Daughter or Wesley R. Roberts and Ruth McCarty
Bio on FindaGrave -
Alzina had to be consistently tough to bring nine kids through the great depression after her husband, Bob, died at age 38. The only thing that Alzina’s grandchildren remember being told was their grandfather, Bob, got sick, soon became critically ill and died. Alzina made every effort to get country doctors and more but to no avail. She not only lost her helpmate, the love of her life, and the father to her children, but she lost the one who loved their children equally as much as she did. At the time of Bob’s death, the children ranged from 2 years to 19 years old.
My Dad, Alfred, relayed to me that there were cracks in the floor, and the children could see chickens scurrying about beneath the house. Was it just an occasional crack, or were they numerous? We don’t know but did understand times were tough. Black eye peas were the staple item for the family meals. Alzina’s family was not alone in their plight because most every family in that era suffered the same issues of not enough money was available to buy food, clothing, and more.
We were told by most the children but especially Velva that her dad, Bob, had a mind for business. Even at the young age of 38 years, he owned a considerable amount of real property. Times were so tough, and Alzina could not pay taxes on the property. For a while, she borrowed money from Lather Chadwick, a Missionary Baptist preacher, to pay her taxes. At the time of Wanda Fountain Hamilton’s death, she had receipts for where Alzina repaid the loans to the preacher brother. Time came when there simply was not enough money to continue paying taxes, and she lost a considerable amount of real property.
Alzina was unique is many ways. At age 80, she tied a paint brush to a piece of her quilting frame and painted the gable ends of her house. She had the respect of the men in the community, and they told others that Alzina could build a better fence than most men. She came home from church one Sunday, and a neighbor was stealing corn from her corn crib. She said, “if he had just said something, I would have given him some corn”. She wore clothing that she made herself, and later in her life, it was Velva, her daughter, who made her clothing. She was right at home behind a mule or horse pulling a plow with her giving the commands of Gee and Haw. She got louder and rougher on them when they didn’t listen. Wanda Fountain Hamilton told the story as it was told to her “Alzina couldn’t catch her ole mare. She went running behind the mare, and the fastener, maybe a nail, came out of the bun in her hair. Those watching witnessed her long auburn hair flowing in the wind.” We don’t know if she ever caught the ole mare.
Her favorite ornament to fasten her hair back in a bun was a 10-penny nail. If a button was missing on a coat, Alzina used a nail. After her children had acquired automobiles, they would take her to town to purchase a few items. There were times when she failed to replace the ten-penny nail's both as a coat fastener and the one she used for her hair. As grandchildren, we watched her through the years and witnessed her toughness. She wasn’t a big frame woman but had a rather small frame but no job was too tough for her to try.
Some of her sons met untimely deaths. Lee Roy was crushed to death between two vehicles as he tried to help get one started. Cloy died a young death, but we do not know the cause. However, it was told that he was best of all to help Alzina. Floyd died in a car accident when three teenagers were racing, and they came over the hill on his side of the road.
How did she meet the challenge that was placed before her? She was a woman who put her faith and trust in Christ Jesus for salvation, and her faith played a huge roll in raising her children. She left a spiritual heritage for her children to follow. How many of her children lived dedicated lives on a consistent basis? I am not familiar with all of the children, but Alfred and Floyd were deacons in the Tilly Missionary Baptist church and lived consistent faithful lives for their Lord.