What Sacrifices Did Your Ancestors Make For You?

On Sept 6, 1934, Labor Day in Honea Path, South Carolina at the local cotton mill workers protested working conditions and supported Labor Unions. When it was over 7 men were dead, one of them was my ancestor, Charles Livingston Rucker. 

Charles was the son of Mary Jane Dixon, my great grandmother, Addie Elizabeth Dixon Edwards sister.  Charles was my grandmother, Nancy Edwards Matherly's first cousin, making him my 3rd cousin.

Note: In the newspaper clipping below the cemetery burial place mentioned is wrong, it says Hoke's Chapel in Ebert County but he is actually buried at Pope's Chapel Cemetery in Wilkes County, Georgia.  Here is a link to his burial site on Find A Grave:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97532888?search=true

Charles Livingston Rucker 

died of not one but two gunshot wounds that day.   He was just 39 years old.

He was and always will be a hero of the working man.

In 1934 the General Textile Strike grew to the largest labor strike in American History. The workers at Chiquola Mill, the local cotton mill in Honea Path, circled the mill in protest of unsafe working conditions and low wages.  A fight broke out and shots were fired. The day is known as Bloody Thursday.

Most local history books have recorded very little about the incident and local's kept their mouths shut about what happened that day. Fear, threats and intimidation were used to silence the story. Those that supported the union were fired and kicked out of mill housing or required to never speak of the incident or become involved in union organizing.

 Not one person was ever charged for the murders that tragic day.  Over 10,000 people attended the funerals of the slain men.

Today a monument is erected in the local park in Honea Path, just a mile from the mill to honor those who died that day. The stone is etched with the words "They died for the rights of the working man" and the names of the men who lost their lives standing up for something they believed in.  

Charles Livingston Rucker was one of them.  

What sacrifices did your ancestors make for you?

More information about the documentary "The Uprising of 34" can be found at http://www.pbs.org/pov/uprisingof34/film_description.php

After a few requests for the info here is a link where you can purchase the 88 minute film for home use for $44.95   https://store.der.org/the-uprising-of-34-p282.aspx

I found this today, where the film can be rented from Vimeo for $5.95 here is the link:https://vimeo.com/ondemand/uprisingof34#

Or FREE if your local library partners with Kanopy you can watch it for free, just sign up with Kanopy and check if your library participates.  Here's the link:  https://www.kanopy.com/product/uprising-34

You can also search YouTube for "Uprising of 34" and find more videos about this tragedy.

As always, I welcome your comments.

What Ancestor Do You Wish You Could Have Met?

What would you ask them?  How would you spend a day together?

For me, more than one person comes to mind but for today I'm choosing my maternal great grandmother, Addie Elizabeth Dixon Edwards. Addie was a remarkable woman. 

Addie and Grissom Edwards  shortly after their marriage in 1897

She had 11 children.  My grandmother, was her oldest daughter and helped her mother to raise all the younger children and did most of the cooking for the family. 

Addie was born in Elberton, Georgia in 1880 to James Dixon and Nancy Charles. At the young age of 17 she married my grandfather Grissom Stewart Edwards in 1897.   She spent her entire life in Elberton. After raising 6 sons and 5 daughters and celebrating 58 years of marriage Addie died in 1955.

Addie & Grissom Edwards and all 11 of their children, my grandmother Nancy in the dark dress, about 1940

Addie was a strong and resourceful woman and raised a wonderful family. I was lucky enough to meet many of her children in my younger years.  My grandmother used to tell me that my hands looked just like her mothers, which makes me happy.  

Addie and Grissom Edwards at their 58th Wedding Anniversary Celebration  February 1955.

Who do you wish you could have met?