Uncle Ollie Craycraft

Uncle Ollie Craycraft
by
Helen Craycraft Goodpaster
from the notes of
William Darrell Warner, Jr.
Uncle "Oll" (as we knew him) died a year after his twin, Ott, died at age 83 in fall of 1967. Uncle Oll was the father of Beulah Carpenter, Robert (Bob) Craycraft and Raymond Craycraft. The Mother of Beulah and Robert was Cordia Ginter Craycraft, who died in 1913 when Robert was about 2 years old and Beulah 6 years of age. Uncle Oll remarried Ella Warner later, about 1915 or 1916 and Raymond was born about 1917 or 1918 to this union.
I don't know quite how to describe Uncle Oll. Like all the Craycraft men or his brothers, he was short, sandy hair, brown eyes, pleasant looking and mild-mannered. He must have been the one the others chose to run errands, because the others would rather work than take time off to go to town to buy a plow point, a plough or whatever else was needed and it seemed Uncle Oll was always willing to oblige, and he would try to catch up on the news or happenings; (who was running for this or that office and try to learn something of the character of the individuals who were running for Governor, Representative or President and whatever)
He would relay this information to his brothers and they trusted his judgment so well, they always voted for the persons he recommended.
By going to Owingsville two or three times a week Uncle Oll became acquainted with a lot of Bath County people and more about what was new. His other brothers made only one or two trips a year into town either to pay their debts or to pay their taxes.
After Uncle Oll was married to Aunt Ella, they lived with Grandma and Grandpap (John T. and Mariah) where he had lived since Beulah and Bob's mother died. This was at the homeplace, where about all the men had lived a short while with their young wives until they settled in homes of their own. Grandma and Grandpap were getting up in years, when Raymond was born and the following January was when Grandma died, and Grandpap who had been crippled up with what they called "rheumatism" then for several years (barely able to walk with a cane) died about a year and a half later. I don't believe there was a will of any kind left and everybody assumed Uncle Oll was due the homeplace since he had looked after Grandma and Grandpap in their late years, and he had tended the farm which was somewhat larger, than the farms the other brothers had, except for Uncle Charlie's place.
A few years after Grandma and Grandpap died, some men (who may have been trying to find oil on Uncle Oll's place) found a large amount of Marl or lime, and Uncle Oll allowed several people to come and get a large portion of this to put on their farms. A lot of farms were tested and did not have the mineral, or ingredient in their soil and it was really helpful to them, as soil lacking lime does not produce crops well, due to high acidity. I don't know whether Uncle Oll gave this Marl away or received a bit of money for it. Now-a days it cost a lot to have lime spread over a farm.
A little tomato factory was brought in and set up (about 1923) at Preston, and several people signed up to raise tomatoes to sell and have canned ones for sale and Uncle Oll signed up. He had a lot of nice tomatoes and I remember helping Beulah and Bob pick some of them. Several women around got jobs at the little factory (or tomato plant) and things did very well until the water around began to get so low, there wasn't enough for washing and scalding tomatoes. I don't remember whether the undertaking was tried the second summer or not. anyhow, it soon played out.
I believe we children got very little pay, only Uncle Oll allowed us to have "Old Henry" and his buggy to go to Preston where they were having a tent meeting at night. I remember we were singing "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be" all time the next day as we picked tomatoes (It was a song we had picked up at the meeting). I reckon time passed faster and tomatoes more easy to pick if we sang( no matter if we sang off tune or not back then).
Uncle Oll always had chores to do on the farm for Beulah and Bob. Children didn't get allowances back then only for food and clothes. And they were allowed to go visit friends when the chores were done. Seems like playing marbles and baseball were things all the children liked at home or at school, but girls were not encouraged to participate, and mostly settled for the "Tag", "Ring Around the Rosy", "Handkerchief", "Farmer In The Dell" and such like.
I loved to play marbles with my brothers at home (when no girls were around), and I liked baseball. One time at school, some boys were playing with homemade string ball and wooden bat and they lacked one person for the team. I was watching them and was thrilled when some one picked me. I was playing and having the "time of my life" when our teacher came out and called me aside and said "Helen, girls are not supposed to play these games with boys. The games are too rough for girls". I was very disappointed, but I believe that was the last of my playing baseball.
Uncle Oll, although being firm with his children in having them help with many jobs to be done on a farm, was not abusive to his children. He was a mild-mannered person and liked by those who knew him well. He liked people and they in turn liked him. All the older Craycraft men treated their wives kindly. Their women in return respected their men and cheerfully cooked, washed clothes, ironed with flat irons, (heated on the wood cook stove) and helped with some outside chores such as milking and gardening. In the winter these women sewed clothing for their children, pieced quilts, and sometimes would ask other women in to help quilt the quilts. These days of women helping other women quilt was the beginning of the "Quilting Bee" I believe.
Category:Stories from the Warner Family
Category:Stories