| Notes |
- General Notes: The Lammon Tree & Jane Linton. 1900 Alabama Soundex B&DSocial Security Death Index.
Irene graduated from Geneva County High School in 1916 and was valedictorian of her class.
(The following is a transcription of handwritten notes to your editor by his Aunt Irene.)
Edward Louis Lamont of Lamont Argylshire, Scotland, the 22nd Chieftain of the Clan Lamont-which we belong to. The Treasurer of the Clan wrote me from Scotland that Lammon is one of the original clan names--and he thinks goes back further than the actual name Lamont. The clan history goes back to about the year 1230 AD. I haven't been able to get all I want yet and don't know if I ever can.
Duncan Lammon was Grandpa Lammon's father. Their father (Duncan's & Daniel's) came from Scotland, settled in N.C. He (Duncan) married Ann McColsky. They came to Alabama (the) year stars fell 1833--settled awhile in N. Alabama--then South to Dale County -- often saw Indians and many bones bleaching (horses and men.) Children (were) horrified (Grandpa Lammon cites). Aunt Annie (Omar Barnes grandmother -- only 6 at that time -- she pointed out a road to go that landed them at Barnes X-roads. Once spent a night in Cherokee country near Indian camp -- Indians fixed large pot of hominy and began to pass to them in a large spoon. They were frightened to death but afraid not to eat.
Mama's Side
Grandma Griffith was a Washington -- moved to U.S. from Wales -- settled in N.C. Don't know date of her birth but Grandpa's -- Aug 7, 1784 (on chart) -- came to US about 1800. Grandpa O.H. Griffith was an Irishman whose parents had come to States, also. After they were married they settled in Cuthbert, Ga. -- had 6 children. Grandma Atkinson was the oldest. Her mother dying when she was 15 and all responsibility of family fell on her. She married William Maldre Atkinson of Greensboro, Georgia. His parent(s) came to U.S. from Ireland when he was very young. They were married about 1847. There were 7 children. (They) lived in Cuthbert several years. Grandma Fields was oldest -- born March 4, 1848. At age 23 she married Alexander Clayton Fields. His parents were from Darlington District, S.C. His family came and settled about 3 miles SW of Ozark in 1825 (Matthews-Mother's side). There were 8 children. (Grandpa Fields was an only child). His father died when he was just walking and is buried in old family plot in an unmarked grave -- in what is now a Negro cemetery. In those days slaves were buried in one part of the cemetery and whites in other. Grandsir Moses was a large slave owner and when grandma Sinia married he gave her 2 slaves, Mary and her daughter Piety. When grandma was dying - in 1888 - they sent for Old Mary, who sat beside her & fanned her till she died. She is buried in Ozark. Grandma Sinia had a section of land - but her brothers got most of it, as she had to sell bit by bit to live. Old Claybank Church and grounds were given by her brother Elisha Matthews.
The following is a transcription of a videotaped interview. Son Harold is interviewing Irene:
INTERVIEW OF IRENE HARDWICK BY HER SON, HAROLD
DATE: about 1985 or 1986 PLACE: Dothan, Alabama ______________________________
Transcribed by: SHARON M. STILL (McALLISTER) Court Reporter
INTERVIEW
HAROLD: Just start way back. Where did you meet Dad and where was it and what happened? When is the first time you saw him?
AUNT IRENE: The first time I remember seeing Dad was when we were holding our... it was before we held a meeting at Barnes' Crossroads there in Hartford, he was there and my brother Jessup was there and they had what they call kind of a study course, you know.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: About studying the Bible, and Dad was there along with two... well, the Holloway boy and three or four others, younger people our age.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, so it was there that we first saw him. And, we had an ex-Missionary named brother Massey from India and he was going to hold a revival meeting under a brush arbor at Barnes' Crossroads. And, that was our Uncle's house, Uncle Jake Barnes.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, he wanted... they wanted Sister and me to come up there and help with the music and sing, and so that... Bill was there to help with that meeting and that's when I first really got acquainted with him.
HAROLD: Right.
AUNT IRENE: I met him before then.
HAROLD: How did y'all get together?
AUNT IRENE: Well, we... first time I ever walked home with him we were all staying at Uncle Jake Barnes, he had a big old house and Sister and me were staying there and so was Brother Massey and Bill.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, they... we were walking home from the church and he walked with me and Clarence Barnes, one of the boys, walked up and... in front of us, we were walking towards him and he made a picture of us walking along together.
HAROLD: All right, you still got it?
AUNT IRENE: Yes, I got that picture.
HAROLD: I'd like to see that.
AUNT IRENE: And, that was the... we were just walking along and he made the picture and he developed them, Mr. Barnes did that work himself, he just had trained himself. Anyhow, he gave me one of the snaps, because after that meeting was over I didn't see Bill again for along time. In fact, we didn't get... well, we was just together that... and so, Clarence gave me the picture and said, "Do you know how to contact that man, do you know his address? Bill's address?" And, I said, "Yes, he lives at Erika." And, he said, "Well, you send him this picture." And, so I wrote him a note and told him that Clarence said for me to send him that picture." Years after that, after we were married Bill said that he knew as soon as he got that picture, said I was going to be his wife, because he had prayed that the Lord would let the one that he chose for him to write to him first.
HAROLD: Hum.
AUNT IRENE: And, I had written first. Of course, I didn't know it until after we were married.
HAROLD: When did he get around to asking you?
AUNT IRENE: Well, that was in 1915 and he didn't ask me until about 19? well, it must have been the last part of 1917. I still got the letter that said "Will you marry me?" We got married, you know, in 1918.
HAROLD: What did your Daddy say?
AUNT IRENE: He asked for my hand and Pappa said, "No", said, "You're a Preacher and I want my--- you're a Holiness Preacher and I want my daughter to have a home." And said, "A Preacher never has one."
HAROLD: Well, after y'all... after you got married, what did you do then?
AUNT IRENE: He was happy, because when Pappa died, which was in 1925 he called all of us in to tell us that he wanted us to meet him in heaven, that he was ready to go and Bill was there too, and he said, "Bill, you've been a real son to me and I'm proud of you." So, he was well pleased after it all went past.
HAROLD: Where did y'all Pastor then, or how did you... what did you do then?
AUNT IRENE: Well---
HAROLD: Did y'all Preach or---?
AUNT IRENE: To begin with we just held camp meetings everywhere. We just... the first meeting we held was in New Brockton. You know, he lived out... they lived out in the country.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: But, we... the first meeting we held was one week after we were married. We went there and stayed in the home of Mr. Sawyer, Toliver Sawyer, and put up camp. Bill had a camp and held a camp meeting there, and that was the first meeting we held right there in New Brockton.
HAROLD: Didn't y'all do a lot of walking?
AUNT IRENE: We walked all the time.
HAROLD: I mean you'd go to meetings and walk several miles to get there?
AUNT IRENE: Yes, that's the truth. Well, from there we went to another place, it was a chapel and held one. And, then went to Enterprise and put up the tent and a storm came, blew the tent down and tore it and we had to go back and stay at ______________(Berna Hardwick's) and patch the tent before we held another meeting.
HAROLD: Well, just go on with it. I'd like to hear the whole... where did you go next and what did you do?
AUNT IRENE: Well, from Enterprise we went down in Florida and we held meetings at Holt, Holt, Florida. And, then all around through Alabama, wherever we could go. We went to -- Campbelton at one time and held a meeting and had the tent right close to the jail, and Bill was preaching and his... I don't even know what he was preaching about, but anyhow, there was somebody at the jail that was listening and hollered out and said "Amen". And, Dad said, "Now, you see, somebody knows what the truth is, although they may not have lived it." And, then from there we went to another place, I wish I could think of the name of it. They've never had a meeting there before and now they have... we held a tent meeting there. It was at the same... at the home of a Preacher who was Brother Lee and we went and stayed at his father-in-law's... and with his father-in- law's family.
HAROLD: Now, what---?
AUNT IRENE: We had other meetings there.
HAROLD: Now, when was James born in this go 'round?
AUNT IRENE: In this... let me think.
HAROLD: You wound up in Hartford somehow.
AUNT IRENE: After we were expecting James we went to Hartford. Someone got... I forgot now who carried us. Sister... Sister Herbert went up to the Hartman's place in Albethem and brought us down there, but... so James could be born in Hartford. And, he... Brother Dan Dubois and she, his wife was Bill's sister, and we then
stayed at their house and James was born there on January the 9th, 1919.
HAROLD: January?
AUNT IRENE: February.
HAROLD: February? No.
AUNT IRENE: April. Why didn't you let me make notes? That's awful, because that's when the first one was born. And, Brother Dan's wife, we called her "Sis", and James was born April the 9th, and that little girl, Meriam, was born April the 11th in the same house there in the parsonage at Hartford.
HAROLD: Hartford. And, then what did you do? Where did y'all go then?
AUNT IRENE: Well, after we went back and stayed with his parents for a while, and then started back in the revival work then. In 1922 they... no, in 1920 we went to Hartford and Pastored the church and in 1922 the District Council was held in Slocomb, Alabama and Bill was elected Superintendent of the District, which then included Alabama, Georgia and Florida. And, then after that... he was elected there, he resigned the church in Hartford, and then visited churches all over the State, all over the District except churches down in Florida. Anyway, they had not been set in order, although they were together, they had not been organized as the Assemblies of God. They were just, you know, free and so it was after that that we visited all of the churches in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. And, I can't tell how many were organized at that time, but yes, we kept busy doing that. But, in 1927 he went to---
HAROLD: You skipped the year of ____________________. (PAUSE) What happened in 1926 that kind of shook the whole world?
AUNT IRENE: Well, now, I was going to get to that. And, that's when... I'm still not sure---
HAROLD: You left me slam out.
AUNT IRENE: In 1925... I told you that was the year that Papa died. In 1926---
HAROLD: February, okay. 18th.
AUNT IRENE: We was living in Dothan at that time. We had a room of two apartments in the town and Alto and Bradley Cains lived on one side and we lived on the other. It was there that Harold came.
HAROLD: Yes, now, you got through.
AUNT IRENE: That's the truth, and that was... that was on the 18th, 1926, and James was praying here for Harold to be born and for James to go to start his school, and he set the church in order here in Dothan at that time. I believe it was in December 1926 the church was set in order, 1925. And, then in February Harold was born, and James came in from school that afternoon and Dad was showing him the baby on the bed and he propped his fingers up and looked at him and he would look at Dad and he'd look at me, and finally he looked at Dad and said, "Is he ours?" and he said, "Yes, he's ours." And, he'd look at the baby again and then he said, "Is he really ours?" And, I thought he was---
HAROLD: Get in awe of me?
AUNT IRENE: I didn't really, but both times, but he seemed to--- (inaudible) and make it come true and real that we were going to have a little boy, another little boy.
HAROLD: Where did y'all move after you left Dothan?
AUNT IRENE: After we went from there from Dothan we went to Pensacola.
HAROLD: That was when you and I were in a storm and Dad was gone?
AUNT IRENE: Yes, that was in 1927, the storm... I've forgotten the name of it. Do you remember the name of it?
HAROLD: No, I don't.
AUNT IRENE: They call them, you know, by names. But, anyhow, it was after that storm and everybody was... couldn't get out and walk for it blowing--- for a safe place to stay, but we... you and James was there with me and Dad was across the river at a place... I can't say the name of that. This side of Pensacola though. He had gone over there to organize a church and we weren't with him and the storm came while he was gone. And, he was trying to get home and he got to the river and he couldn't get across because the storm had blown the bridge down, and they... the people that were walking along there with him trying to get out, you know, in a safer area found out he was trying to get on to his side and they said, "Well, Pensacola is already lost, said it's swept. Things have just gone out." Well, the people in Pensacola were disturbed so until they would get out and went to town to try to find a safe place as much as they could, and we could watch them as they passed us. We stayed home, because I had the two little boys and Avis was there helping me take care of them, but no damage was done to our place when he came in.
HAROLD: And, he walked on across that bridge?
AUNT IRENE: He walked across that bridge that had swept down, and then hitched a ride as far as he could along... wasn't much riding done, but he came all the way home and found us safe. So, that was 1927.
HAROLD: And, then where did you go to?
AUNT IRENE: From there we moved to Laurel, Mississippi. And, the Knowles, Brother and Sister Knowles were Pastoring in Mississippi and they got us to come there, in fact, they presented Dad's name and they called him at Laurel and we moved there in 1927. Well, then from there we moved to Hattesburg in 1929. Then, in 1934, I believe it was, we moved to---
HAROLD: Siloam Springs?
AUNT IRENE: Siloam Springs, Arkansas where we Pastored two years. I don't remember just how long. And, then we went from Siloam to when he went back to Savannah.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: We were in Savannah two or three years. I can't remember exactly the dates, and then back to Arkansas.
HAROLD: Paris.
AUNT IRENE: Paris. And, then Paris, there was... we stayed there four or five years. And, from Paris we went to, was it Omaha?
HAROLD: No, you moved to Franklin.
AUNT IRENE: We moved to Franklin. I got my years mixed up. Then we moved to Franklin, which was up in the Ozark Mountains and a wonderful place to live.
HAROLD: Time out.
AUNT IRENE: Go on. We went---
HAROLD: Now, James... James got married---
AUNT IRENE: In 1943.
HAROLD: In Paris.
AUNT IRENE: We lived in Paris, and he married gospel... __________Palmer.
HAROLD: Yes. And, then you left Franklin?
AUNT IRENE: Yes.
HAROLD: And, then you went to Monticello?
AUNT IRENE: Monticello.
HAROLD: And, then from Monticello where did you go?
AUNT IRENE: Let me see...
HAROLD: Did you retire?
AUNT IRENE: Huh?
HAROLD: Did you just quit and retire?
AUNT IRENE: No, you know we came down and... I know, we moved---
HAROLD: New Brockton?
AUNT IRENE: From Monticello we came down and lived at the Barnes Crossroads.
HAROLD: Yes, retired.
AUNT IRENE: And, you came and brought Eva one---
HAROLD: No, James came down with Marice and brought Eva.
AUNT IRENE: Yes. Came down and visited and then we accepted... he accepted the church in New Brockton.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, we moved to New Brockton, they had a parsonage and we lived there in it. And, from there---
HAROLD: Up to Huntsville.
AUNT IRENE: We moved to Huntsville, Alabama. And, you and Eva got married while we were living in New Brockton here.
HAROLD: No, I think it was Barnes Crossroads, because y'all came up---
AUNT IRENE: Yes, we went up there.
HAROLD: Might have been.
AUNT IRENE: We were still pastoring New Brockton.
HAROLD: And, then from Huntsville you went to... back to New Brockton, didn't you?
AUNT IRENE: Back to New Brockton.
HAROLD: And, then to Andalusia.
AUNT IRENE: And, from Huntsville we went to Andalusia---
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And stayed with Avis two years and helped her with that... her business there for a while.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, then moved back to Dothan and pastored at New Brockton.
HAROLD: How in the world did you manage to get back to Dothan?
AUNT IRENE: Let me think. Well, after we left... where did we go then?
HAROLD: You couldn't find a house so we couldn't stay with you a lot.
AUNT IRENE: We did too... when you were in that two-story building---
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: ---up there. I tried my best to figure out how that was. That was back in Huntsville.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: That's the truth. And, then we found this house over here.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, Dad traded for it, and then when that one became empty, 1,500.00, he traded for it in swaps. Left you out of this one when we moved over there. Oh, Lord, that was back in 196---
HAROLD: '61.
AUNT IRENE: 1960 we moved over there.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: In 1958 we come over here to your place.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, then lived here in your... where this house is.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: Two years and then moved over there in 1960. And, that has been twenty-two years ago.
HAROLD: Yes.
AUNT IRENE: And, I'm so proud of my family that's all here today. Isn't that wonderful, all these children, grandchildren, great grandchildren. And, I'm still here.
HAROLD: And, if you want to tell your great grandchildren something, one thing, what would it be, knowing you and Dad?
AUNT IRENE: Well, tell them listen to your Dad and Mother and obey them and follow the Lord all the way to the end of the road so we'll all be in heaven together some day.
HAROLD: Right, Amen. All right.
AUNT IRENE: Not only the great grandchildren, the children and grandchildren. Everyone. We must be an unbreakable family, wouldn't that be glorious?
HAROLD: Uh huh (yes).
AUNT IRENE: Yes, it's possible. My mother used to say that she had asked the Lord for each one of her children, the Lord had promised her---
HAROLD: I appreciate you.
AUNT IRENE: I'm sorry I didn't do better.
HAROLD: Shoot. I think you did great.
- Note from Rosemary Rigby:
Great Aunt Irene
I remember Aunt Irene as always being happy. One of my favorite things to do was tickle her. She would begin giggling and squirming around before you ever touched her! She loved to have fun. I remember going to her house for reunions and how welcome I always felt. She made the most delicious 7-layer chocolate cake you ever put in your mouth!
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1897 - 1988 (91 years)
