William Isaac Jones Gardner

During the 40's William and Lawrence went to the service (Army) and Jones continue farming the land, also having sheep, cows, turkeys, gennies, pigs, and horses. Black Stallion for serviceing ...which was the stallion his father- Martin VanBuren has owned.

Everyone had a job to do ...Women went to the berry fields, picking black berries, and dew berries. Bigger girls set under trees with older ladies breaking beans, and helping can. Boys went with the men to the fields. Plowing was done with horses or mules pulling behind them a plow or disk with a man behind the plow to guide and direct the team. Cutting hay was done a riding mower pulled by a team of horses or mules, and then the sun dry it. If it rained ,the cut hay had to be turned by hand with a pitchfork to help it dry. Then hay-rakes pulled the cut hay into windrows and the process was done to stack it in shocks and carried to stack up on a hay stack. In the 40;s following his return from service Lawrence got the first tractor for the farm. Bailing was then done for the cattle and horses.

They carried water from the spring, which was not real close to the house, but fresh water was carried in daily. The bathroom were an outhouse and at night if you had a light would rush through the dark or use a pot that was in the house. Kerosene lamps were used for lighting and heat was a fireplace in the living room and warm morning stove also used for cooking in the kitchen . Ida mae had her flowers that were brought in during the winter and placed behind the stove to keep them growing. A barrel of water was outside the back door at the backporch and later a pump was used to pump water from a well.

Mary Jane use to iron the boys shirts for them to go into town on Saturday night. The iron was heated on the stove, made of solid iron. Washing was done on a washboard. Clothes were hung to dry on the fence. Floors were made of wood and swept daily.

During the summer the work hands would come in for lunch, and mary jane use to stand with a tree branch waving it over the table to keep a breeze and the flys away from the table. There were no fans as there was no electricity. Cooking was done on a warm morning stove. Lawrence use to get up before anyone else during the winter months , and make a fire in the kitchen and make biscuits every morning.

Children worked right along with the adults helping, with being taught at the same time. Also fun times of swimming in the creek or built up ponds was done. Leisure time also was horse riding for the children, horses being lead around by the men. Some horses were for riding as were others for working. Children loved rainy days so they could stay in and not have to work picking beans or doing outside chores, to be able to read. They was a radio that was hooked up to a car battery they listened to daily.

Sheep sheering was done in the spring. They tied their feet and laid them on a table and sheered them The sheep blatting the whole time. After done , untied their legs and they ran off naked..THEN the wool had to be looked before bagging. Seperated it ...clean /dirty ..for sale.

Sewing was done by hand. Everythign was hand made. All the girls were taught to sew . Ida Mae make all Jones White shirts by hand. She made all the girls dresses and clothes were made from hemp sacks ..*Sacks that flour and meal came in were in colorful patterns. * ( I have one that Ida Mae made for my mother in my cedar chest)* Wool was woven to be used to make into sweaters. I have one piece of wool blanket that was my Amanda Jane Gardner made by hand. *(also in my cedar chest)