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Note: Harrison Calhoun was born sometime around 1877. The exact date of his birth is unknown. The 1880 census for Mitchell County lists him at age two. His headstone just shows the year of his birth as 1877. In later years, his birthday was celebrated on Father's Day. Harrison was most likely born in the Vale Community near Newland, North Carolina. The area around Newland has a rugged pristine look. There are high green mountains and quiet tranquil valleys. The population has always remained small. This has kept the area relatively pollution free. Harrison married Frances Lutitia Bentley on Feb. 28, 1895 in Mitchell County. Frances was born May 29, 1874 in Alexander County, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Robert Franklin Bentley (1847-1906) and Sarah Ann Davis (1852-1940). I was told by Aunt Mary Bentley Harmon that their family left Alexander County and moved to Mitchell County in 1894. Robert Bentley was the son of Squire Bentley (1821-c1865) and Frances (Fanny) Davis (1822-1916). Sarah Ann Davis was the daughter of James PC Davis (c1830-bef1870) and Marinda "Rindy" Teague (c1830-aft1880). James Davis is said to have been a Captain in the Confederate Army. I have not been able to find any documentation that would prove that this is true. He is missing from census records after 1860. He may have been killed during the Civil War. Squire Bentley is said to have been killed shortly after the Civil War. He was shot from his horse while returning home from the local Mill. The reason for his murder can only be guessed. Sentiments were mixed during the Civil War. Some of the Bentley's supported the Union cause and Squire may have been killed because he may have supported the Union. Poppa, as he was called by his children and grandchildren, was a farmer for most of his life. Around 1909 Harrison and Roby tried their hand at running a grocery store. The venture failed due to their generous credit policy. It seems that some of their customers could not pay their bills and the store was forced to close. Poppa returned to farming. My mother ,Texie Calhoun Peters, said that Poppa did not like to stay long in one place. He moved frequently trying to find that ideal spot of land. He would trade for a piece of land that looked impossible to cultivate. He liked the challenge of turning a worthless plot of ground into a productive farm. He lived briefly in Unicoi County. My mother was born there at Indian Springs. They moved back to Avery County just after she was born. Harrison and Frances left Avery County for good sometime after 1918 to live on White Oak Mountain in Carter County, Tennessee. This area of Carter County is sparsely populated now. During the Teens and Twenties, the White Oak supported many families. Their children attended Miller's Chapel School when they could. As with most farm families, they had to help during planting season and also during harvesting. Harrison and Frances moved to Rittertown near Hampton sometime before 1928. They only stayed there for a short time. They eventually moved to Morgan Branch near Shell Creek in the vicinity of Roan Mountain. Their home on Morgan Branch is the only one that I can vaguely remember. I was seven when Poppa died, and nine when Grandmaw died. I can't remember much about Poppa at all. His funeral, however, left many memories. Poppa developed stomach cancer, which spread very rapidly. He was taken to Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem where he died Jan. 15, 1949 shortly after surgery. As was the custom then, Poppa was brought to his home on Morgan Branch. There was a constant flow of family and friends to their small home. Grandmaw was quite distraught most of the time. She would stand by his casket and talk to him. She placed a gospel of St. John in his hands. Someone, and I don't remember who it was, criticized her for doing so. They thought that the gospel would just decay and would do him no good. Grandmaw just ignored them and left the gospel in his hands. As the undertaker was getting ready to take Poppa to the Church, Grandmaw began to wail, "Please don't close him up, he'll smother". Those words have been imprinted on me. Her cries made us all weep as they closed the casket. Poppa had two funeral services. The first one was at Morgan Branch Freewill Baptist Church. He was then taken to a Freewill Baptist in the Vale Community of Newland. Poppa was laid to rest in the Fork Mountain Cemetery close to his parents. The death of Poppa was just too much for Grandmaw. Her health began to deteriorate. She stayed with us for most of her last two years. She developed diabetes and died at our home in the Dividing Ridge Community of Hampton on the night of Mar. 5, 1951. She is buried next to Poppa in the Fork Mountain Cemetery. I can remember more about Grandmaw. She always wore her hair in a bun which she held together with several combs. Grandmaw was also slightly crippled. She had fallen several years before her death and had broken her hip. She always wore a long dress with an apron. Grandmaw was a very devout Freewill Baptist. She had one vise which she was not very proud. Grandmaw liked to chew tobacco. She chewed homemade twist tobacco. As a child of nine, I had experimented with chewing tobacco. Grandmaw would lecture me on the harmful effects of tobacco and hoped that I would not take up the habit. I did not develop that habit, thanks to Grandmaw and her lectures. Grandmaw also would admonish me about the evils of attending the local movie theaters. Ever so often, Grandmaw would give me about twenty cents. Her only wish was that I would not go to the movies with that money. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't always honor her wishes. My brother Bill liked to startle Grandmaw Calhoun. One time while it was dark, Grandmaw was milking the cow. Bill crept up close to the cow and pulled his shirt over his head. This spooked the cow and the cow kicked the milk bucket causing Grandmaw to wonder what in the world was wrong with that fool cow. He chuckled with delight at her bewilderment. Grandmaw and Aunt Mary Harmon were sitting together snapping beans and having a good old gossip session when Bill thumped the side of the house. The loud noise caused Grandmaw and Aunt Mary to yell and throw their arms in the air spilling the beans on the floor. What I wouldn't give to be able to experience just one more day with Poppa and Grandmaw. Wilburn Harrison Calhoun and Francis Lutitia Bentley had seven children. 1910 Mitchell County, NC. census: Calhoun, Harrison head 34 NC; Frances L. wife 32 NC; Clarence T. son 14 NC; Otis P. son 9 NC; Oscar C. son 6 NC; Gracie M. dau 3 NC; Texie B. dau age not listed NC. 1930 Carter County, TN. census 16th district household #167: Calhoun, Harrison 52 head NC/NC/NC; Frances 55 wife NC/NC/NC; Odes 29 son NC/NC/NC; Tate 17 son NC/NC/NC; Jeffie 14 son NC/NC/NC. Obituary appeared in the Elizabethton Star issue of Sunday, January 16, 1949 W. H. Calhoun, 73, died at 3 o'clock Sunday morning at his residence at Shell Creek following a lingering illness. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Frances Calhoun; six children, Clarence of Elizabethton, Oscar of Shell Creek, Jeff Calhoun and Mrs. Mike Peters of Hampton, Tate Calhoun and Mrs. Sam Harrison of Shell Creek; four brothers, Dave of Erwin, John, Fork, Tillmon of Newland, N.C.; two sisters, Sarah of Crossnore and Nannie of Ashe County, N. C.; 38 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Sunday at 10 o'clock a.m. at the Evergreen Church at Shell Creek with the Rev. Earnest Buck and the Rev. Handy Wilcox officiating. Burial will be at the Fort Mount Cemetery at Newland. Active pallbearers will be Jack Winters, Lacey Shell, Shelton Hazelwood, Jim Greene, Ester Shell and Harton Winters. The body was removed to the residence Saturday afternoon. The Appalachian Funeral Home in Johnson City is in charge.
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