mom

My mother was Clara Stinnett Marlow. She married my Dad at the grand old age of 15, putting on her marraige license the age of 19. She met him one week, and married him the next. She told me that she wanted to get away from home, but the marraige, even though it had problems at times, lasted until her death.
Her birth certificate says she was born 22-Jan-1927 to Robert and Ethel Bolden Stinett (spelling correct) Robert F. was listed as a cotton mill worker, Ethel as a housewife. There were already 3 children born alive and still living, 2 children dead. My mother never told me her middle name, she "hated" it. It was years after her death that I sent for a copy of her birth record and discovered that I knew it myself. It was preferred by her that it remain secret, so it will thus remain so, A few of the older relatives have called her by both of her given names, but i continue to tell them that her name was simply Clara.
Mother often told me that she was raised in a very poor environment and really missed her mother, who died when she was only 8 years of age. She said that after her mother died, she was afraid of what would become of her and one of her relatives took her up on his shoulder and said that she was going home with him. It really frightened her.
Mother also spoke of "Tobacco Row", "Stinnett Mountain" and Virginia, and often asked me to research out her family name, but she died before the age of computers and census info was not that easy to obtain back in the early 70's. From the bits and pieces I remember, it is obvious that her (and my own) direct lines descend from Old John Stinnett and his wife Bessie Justus. I would welcome any any proof pro or con concerning this.
One thing my mother always taught me was to respect others, regardless of their financial abilities. I was always intensely instructed to never make fun, as most hardships were not the fault of the person.
After the death of her mother in 1935, Grandpa remarried and relocated the family to Gastonia, North Carolina due to the many textile jobs available in this area. My Dad relocated from Jackson County, Georgia for the very same reason . They married 13-Jun-1942 in York County, South Carolina and the marraige lasted until her sudden death in 1979. At the age of 52 my beloved mother just dropped dead one day.
Though mom's formal education never exceeded the 7th grade, she was very well read and excelled in all she did. She never tried to act like she was so well read, she was a plain person, who took pride in being who and what she was. She made me proud to be descended from my appalachian roots and I am proud to be what is termed a "hillbilly", even though I hold a 3.8 GPA degree.
Mother always took great pride in her home, we had to remove our shoes before entering the house, and were not allowed to sit on the beds. She worked long hard hours at the Arlington Mill on the second shift and every Friday she came home and literally scraped the hardwood floors and rewaxed them.
Mother worked as a spinner and was always considered the best at it. She taught me to spin back in the 1970's and her theory was to keep the frames clean and they would run fine, which by the way did work.
28-Nov-1979, I received word at work that she had "passed out". Mother's stepmother, Lena and her 1/2 sister Vicky were living with her and Dad, and Vicky was the one who called me at work. My sweet mother was dead before the Cramerton Life Saving Crew got there. She is buried at Gaston Memorial Cemetery, out New Hope Road in Gastonia, North Carolina.
When I began my genealogy searches, i tried to make contact with various family members. Most of the cousins I did have contact with knew even less then me, and all of her siblings were passed on except for Aunt Helen. It certainly didn't help much that she and Helen were feuding at the time of her sudden death, but we have long since made peace with one another. Aunt Helen is all I have left of my mothers immediate family, and I do indeed cherish her.

I can say that I am very happy to have finally located many of her family that we had long lost touch with. I am also very proud to have dug up facts from a lot of the stories she told me as a child.

Daddy still has the house she loved so very much and he has remarried after over 37 years of marraige. He is happy and has met a wonderful woman, but no one will ever take the place of my wonderful understanding mom.
Children of James and Clara Stinnett Marlow:

Diane Marlow, born 1947, died 1947

Elizabeth Marlow Horne Olmstead born 10-Mar-1950

Susan Paulette Marlow born 1951, died 1951, buried in the Hollywood Cemetery, Gastonia, NC

James Michael Marlow born 19-Jul-1955

Yes, to answer your possible question as pertaining to any questions, I feel that my mother is proud that i am beginning to solve the mysteries of the "pandora's box" I have opened as pertaining to her family lines.