Annie Wheeler's Victory Garden

Annie Early Wheeler, second child of General Joseph

Wheeler, was way ahead of her time. When the Spanish-

American war broke out, she wanted to go fight alongside her

father in Cuba. At that time, the only way a woman could

serve was by being a nurse. Annie promptly joined the

American Red Cross, although she had not had one minute

of nurse's training. She quickly learned the profession in

tent hospitals near battlefields. She became know as the

'Angel of Santiago' for her work with yellow fever and malaria

patients there.


During World War I, she served in England and France.


When World War II started, Annie, then 62 years old,

tried to enlist, but she was told she was too old. "Go home,"

she was told, "and plant a victory garden."

Miss Annie came home and started planting boxwoods.

Today, many huge boxwoods remain, but the Historical Commission staff does not have the funds to keep them maintained properly. Volunteers are always welcome.

Wouldn't it be interesting to walk down this path with Miss Annie, and listen to stories about all the adventures she had?

Miss Annie won't be there, but on September 6, there will be a celebration of General Joseph Wheeler's birthday with guides in period clothing and lots of things to see. It would be an excellent time to visit Pond Spring.

Pond Spring/the Wheeler Plantation is located on Alabama Highway 20 between Courtland and Decatur.

Comments

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures. We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything. Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

Holy Smoke Pie

I think it was in the late seventies that I first had Holy Smoke Pie. It was at a party at Debra Morris Harville's house. After we ate, Debra had to give the recipe to everyone there. I came home and made it for my family, and it has been a favorite since then. I always make it at holiday dinners, because I believe tradition is important. It has become a favorite of our granddaughters. I've heard it called Chocolate Delight, Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert, and other odd things. We call it Holy Smoke. Here is how I make it: Chop us a cup of pecans; set aside. Add a stick of softened butter (NOT margarine) to one cup of self-rising flour. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the chopped pecans, and work it all together. Save two tablespoons of the pecans to sprinkle on top. Pour into a 9" x 12" pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread it over the bottom of the pan. It helps to use your hands (o...

Out of the Dirt: Bragg-ing

Like every reader, I have my favorite writers. There have been so many that have stirred my emotions and made me a part of their world, and I'm thankful for that. The one is love the best, the one I cherish , is Rick Bragg. Yesterday, Rick was in our area. We were privileged to see a newly released documentary about his life called Out of the Dirt . Afterwards, he talked to us about family and roots. His first book, All over but the Shoutin' , was recommended to me years ago. Very early in the book, I was thinking, "Who is this? He is writing about me, about my family." I have never actually met anyone in the book, but they are all my neighbors and kinfolks. His other books are just as well-written. In his book, Writing for the Soul , Christian author Jerry Jenkins had this to say about Rick Bragg: I read other writers and strive to be like them. I read others, like Rick Bragg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, and simply surrender, knowing I will ...

Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Search This Blog