Volume 8, Number 12 - Summer 1985
My Autobiography
by Bessie Teague
I am proud to be the oldest native-born active member of White River Valley Historical Society. I was born October 17, 1893 the daughter of Azariah Jones and Laura Brown Jones. My grandfather, B.B. Jones came from Illinois to Ozark County, Missouri and established a general store at Lutie, now Theodosia. He sold everything from staple groceries to hardware and coffins and bought produce of every kind; chickens, eggs, hides and cotton, which was then grown in Ozark County. When my father was grown he became a partner in the store and finally owned it. Both my grandfather and my father were postmasters. My mother taught a "subscription" school before she was married.
When I was about three years old my little brother, Etsel, about one year old was very ill with pneumonia. My grandmother Jones was an invalid and I was sent to stay with her during the ordeal. We were sitting on the porch and looking down toward my home when Grandma said "Little Estel is gone. I just saw a light go up in the sky." In a few minutes someone came and told us the baby was dead.
I went to school at Lutie until I finished the 8th grade and there being no opportunity to go to high school many miles away, I continued to go to school in the 8th grade two or three more years. I did not work outside the home but helped my mother with the household duties and sometimes helped my father at night with his accounts and paper work. I have a sister, Blanche, who with her husband, Lee Cummins live in Springfield.
On August 29, 1909 I was married to John W. Teague of Protem. We lived in Taney County several months as John’s father had a contract to furnish cedar lumber for a pencil factory. Then we moved to a farm near Lutie. My father had bought a store in Sparta and he asked us to buy a half interest in the Lutie store. We operated that store two years, then sold the stock of goods, rented the store building, and moved to Sparta in December 1918. We bought half interest in the Sparta store from my father and my husband helped operate that store. Then the store at Bruner was for sale and the postmaster, Bob Rathbun had applied for retirement. In February 1923 I applied to be appointed postmaster at Bruner and in the meantime we bought the Bruner store. In June 1923 I was appointed postmaster and operated that postoffice until after my husband’s death December 10, 1961. I applied for retirement and was retired July 7, 1963, having served as postmaster a little more than 40 years. My daughter, Laura Wolfe sent in an application and served as postmaster nearly 19 years, until her death from cancer. My daughter, Maxine Cunningham had served as assistant and was appointed postmaster and is still postmaster. The postoffice at Bruner has been operated by the Teague family 62 years.
Great changes have been made in the handling of the mail. When I became postmaster each patron had a cloth bag with their name on it and a string to hang it by. I had spike nails driven up at arm’s length all along the wall of the space the postoffice occupied in the corner of the store. The mail came to Sparta on the train, and was brought to Bruner by the mail hack. Later it came by pickup truck and I had to hang each person’s bag according to the place they lived along the route, and sort and pack the mail in the proper bag. Learning the names and the proper position was a real headache, as there were approximately 100 families to serve by carrier. We served the communities of Elkhead, Ongo, Depew, John’s Mill and Abydal. The carrier would hang each person’s mail bag on a post or tree fixed for that purpose, then on the return, pick up the bag and any mail deposited for dispatch. The pay was very small. We got a commission on mail orders and stamps sold, but there was no set salary. We would not have had the postoffice, but it brought trade into our store.
I was the mother of nine children, Otis married Grace Bray, Fae married Robert Harvill, Rae married Manford Watts, Gene married Mary Tennis, Mary Lucille married Joe Humble, Bobby married Betty Brumley, Laura married Etsel Wolfe, Maxine married
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Orville Cunningham and Sue married Burl McTeer. I also raised two grandsons, Johnny Clower, son of Maxine by a former marriage, who came to me when he was two. He lived with me until he went to Viet Nam. Robert Teague, son of Bobby and Betty, lived with me from infancy until he married. He and his family live just across the road from me. At one time seven of my children, all but Sue and Bobby, were teachers, and several were connected with postoffices. We were a family of merchants, from my grandfather B.B. Jones, my father A. Jones, my husband and myself and my sons, Otis and Gene and daughters Fae Harvill and Maxine Cunningham. Eight of my children have homes in Christian and Greene County. My son Bobby was a long distance truck driver for many years and they live near me.
As for me, I live alone in the home at Bruner where I have been since February 1923. I piece quilts, embroider, tack comforters, read extensively and attend Sunday School and church regularly, following the example of my parents, both of whom were ordained General Baptist ministers. I have eight living children, four of whom are widows, 25 grandchildren, 49 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.
GIFTS TO THE SOCIETY
THREE ADDITIONS TO OUR LIBRARY
"Headstone Inscriptions from 25 Ozark Country Cemeteries," donated by Ruby Robins, charter member and past president. These cemeteries have been published from 1970-1980 in the Ozark Country Times of Gainesville. This book is available for $10. Write Secretary for further details.
"The Life & Times of U. G. Johnson," a vignette by his son, Dr. Jesse B. Johnson. Dr. Johnson was a charter member of W.R.V.H.S. and remained on the roster for 18 years. "Ozark Lyrics," Song Poems of the Ozarks by Mary Elizabeth Mahnkey. Many of her poems are printed in Volume 6-Number 4 of our quarterly. These two books were given by Cliff Edom.
We certainly appreciate these gifts to our library.
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