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Grover Cleveland
Crow &
Martha Rosa Lee (McCain) Crow
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Grover was born on 5
September 1983; he died on 28 December 1965. He was the son of James Levi and Mary A.
(Mann) Crow.
Martha Rosa Lee McCain was born on 30 March 1897 and died on 2 March
1974. She was the daughter of John Robert and Sarah (Shelby) McCain.
Grover and Rosie were wed on 13 April 1913 in the Sugar Tree
community at the home of the Rev. Gus Williams, with Dave Keller and Pearl Jackson as
witnesses. Grover and Rosie lived most of their married life in the Bernie area.
Grover was two years old when his father died, and was fourteen when his mother died. He
was raised by relatives and friends, but was on his own at an early age.
Rosie lost her father
when she was six years old. Rosie's mother died at the age of 88.
As has been stated many times, it seemed that Rosie and Grover tried
to make up for not having excellent memories of growing up. They were good parents and
displayed lots of forethought. "They excelled in showing love, hope, and
charity". Due to being a large family, they all learned to share and help each
other. The advice that Grover and Rosie gave their children as each one would marry and
leave home was "always be good to each other".
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When writing the
history, background, and close family ties, it is hard - if not impossible - for a person to
put warmth and personal feeling into what is recorded. Therefore, Lois Griffin used the
works from the oldest daughter (Nettie Lee), as provided to her in the initial family history,
to capture the true feelings, love, and devotion of a great mother, mother-in-law,
grandmother, and great-grandmother. To those too young to have know Rosie, you missed
meeting and appreciating an outstanding lady! The following is a quote from Nettie:
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"As I child, I
remember Mom as always working - cooking, washing, working in the garden, a new baby ever two
years. You know, Loreda was only two years old when I got married. Mom was always
tired, never complained, but she really had a hard life. She cooked 3 hot meals a day,
except on Sunday. We went to church and Sunday School at Sugar Tree when I was
small. I remember a rubber-tired wagon to ride in and a few Sundays when they have
dinner on the Church grounds and singing in the afternoon. Mom would pinch your arm if
you didn't sit quiet, and one pinch was enough to last quite a few Sundays! She sewed
after supper, made all of her clothes and mine, and all the boys shirts. She also put in
quilt comforters in the winter months. We always had a large garden and were out there
early in the morning while the dew was still on the ground. I hated washing lettuce and
spinach, pumping water - and seems like we used a wash tub. We churned butter every
night and I've seen the top top freeze as we were washing it off! In the summer months,
the midnight train would by just as we finished the canning. Dad would only make one or
two trips to the orchard, and would come back with five bushels of peaches and three bushels
of apples. We would can and everybody would help peel. The small containers were
half-gallon jars!
When it was time to
slaughter the hogs, it was at least 4 or 5 that they would kill - a two day job. They
smoked and sugar-cured, canned sausage, ribs and tenderloin. We would make kraut in
wooden barrels and also put pickles up the same way. Mom would make sheets and pillow
cases out of unbleached muslin. She would make baby clothes and hid them while we were
at school. I knew we were going to have a new baby - but she never one told me!
She made me three new
dresses every fall for the new school year. It was 25 cents a yard - nice material - and
she even made me a new dress for Easter. We got shoes when we had to have them and it
seems as if Dad was carrying home a pair of shoes for someone quite often. I don't know
how Mom kept going and I'm sure we never appreciate her and told her that we loved her half as
much as we should have. You know, I remember going to Grandma Ellsworth very
seldom. I was afraid of her when I was small and never wanted to stay over. I did
one time, and I cried and begged to go home. I can't ever remember staying again until I
was in high school. She too had a very hard life. After I married, I only got home one
week out of the year I'm sorry to say. Until we moved to Chester, Illinois in 1970
and then I tried to come every time I possibly could."
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After the three oldest
children (Shelby, Denzil and Wenzil) were born, Grover, moved to Arkansas and worked for a
while as a timber logger. During this time, the bottomland east of Bernie was swampy and
there was a lot of timberland throughout the surrounding area. Grover moved to
California near his younger brother (Lee) and worked in the oil fields. Work was not
that plentiful so he returned to Missouri. He farmed his own place near Sugar Tree for
several years and eventually moved east of Bernie where he farmed for a number of years.
He also worked for the Wood Taylor Gin Co. of Bernie for several years while continuing to
farm.
Grover loved the game of boxing and could whip anyone who would be
brave putting on a pair of boxing gloves with him. They had a boxing ring set up in a
back alley in Bernie, and people gathered to see this Bantam Rooster take on all
challengers. Several years ago, Bernie had a movie theatre and Grover loved his cowboy
movies and those continuing serials which he looked forward to seeing each Saturday (very
seldom did he miss one). He also liked the game of dominoes and checkers. You
could always tell when he was winning as he clicked his teeth. (Oh yes, he would
occasionally let one of his children or grandchildren win a game - but Rosa did not believe in
spoiling them. She played for keeps! Ha!)
Grover always fed the baby and Rosa fed the next little one(s)
sitting next to her. When a new baby arrived, you graduated from the bench to a
chair. Rosa always fixed their school lunches, which consisted of peanut butter, jelly,
biscuits, and sow-belly, in a gallon bucket.
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To have had such a hard
time in his early years, Grover was a tremendous neighbor (a friend's friend), a loving
husband, and a caring father. He was highly respected in the community, and when you
mention Grover Crow to anyone in Bernie, you hear nothing but praise for a great
individual. The following is the list of children: |
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