Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / July 22, 1976, edition 1 / Page 13
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Mrs. Hambright: Love The Lord And Work ■ LDUBB TO OABDBIf — Bln. Tom ■unMikt, eroehetlag M ker Inkbjr. Iter BuooUIni nm olory Sr., who moved to the Antioch Oonununlty m o bride 68 cotonlnl houM, It* eight room* toll of hlatory, le filled at years ago and who lives on farmland once owned by this season of the year with blooms from her garden. Ool. Frederick Hambright, lists gardening and Section B Thursday, July 22. 1976 Mirror-Herald LivifTQ Today By EUZABETH STEWART Womens Editor Sarah Mable Weir Hambright moved Into her present two-story colonial house 68 years ago as the bride of Thomas A. Hambright, Sr., Orover farmer who was bom there on 76 acres owned by the Revolutionary War hero. Col. Frederick Hambright. Ihe vintage house, some of the eight rooms which are more them a century old. Is full of history. A. C. (Ansel) Hambri^t, Tom Hambrlght's father, was hauling lumber to build the house In 1889 when his mule ran away and Hambright was killed. Tom Hambright, Sr. and his 18- year-old bride farmed the land and radsed eight children, Mrs. Ham bright learning quickly how to operate the farm tractor euid toll bmlde her husband In the fields. Mable Hambrlght’s training as a newlywed paid off In later years when her husband was attacked by a bull and deafened. For 80 years before his death In 1978, Mrs. Hambright listened for him to the sounds of the feu-m machinery as they operated the tractor and worked the large plantation with the help of tenant farmers. .Mable Weir (pronounced Ware after her marriage) Is a youthful 81 and probably holds the record as Sunday School teacher at Antioch Baptist Church for 68 years. Mrs. Weir started teaching the Senior Adult Class at age 18 and now Is the senior member of her class. Daughter of former Kings Mountain Postmaster S. S. Weir and Mrs. Weir, she was bom in a family of five boys and two girls In the Dixon Community area, her family moving "uptown” when she was six and he became postmsister. Reminiscing of early years growing up In Kings Mountain, she recalled attending the one-room then-wooden Dixon and Bethlehem Schools and being drenched by rain one afternoon and taking refuge from the storm at the home of Mrs. Aaron Wells, who then lived In the l9e-year-old house now occupied by my family, the George Stewart family. In the Dixon Community. "Miss Mable” said the neaihy creeks were overflowing and the school children couldn't get across the foot logs to their homes. Mrs. Wells gave them some of her boys clothing and dried the youngster's school clothing by the cook stove. Mrs. Hambright worked for her brother, also a former Postmaster, W. Ted Weir, groceryman, at Weir's Store in the Park Yam community for 18 years. Another brother, Sam Weir, Jr., lives in Kings Mountain. She graduated from Kings Mountain High School In a class of nine girls and three boys In 1912. The late Ector A. Harrlll was principal. The silver-haired grandmother of 22 and great-grandmother of 14, credits her longevity sold good health to "loving the Lord and working hard.” She believes strongly that early religious training should begin In the home and should continue In the schools and churches. Every Sunday morning found the entire Hambright brood ready for Sunday School at Antioch Church, Mrs. Hambright "laying out the clothes on Saturday night.” Young tots who complained with "feeling bad” about church time had miraculous recoveries when Mrs. Hambright brought out the castor oil bottle. When her devoted husband passed away, Mrs. Hambright recalls a three-year-old great- granddaughter exclaiming the day of his funeral that "Oranddaddy Is hearing this morning.” Mrs. Hambright declares that a child feels security In the Lord If taught at home, at school and at church and believes that "prayer and scripture residing should be returned to the schools.” Oochetlng and gardening are Mrs. Hambrlght's hobbles and she recently gave beautiful afghans to her daughters. She has also crocheted scarves, capes, and made decorative pillows and other hand work as gifts for her family. , Her beautiful colonial house Is colorful with day lilies, crepe myrtle, ilox, sc<'.rlet sage, cockscomb, Joseph's Coat, begonias, Impatlents and tiger lilies at this season of the year. H>.r grandsons cut the grass and children who live nesu-by tend the vegetable gardens. A comfortable addition to the house Is the q>aclous yellow and gold den, the living room and kitchen on the lower floor. There Is a big front porch where she en]oys sitting In late afternoon. Children of Mrs. Hambright are Louise (Mrs. Eugene Roberts, Bess (Mrs. M. D.) Phifer, both of Kings Mountain, Aileene (Mrs. A. D.) Ouitrell of Davidson, Lucy (Mrs. Herman) Klnard of Charlotte; Anderson Hambright, Lawrence Hambright, both of whom ara her neighbors, Tom Hambright, Jr. of Antioch Community; and Sue (Mrs. Ralph) Drye of Charlotte. The Hambrights are a close-knit fsunily Sind hundreds of them trace their family tree to the Revolutionary War Hero Colonel Frederick Hambright. The annual Hambright Family reunion Is first Sunday In August at Grover Rescue Squad and attracts a large crowd of ancestors. They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, But Red Proved Them Wrong I A banana ater 18 months.. By TOM McIntyre Editor, Mirror-Herald There Is a touch of Florida In Kings Mountain. Also a smattering of the great southwest. To find this unique panorama, you've got to travel to Stinnett Acres and Roy and Anita Morrison's trailer site. Rooted In the Piedmont red clay you’ll find banana trees. Yucca plants, Sego and Australlsin Crocus Palms and cactus plants among other blooms. "Three years ago my neighbors told me I would never get grass to grow on the red clay,” said Roy (Uttle Red) Morrison. "WeU, I proved them wrong there. Then, they said the banana trees and palm trees would never grow In the red clay.” Little Red proved the doubters wrong there, too. This week the bansma trees bore fruit — finger-length bananas. Morrison said his uncle gave him three banana plants about two years ago and he planted them and nur tured them as a challenge. "I read the encyclopedia and magazines for Information on how to care for these plants,” he said. "To get grass to grow on my acre of red clay lhauled ten wheelbarrow loads Roy Morrison surveys his botanical kingdom of cactus, pabn, yucca ot top soil from my garden each evening and spread It around to plant grass. To get the banana trees and palms and other things to grow I armed myself with information. You know what type of soil Is needed, what type of plant food.” Morrison said he fed Ids plants about a gallon of liquid fertilizer each week to prepare the soil. But, he said, you do have to take pains with the banana trees. "You have to plant the trees in the spring,” he said, "Then dig them up In the fall to replant them the next spring. During the summer the trees grow sprouts. These sprouts can be planted and will produce trees.” He said It takes about 18 months of such care before the trees bear fruit. "It just takes time and patience,” he said. Morrison works for Blythe Brothers Cotutructlon In Charlotte as a dozer operator and after a hard day of demolishing the esu^ for construction, he likes to relax by making unusual plsmtc gi ow to SMld beauty bsMsk to the earth. Besides the banana trees a visitor will find the Sego palms, cactus plants, century plants. Yucca plants scattered about the Morrison acre. And these plants are not there without design. "I have moved the trees and plants several times about the land,” Morrison said. "And on many of them I’ve added lights to highlight the beauty of the plants at night. We have a tot of visitors riding by just to look. Tommy Ellison, the former city commissioner, claims that the Morrisons have brought a touch of Florida to Carolina.” Actually, the Morrisons have brought touches of Texas to Carolina, too. Some of the unusual plants, the ones foiuid growing wild In desert land, came to KM as cuttings. "We had some many cuttings In the car once that my wife thought she was gonna have to catch a bus back home,” Morrison said. Why would anyone want to go through all of this trouble just to have an unusual lawn? "We like to travel to the different parts of the country, see the sights,” Morrison answered. "And when you figure 90 percent of the people around here have never been past the Mississippi River, then maybe our lawn displays will give those people a chance to see how beauty Is defined In other sections of the country.” Since his banana trees (the species grown In the U. S. Is called the Musa Nana and is a dwsurf tree) Photos by Tom McIntyre & Gary Stewart Isegan blooming Morrison has given away a numlser to visitors and neighbors who expressed Interest. "I don’t sell the shoots,” he said, "But I give them away along with the wsu-nlng Jiat If you don’t have patience and time to care for the shoots, then there Is no need to plant them. ■ ‘The old tsu- heel red clay, just has too much acid In It for these plants to survive,” he continued. "You have to read up on how to take care of the plants, then get serious and follow the Instructions. Like I said. It takes ttme.” Banana shoots will make new trees..
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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July 22, 1976, edition 1
13
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