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The following interesting story as it relates to the life and char acter of one of Taylor county’s best known colored citizens, respected and esteemed by both races, by Miss Elizabeth McCants in the Macon Telegraph: When “Aunt” Ella Roquemore, Negress, of Butler, is asked her age, she nods her wise old head and answers, “Ah was down in the fifth year of freedom.” If memory is correct, this was in 1870, making Aunt Ella now 77 years old. The wife of a Primitive Baptist preacher, Uncle Neal Roquemore, deceased, Aunt Ella lives with her daughter about seven miles from Butler in the old family home where she and Uncle Neal reared five children. Amazingly agile for her ad vanced years, Aunt Ella is still able to do many of her household chores. “Piecing quilts” is her hob by, and she enjoys sitting on her “piazza” working with her bright ly colored quilt scraps. She has pieced many of these bed cover ings during the last few years, and her needle work is beautiful. Aunt Ella’s simple unpainted house is neat as can be, inside and out. She has her own garden, fruit trees, chickens and _ hogs. Therefore, many of the necessities of life are found at home. A huge scuppernong arbor and a_ smaller grape arbor provides luscious fruit in the late summer and early au tumn. Doing thoughtful favors and kindnesses for her white neighbors brings special pleasure to the kindly old Negress. She is an ex cellent cook of the old school. She likes to bake delicious “sweet bread” and, while it is yet steam ing hot, take it to her friends. Growing old has not caused her to turn her thoughts inward as is sometimes the case. Neither does she talk about the old days ex clusively. Rather she has a vital, lively interest in all that goes on in the world around her. Her daughter, Isa, reads the papers to her, and she is well informed on community activities. Aunt Ella has a homy philosophy of life, practical in its entirety, and she often utters valuable bits of wisdom which her listeners, white or colored, would do well to heed. Sometimes she seems to agree with others completely, say ing, “Dat’s right!” to every remark but when the speech is ended,’ look out. She is likely to lash out, in her plain spoken way and tell you just what she thinks about the situation. And the resulting ad vice is usually sound. ‘ She is a good nurse too, and in her day has nursed many sick peo ple in the community. Her own remedies are old fashioned, con sisting mostly of teas made from mixtures of herbs and roots, and they might not always be sanc tioned in medical circles. Superstitious, too, she has many queer beliefs, and her greatest, fear is, of snakes. An old fashioned checked bon net and huge apron to match are characteristic of Aunt Ella’s attire She wears the typical long dress which comes just to the tip of her high topped shoes. Uncle Neal was as well liked as his wife. He was pastor of a num ber of churches in that section of the state during his lifetime. He died in 1942.
Newspaper Details
Butler Herald
Butler, Georgia, US
Thu, Aug 28, 1947
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Marissa M.
USA 28 Dec 2025
Other Publications Near Butler, Georgia
Butler Taylor County News
Butler Taylor County News and Butler Herald
Butler Herald
