Frances,
Life before marriage
Frances Claudia McCamy was born on May 9th, 1890
in in Cherokee county North Carolina in a
community known as Peachtree, near Murphy and died
in Cleveland, Bradley county, Tennessee on August
21st, 1989. She had 4 older sisters, a younger
sister and 2 older brothers (and one younger
brother that died when about 4 years old).
Education facilities, especially for girls, was
poor to non-existent in the Peachtree community.
When she was about 6 months old the family moved
to Young Harris, Georgia so she and her sisters
could get an education. Young-Harris college had
been founded by the Methodist church in the
mid-1880's and, together with the local schools
provided a community where both boys and girls
could get a good education. Of the six girls
(one younger sister) in the family, five of them
graduated from Young-Harris.
According to her son, Frank, they had lived
just west of Young-Harris less than a mile from
the campus. The family attended the Methodist
church in Young-Harris.
Tod, as Frances was called, had four older
sisters to serve as mentors while growing up.
One story she told was the sisters decided to
hike to the top of Brasstown Bald, the highest
point in Georgia and several miles away.
|
Frances and her sisters
From Left
Mae, George, Lena, Tod, Mattie, Rob
|
Wanting to be in top shape for the hike the older
girls suggested soaking their feet in hot water
before starting out. Of course, this softened the
skin and they all came home with blisters and sore
feet for several days.
While it is a proven fact the McCamy's have
never had much musical ability, Tod learned to
sing (maybe not well) the Indian song "Redwing"
she knew the words in both english and the
Cherokee language. You can still hear the tune
occasionally as the melody has been used many
times with different words.
Although they lived in a "college town" the
McCamy's were farmers, with six girls and only
two boys, the girls had plenty of chores to keep
them busy. Frances did not talk much about her
young life, we do know she learned to make soap,
sew dresses, cook, work in the garden and do the
other tasks a farm woman did in those days. She
also learned a lot of math and even up until her
80's probably could solve math problems quicker
than any of her children.
After Frances and her younger sister, Rob
graduated from Young-Harris their parents bought
the farm in Polk county (c. 1909) most of which
is still in the family and where Harry and Kathy
Rymer live (2009). Based on the letter from
Albert to his mother Frances was teaching at
Cooksons Creek school during the 1910-11 school
year (4 miles or so from her parents home).
Apparently the next year she got a contract to
teach in the local grammar school which was less
than a half mile down the road at the
intersection of Swan and Horns Creek roads.
After the school year was over in 1912, Frances
married Albert.
