Going home again is something precious and dear to the heart
BY HASTIE N. LOWTHER
"There's no place like home,'
the lyrics from an old song tell us
and this is what \ve discoverer
71 n my brothers’’ Gilbert rmr
and I accompanied my
a Willie to his hometown .
w - ekend this past summer. Goinj
home again, for Willie was more
than special this year." I wanted tc
go home to visit historical Edenton
and the place of my childhood,'
said Willie. We now make our home
in Harlem. NY.
When we arrived in town, the
first thing we did was to check into
the beautiful new Hampton Inn.
with its magnificent accommoda
tions and lovely surroundings. We
were met by the hospitable staff
which had everything ready for
us. We found the Inn’s services
very efficient.
After we settled into our rooms
at the Inn. we were off to the Golden
Corral to eat. Since all of us were
hungry’, we selected the buffet so
we could i all we wanted. The
food was good. Boy, did we eat! I
think I sampled some of everything
in sight. Once we had dined suffi
ciently, we were ready to tour the
town.
My brother Gilbert was our
chauffeur for the tour. We began
in town op Broad Street where
Willie’sfather owmed and operated
a soul food restaurant for colored
people in the 1920's. Next wre drove
to the Roanoke and Chowan Riv
ers and took in the beautiful view
of the Albemarle Sound. "My daddy
had a fishing business here and
used to export fish to Norfolk, VA
and other areas." he said.
Saturday morning, we visited
Willie's cousin. Annie Mae Rogers,
in Hertford. NC. She took us to
Locust Grove. "I was born in Lo
cust Grove." Willie beamed excit-,
edlv. "I left When I was almost
three." There we had a chance to
visit with Willie's cousin Andrew
and his wife Clara who still lived
in Locust Grove.
Andrew and I were good bud
dies growing up and close in age,"
my husband proudly told us.
Our tour took us to the historic
Locust Grove AME Zion Method
ist Church on Drummonds Point
Road. We snapped many pictures
for keepsakes.
Next we drove to St. John’s in
Yeopim Towmship of Chowan
County, where my husband Willie
urew up "It was a joy to be home
again, after all these years," Willie
)ld us as he looked around. "I left
here in the winter of 1930, the be
ginning of the Great Depression.
The place has changed so much -
paved roads, no dirt roads. When I
grew up, it was dirt roads. Our
house was known as Route 2, Box
60."
Even with all the changes. Willie
felt he could still remember this
place - home. "So much still re
mains the same."
As we walked around, my hus
band continued to tell us about his
boyhood days. "The house with the
light gray tin roof top I lived in as
a boy. In 1913. my daddy built this
house. I was only three at the time.
It still stands today, it stood the
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test of time.”
“Across the road is Saint John
Baptist Church.” he continued. “I
spent many days at church.”
Willie pointed to the Great Dis
mal Swamp and said. “I spent a lot
of my teem years running ss
the swamp or in the woods. 1 use to
love to go hunting in those woods
and run my dogs. ,1 owned 13 dogs
when I left home the winter of1930.
It really hurt me to leave my dogs. ”
We then went on to the
Rosenwald School that was being
renovated. When we approached
the school building, Willie quickly
told us, “My daddy, Willie Wilford
Lowther, Mr. Gaston Lamb, and
other good friends were instrumen
tal in raising matching funds to
finance the construction of the
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Rosenwald School. I believe it was
around 1921, if my memory serves
me right.’'
We visited the well-kept cem
etery with its white picket fence
behind the Saint John Missionary
Bap: '■ on Indian Trail
road. sband’sparents,
Willie W. and Maggie H. Lowther
were buried. As we looked at the
old gray tombstones, there we
stood and paid silent tribute to my
husband’s parents.
Then on Sunday morning, we
attended the eleven o’clock wor
ship service at Willie’s home
church. Saint John Missionary
Baptist Church. The pastor is Rev.
Earl J. Eaddy Sr. We were received
with a hearty welcome by pastor
and members.
Reverend Eaddy called on Willie
to say a few words. “To the es
teemed pastor, Reverend Eaddy,
and members of this great congre
gation, it is a blessing to be back in
the church where I was converted,”
Willie said. “It was the first bench
up front to m v left. As I remember,
I was about twelve years old. I’m
happy to worship here today. God
bless all of you.”
We were inspired by the music
and the sermon, “Going All the
Way” (text Mark 10:32) given by
Reverend Eaddy.
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Sunday afternoon was spent
with Willie’s cousin Ethel
Littlejohn who prepared a deli
cious dinner for us. Annie Mae,
her son James Collins, Willie, Gil
bert and I enjoyed the dinner. The
hospitality that we received in her
lovely home was a wonderful place
to spend the afternoon. After din
ner, wee sat in a swing on the front
porch, soaking in the cool breeze
blowing from the Albemarle
Sound. In the warm sunshine, we
reminisced about old times, and
we all felt “there’s no place like
home,” no matter how far away or
wherever we go, home is where we
are reminded of who we are and
what beginning we have had.
After breakfast, on the final day
of our visit, Gilbert loaded us in
our rented four-door red Ford Mar
quis, and the four of us headed
back to New York, leaving behind
the Edenton Bay, the Roanoke and
Chowan Rivers with a beautiful
view of the Albemarle Sound. Trav
eling back, we couldn’t help but.
take in the sights of the wild woods,
open spaces, huge farmlands, cot
ton fields and green corn growing
in the fields, and the open air. We
want your readers to know that
historic Edenton is a great place to
come home to and visit with its
wonderful, awesome qualities.
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