The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-10-21
A SPLENDID OLD LADY
PAST Her FOUR SCORE

l
months after East Lake was trans
ferred from Tyrrell, to the newly
formed county of Dare. She was
the one girl among triplets born
to her mother that day, and the
only one Of the three that sur
vived. Her father, a native of Tyr
rell County had come over to East
Lake and married Cynthia Rogers.
One child of this union was the
late Murray Sawyer, longtime
active in Dare County politics.
Mrs. Greet says she doesn't like
her name, but it was given to her
by her uncle Josiah Rogers because
he thought it was pretty. He was
the man who first carried her out
doors in the winter of 1870.
Mrs. Greet became the wife of
John Sanders Greet and to them IL
children were born, all of whom
grew up and married and only one
is dead, he being the late Lonnie
4. Bland Greet who was killed by "a
dynamite blast while working for
a timber company two years ago.
About Is years ago the Creefs
came to Manteo to live with their
children, and now she is hearty
and active and enjoys life in her
Manteo apartment. Mr.. Greet died
soon after coming to Manteo.
Mrs. Creef's ten children now
living are Mrs. Sherwood Jones,
Mrs. Effie. Guynn and Carson
Greet Of Manteo; John M. Greet
of Manns Harbor; Bruce Greet of
East Lake; Mrs. Inez Basnight,
Harry Greet and Ray Greet of
Norfolk; Mrs. Vernon Alexander
and Mrs. Alonzo Holmes of Eliza
beth City.
Mrs. Creef's memory goes back
well for 80 years and she readily
recalls old times in East Lake
where and when all the people
shared with each other and lived
like one big family. In her girl
hood there were not so many diff
ferent families. The Twifords, the
Sawyers, thee Rogers, the Cowells,
the Paynes, the Creefs, the Owens,
! the Harrells, the Basnights, the
Sanderlins, the Manns, the Ever
tons, just about took in everybody,
and most of them were related by
blood or marriage. In those days
toy bggy hadn't come around,
and most people were happy to
ride on a cart, and some of them
were drawn by oxen to church.
1t was a land of plenty in Mrs.
Creef's girlhood for no one lacked
for anything when he was as well
come as the flowers in May to go
into his neighbours smokehouse or
barn in time of need. Just about
every family had a good sized
field, and everyone had a garden.
The woods were full of hogs and
cattle, and after fattening time
many barrels of meat were sailed
down for the winter. If one desired
some new freshies, the woods were
full of deer, bear and plenty of
smaller game. There was cash
money to be had by catching furs.
In winter there were plenty of
ducks and geese, and there were
also plenty of fish just about all
the year through. Every smoke
house had it's barrel of fish and
pork and Beef, and much Of these
were smoked. People grew their
own rice, there was plenty of po-
tatoes and corn; they ground their
meal at home and they grew their
potatoes, rooty vegetables, collards
and other GREENS. Nobody got
cramped for something to eat in
those days. There were no attrac-
tons to call for money to be spent.
Many people spun home grown
wool and made their clothes. If
money was needed, there were lots
of ways to get it. One could go in
the swamp and get out some juni-
per timbers for boats; he could
split some rails, or some shingles
from cypress or juniper. He could
take a barrel of salt fish further
up country. You just couldn't
cramp a man in those days. No
body owed big bills at the stores,
nor mortgages on their homes. If
man wanted a home, he went
right in the woods and hewed out
the frame himself. He RATED his
lumber to a mill and got his boards
sawed.
Big families were no drawback
in those days, Mrs. Greet said. In
fact the bigger the family, usually
the better off they were. Both boys
and girls were brought up to work,
and to do their share toward keep
ing things going. Many hands
made light work, and all had to do
their part. A man could take a
trip off from home, fishing, hunt
ing or proging around, and maybe
make some extra money, for he
knew the older boys would keep
the field going, and the wood up,
and the girls would help their
mother. Mrs. Greet brought all her
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