Interview with Gradie Mitchum Side B- 5/31/00 [NOTES LM: May I turn the television off for a few minutes? GM: Oh yeah BD: Oh that'd be great GM: I don't know who turned it on. LM: You look so beautiful this morning. GM: Uh my daddy said I was born ugly an' didn't have [it] so I think maybe he's right. LM: No no no no (laughed). GM: (laughed) LM: Your skirt an' your tie-. GM: . LM: thing is so pretty an'your hair. GM: I was born ugly an' didn't have [?it] (laughed). LM: Why you think he said that? GM: Ma’am? LM: Why do you think he said that? BD: He likes to tease. GM: BD: (laughed) Oh heavens. GM: I knew he was [?jus'] sayin' things didn't bother me. BD: Well what did he do? GM: BD: What did your dad do? GM: BD: Ooohh you lived near here didn't you? GM: I was born on a farm -- worked hard, picked cotton, [wheat] everthing it was t- to water -- done everthing there was to do on a farm. FIG I'm an ol' farm gal. LM: Good. BD: Gradie, I didn't know you could grow wheat around here. GM: I BD: Yeah. GM: My mother and daddy was good to me uh I had one brother, no sisters. LM: Hmm. BD: A good life. GM: Whachya'll up to this morning? GRADIE INITIATES BD: We're having conversations with people jus- GM: Havin' what? BD: Conversations just for fun just visitin' an' talkin'. GM: Mmm have to talk louder, I, I can't hear very well. BD: All right, is this better? is this loud enough? GM: Mmm, I guess I can understand, I'm not sure. BD: Well I'll try I will try to talk -- is this loud enough do you think, Linda? LM: Mm-mm. BD: Uh-uh? Okay you do the talking it's working. LM: Tell me more about your life. GM: I don't know nothing to tell I was just raised on a farm farm I'm just a regula- regular ol' farm girl. LM: What did you grow? GM: Cotton, corn, wheat everything cabbage an' beans, things in the garden we just regular farmers. LM: Was this a big farm? GM: I don't really remember how many acres we had; now that's been a long time when I was down there. I'm gettin' old now. BD: You're gettin' old? How old are you? GM: I don't know I forgot my age I was born in nineteen- seem like nineteen-five I don't know. BD: Wow. GM: I can't remember how old I am I [?done] forgot. BD: I try GM: I've got it set down but uh then I forget it; know I have to look (laughed). LM: Do you still have family around here? GM: Down in Anson County. LM: Anson County. GM: Yeah LM: Oh is that where the farm was? GM: Yeah. LM: Mm-hmm. GM: That bein' the last for little Marshall LM: Mmm. GM: Marshall you ever heard of Fountain Hill? GRADIE INITIATES LM: Uh-huh. GM: That's where I lived Fountain Hill er out you know th- th- the spring an' everything ju- out in the further in the country. LM: Did you live there all of your life or did you move to a different place? GM: Not 'til I was married. LM: Mmm. BD: Was he a farmer? GM: Eh? BD: Your husband. GM: What was I farmin'? [EFFORT TO REPAIR] BD: No. LM: Wa- was he a farmer too? [EFFORT TO REPAIR] GM: LM: Your husband. GM: Let's see my husband what was- I forgot now what he done he's been he's been dead I don't know how long he's BD: A while. GM: Uh-huh. BD: A while. RE GM: He was Mitchum do you [?know the name]? BD: Yes I've heard the name. GM: He was a radio Christian. LM: Aaahh. BD: Yeah. GM: Evangelist. BD: The Evangelists were very famous they had a big display in the museum. GM: M'am? BD: (clears throat) LM: They had a big display of Evangelists in the museum do you think he was one of 'em? GM: I don't know it's been a long time ago I just know he was an Evangelist preacher. BD: Mm-hmm. LM: Did he ever do 'em in tents? Did he do 'em in tents? Go to tents an' have services? You know they called 'em tent meetings. GM: You know I don't remember all that stuff it was back then. LM: Uh-huh. BD: No I wouldn't either. GM: He's just done what he's suppose to do as the Evangelist preacher that's all I know about it. LM: Did you go with him? GM: Part of the time I had a family and things I had to- when the kids was little I couldn't go all the time. LM: Well tell me about your kids. GM: Oh shoot I don't know nothin' to tell 'cept they regular kids. LM: (laughed) BD: That's fine. GM: Girl um I had a boy Cecil an' Jerry an' Larry an' Lorraine an' seem like there was one more boy I don't know I done forgot how many I had. BD: I know with boys sometimes it feels like twice as many. GM: I don't think I had I think jus' Lorraine was the only girl an' Cecil an' Kenneth an' Jerry an' Larry. BD: Ke- alright Cecil Kenneth Jerry an' Larry that's four an' Lorraine is five. PARTIAL GM: Yeah. BD: Wow you were busy GM: You you wanna grow up with five boys? (laughed) I don't know I know they real nice to her. BD: Wanted to show you a picture: last time we were here Gradie was talking about her dog does this look like your dog? GM: I can't even see it to tell how it looks like did you say? LM: The dog does the dog look like yours? GM: I can't see what kind it is a poodle? BD: Yeah. GM: [poodle] BD: So it's a poodle. GM: Mm-hmm. RE LM: What was his name? GM: Boogie. LM: Boogie. BD: Oh how nice. RE GM: I don't know where w- where we got the name but that's what we called him, Boogie. ELAB LM: Now was that when you were a little girl or was that when you were married that you had the poodle? GM: It was before I was married. LM: Before you were married . GM: You asking me questions way back LM: Yeah that's okay you can say I forgot. BD: We don't care GM: I just lived in a regular farm home RESUM farmed cotton corn eh- everything you grow on a farm. BD: That's right. AFFIR GM: I had a big ol' cotton bag tied around me pickin' a hundred pounds of cotton uuuhhh. BD: A hundred pounds? An' you tiny (laughed) GM: Huh? LM: You're a tiny person to be carrying that much cotton. GM: Well you do what you have to do. FIG LM: Did you get your BD: You do LM: fingers stuck form the cotton bolls? GM: I guess I did you're asking me hard questions. LM: (laughed) BD: (laughed) GM: I don't kn- I don't know what if I was stuck way back years ago LM: Uh-huh. GM: or not (laughed). BD: Probably you did. GM: I guess we did. RE LM: That's the only thing I remember about pickin' cotton is sticking my fingers. GM: BD: I never picked any is it hard? LM: Yeah. BD: It's a it's a hard job? LM: Well there's no farm work that's too easy but BD: That's right GM: it comes natural. TRUE INTERJECTION! BD: That's right it's natural. GM: Yeah. BD: Yeah. RE GM: I decided one day I'd pick a hundred pounds guess how much I picked? LM: How much? GM: A hundred and three. LM: Oooohh. BD: Wow. GM: I went over BD: That's fantastic. GM: A hundred and three you've got to grab it to get a hundred and three pounds of cotton in one LM: That's right GM: day LM: Mm-hmm. BD: In one day. GM: maybe it was I think that was the time when the cotton was full you know a lot of of cotton uh I don't know back that's been a long time ago BD: A long time. GM: I'm to forget what happened. BD: Aaahh but you don't forget the cotton GM: (laughed) BD: Not a hundred and three pounds that would be as tall as you right? , QUESTION GM: get home I had a big home mu- mother an' daddy an' we we was a close family. BD: That's so nice. GM: I had one brother. BD: One brother. GM: Pres- Preswell. BD: Preswell that is a beautiful name. GM: kind of an odd name LM: Mm-hmm. GM: Name for my uncle's son LM: Oohh. GM: Or from my uncle I don't know who it was I it;s been so long ago I forgot about BD: Preswell sounds like a family name a name in the family an' it's beautiful. GM: name is Preswell. BD: Uh-huh. GM: Mitchum I I'm married to Mitchum I'm married Graham Mitchum. BD: Mmm that's a that's a beautiful story. FIG GM: The da- my daddy cried the day I left home. LM: Oh. GM: He fixed me breakfast an' (laughed) LM: Is that when you got married? GM: I think so I don't know LM: Ohhh. BD: Yeah. LM: Yeah he was gonna miss your cotton pickin' GM: Well I married my husband who was workin' in Detroit. BD: Detroit? GM: The hard thing for my folks when I got married was movin' up there. BD: That's so far away up there. GM: Uh-huh. BD: Whoa. RE GM: But I do- I don't remember stayin' too long. BD: That's good GM: I can't remember all those things back then. LM: We have a little stuffed animal have you ever seen one like this? GM: Nah-uh (laughed) Ohh a little bunny rabbit. BD: Don't you love that tail? GM: Ain't he cute? BD: (laughed) GM: An' shiny eyes. LM: What do you think we oughtta name him? GM: I don't know a lot of people jus' call 'em bunny or somethin' I I don't know LM: Okay BD: We'll jus' call it bunny it's so soft. GM: Jus' jus' call him whatever y'all enjoy (laughed) BD: I think bunny is a good name. LM: Now you have a teddy bear on your table over here. GM: Yeah. LM: Where did that come from? GM: Y'all are asking me things I forgot when I was younger LM: Oh okay GM: (laughed) LM: Okay BD: That's a beautiful bear. GM: Oh where did what come from? LM: That teddy bear. BD: Why don't you get it GM: I don't know somebody gave it to me or if bought it I BD: Just a nice present. GM: Yeah I LM: He has pink ribbons. GM: I just can't think now where I got that or if somebody gave it to me or what LM: Mm-hmm BD: Oh so soft. GM: I don't know anyway I've got it. LM: Yeah BD: Yeah (laughed) you've got it. GM: Where I've bought it or if some of the children gave to me or what. ELAB BD: Who knows. GM: I can't remember all those things that happen back when I was a girl. BD: Well nobody can. GM: No. BD: No t- you had many things happen in your life. GM: Well uh I've had a good life though I had BD: Yes. GM: Home I had a good home worked in the field hard I know my mother an' daddy was good then I married a christian boy I've had a good life. BD: Yes a good life. GM: Th thing that hurt my d- daddy the most my husband was working at the Michigan when I got married an' it broke their hearts for me to move to Michigan. BD: So far away GM: But I don't I don't think we stayed too long. BD: Jus' long enough to get some money and come home an' he could be a preacher. GM: Yeah. BD: Yeah. RE GM: BD: Haah. GM: I remember my daddy the morining I left he cooked me this breakfast uh-huh BD: He would have been hungry and sad with you leaving. TRYING TO GM: That was my daddy. BD: Yeah your daddy GM: BD: That was your daddy RE SHIFT we've got to go see Mr. Rhodes but it was so nice to see you this morning. GM: Gotta go see who? BD: Another person thank you for letting us visit you. GM: Alright don't have much company an' it's nice for somebody to come in. BD: Well it is nice. GM: Uh-huh. BD: We'll come an' see you next week. GM: Okay. BD: An' thank you again. GM: If the lord don't FIG come an' take me home I'll be here (laughed). BD: Same with us GM: Thank the lord I'm a christian an' FIG ready to go when he calls me. BD: An' when he calls it will be beautiful for you. GM: all christians. BD: Yes m'am. LM: Mm-hmm would you like for me to turn your television back on? GM: No I don't . LM: Don't want it on? GM: No I get tired of it. LM: Okay. GM: An' I don't think it's good for you when you set an' watch the television all day. BD: I think it's much better to think an' y- GM: I don't mind to watch it a little while but I don't wanna sit an' look at television all day. BD: No not all day GM: I think I be much better off to be spending that time in prayer or readin' the bible or somethin' an' I wouldn't watchin' that junk LM: Mm-hmm. BD: I agree you're right. GM: There's some things on there I don't mind to watch but I I'm just not gonna set an' gaze at television all day. BD: You're right GM: I think coldness . BD: A coldness yes tha- GM: Oh well. BD: Oh well. GM: I'm BD: Tha- GM: I'm jus' tryin' FIG to live for the lord the best I know I wanna be ready FIG when he calls me. BD: He will call GM: Tell him blessed blessed oh my father an' the kingdom preferred before the foundation of the world -- now I want you to tell me how the lord preferred it before the foundation of the world that's somethin' I can't understand. BD: I think we're not gonna find out until we stand GM: Do what? BD: When we stand face to face with the lord we GM: Yeah BD: can ask but I don't think we'll find out until we stand face to face GM: What now? BD: I think it's too hard for us to understand. GM: Yeah some of the things is beyond our imaginations. SHE S LM: That's right. BD: For now we see as in a glass darkly. GM: Wou- would one of y'all have prayer with me? LM: Sure BD: We would love to. GM: Thank you. LM: Want us to pray or you to pray? GM: Yeah I want y'all to pray. LM: Okay heavenly father be with us today an' this beautiful person and who is all loving of you an' loving of his fellow man we thank you for him thank you for her an' all of the god's creatures thank you amen. GM: Thank y'all for comin' an' thank you for prayin' for me. BD: Always. GM: Remember me when you pray at home if you don't forget. LM: Okay BD: We'll try we will not forget you. GM: Okay. BD: Bye-bye. GM: Have a good day. BD: yes m'am.