Mom was cleaning out some things and found this lovely piece written by Dad's maternal aunt, Vivian Leyden. (I named Leyden after Aunt Vivian and her husband, Uncle Ed.) This piece is transcribed as exactly as it was written. No edits to spelling, grammar, or punctuation have been made. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into the past!
THE MOST WONDERFUL WOMAN I EVER KNEW
MY HUSBAND'S MOTHER
Written by: Vivan Buckner Leyden - January 1956
This is a tribute to the most wonderful woman I ever knew. My mother-in-law.
In the middle of the eighteenth century, about 1865, a husky, young, North Carolianion, settled in a small town in Alabama, known as Anniston. His name was William J. Edmundson, later very affectionately called "Uncle Billy" by all who knew him.
Soon after he came to Alabama, he met and married a lovely young lady named Pernelia Woodruff, however their marriage was short lived, for in about a year, Pernelia passed away.
Uncle Billy was lonely, and among strangers. He spent a great deal of his time with Pernelia family, and it was not long before he was married to her sister Pernecia. "Uncle Billy" and "Aunt Necie" worked hard and were prosperous. Soon he purchased about 2000 acres of land about 3 miles out of town. This property was know as "Edmunson Heights", and "Leyden Hill". Later on he sold property for a right-of-way to the L. & N. Railroad, also more to a large Textile Mill called the Blue Mountain Net and Twine Company, due to these two enterprises quite a Village sprung up. This is Blue Mountain, Alabama.
On Christmas Day of eighteen and seventy five, the Edmunsons, moved into a newly completed home, with acres and acres of farm land. There, I suppose they had many servants, and workers, but the one in particular, whom I remember mentioned so many times was the Blacksmith, named Miller Draper, who was happy to live out his life there.
The following July 10th, they were blessed with a little girl, whom they named Theodocia Ernest, called "Docia", and who in later years was to become my Mother-in-law.
Docia has two older brothers, who were her closest companions, thus it fell natural for her to become quiet the proverbial "Tom Boy". Playing the rough games, that boys played, and interested in hunting, fishing, and horse back riding, "minus the saddle", on the way to school, she woudl go through the pasture, catch a horse, and off to school, and back in the afternoon by the same conveyance. At a very early age she became quite skilled with a gun always hitting "Her Target". Later she was given a Colt 45 by her brother Frank. This gun was quite a possession, being one of the six of that series made. One of the James Boys", owned one of these.
When Docia was fifteen, she married, John Patrick Leyden, very much Irish, to be told by the name. They were married in the family home, where she was born. In one year the first of their thirteen children was born.
For a wedding gift, Uncle Billy, and Aunt Necie, had given them a Mill Farm, located on about 900 acres, about twelve miles away.
John operated the water powered Grist Mill, grinding corn, and wheat for people for miles around besides his farming, while Docia cared for the home and family, which was growing quite rapidly. With a new addition at least every 2 yrs. It became a well accepted custom that every Monday morning Docia would go down to the creek to do the family's weekly wash, then next morning by daylight, the charcoal buckets were filled, and lit, to heat the smoothing irons, to be used to iron all the little aprons, dresses, pants and shirts, that had been soiled during the week, and there were oh! so many.
Each added member to the family meant, another mouth to feed, and often another cow to milk, more cloths, shoes, and all the other necessities children required even then. So finally the day came when John decided he should go out and get a job at Public Works. Being a skilled Machinist, he had no problem. He obtained a job in Robins, Tennessee, and only came home on week-ends. This change not only left Docia with much extra work and responsibility, but John must be met at the train when he came home.
On Saturday evening while Docia made supper on the big wood range, the children each did his evening chores, some feeding the stock and chickens, others gathering eggs, and still others bringing stacks and stacks of wood to burn in the cook stove and fireplaces. Then water was drawn from the well to fill all the vessels to last over night. The family had the evening meal and the younger ones tucked into bed. It was then Docia would say to Clytus, one of the older sons at home, "Lets go meet your Papa". She lit the lantern, strapped her "Old Faithful Colt 45" around her waist, and together she and Clytus would go to the barn to hitch Old Sid, to the carriage, and drive four miles, over a deserted country road, in the middle of the night, to the nearest Train Stop, to meet her husband.
She was always excited, and looking forward to the comfort and help he could give her during the few short hours he was at home.
It was an icy, winter night that she made the trip, as she had so many times before., she and Clytus sat in the carriage and waited, as the train slowed to a stop, she watched John stumble from the step of the train. She quickly climbed from the carriage, and even with all her courage, she grew weak, for she realized something was terribly wrong, With Clytus help, she managed to get him into the carriage and home. He was frightfully ill, this was 1927.
Next morning she sent for his brother, who was a Doctor. It took hours for him to arrive, driving the fourteen miles over ice and snow on a country road. The diagnosis, "Spinal Meningitis".
It was good that Docia was strong and healthy, for in the months to come, she alone had to nurse, and care for John. It was during "World War One", and practically impossible to get nurses.
After a long struggle, John regained his strength, however, he was never able to do heavy work again.
It seemed Docia had exhausted all her strength, and I am sure she wondered "How she could go on". When one evening Clytus came in, almost delirious with pain, in his head. Again the doctor was called and the family told he was suffering from Mastoid, and in a few days he pasted away, so young, only eighteen and Docia most dependable help was gone. How much more could she stand? But she had faith in her God, and He saw her through.
As the years came and went this wonderful woman carried on as best she could, with the help John and the children could give. She was master of her household, and what a master she was.
As I said she carried on, but she was never too busy nor too exhausted to prepare a meal for a sick neighbor, sing for a funeral, and play the organ at church each Sunday.
But more to come, one day she received a message that Uncle Billy, was quite ill (Aunt Necie had died several years before) Docia rushed to her fathers bedside and in a few days he too was gone.
Being an only heir, she felt she wanted to move back to her father's home that she loved so well. She and John rented out the Mill Farm, and moved back home.
Her life here (I am so glad to say) was easier, now that most of the children were grown and married.
Every one who knew "Aunt Docia and Uncle John" loved them, and seemed to feel they were always welcome in their home.
She never lost the habit of setting a full table, and I guess this was well because there seemed to always be a visitor at meat-time. Did this just happen? Or did people plan it that way? I will never know , but one thing I do know, they all seemed to enjoy dropping in, and the friendly hospitality they received.
My husband is one of her younger children, and I feel a great loss, that I did not know her longer, because, last Christmas we drove from Ohio to spend the holidays with "Mom", but when we arrived, to our deep sorrow, we learned that just hours before, she had gone to her much "deserved reward". She had full-filled "Her greatest wish", that the light should go out for her in the same house, and on the same bed, where it had shown for her eighty three years before.
I never knew my own Mother, for I lost her at a very early age, but this is "A Tribute to the Most Wonderful Woman I Ever Knew--- My husband's Mother".
