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imbroke, NC Robeson County
"Building communicative bridges in a tri-racial setting"
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VOLUME 19 NUMBER 1 THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 21. 1991 2S CENTS PER COPY
Whatever Happened to ...
EtJIA. MARIF ?? IORRAINE HUNT
By Barbara Brave boy-LocHear
SPECIAL TO THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE
Recent {rigid weather caught some area residents
shivering. But (or three Hopewell community residents
the situation became a laughing matter.
Eula, Mable "Zfl" and Lorraine Hunt just threaded
their needles and kept on stitching quilts with their
nimble fingers.
It's been many moons since the Hunt sisters began
quilting -a craft they learned in childhood. As far as they
are concerned there is no special season for quilts, for
they are surrounded by them continually. A quilting
frame stays up year round at the Hunt residence off
Highway 710 between Rowland and Pembroke.
Eula. 72; Mable, 68; and Lorraine, 66 never married.
"We had parents to take care of," says Mable Hunt in
explaining their marital status. None of the women ever
left home. They were among 19 children bora to Allen and
Betty Brooks Hunt in the Union township of Robeson
County. Nine children live today.
All three sisters say there is little idle time spent at the
old Hunt homestead where they live with an unmarried
brother. Cliff.
"We don't quilt every day. Some days we loaf," says
Mable. Eula readily admits to being the biggest loafer
because her siblings push her because she handles the
family's business affairs. She says she depends on her
sister, Mable or other family members to drive her on
errands because she never learned to drive because of "a
heavy foot"
Hreir hobby became a business of sorts several years
ago when two students bom Pembroke State University
came calling for old quilts for their dormitory rooms. Hie
students were obliged and news spread that quilts could
be purchased from the Hunt quilters. This was before the
Hunt house was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1986.
"We were awakened from our sleep that night and
escaped unharmed," Eula remembers. "But we lost
everything we owned including more than 100 treasured
quilts." Also loet in the fire was their mothers pedal
sewing machine which was used in constructing quilt
tops.
The sisters along with their brother took up temporary
dwelling in a small wooden house across the road from the
one destroyed. Unable to continue actual quilting, the
sisters busied themselves in sewing quilt tops with nimble
fingers. Construction began on a new home and during
the fall of the same year they moved into the modem brick
home they live in today. In planning the house they
provided for a custom-designed quilting room built on the
backside. This is where much time is taken in turning out
masterpieces in bedcovering.
The sisters agree that double-sise quilts are most in
demand. Among the most popular designs are the
wedding ring and star. Rarely is a quilt top made by
machine because none of the sisters feel comfortable in
operating the electric machine which sits pretty much un
noticed in a room.
"I don't use it for the same reason I never learned to
drive a car. My heavy foot won't let me," laments Eula.
Front: Lorraine Hunt; standing left to right- Eula and Mable Hunt.
In addition to running family business errands her
"loafing" consists of daily chores of earing for die
family's farm livestock which consists of four cows and 1
two hogs. Throw in 35 chickens and several cats.
Eula says she does it, "Because I've always done it and
I do it because there's no one else to do it," she explains
after coming indoors from rolling a bale of hay which she
has fed the animals. "Hard work is not new to us. We
remember well the years of killing hogs, pulling tobacco
suckers, pulling fotter and plowing mules on the family'
farm from sun up to sun down."
The Hunt sisters share in the responsibilities of running
the household. They say they get along living together
because they don't have "fusses."
"It ain't a bit of good to have fusses...not a bit in this
world," says Eula. "We agree well on everything."
Lorraine, who works in an area textile manufacturing
plant, does most of the cooking of meals for the family.
Eula does the outside chores, and Mable says when she's
not cutting and sewing quilt tops, she's napping. Eula
and Lorraine enjoy good health. Mable suffers from
hypertension and diabetes.
"There is no boss in the family. We do as we please,"
Mable comments. And what they do best is make quilts.
Cummings Family
to Obsarva
Flr*?"t Annivarsary
with Singing
The Happy Echoes and the Cummings Family will host
their first anniversary singing on Friday. February 22 at
God's Holy Assembly in Shannon.
The singing will feature the Happy Erhnes, The
Cummings Family, (he JoyHells, the Born Believers, the
Pie nee Family and the McNeill,
On Saturday. February 23 a singing will bs held at A. ?
Annah Church in IVmhmke. Featured singers will ha tilt
Cummings Family, the Happy Rrhoes, the Joy BEIIs,
Faith Oospel Singers. D * I. G<*pel Singers, the Nc?U
Angers and FeHa Heal and Family.
The time h* b.*h singings will he 7 p.m.
A barbecue ami chicken plate sale will be held >111
HaUtiday. February 23 at A. Annah ('hutch. The isle will
AmA al 10 a.m. and last until...The priee of (he plates
?0h? HM
They all share in the tasks of making quilts. They all
handsaw tops, but Mable says she has an edge on her
sisters when it comes to assembling pieces. Eula does
most ai the cutting of designs.
"I can beat 'em both quilting when I'm here. I work
outside the home and probably don't quilt as much, but I
quilt faster, Lorraine interjects. None of the sisters lap
quilt And ninety five percent of quilts leaving the Hunt
house are made by the sisters. Occasionally they will quilt
a top brought in by a customer. They also do quilt repair
and restoration. They get their fabric for their
quOtmaking from "first one place; then another." Often
times blends donate fabric and sometimes the statin buy
it And they're always on the lookout for new patterns.
TV Lnmbee Indian women may they have quilts all over
the world including Germany, Mexico and Saudia Arabia.
They try to have an ample supply of quilts available for
customers. "A while back we ran out but we just got to
working real hard and made more," says Eula.
Do the Hunt slaters contemplate retirement from
quiltmaking? "We can't when there are people wanting
them," Eula answers.
And why do Eula, Mable and Lorraine Hunt quilt at all?
Mable and Lorraine say they do it because they enjoy the
craft
"Why? Tb make a nickel," replies Eula, the biggest
loafer and family busiaeaa manager.
Community To
Meet with
County
Commissioner
Creative Health Ministry and County Commissioner
Noah Woods are plaasad to announce a series of
community development meetings for District IV. Thee#
meetings wfU allow clliaona to ask questions and make
recommendation* regarding Issues Impasting the county.
Three meetings ara aaheduied for February 21,1291 at
PWuhraha DsmaMary lahool; February SR. Iff]
Townaand Middle fishooi (Maxton); and Match 7, 1M1 at
Pmapoet Dementary fithooi. All meetings wll begin at 7
p.m. and w?i last appruaJmately twu hours.
Cnmmliiimr Wanda and Mrharri Math Is. of
Creative Health Ministry, will listen to censems
(Means and wdl fciMlali ritiasn involvement in trying to
Impwue the *>11 being of the mmmunky and mainly
mm/am*, a ??????????
Raymond IPete] Clark, known at Ray Spotted Tarda, it
tkown being interviewed by Beth Kulle of WBTW-TV of
Florence, SC. during hit recent vitit to PSVt Native
American Resource Center. Clark, 71, dances with the
Lumbee-Chemw Dancers, who were organized by hit eon,
Ray Little DtrtU. Pet* Clark performs mostly m the
eastern United States as far west as the Mississippi River.
Once a year he goes to the Far West He does
presentations regarding Native American customs and
traditions.
Lyrics of Indian Normal School
Song Recalled t>y Howard Oxendlne
Howard Odendine
Years go by, but one's school song remains embedded
in his or her memory.
There is nothing quite like an alumni group getting
together and ringing forth with what-to them- will be the
forever immortal words of their school song.
The Pembroke State University school song, "Hail To
PSU," was written by Ira Pate Lowry and his late wife,
Reba, in 1941. Lowry wrote the musk, while Reba wrote
the lyrics.
But there was a school song at this Indian Normal
School before that. Its words and music wetp written in
the early 1930a by A.F. Corbin, the first agricultural
teacher and shop foreman at the Indian Normal School.
Thle of that school song was "Indian Normal School,"
according to Howard Oxendine, a member of that school's
Class of '35 who now lives in Mint HD1. NC, just west of
Charlotte.
A man with marvelous memory, Oxendine recently met
M i d Winter Prayer
ServIco & I ndian
Dan ce to be held
A mid-winter prayer service and Indian dance will be
held at Prospect School on Friday evening, February 22
from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. Admission is free. Hm
drumming will be by the Running Water Drum of
Fayetteville. Derek Lowry and Angle Goins will lead the
dance.
Barbecue will be on sale during the event The public is
encouraged to attend.
The DAL Singers will be performing. Prayers will
offered by Vernon Cooper, Rev. Jimmy Dial, Ev. Priacilla
Jacobs, Rev. Samuel Wynn, and Ev. Harold G. Dial.
Rev. Kelly Sanderson will deliver the message and
invitation.
Spelling Bee Champ
Branch flrwaalary Srktml aaaaaaaar Ik, wfeaar
u/Ik, I9?i Stkooi tyrUnv h. Mr ?? the Ckavu, a Mart
?mda aftrtaat parMtfr aw Mr Du+kt CAavu aa4
Mm, >4Mia CAaaia a/ Houiami KMe i$ aJaava pram oId
Mr Ma rtadaal <a Mm. HowUa MiurA*' iM pvadr. KHe
mi aa rta Aaaar wi <J?n*p rta loal grartag p*nod Ma
bustIttiU imm/ fiputtmli lCt%f ^0ff
Bnmek Maaiaalary Hekmoi b> Ikr %aflrtf Mm /rr rt*
ArtMr JMaafe ./ ftrtaaaa Cmm* aa Afcwary It, It*I
two old friends at ShefT s Seafood in Pembroke:
Mary Hammond LocUear and Lucy Loddear. They started
humming theold school song, but only Oxendine recalled
the words. They were so meaningful to him that he wrote
them down.
In his neat penmanship, here are the words of the song,
"Indian Normal School," that Oxendine wrote and can
sing as readily as "The Star Spangled Banner":
*
INDIAN NORMAL SCHOOL
Ws are the I.N.S. [meaning Indian Normal School] of
the old N.C. of the U.S.A. to grand. So hurrah for our
School, hurrah for our itale and hurrah for our native
land.
7bday to* honor the men of old and the mothers of old.
We praise the maidens and youth, the fair, the bold that
lived in the olden days. But we tern to the future and we
see a much nobler and greater race-far we're molding
and training here each day m our dear old I.N.S.
We are the I.NS. of the old N.C. of the U.Sji. so
grand. So hurrah for our School, and hurrah for oar state,
and hurrah for our native land.
Our blood runs red, Ua a crimson stream from the
fountains of long ago-vuhere our fathers roamed ae free
as the wind and feared not any foe. But we teen to the
future, and we tee a much nobler and greater race for we
an molding and training here each day m our dear old
IN.S.
We are the I.NS. of the old NC. of the U.S.A. so
grand. So hurrah for our School, hurrah for our state, and
hurrah for our native land.
Oxendien mailed these words to PSU for its quarterly
issue of "PSU Today." However, credit was mistakingiy
given to Oxendine's wife, the former Doris Woed of
Abbeville, Ala., for researching and sending in the lyrics.
It is Howard Oxendine, a man with a remarkable
memory who deserves credit for remembering and
sharing these historical lyrics of a bygone day.
by Gene Warren
OutokmAng Ymng Worn** of Amonca. Sko to Iho
dauQktor of Jmmo, id omd Sot Ckovu of tko Ml Airy
Community. Sko io o junior oi POmbroko S*to Uoiooroity
wkoro oho do mojOting At oooiod work with m omphooit fc
Tko YotmgWomon of Amotion for Ml
COHWIMltfy twvicf
CkmrtoU* irrvi as troomror of tko Sooml Work Ctnk o4
mi, mwoi 00 toormry of nm Km* aomi^. mo u
?ttoMWokk*f tit Vbhuiuii iniw4|ihiifa a/