As Baby

I was born Aug 11 1935 in Canton, MS, to Thomas Jefferson and Elizabeth Jefferson.

Robert Lee Jefferson So where were yo I was born in Madison County west of town of Madison farm called Murry Cox Farm. My dad leased land from Murry Cox to crops cotton and corn. Born August 11, 1935 on a Sunday.

11 children in total 5 girls and 6 boys my dad had 2 wives the first wife was named Georgia Jones, died after having 4 children the rest came Elizabeth Dotsy Peale.

All kids born home. 1939 we moved up from Murry Cox our farm bought a 100 acres of our own land. Through loan from the Farms Home Administration were they built new 4 bedroom house, barn, smoke house, hen house for the chicken, and a outdoor toilet. We lived a old house that on the property while the new house getting built it had bedrooms on both sides house.

About 4 years of age I remember riding on the back of Murry Cox Jr.’s truck that also corn and plow tools on it. You had 6 years of age to start pre primer school at Fairview School. Ms. Faye Kelly was my first teacher, a older,little short, dark lady and I would help her carry her books. ABC from taught from book that were wore and second hand from the white schools.

I stayed in her class till I was in the 3rd grade then Ms. Kelly retired my new teacher was Ms. Dora Brown. Spent early 2 room school house, you went from one room to the other once you made it to the 6 grade. The school only went to the 8th grade. The thing you had to do was get kindling to start a fire to keep the warm. The county was suppose get coal but it was never enough when we needed it. The men from the community had to cut wood for heater to make through winter. No electricity and no water with and outdoor toilet was all we had. School year lasted 6 months which started September in ending March which the start for the planting season.
Most time we got up before the sun came up we had to milk the 4-6 cows, my Dad had about 25 of the at first it would be my dad and I would do this as Arthur he would help. All had to done before breakfast and the off school. Recess at 12 o’clock was about and hour playing games such as: Baseball that rubber or rag and stick for a bat,jump rope and pop the wipe ( where 20 kids would hold each hands were a head guy wipe us round would have run real fast he fall off. About 2:30 pm was the of day where would hurried home to get the work done on the farm from drawing water from the well and fire wood in the house and get the cows put in the barn so they be ready to milked in the morning. 14 years of age so at 7:00 p.m. was homework time with 30 minutes free time. We got electricity in the house in 1948 when My sister Mary was born and I was 15 teens years old.
Madison Rosenwald High School for 5 years in general studies graduate in 1956 at 18 years of age. My first real girl friend was Miss Hurtstine Minor who was in the same class as I. She was smart , beautiful hair had good personality plus she was good Christian girl. I asked her to marry me once could support us. I had to ask her mother first, who was a straight forward woman who kind of made nevus but she gave her blessing and permission to marry once could provide support..
Got my first summer job away from the farm with Clark and Burke Roofing Company for 1 summer which a union job organized by AFLCIO Labor union.
I found a job at Prosto Manufacturing as well worked the farm in the evening for about 9 months after being laid off when the work slowed. My next job was Barn Brothers Nursery putting shrubs and did that about a year.

In 1957, I got a job at Battes Furniture Company as furniture delivery driver for about year.

August 10, of 1958 moved to Markam Illinois with older brother Thomas Jefferson Jr. because I wanted a better opportunity. I lived with him for about year getting Victor Chemicals as labor which entailed a lot of shoveling materials into a loader into hopper.

I took a train back to Mississippi, got marry in Simon Hill Baptist Church fall of 1958. Later return Thomas house in Markem for another year till we were able to get apartment. Hurtstine was domestic worker as a housekeeper, till we saved enough for our first house which 3 bedroom house in East Chicago Heights, Illinois. 1960 Hurtstine gave birth to my first child Patricia Ann Jefferson which was the smallest baby every delivered and lived at St. James Hospital.

Hurtstine had always had problems with her kidneys in 1962 she diagnosed with Kidney failure and her mother Lillian Henderson came up from MS to help take care of her.
All we could do was make comfortable before taking her St James Hospital because she was in a lot of pain. This was fatal slow heartbreaking death back then before dialysis. While this going on Patricia had go to my sister Ann’s house in Maywood Illinois. Hurtstine was brought back MS and buried Semore Cemetery in the Jefferson Plot.

I went back to work alone in house but on of visits back home I had to get some paper work from Rose Scott High School were my old school mate Bernice Trunnell was working there in the office. I got her phone number from brother William McKilney Jefferson who was a student there. I would come home every month we would go to the movies and ballgames then every two weeks.
June 5,1963 courthouse in Canton, witnessed my Burnice’s mother Lula May Turnnell and youngest brother David.
Got married and left the next day to return to Illinois were I later
was promoted to Chemical Operator Victor Chemical which changed it’s name to Stafford Chemicals for about 6 have years.
1963 I joined AFLICO Chemical Union
1965, left Stafford Chemicals went to Wymen Gordon Forging Plant stayed there till 1971. While there I also became a apprentice as welding.
I started as a Green Stock Inspector Inspector or crank shifts Caterpillar, Alice Charm, and John Dear.
We were the first black family Selina Hills Subdivision in Chicago Heights we didn’t have in problem, oh yeah accept the cross burning in our front yard!

In August of 1971, we gave up the house and job because my daughter Patricia was having breathing problems with bronchitis and moved to Jackson MS.

Starting for city of Jackson as a Mechanic helper

2014 Family Trip FAMILY in AL AIN, ABU DHABI

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