiVes· got Started. TheSe_include Aunt Pig {Evelyn), Aunt Nebs (Amy) and Aunt Du cky {Sarah)_ ,. · . · · ; ' ,'._:.;;;; •·:;~ :,. ·. :.::.·-~ -- ~- ~- i~'\/./i~-:.'.·~~: ~ ( 1,1rs. America Jarre11 1 aKes Delight in Being'HistoryBook" By John G. Morgan went to Madison, then known as Boones Staff Writer town. But '.'sometimes we would go ilp as far as Aunt Ducky's who lived up the riv Aunt Ducky was the one who told the lie. Mrs. Jarrell was born at TwHight, er." This was two or three miles up the She told about Trouncer barking and Boone County, March 1, 1878. She lived for west fork ·or Pond Fork, which flows into barking last night. many years at Bandytown, near Twilight. Little Coal River. He barked so much that Pap got up, put As a child she traveled little. S~e never ' Mrs. Jarrell is the mother of three chil his clothes on and went outside and found a dren: Bessie Jarrell, 75; of Charleston, little bitty baby, crying. and Claudia and George Cecil Jarrell, both Pap brought the baby inside and gave it deceased. Her husband, Jacob Jarrell, to Mother to keep until it got big enough who cut timber, built fences and farmed, -un; to walk. died several years ago. splC That was the end of the lie' told "to Mrs. Her contribution to the oral history pro America Jarrell, 97, when she was a little ject includes vivid early memories of sto girl. len sugar cakes, stolen chewing tobacco, * •• a father who never got drunk, captured a1n ESSENTIALLY, THE lie was an eatly bears, a .rattlesnake seen while ginseng ue~ version of the stork story, told to little hunting, sheep ravaged by wolves, splash e I children to explain the presence of _a new dams, baptism in ice water, hoedown s1u baby. dances, oxen, mules, hard winters and a Mrs. Jarrell, who was the fourth of 10 midwife named "Granny Dick." She mentions two pieces of advice she l\!1 children, takes delight in telling the lie as 'Pl she heard if from her Aunt Ducky in the received from _her parents, Leftridge and long ago. Olly Miller. -1< The lie is on a tape recording as part of a "The first thing was to stay out of bad -1s lengthy conversation Mrs. Jarrell had company. The next thing was to honor thy aq with her great nephew, Gary Miller, a father and mother, and thy days shall be At teacher at Sissonville Junior High School. prolonged here on earth. I can remember The recording, made more than two daddy saying that." 51 years ago, is included in the Marshall On the subject of sugar cakes, she says: -s University collection on the oral history of "Yes sir, I stole many a one. We made a, Appalachia. homemade sugar, tapped the trees, Since the interview, Mrs.