Lib's Notes

[This is a copy of a letter in our files. It was printed in all caps. There was a handwritten marginal note that appears in brackets below. I have made small corrections.]

Lib's Notes

December 12, 1997

About "Mammy"

12/31/1852-4/8/1944

My grandmother (mother's mother) was Amanda Elizabeth Cook. She was reared in central Mississippi: Forestdale, near Philadelphia, Mississippi. She was a near middle child of 13 children. All grew to adulthood. She had six brothers who served in the Civil War. Four were killed, one at Vicksburg. One brother was the father of a son who became a well known federal judge and lived in Jackson, Miss.

Mammy (as everyone called her) was married to Flood Myatt, a family friend who lived close by her family. Flood was a lovable, jolly man but he became an alcoholic and died of this problem. Mammy survived all of her immediate family as well as her husband and four children (one child died near age two)

Mammy came to live with us after her husband died. I was eighteen months old at the time. My father added a large room for her plus two huge walk in closets. Her room adjoined a bathroom. Her room was a wonderful comforting place for me as I was growing up. A large fireplace, two double beds, many windows and a rocking chair beside the fireplace. Many happy memories flood my mind. Her presence in her rocking chair. [Many times Shirley came to spend the night with us--] I stayed in her room and slept in a huge feather bed when my parents went on trips. Mammy told me wonderful stories about her childhood. Exciting stories; like her family and their servants had to go down in the storm cellar when bad weather came. Surviving a terrible cyclone in which many people were killed. They had teachers who would come and live in their home for the winter season and teach the children lessons. She said their church was near and preachers would travel on horseback and come to the different churches to preach. The family owned slaves but her father freed all of them before the Civil War but most of them stayed on and worked for money and food and lodging. Many were there during the war and helped hide the horses, silver and other valubles deep in the forest. Sherman's forces came very near their place but no damage was done. Some of their friends had many things stolen. And some had their houses burned.

When I came home from school each day my mother was seldom home. At that stage of her life (in her forties) she was active in the community. She was among the first group who started a library in the little town. She was president of several community organizations and very active in church work also.

But Mammy was always there for me and she would fix a little snack for me. At night she would play little finger games with me and read to me. And let me brush her long white hair. She taught me how to braid hair. She taught me many little songs she sang as a child: "Billy Boy,Billy Boy" and "Camp Town Races". She lived to be 92+ and took a long walk every afternoon until the week she died. She ate lots of pork and butter and eggs and she used lots of sugar in her coffee. But she only drank coffee at breakfast time. She kept a container of water on the table by her rocking chair and she drank water all day long. She didn't take a drink until she turned eighty and a friend brought her a pint of whiskey and told her to put a little in her water and sip it, which she did start doing. She worked with her hands. Made quilts and knitted many things. For years she made tatting but her eyes began to fail and the tiny stitches were too much. At age 90, Mammy was ill with pneumonia and everyone came to say goodbye. After ten days she jumped out of bed and told all she was well and hungry. Of course she didn't get much medicine of any kind. The doctor thought she was going to die.

I have always been grateful for having a live-in granny. My only grandparent. I still love her and smile when I think about her. She had a wonderful smile and a fabulous sense of humor. Never raised her voice to anyone. But there were tales of her early years when she was a very forceful personality. I can't believe she was ever unkind or unfair.

From my moments of reflection

Amanda Elizabeth DeWeese Neilson