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MARY BOYD ANDERSON

(1897 - 1978)

My mother, Mary Boyd Anderson was born on November 17, 1897. She was the 5th of 11 children born to Benjamin and Maggie Boyd. She attended the Cleburne County School. She worked on the family farm along with her brothers and sisters until she met her future husband; Howard Anderson who was nicknamed Moot.

At the age of 19 she married Moot. She became a wonderful housewife and a loving mother. She lived and worked on a farm with her husband and children. She became the mother of 11 children, Ella, Willie (who died at age 11), Maggie, Ollie Frank, Mary B., Ben, Earnest, Jessie, Cora, Elma, and Robert Lawrence. She did a good job raising her children especially since she practically raised them alone. My father was there at times, but his roving eye had found something in greener pastures or so he thought. Dad had another family while still married to mama and living with us. Nevertheless, Mama stayed on, singing, praying, cooking, and just taking good care of her children. Many times when dad was out with his other family, Mama would say "get ready children, we've got to go to work". She would take us out and we would do the farm work. Sometimes the stress would get to Mama and she would start biting her fist and knuckles, saying "I'll uh you." We all knew what the expression meant - get out of her way because she'd had enough.

After the older children became grown and left home and only the three youngest (Cora, Elma and Lawrence) were left, Mama decided she'd had enough from Dad and his other family. For years she had put up with a husband who had fathered 8 children (5 boys and 3 girls) by another woman. It was time to move on with her life so she left Dad for good. Our mama and us children went through a lot of hardships and heartaches. Mama never wanted her children to be around Dad's other children but he always seemed proud of them. He would always say "they're mine by God just like y'all are."

Mama moved in with her daughter Maggie and Maggie's husband. Our dad then moved in with his other family and they moved to Hartselle, Alabama. But the greener pastures were gone and dad had a tough time. His health started failing and he found that his other family was not willing to take care of him. He moved to Youngstown, Ohio to live my brother Earnest and never regained good health.

My dad died in 1965 but my mother had many years of good health and good times. She was blessed to live to see her grandchildren and great grandchildren. We had the best mama in the world. She loved her children very much and she sacrificed so much for us.

Sleep on Mama, we all love you.

Mary Anderson Tippins