Francis and his mother Anna Belle Cook
The interview I’m sharing today is the first part of one Taylor did with her grandfather Francis. He is Granny Bell’s second youngest son.
Like other interviewees Francis speaks about his life as well as his mother.
From working in the tobacco when she was in her 80s to reporting lawlessness Granny Bell was a tough mountain woman. I hope you enjoyed hearing from Francis. Be sure to drop back by tomorrow for next part of his interview.
Last night’s video: Josh Griggs Returns to Celebrating Appalachia – Humor, Family, & Food.
Tipper
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Hi Tipper and Acorns. I’m enjoying the oral histories. I keep everyone here and up Wilson Holler in my prayers every day. The LORD GOD knows our needs, but HE loves our prayers and praises. Please keep me, My son Ed and my sister Nancy in your prayers. I just bumped into a classmate from high school, and Dan buried his father in June. He has been caring for his dad and his mom for many years. Dan’s dad had been in a coma for 2 years. All the lifting and turning has taken a toll on him physically. Please pray the back doctor can help him. I love y’all.
So glad you’ve enjoyed it Barbara! I will keep praying and pray for Dan too.
Last nights interview with Josh was fun and interesting. I’m sure his book will be awesome!
Tipper, I did watch your birthday video and the cake baked by sweet Cory for her dear mama’s special day. Cory said you’re a practical gal. I’m like Kim who said she ain’t got an hour to listen while work needs done. But I’m mighty interested in Granny Bell and Francis. Good news is I can find archived stuff pretty easy on your channel. You know I’m going through it here on my own, but such relief too to be done with that and have peace. I will pray for everybody and please pray for me. The Great Physician is always open for business with a kind gentle smile and unconditional love. He’s always a’ working on this building… be blessed in the rain. It rains every day it seems…makes it smell clean afterwards.
Enjoyed your video last night with Mr. Griggs. I love the old times and great memories of my great grandma and pa. they were from Tn. but their well went bad and they moved to KY. I still live on the old homeplace. My husband & I bought it and completely remodeled the house and added on to it.
Mr, Griggs mention a time he couldnt smell or taste from covid. I still have that left from covid so does my daughter. Hers never regains but sometimes my taste and smell will come back for a day or a few days. Boy when it does I eat everything because it so much more enjoyable ! Its strange we can taste sweet ,sour, & salty but not true flavor. we just keep praying for it to return .
always watching even if I dont comment often. Love your channel.
Susie, my wife and I never had COVID but did take the first two Moderna vaccinations. I will go to my grave blaming the vaccinations for the blood clots that formed during her heart bypass surgery that killed her in 2021. If I (we) could go back there is no way I would have taken them. I will never take another vaccination that has anything in it similar to the Covid vaccine.
Another interesting interview here. A lot to glean.
The part about harvesting tobacco really hit home. The process of picking the leaves off the plant in the field that Francis describes was called priming in my family.
The leaves of a tobacco plant continue to grow until it blooms or until you cut the top out of it. As the plant fills out the bottom leaves start to ripen. If you don’t pick them as they turn, they will die and fall off. Those leaves were the “prime leaves”, being the best the plant would produce. Those leaves dried out into a blonde color that at market would fetch a premium price. Sometimes three or four times as much as the leaves farther up the stalk. If you kept the lower leaves picked off the next leaves up would act much the same way but turned progressively darker and redder in color.
There is much more to the process but my infirmities won’t give me permission to add more at this time.
Great interview with Josh Griggs and I did catch the other one about 5 years ago:) My Mother and Daddy were wonderful story tellers and I could have listened to them for ever. Josh is right I don’t see a lot of story tellers out there anymore and I’m thinking families growing up today are too distracted with their phones to even observe their family life and really know the community they live in. Praying for Norman, Papaw Tony, and all others that asked for prayer. The Lord knows your needs.
thank you Dee , God bless you very much
I’m more than certain these recordings are wonderful but my days just aren’t aligning with an extra hour to listen. I enjoyed your birthday celebration and you are definitely loved ♡ Continued prayers for those needing them. Norman, Papaw Tony and Little B, Barb & Ed all stay in my immediate thoughts. Please continue to pray for me as I continue to fight cancer for the 3rd time. Awaiting the results of my most recent scan. I also thank you for the continued prayers for my 3 grandchildren. I’m seeing evidence of your thoughtfulness in their lives. Now, before some of the predicted rain shows up, I must take my bucket out to harvest some goodies and decide what preservation I’ll complete today!
I’m sorry Kim. I will keep praying.
thank you Kim
Great video. Life was hard and Granny Bell was a great mom to keep her family together. I remember momma and daddy and all of us kids working together to make life better for the family. I thank God for my family.
Thank you Drama! She was an amazing Appalachian woman for sure! I know you’ve been blessed to have some of them in your life too 🙂
Drama, your comments echo the way it was for both mine and my wife’s family along with most of the neighborhood families. None of us how much financially but there was plenty of love in every family and for our neighbors. We all pitched in to help each other out.
going back to Gainesville Georgia today, two more MRIS, one with contrast, one without, on my brain, if you would pray for me some good results, thank you and God bless you very much
I’m praying Norman! I hope you find out what’s going on and that they can help!
thank you and God bless you