Newspapers / The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.) / July 2, 1993, edition 1 / Page 15
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Charter members Charter members of the Rose of Sharon chapter #611 of the Order of the Eastern Star in 1957 were (front row, from left) Mrs. Mary P. Grant, treasurer; Mrs. Josephine Tyree, associate conductress; Mrs. C.Y. Motley, worthy matron; and Mrs. Irene N. Yeates, conductress; (second row) Mrs. Helen Slade, Electa; Mrs. Hattie Manley, warder; Mrs. Eunice Williams, marshal; Mrs. Henrietta K. Yeates, secretary: Mrs. E.M. Davis, Martha; and C.S. Yeates Jr., worthy patron; and (third row) Mrs. M.B. Lewis, Ruth; Mrs. Florida Bazemore, Ada; Mrs. Eliza Y. Jenkins, Esther; Mrs. Riddle Lewis, chaplain; and Mrs. Katie Sessoms, sentinel. Not pictured was Mrs. Amaza Davis, associate worthy matron. (Photo courtesy of Clarence S. Newsome) Rose of Sharon chapter serves Ahoskie community since 1957 By Quay Winslow Worthy Matron Rose of Sharon chapter #611 of the Order of the Eastern Star was originated from the Jerusalem Lodge #96. Its meeting place was erected be fore the 1900's at the corner of Hayes and Rhue streets by the Love and Charity Lodge, the Masons and the Odd Fellows. The building was known as the Love and Charity Hall and it is now known as Jerusalem Lodge #96. The lodge was renovated in the mid-1970's during the adminisU'a- tion of George A. Everett Sr. as worshipful master. At that time, Hawley J. New- some, a past worshipful master, and member Clayton Saunders provided hands-on workmanship in brick-ve neering the entire exterior of the building. Clarence Askew Jr. and John Bai ley assisted in the renovation pro ject, and there were other people in the community that gave a helping hand. Chapter organized Katie Hart, a member of the Dor cas chapter, inspired Ahoskie citi zens to organize an Eastern Star chapter. Rose of Sharon #611 of the Order of the Eastern Star was organized Feb. 1, 1957 by Vera Slade from another chapter and Deputy Willia G. Williams of Dis trict 6. Slade was deputized to set up the chapter and she helped them in ev ery way. She even contributed $11 to Clara Motley, the charter worthy matron, to get the treasury started. Charter members were Motley; Charles S. Yeates Jr., worthy pa tron; Amaza Davis, associated ma tron; Irene Yeates, condustress; Josephine Tyree, associated conduc tress; Mary P. Grant, treasurer; Henrietta K. Yeates, secretary; Florida Bazemore, Adah; Mary B. Lewis, Ruth; Eliza Y. Jenkins, Es ther; Elsie Davis, Martha; Helen Slade, Electa; Hattie Manley, war den; Katie Sessoms, Riddell Lewis, chaplain; and Eunice Williams, marshal. Mobley led group Motley served as worthy matron for 11 years, to 1968. During her tenure, she gave outstanding leader ship. She always had words of en couragement and believed in giving credit where it was due. The organi zation continues to grow because of her genuine interest in the Eastern Star. She continues to serve loyally and puts her best foot forward in performing whatever tasks she un dertakes. When the chapter was organized, members Davis and Yeates made curtains and draperies for the win dows, donated a sweeper and were always looking for bargains. Lews gave a white Bible. Later Manley conU'ibuted a piano. Davis and Yeates were very in- sU'umental in getting the organiza tion off to a good start. They were sincere and dedicated. Their contri butions were numerous. Their long years of service and dedication al ways will remain a beautiful mem ory and a great source of inspiration for those of us who are left to carry of the work of the organization. These worthy matrons followed in order; Amaza Davis, Eliza Y. Jenkins, Lola Joyner and Quay Winslow. During the capable leadership of Joyner and Jenkins, the chapter con tinued to progress. Rrst patron The first patron was Charles S. Yeates Jr. He remained patron until 1986, when he became sick. The second patron was Charles McCul lough. The current worthy patron is Bobby Wright. Wright and Winslow, as worthy matron, took office in 1992 and were re-elected in 1993. Rose of Sharon #611 has these grand officers: Charles McCul lough, instructor, North Carolina Gleaner Youth Department; Lela Joyner, Eastern Regional co-chair woman for Districts 5, 6 and 21; Winslow, District 21 youth advi sor; and Wright, conservation repre sentative. (A history of the chapter's meet ing place and its renovation has been included in an article on the history of black fraternal organiza tions in Ahoskie.) Rose of Sharon #611 and Dorcas #97 established a Gleaner branch on Feb. 29, 1992, which is named Stars of Hope #75. Geraldine Mizzell is chair super visor. The supervisors at the time the branch was established were Eu- lala Wilson, Marion Faison, Annie Newsome, Rosia Ruffin, Ida Lee, Viretta Vann, Quay Winslow, Lela Joyner and Sherri Weaver. There are 31 Gleaners and 10 supervisors. Name (From Page 12A) creek beds to indicate Indian tribes did live in the area. An Ahoskie native, George Greene of Rowland, talked about a number of Indians living in the area, and they told him that those Indians were half-breeds — half- Cherokee and half-Tuscarora — and were called Ahoskans. Not until 1893, nearly a century after the Baptist church was opened, was the town incorporated on the 1949 Buick Roadmaster Sedan What a difference 8d years can make... Happy 100th Birthday Ahoskie, from Chas. H. Jenkins & Co., Established in 1909! And... Today's 1993 Buick 1993 Buick Roadmaster I *22,950* One great pnee... 1 AHOSKtE, N.C. one incredible car wm$25,050 (J l-BOO-SSl-SBBS 332-2191 / j Open Monday - Friday 6 am . B pi 1 \J Open Saturday! 6:30 ■ until 123 TRUCKS Sessoms (From Page 1 lA) Mr. Mitchell, old Sheriff Parker and others came to see me and en courage me. I was going to quit. I told them that the folks were as mean as they were. I wasn't out there with them before but when I got into this work, people would walk around up there Saturday night with shotguns looking for someone to shoot. All that cutting going on! I told them I couldn't do that. One fellow had sent me word that he was going to kill me. Mr Mitchell told me not to worry about him be cause he had been killing him for the last 20 years. After I became a policeman, I took some police training. We had to attend schools three nights a month to learn different things. I was hired without any special Pain ing. People were hired on reputa tions then. I kept hanging on to the job about 10 years and things began to get better. Folks began to know me and I began to know them. They began to respect me and from then on, we got along fine. 'Folks were crazy' It take a lot of courage, I sup pose, because folks were crazy then. For example, kids like you Junior Historians wouldn't even be going to school. You might be around stealing and in garbage cans, in people's stores behind the counters, crawling and stealing what you could. The ones I had to deal with didn't have enough sense to come in somebody's house and sit down. Now I don't mean all of the kids, just the ones I had to deal with. The parents didn't ever teach them; the home Paining was lacking. Since the law was passed that kids had to go to school, things have been a whole lot better. When I began work, the police station was in the bank building, where Mr. Carlton Cherry had his office, on Main Spect. The jail was in the back. We had two cells — one for men and one for women. I carried the key to the jail right on my keyring. It had one of those padlocks.:When we would look a fellow up, we hang the key on our side. At the time I started, there were only two policemen. He had a key and I had one. We worked 12 hours a day. Sometimes it was 16 hours, de pending on how long it was neces sary to be out there. I had a regular uniform. I didn't The News-Herald, Friday, July 2,1993 have it all to start, but we got it spaightened out. At first I used my own car. They gave me 10 gallons of gas a week. Then I got a police car, a Chevro let. We had a siren, but it was under the hood, and we had a red light that could be put in front of the car or on the roof. Built own office I built a little building for my of fice on Hayes Spcct at the comer. This was the area where all the pouble usually was. There was a dance hall, the poolroom and a cafe. I wanted to be down there. It worked to prevent crime, and when the fights started, I was there, and all I had to do was step out. Where there is a nice brick house today, there was a big dance hall. When Friday evening came and Saturday night. I'll bet there were 500 folks there. All would come to town. They would play the music so loud that they could dance right in the spect if they wanted to. Peo ple would bring bootleg whiskey and sell it right in the sPeet by the cup like lemonade. I had to go work to break that up. Whenever somebody would break into any place, such as a house or a store, I would get them. There wasn't any getting away. They might be gone, but there were never out of my sight. I don't know of any one case that I would say was the toughest. All of them were tough. Back then the lawyers would fight there cases. You had better get yourself right when you went to court. I had no court experience when I started, but I learned if I got beat one time to be ready the next time. There were a lot of cases that were distressing to me such as when children were trapped in a burning house and I had to work to help them get out. Or when a woman badly abused her baby and I had to work hard to get her to admit that she had thrown the baby against the floor. First black cop In state I was the first black policeman in Ahoskie. Mr. Roberts Jernigan (state representative) talked with people in Raleigh and found out I was the first black policeman in North Carolina. In fact, Mr. Thad Eure (secretary of state) wrote me a letter about it. Working relations with the other counties was fine, too. I got just as much respect from white folk that I • would ever want. The most Pouble 1 had I got from my folk — criticiz ing. But most were on my side — the law-abiding, the best class of folk. Editor’s note: This interview was done by Darren Askew, Kirk land Mitchell, Ellery Lee, Lester Holley and David Freeman, all members of the R.L.Vann School Junior Historians in 1982. J Congratulations, Ahoskie, on your Centennial Celebration J1 jWe're more than just a furniture store! Discover a world of exchantingly unique gift giving ideas, including... • gourmet foods • bridal registry • beautiful bedding • wall paper • throws & decorative pillows • furnishings • lamps & pictures • custom drapery treatments • candles and candlesticks • color-coordinating service So muck mart tkm room to mention here. It's wortk a quick, drive toJ^idander! Mary Jane Tayloe an^E^ne CoBum, Co-owners vv-i Aulander Furniture Co. 110 Commerce St. Aulander, NC 345-4041 The township of AULANDER graciously pays tribute to our neighbor in honor of celebrating their first 100th Birthday. Congratulations, AHOSKIE on your Centennial Celebration. eastern end of Ahoskie ridge. Having been spelled so many ways by the English who Pied to articulate the Indian sound, "Ahotskey" finally became Ahoskie with the coming of the railroad and the post office in 1894. Town of Aulander
The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.)
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July 2, 1993, edition 1
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