By F.H. Jeter,
Extension Editor, N.C. State College, Raleigh, as published in the Charlotte Observer, Sept. 25, 1949
North Carolina farm women have learned that they can have a
great influence in their local communities when they work together. Some of
their accomplishments this summer have been for the great constructive good.
UNION COUNTY
For instance, the women of the Indian Trail community in
Union County raised $225 in cash this past spring. To secure a part of the
money, they prepared a calendar of the Indian Trail community, with an
engraving of the school building on the outside front page, and, those who
wanted to have certain anniversary dates, such as birthdays, weddings
anniversaries or the like printed on a calendar could do so for an extra charge
of 25 cents per date. Now the men of the community have no excuse for
forgetting their wedding anniversaries. Mrs. Gale Helms was chairman of the
committee to raise this money. Mrs. Helms, incidentally had not car and her
neighbors say that how many miles she trudged about over that community in
handling the job will never be known. Mrs. Helms appointed four group captains:
Mrs. E.E. Austin, Mrs. C.P. Killough, Mrs. O.H. Deese, and Mrs. Clint Hargett.
Mrs. Curtis Killough, president of the Indian Trail Home
Demonstration Club, says the community work was an adventure in friendship to
make a friendly community still more friendly. Anyway, the women said they had
to have money for what they wanted to do and they worked hard to raise the
money.
But what did they do with the money? Did you ever see a
neglected cemetery in a country community; grown up with broom sedge, covered
with bushes, washed and ugly? The women of the Indian Trail Community said
their local cemetery had long been a disgrace. They intended to do something
about it. If you had seen them this summer, you would know that they were doing
just that. Mrs. Hilda L. Hudson, Union County Home Agent says no one was ever
surprised to see a group of the Indian Trail women dressed up in their jeans
and straw hats, on their way to the cemetery. They carried shovels and hoes and
they cleaned the place. For too long, they said, it appeared as if they had parked
their loved ones in an old field and had forgotten all about them.
Today, this Indian Trail Cemetery* is another place
entirely. There are nice brick columns at the drive entrances. The corners have
been marked with brick pillars. The whole cemetery has been cleared and piping
laid to carry away surplus water. A bird bath has been erected in the center, flowers
and shrubbery have been planted; walkways made; and a complete directory made
of the lots. Grass is to be planted this fall and more flowering shrubs
planted. The women say that their men came in and worked hard, bringing their
tractors and other equipment to smooth over the gullies and to beautify the
grounds. Other men made cash contributions and today the Indian Trail Cemetery
is probably the outstanding place of its kind in Union County. Better still, it
brought together the people of the little community in stronger bonds of
friendship.
GATES COUNTY
About the same thing has happened in Gates County. Some
years ago, the Gates school had a department of vocational education but since
the High School Department was moved to the Gatesville School, the farm shop
building has not been used. Local women who are members of the Gates and
Reynoldson Home Demonstration Clubs decided that something should be done with
the vacant building. They secured the permission of the County Board of
Education and went to work on that building. Today, it is the accepted center
of the community. Both adults and young people use it for their recreational
gatherings. All the local clubs meet there. This summer, the club women with
their husbands and children gave the building and the surrounding grounds a
complete renovation. The other evening, the women served a Brunswick stew
supper to raise money for their several projects.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
In the center of the state, in the little town of Bunn,
Franklin County, the organized women have set up a modern recreation center for
the young people of that community. Bunn has a population of about 500 people.
They have an excellent high school, a Methodist and a Baptist Church. There’s a
hustling Lions Club and no one knows the capabilities of these organizations
any better than does Mrs. Woodrow Sykes. She is president of the Bunn Home
Demonstration Club. Mrs. Horace Pipin is the recreation leader for the club and
for some time she and Mrs. Frank Hinson have worked towards providing better
recreational facilities for the local young folks.
The women own their club house and so they decided to use it
as a center. Cyrus Johnson, the high school coach, was asked to head the
recreational work and although he lives in Durham, while school is out, he
agreed to direct the work in Bunn this past summer.
Mrs. Decimo Gay was appointed secretary and treasurer of the
recreational fund and the women went to work to get the money needed to handle
the new project. The Lions Club contributed, along with many individuals. The
young people were organized with Dora Lynn Batten as president; Rober Bennett
Seymour, vice-president; and Betty Sue Gay, treasurer. Dues were set at 25
cents a month and an average of about 30 young people in the Bunn community
used the Home Demonstration Clubhouse regularly this summer for all kinds of
gatherings. They enjoyed watermelon cuttings, ice cream suppers, games, and the
like. The group sponsored a trip to Roanoke Island and Nags Head. So popular
has this center become that the women plan to keep it going this winter. They
say it has done a great job in providing for youth recreation in the Bunn
community.
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*For a list of people buried in Indian Trail Cemetery, see http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jganis/unionco/IndianTrailCem.html
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