[Granville-Hough] 3 Sep 2009 - Aunt Banie

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

 In my discussion of colorful relatives, I do believe I have left out 
Aunt Banie (Arender) Ainsworth.  Of course, Great Grandma Nancy (Bowen) 
and Sampson Arender had 14 children, 10 sons and 4 daughters. Aunt Banie 
being the youngest daughter and also the youngest child .  Aunt Banie 
was just a little older than my mother, Elizabeth (Richardson) Hough, 
and her childhood playmate.  However, Aunt Banie reached sexual maturity 
at a precocious age, and began looking for a husband, which she found in 
a woodsman, Singleton Ainsworth, nine years her senior.  They then 
proceeded to become parents of 17, 19, or 21 children.  Uncle Tom 
documented 17, ten of whom survived   I only personally knew three, 
Gathel, Herman, and Gladys.
    When Aunt Banie was being interviewed by a reporter from a local 
newspaper, she was in her nineties but keen of mind.  After they 
discussed the number of children she had had and other facets of her 
life, the reporter asked: "Is it true that you married while you were 
still 13?"  Now, Aunt Banie could see where the conversation was going 
so she answered the next question as well, "Yes, that is true, BUT I did 
not become pregnant until I was 14."  Late in her life, she depended on 
son Gathel to provide details which he did from having heard them over 
and over.
    Uncle Sang Ainsworth and my father, Elisha Hough, were partners in 
shingle and stave making operations.  They worked at the same pace and 
got along very well.  In their operations, you went on the open range 
and selected a longleaf pine tree that looked as if it would split well 
and true, cut it down and tried a bolt.  If it split well, you cut it 
into bolts of suitable length, then began, with fro and mallet, to make  
shingles or staves.   My father also partnered at times with the Arender 
boys or the Myers boys.  He spoke highly of Uncle Sang as the best 
partner he ever had. 
    Uncle Sang and Aunt Banie lived until Gathel wanted to modernize 
their home with running water and an indoor toilet.  Uncle Sang objected 
absolutely.  The very idea of having an outhouse inside your own home 
was so repugnant, he said he would never use it.  Just leave the old one 
where it was so he would have a place to go.  Then, after some cold, 
rainy days, Uncle Sang would tell one and all what a convenience it was 
for those occasions.  Some folks even called it a "bath room,:" or "rest 
room," but that is not the name he used.
    Cousin Gathel Ainsworth was the oldest son, and he took care of the 
old folks in their declining years.  Gathel was a natural woodsman who 
could remember roads, byways, houses, and bridges long since gone.  He 
served as Smith County Sheriff several terms, I believe. There is one 
anecdote from his time as sheriff regarding Sullivan Hollow 
bootleggers.  The state authorities who planned raids on bootlegging and 
moonshine making sites had a custom of making courtesy calls to the 
local county sheriff.  As long as they made calls to Gathel, he would 
meet them at the rundevous and lead them to the location for the raid.  
There would be nothing there, no booze, no moonshine operations, though 
there might be signs of recent activity.  When the state authorities 
decided they would not notify Gathel and trust to luck on finding the 
site, they began to have more success. 
    Cousin Herman Ainsworth was the youngest son,just two years older 
than I, and his sister lived a couple of miles north of us in the Shady 
Grove Community.  He would sometime stay with her during the summer work 
season and come visit us.  He would give my mother all the news about 
his parents and siblings.  He was a great conversationalist.  I believe 
he went to Whiteoak High School, and the girl he married lived across 
the county line in the Rocky Hill Community.  I think she was my 
classmate at Magee High School, but I am not sure of that.  Herman was 
killed in Europe in WW II, a great loss to the community and to his family.
    Cousin Gladys Myrtle (Ainsworth) Martin lived in the Shady Grove 
Community and later on the eastern edge of Magee.  She and my brother 
Clifford were both avid gardeners and exchanged produce for years and 
years.  She was also a good conversationalist and knew just about 
everything you could grow in a garden.. 
    It seems that each member of this family was of great natural 
intelligence and congeniality.  I am sorry I did not know them all.