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Clint and Lona Hayes:  Barnesville, Tennessee:  1916 - 1947

Clint was 10 years old when five-year-old Lona moved to Barnesville. They both went to school at the Pennington School and both were members of the Barnesville Methodist Church. Clint first had a crush on Lona’s older sister, Gertrude. In a short time, though, he realized that the one he really liked was Lona! When they were a little older, he began to visit her, picking her up on horseback or in his buggy.

On April 23, 1916, Clint and Lona were married by Justice Earl Hinson. The ceremony was held at the home of Uncle Jake Nick Pennington with Uncle Jake’s family as witnesses. Clint was a strong and handsome 21-year-old. Tall and thin, he was always smiling and was known for his great sense of humor. Pretty and petite Lona had just turned sixteen. Barely five feet tall with jet black hair, Lona was more serious than Clint, outspoken, but still very friendly.

For that first year, Clint and Lona lived with Clint’s parents. The next year, in 1917, Clint and his dad, Allen, started work on a new farmhouse where the newlyweds could live and raise a family. Allen had given his son a section of his own property which was in the community called Barnesville. Located in northern Lawrence County, Barnesville is near the town of Summertown and slightly north of Henryville, where the original settlers lived. A branch of the Buffalo River, called Saw Creek, ran right through the property. Allen and Mariar’s home was just across the field, within sight. Their church, the Barnesville Methodist Church, were right there, too. Clint had always been very close to his dad, and they must have enjoyed working on that house together. That same year, 1917, World War I began.

About this time, the County Agent of Lawrence County organized "Tomato Clubs" and "Pig Clubs" among the boys and girls of the county. The purpose of these was to acquaint the children with better methods of raising livestock and garden produce. The Agent, C. P. Barrett, also visited the farmers and instructed them on the proper ways of fertilization and cultivation. These clubs progressed to 4-H Clubs which were oriented toward all phases of rural life. The next agent was G. C. Wright, and his assistant, Miss Marvel Bass, organized women’s clubs which were instructing better homemaking such as new and improved methods of sewing, food preservation, and cooking for improved health.

In 1918, World War I ended. That same year, Clint and Lona’s first son, Leo Nathaniel Hayes was born on March 13. Three more sons were quickly added: James Leon Hayes born on December 15, 1919; Virgil Ordell (Bud) Hayes born on September 15, 1921; and Gerald Carmon (Dutch) Hayes born on October 7, 1923. At the end of 1924, Lona was expecting another baby. Sadly, though, this baby didn’t survive. It was stillborn in March of 1925.

In the mid-1920’s, a new source of family entertainment was becoming popular – the radio. Every night, many families gathered in their living rooms to listen to comedies, action-packed adventure dramas, music and other kinds of radio entertainment. Clint and Lona got their first radio probably in the late 1920’s. It was a battery-powered one and Clint’s dad, Allen had one, too. Clint’s half-brother, Paul, had a battery charger with which he could charge up batteries by using power from the windmill on their farm. Clint and Allen enjoyed listening to sports on the radio, and often would listen to boxing matches together.

In 1928, Clint and Allen made a big purchase! Together, the two of them bought a brand-new black 1928 Model A Ford. It sold for $550 and could do 5-25 mph in eight seconds with a top speed of 65 mph. Standard features included cloth upholstery, a speedometer, electric tail lights, motorized windshield wiper, a horn and safety glass all around. Clint and Allen’s Ford was one of first cars in the area and family and friends must have been very excited!

The first daughter of Clint and Lona was born on October 4, 1929. They named her Ivadell, but everyone just called her Dell. Three and one-half weeks later, on October 29, the stock market crashed. This was the beginning of the Great Depression. Consumption of farm products decreased because people couldn’t afford to buy them. From 1929 to 1933, prices of farm goods fell about 50 percent. In 1932, many farmers refused to ship their products to market. They hoped a reduced supply of farm products would help raise the price of these goods. By 1933, about 13 million people in the United States were unemployed. Fortunately, the Hayes’ were in no danger of losing their farm. Unlike many other farmers all over the country, the Hayes’ owned their land free and clear . . . at least they didn’t have the worry about paying a mortgage.

Children of Clint and Lona Hayes

1.  Leo Nathaniel Hayes born in 1918

2.   James Leon Hayes born in 1919

3.   Virgil Ordell (Bud) Hayes born in 1921

4.   Gerald Carmon (Dutch) born in 1923

5.  Baby stillborn in 1925

6.   Ivadell (Dell) Hayes born in 1929

7.   Kathleen Hayes born in 1932

8.   Terry Clinton Hayes born in 1936

9.  Gary Ford Hayes born in 1939

It was about this time that Clint’s health began its slow downward path. The rheumatoid arthritis that began in his mid-thirties would continue to worsen. Rheumatoid arthritis is often called the "great crippler". Most of its victims are between the ages of 20 and 40, just as Clint was. Joints afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis are hot, painful, red and swollen. The disorder mainly affected Clint’s wrists and knuckles, which is typical of this disease. Rheumatoid arthritis can spread throughout the body, damaging organs and connective tissue. The diseased joints eventually stiffen in deformed positions. The cause of this disease is still unknown to this day.

In the midst of all this, another daughter was born. Kathleen Hayes arrived on July 4, 1932. Four years later, on October 24, 1936, Terry Clinton Hayes was born. Terry was a joy to his family, so sweet and so smart, too. In the warm spring days of 1939, Terry was two-and-a-half years old. He loved to run and play outside … one of his favorite games was trying to catch the robin that liked to tease him. Terry would walk closer and closer to the robin and just when he thought he could reach down and grab it, off the robin would fly! Terry would laugh and giggle and wait for the robin to land, then they would play the game again, over and over. Terry had a mind of his own, too. On another one of those spring days, Terry decided he’d like to go visit with his Granddad for awhile. He asked permission, but was told that he couldn’t go to Granddad’s right then. Well, he turned right around and started up the path to Granddad’s house anyway! Everybody just stood and watched! But he had disobeyed and Terry’s dad, Clint, went after him and gave him a little spanking. Later that night, Terry got very sick … so sick that Clint and Lona drove him to the hospital in Lawrenceburg. He was diagnosed with tonsillitis and soon caught pneumonia too. Clint and Lona stayed at the hospital with him … the other children were at home with their older brothers. Terry never came home, though. He died in the hospital on May 31, 1939, only a few days after he had gotten sick. Lona was expecting another child when Terry died. What a sad time for her . . . four sons, ages 16 to 21; a 10 year old daughter; a 7-year old daughter; four months pregnant and her youngest son, gone at two years old. Clint could hardly forgive himself for the little spanking he had given Terry just before he got sick. And that robin … he still came everyday, looking for Terry. He would chirp and chirp and the whole family would break down and cry. That entire summer was a sad empty one, but there was at least one bright moment. Five months to the day after Terry’s death, Clint and Lona’s last child arrived. Gary Ford Hayes was born on October 31, 1939.

Clint worked hard on the farm - he was a good provider. He did like sports, though, and liked to listen to games on the radio and even play some baseball in his spare time. He was a great pitcher and may have even made it to the big leagues if he would have had the opportunity. Clint’s children adored him. He was a good and loving father, patient and very confident. Although his sense of humor was wonderful, he could be serious and was a strict disciplinarian. One look from him could be stern, and then sweet at the same time. He always had time to listen to his children. Clint was easy to love. He was very much like his father, Allen, whom the children also adored. The children called Allen "Grand-dad". He was nice looking and short in height, about five feet 3 inches tall. He liked to whittle and chewed "Red Mule Block" tobacco! Like Clint, he had a good sense of humor, but could be tough if he needed to. He was tough on his farm animals, in contrast to Clint, who at the end of the day, would carry the load in from the field because "the animals had already put in a hard day". One of Allen’s granddaughters, Clint and Lona’s daughter Kathy, remembers about him, "If you couldn’t find him, look to his daybed; he was taking a little nap. I had a way of accidentally waking him and he would just look to me with a smile and say, ‘Hi Sugar’. Like my Dad, he was a good provider and showed affection."

As a farmer raising a large family, Clint’s days were long and hard. He would rise early in the morning, and after a big breakfast he would be out to feed the animals. After that was done, he would start that day’s work, according to whatever season it was at the time. The crops had to be planted, raised and cultivated. Repairs were always need to the home, barn, fences, and equipment. Together with his dad, they would work to make sure there was always enough food to last the year round. They butchered hogs, made homemade sausage, made molasses from their sugar cane, cornmeal from their corn. Hay was also grown to feed their animals - cows, mules, chickens, pigs, and a bull.

Lona was the opposite of Clint in many ways. Although she loved her children very much and was always proud of them, she could be quick with a snappy remark and sometimes had a negative attitude. She liked to argue and could be hard to reason with Her sense of humor wasn’t quite the same as Clint’s and she was often telling him to "hush up that silliness"! She was loving and giving in her own way, though. She was a good mother and her children loved her.

Lona’s days were just as long and hard as Clint’s. After getting up early to prepare breakfast for family, and then cleaning up the mess afterwards, she would sweep the kitchen and dining room floors all the way out to the back porch. Then, after making the beds, she would begin her days’ work. Monday was wash day, with the clothes being washed by hand on an old-fashioned wash board and hung out to dry. She would gather vegetables from the garden for that days’ meal or can them for use during the winter. She would pick peaches and apples, too, and make fresh pies or can them. Milking the cow and churning butter needed to be done and Clint could always use her help when he planted the gardens - peanuts, popcorn, watermelons, cantaloupes, and vegetables of all kinds. There were always new clothes to sew for a growing family and mending to do. She made her own quilts, bedspreads and throw rugs. She liked the house to look nice inside and out - there were lots of flowers all around which gave her a lot of pleasure. Most of the housecleaning work was done on Saturday so Dell and Kathy could help. Sunday was rest day for everyone but Lona, who always had meals big enough for an army to prepare.

Lona made sure her family was feed well! Remembers her daughter, Kathy: "Mom was a good cook. We had three meals a day. The family all ate together with Dad saying grace at each sitting. Mom made sure her family had plenty, so much so that she wouldn’t serve herself until everyone had their helpings and then she would have a little. Meals were no time to do horsing around or you got sent away from the table without eating. Also, clean your plate or you better not have taken it onto your plate. There was no wasting food. The dogs did well to have a meal, but, yes, they were fat . . . somehow us kids would sneak them something! Don’t let yourself have to be called to the table but once. Dad would give you such a look that sometimes when you got to the table you weren’t even hungry! Mom did good on a lot of dishes: Cornbread, biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, peach and blackberry cobbler, banana pudding, fried yellow squash, fried breaded okra were just a few and there were lots more."

The children had time for school and play, but they had their chores, too. The boys were needed to help Clint in the field and even the girls helped there sometimes. At harvest time in the fall, all hands were needed to cultivate the crops. They helped work the garden by the house and husked the corn which would be taken to town to grind into cornmeal. Chopping wood and bringing it in the house was one of their chores, as was milking the cows, feeding the dogs and feeding the chickens, which was Dell’s favorite (except the time she saw a snake in the chicken pen . . . it had swallowed a baby chick whole and the lump was still there right in the middle of the snake’s body!) Dell hated having to carry the water in, though, even if the well was right on the back porch!

School and play filled the time not taken up by the many farm chores. All the children went to the Barnesville School, which was located right across from their farm, next to the Barnesville Cemetery. Kathy says, "After walking home from school, we would get a snack and play with the dogs, do a few chores, eat supper, have some peanuts or popcorn, do homework and then go to bed. I did spend the night with my teacher now and then. Summertime was good times! We would go to the garden and get a tomato and eat it with a salt shaker or go to the field and get a watermelon or cantaloupe. Dell and I would play dolls or play house, make some something to play with, cut patterns of out brown paper bags and make clothes maybe from flour sacks or feed sacks if Mom couldn’t get yard goods. We would climb a maple tree and whittle a while (I would cut my knuckles and hope Dad didn’t catch me whittling his trees!) We might go to the swimming hole with friends and swim or fish with a straight pin bent and tied with twine on a cane pole. With Mom, we would pick blackberries, crochet and do embroidery. Sometimes we would spend the night with friends. On Saturdays, we would go to town and every Sunday we went to church, morning and evening. Most of the time, we would have a guest for Sunday dinner, the preacher or someone from church. The Barnesville Methodist Church was a small country church. Members were a very close-knit group of people, with anyone always ready to help another. There were Sunday services, prayer meetings, Vacation Bible Schools, Ice Cream Suppers (homemade ice cream and the money made was used for the upkeep of the church). Sometimes there would be Dinners where everyone would bring something to share. After dinner, we would clean all the grounds of the church and cemetery."

Birthdays and holidays were celebrated on the Hayes farm. On birthdays, everyone got cake and ice cream. At Christmas time, there was usually a Christmas Program at church and another one at school. Both were very exciting and lots of fun. There was always a real tree - the children got to go out into the woods to help cut it - decorated with homemade decorations and strings of popcorn. Aunts and uncles would come visiting at this time of year and sometimes they would make "snow cream", a kind of ice cream made from real snow. Lona would stay up until the wee hours of the morning making Christmas food and gifts for everyone. On Christmas morning, the children would find such gifts as wool caps, scarves and gloves, candy, fruit, homemade clothing and toys. Sometimes they would even find such store-bought gifts as dolls, storybooks, jacks, checkers, dominoes or a slingshot.

Lona wanted to provide a nice home for her family. The house was clean, pretty and well-kept. Beds were all nice iron with good thick mattresses which were made at a community gathering day for making mattresses. The kitchen and dining room tables were homemade, but nice. Rocking chairs, a tapestry stuffed couch and chair, and a room-size wool rug were in the living room and the other rooms had linoleum floors with throw rugs. There was wallpaper throughout, pretty pictures on the walls and live plants and flowers everywhere, inside and out. Everything, everywhere was very clean, even the porches!

Lawrence County received electricity in 1940 through the Tennessee Valley Authority.

In 1939, World War II had begun. The United States entered into this War in 1942 and, ironically, it was at this point that the Great Depression was finally over. When the United States entered the war, the great increase in production of war materials provided so many jobs that the U.S. unemployment rate had fallen to about one percent by 1944.

By this time, the four oldest boys were grown: Leo was 23, Leon was 22, Bud was 20 and Dutch was 18. All four of them were drafted into the war. Leo and Dutch remained stateside but Leon and Bud both went to Europe. Bud was a cook in Italy. Leon was a paratrooper who served in several different counties. In combat, paratroopers land behind enemy lines, blow up bridges, destroy communications and cut off supplies and reinforcements. They often take the enemy by surprise and engage in fierce hand-to-hand fighting. Paratroopers carried heavy packs of equipment including a rifle, a machine gun, grenades, a medical kit and radio equipment. In World War II, both the Allies and the Germans used paratroopers but the Allies made the most effective use of them. They formed a complete army of sky soldiers and coordinated parachute attacks with air, land, and naval operations. United States Army paratroopers spearheaded attacks in Sicily, Normandy and the Netherlands.

On February 14, 1943, Clint’s father, Allen died and in 1945, World War II ended.


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