This is my Life by Cloye Taylor Belt (1902-1983) unfinished childhood memories of Cloye Taylor Belt

This is my life.
I was born near DeQueen, Arkansas where my father E.N. Taylor was working at a sawmill - February 5th, 1902. My dear Mother Annie (Talbert) was a young widow when my father - Edward North - met her. She had been in love with a young man Henry Haskins who lived near her and her two brothers. Her parents had lived and died near McKeneson, Miss. So the older brother Joe and Charlie had come to Arkansas and brought their sister - to visit relatives - the found work in the woods hauling logs to the sawmill. They saved their money and bought to mules - more later - Mr. Haskins took sick with chills and fever and developed pneumonia. She would go to see him. His family and sister loved her. They had planned to marry - before he took sick - so they decided with family's blessing to get married so she could stay there and help nurse him. He insisted on being dressed - so the preacher came and married them - he went right back to bed - but relapsed and died four days later. (My uncle Joe's wife Devera told me this.) She lived on a farm close by -so Joe fell in love with her - and they married - Uncle Charlie never did. Joe and my father decided to come to Louisiana - where he was offered work in the mill - Joe had accumulated four mules and he did logging. They lived near Fisher, La at the logging camp and we lived at Loring- (no longer a station on the Railroad K &S - It was between Many and Zavalla - My little brother was born there at Loring - a nice clean little town - Everyone was friendly and people loved each other - helped and worked - when sickness came - the neighbors helped out -cooking -washing on a rub-board and boiling un a big black iron wash pot - and looked after the children. ON Sunday, most people went to the big one room school house to Sunday School - and preaching only once a month - My brother Chester Earnest died when he was 18 months old of conjection - My cousin Ralph Rodgers from farm near Redwater, Tex had come to Loring to work in the mill with my father. He had come to our house and brought a watermelon the night before and we had eaten it and my little brother had been playing near the rinds - My mother work me father at 2 A.M. that Chester had high temperature - He grabbed his clothes -and ran down wooden plank sidewalk to Doctor's home and he came back but Chester was in convulsions _ He died about 4A.M. My parents were so shocked and grieved. My mother's health began to fail - a friend of hers told me after I was married that my dear mother grieved and died of a broken heart. She did contract T.B. and my father took her to Colorado but she died when I was five years old - at this friend's home. Our house was next to the big hotel was - One day, the hotel caught fire and my father carried her in his arms to the next street where this friend lived with her family - I can remember she called us and hugged and kissed me - and just wanted to sleep with my father at her side holding her hand. I've always felt she was in Heaven - watching and waiting for us. The we boarded with a couple named Swartout - for a few months - then I went to the Convent at Many -where I roomed and boarded with five other girls - Each summer my father took me to Redwater for a visit with his parents and all our relatives - So many to play with and to love - They lived in a big two story home with fireplaces and we went there for a couple of Christmases. We slept in feather beds - so nice and warm - They had geese and made them - no refrigerator. My grandmother churned her milk after it clabbered and made such good butter - She kept her milk and butter in buckets in the well -which had cold water all the time. They farmed and raised chickens- hogs for pork and sausage - smoked sides for bacon- hindquarters for ham They had a big orchard with apples - peaches- plums trees and grape vines _ Grand Mother made fresh cobblers - jams and jellies - They took the corn to grist mill and had it ground for corn meal. Everyone worked and helped each other - She canned vegetables - hung onions and garlic up to dry - People seemed happy and content working with and for their home - children - and friends. Sunday was the Day of Rest as God said - church was held in brush arbors with hard bench seats Coal oil lamps were sued in homes and to light arbor - Now and then we had camp meetings _ Families came in wagons with quilts and mattresses - where they slept - cooked over a small fire. Mothers baked bread - pies and cakes at home - probably baked hens- turkey or ham so they made coffee - baked irish or sweeet potatoes in the coals of fire.