MARY LIV?RM')?F LIBRARY RIMBROKL . ARY PtMSItOKE. UW iaa a?, I | i | . N,.^v _ fii?tDi 3 5 i 2 w ?< . o V Published each Thursday since January 18,1973 >1 IHHC L J > m f ^ 1 I ;?N^e .ruvK.t/ r.- r.xA icxrf/u-vpr -yJi >1 >J 10 ^ 3 I < imbroke, NC Robeson County "Building communicative bridges in a tri-racial setting" 1^I?? 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 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/