Memories of my Great-Grandmother Moses

By Nellie Lee Hawks (111)

As you know, I lived on the Aaron Lee farm adjoining the farm of Thomas and Jane Moses until I was about 15 years old. I remember great grandmother Moses as the most unselfish and kindly person that I have ever known in my 82 years. I always felt so envious of my cousins- Uncle Charles and Aunt Etta’s children – because I was further removed. She was their own grandmother and only my great-grandmother. When we came home from school, it was she who stood on the porch and called to us to know how we fared, and maybe gave us a bit of news for our folks. It was she who came “puffing” up the road with tomato plants she had raised in an old milk pan. It was she who came often on hot days to see how “Mother Lee”, my grandmother, in an elderly weakened condition, was coming along. It didn’t seem to matter to her if her good deeds were not properly recognized. She continued doing the kindly acts. One thing stands out in my mind- there was a person who lived not far from Brackney on the road leading in to the village, who had dropsy or some disease that caused her limbs to swell terribly and water to ooze out. Grandmother would go often and bathe and bandage her limbs, walking both ways which was at least two miles from her home. To her it was “the poor dear” who needed help, not considering the many miles in all kinds of weather added to her regular duties. And so many days “Hettie” (Etta) needed a lift with feeding threshers or canning berries. She seemed so selfish and capable I never knew of her being ill, never remember seeing her without a black cap tied under her chin. Her dress was always black or dark brown with a brown apron, which were made from old white sheets colored with tan bark.

At Christmas time when she sent by Aunt Alice for Christmas remembrances she would say to get a few yards of dress gingham for “Mary’s girls”. (I remember distinctly the pretty plaids.) So methodical she was as to rising and retiring as well as all other phases of her day- my grandmother Lee, if her clock stopped, would watch for the light to go out as the Moses house and then set her clock at 9 PM knowing it would be about correct. I do not remember much of Great-grandfather. He was a very quiet man. I remember great-grandmother seemed to wait on him as she did every one else. It was just her nature and she was never too tired to be helpful. Great-grandfather’s eyesight was failing, so at bed time the big Bible was in Great-grandmother’s lap to read a night time scripture and always a Psalm.

She was in bed only a few days at the time of her passing, but the very last night she asked if they had wound the clock and got the kindling ready for building the morning fire. What a hard busy life she had! But I believe in her heart she treasured the fact of a devoted life doing her best as her Lord revealed it to her.

I love the memory of the dear soul, and there are many other things that come to mind occasionally- such as the time that Aunt Alice took Oscar, a small baby, to Binghamton for a visit of a few days with her mother. It was very cold weather and when Uncle Charlie brought them home, Great-grandmother was out on the porch to greet them. She grabbed “bundled up” Oscar, took him into her room and without ever removing all his wrappings, was feeding him with warmed bread and milk, saying “The poor little thing is starving, having to eat that blue city milk”.

Nellie Lee Hawks,

February 9, 1960