Batesburg Garden Club

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TRIP TO 1857

Members of the Camellia Garden Club of Batesburg were a great audience for my presentation on November 2. I led us on a trip back to 1857 and St. Helena Island, SC. Much of my presentation was based on research I did to write the Westfall series of historical fiction novels.

Barbara Shealy (L) and Susan Shealy (R) hosted the club meeting.

-->A visit with our ancestors, at least for myself, makes us aware of the many advances that have been made. In just 160 years we have moved from horses and carriages to commuter jets, from letters to Facetime, from wood fires to central heat; from plagues to heart transplants; from wagon trails to interstate expressways. 

Me at the podium. Photos thanks to Amanda Ballenger

Try thinking of a kitchen without electricity, without lights or refrigerator, freezer, range or running water. Our ancestors had no boxed cereals or protein bars in their cabinets; nor frozen dinners and ice cream in a freezer. What storage they had for food was the occasional pantry and more often, a smoke house. Preparing a meal required hours of work in a kitchen and months in a garden or field. Such was life in 1857.

OUR INHERITANCE

As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m ever more thankful for the nameless Americans who worked without recognition to build our cities and farms and provide the comforts of our everyday life. The quality of our American lifestyle is a credit to the creativity and work ethic of our forefathers.

The comforts we are afforded count for little without the bonds of love and trust. I appreciate that I had parents who loved and encouraged me. My mother, in particular, made sacrifices so that I might have a better life than she did. Because my parents are the past, the past is dear to me. My parents felt the same way once their parents were gone. And though I didn't live in 1857, I had ancestors who held that time to be dear because of parents who had lived then. I'm alive because of them, and I'm loved because they were loved. Exploring their world has been a fascinating project for me.

Mildred Shumpert Rawls, my mother