This page contains a summary of material found in the Autograph Book of Annie Mae Jones (Smyre) (1917-2008). The Autograph Book covers the period from about 1928 to 1935, when Annie Mae was about 11 to 18. Annie Mae started school about September 1923 and finished about May 1934 (graduation from 11th grade, unless they had 12 grades, which might put her completion in May 1935?). There are 125 pages in the Autograph Book. Except for the last 40 or so pages which are mostly blank, each page has nice sayings, jokes and artwork about philosophy, religion, marriage and life from Annie Mae’s friends, dryed flowers that have been pasted on the pages, newspaper and cartoon clippings, cartoons drawn by Annie Mae herself and other material that interested her. It is a good story of her life and that of her friends and family during that time. The numbers below correspond to the pages.
2. Death notice,
Fannie E. Jones (Ernest Dunbar, preacher).
Rob Jones was in DC
5. Leila wrote a nice saying in the book on March 8, 1930:
When evening lets her curtains
down
and pens it with a star,
Remember dear I’ll think of you
no matter where your are.
Leila
When the golden sun is setting
And we two are far apart
Your name in golden letters
Will be stamped upon my heart.
7. Helen Thompson (Rembert, SC, March 8, 1930).
9. Hazel Young of Dalzell on March 10, 1930 has a funny saying:
Germs are spread by kiss
As it has been stated
But go to it kid
I have been vacinated
11. Eugenia Northcutt.
13. Cecilia Sanders.
15. Louise Jenkins, funny saying.
17. Ora Lee Boykin.
19. Leb White, nice saying.
21. Nina Lee Mc, nice saying, “Remember me until Niagara Falls.” March 12, 1930.
23. Annie Williams (March 14, 1930) has good poetry and a woman’s rights saying:
When you are married
and live under the hill.
Send me a kiss by the
Whip-o-will.
When you are married
and your husband gets cross
Pick up the rolling pin
And show him who’s boss
25. Hugh Hogan (May 12, 1930), a first cousin to Annie Mae, wrote, “In memories casket reserve one gem for me.”
27. Katherine Ross.
29. Florence Jackson.
31. Evlena Myers of Hagood, SC, on May 13, 1930 wrote:
I will be yours,
Till ivory soap sinks
33. Mary Lenoir.
35. Hazel Hogan (1914-2005), wrote:
“May your life have just enough
clouds
To make a glorious sunset.”
37. Carrie James.
39. Freckles Sanders.
41. Eliz White on May 16, 1030 wrotet the following:
Butter is yellow
So is cheese
A kiss is nothing
Without a squeeze
.43. Louise Jackson wrote about being a wife.
Be a good Girl,
Lead a good life;
Get a good husband—
And be a good wife!
[Editor’s note: this age gropu was forward looking, on the edge of creation, hopeful, full of life, happy, confident. They had bad days, but it was a good time. Old age is good too, but in a different way. Both ages can be bad or good.]
45. Minnie S. (Spann?) wrote:.
May the Angels protect you
And the devil neglect you47. Pearl Cook, nice saying, she was alive.
49. Mary Francis.
51. Katherine Jackson.
52. Freckles wrote on May 19, 1930 about marriage:
When you are married and living
out west,
Remember me as a friend who loved you best.
When you are married and living out east,
Remember me as a cake of yeast.
When you are married and living up north
Remember me as a role of cloth.
When you are married and living down south
Remember me and my big mouth.
53. Louise Jenkins also talked of marriage, it was in the air and to be looked forward to, exciting times. She wrote on May 16, 1930:
When you are married,
And having twins
Don’t call on me,
For your safety pins.
55. Eugina Northrup has a good philosophy of life, live today:
Yesterday is a memory.
Tomorrow is an imagination.
Today is eternity.
Live today and live forever.
Cut out two days of your life--
Yesterday with its mistakes and follies.
Tomorrow with its fears and dreads,
And live only today
57. Donk, nice saying.
57.2. Donkey.
59. Elizabeth White wrote on February 9, 1931 of marriage:
Sugar is sugar
Salt is salt
If we don’t get married
It will be your fault.
61. Froggie (Louise Jenkins) on February 9, 1931, wrote about marriage and pretensions:
When you are married
And living upstairs
Please for goodness sake
Don’t put on airs.
62. Is a clipping dealing with literature, marriage, love, care, a woman’s love.
63. Ceilia, Feb. 9, 1931, quotes Latin “Ego me te, semper” girls talk much of loving; love a virtue, and good.
64. Christmas greetings, 1928, 1930, Miss Prisn.
65. Cartoon of Casper, nice art, Allene? Beech-Nut Chewing gum, three flowers vanishing cream.
66. Letter of Annie Weldon, whose aunt was Clyde, wanted Annie Mae to visit.
67. Copied from Sumter Item, May 18, 1930, Rev. Poote, religion a big deal.
68. Cartoons, Blondie, jokes. Annie Mae Jones could draw cartoons.
69. Letter from Leila, written May 31, 1931. She spoke of a “Uncle Charlie.” She lived in Hagood. She went swimming with Annie Madge. She really liked school (i.e., friends) and was lonely without school. She goes to Sumter on Saturday. It is a big day and meets friends. Dumpy is her friend and they like to look at magazines on porch. She tells a story of someone driving a car in Sumter blind-folded and of mind readers. She mentions that Mr. Gayland lost his house.
70. Jokes clipped.
71. This has a picture of Annie Mae’s school with the children are bare footed. It is of the Dalzell School about 1927, rather than of Hillcrest, which did not start up until the following year. Annie Mae was in about the fifth grade. There are about 25 children in the picture. Hazel Hogan in 1928 was in the ninth grade. Hazel had 11 people in her class. Probably this picture with 25 students in it represents two classes—maybe the fifth and sixth grade? Either that, or a large number of children dropped out of school by the ninth grade. The picture of one of the students was cut out. Maybe this was Annie Mae’s doings—she did not think the picture was very flattering? On the same page of the autography book are pictures of Lena and Allene, Eute, and Katherine.
72. Drawings and a picture cut from the Atlanta Constitution. Jokes.
73, Hillcrest Minstrel, tribute to Thomas Rogers.
74. Clippings from Wildcat, 1930-1931. The Wildcat was the Hillcrest school newspaper. There is a picture of Lily Moore here.
75. There are clippings about a magic show and about someone playing music on a saw. Mr. E.S. Dunbar on 11/11/1930 gave an address on Armistice Day at Hillcrest that was antiwar. As he summarized, “The war, which took such a heavy toll in human life and money, had settled practically nothing.” This was the same Rev. Ernest S. Dunbar that led the funeral service for Fannie Jones at Providence Methodist Church on March 19, 1931, in Dalzell.
76. Newspaper clipping talks of Hogan—Hazel?. She was sick. She was out a few weeks. Also says that Nina Lee McCathern is staying with Hazel Hogan to finish school. Hospitality is a tradition.
77. Clipping gives number of points scored by Hazel Hogan in basketball. Hazel was a good athlete.
78. Clipping discussed books in school library. Encyclopedia has all information you need. Frances Jones ticket, 1934-1935.
79. Billy Bones gives his philosophy about beautiful:
Beauty is like a leaf
It soon withers and dies.
87. Donk. Last page is a letter and poetry about a sweet heart who went to Cuba in the Spanish-America War and died.
C:\toby2\jones\annie-mae.doc (7/25/08)
