Long-lasting
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
This week’s 52 Ancestors prompt, “Long-lasting,” made me think of something that has somehow survived in our family for close to a century: the glasses that belonged to my great-great-grandmother, Martha Adeline (Tolbert) Adkins (1857–1935). They came to me after my mother passed away, and they are one of those little family treasures that mean far more to me than their monetary value ever could.
100+ year old glasses and case that belonged to my 2x great grandmother Martha Adeline Tolbert Adkins
Rather than write about Martha myself, I thought I would share something even more special—a biography written by my mother, Martha Pauline Elkins (1943–2015), who was named for her great-grandmother. My mom wrote this from the stories and memories passed down to her by her mother, Olgie, who actually knew Martha.
“Martha Adeline (Tolbert) Adkins was mother to my grandmother, Eva Pauline (Adkins) Sanders. Eva was my Mom's (Olga May (Sanders) Elkins) mother. Eva, Olgie & Olgie's brother, Lee Ernest (Wilkins) Sanders with Martha from the time of Olgie's birth July 1920 until Martha passed away in January 1935 in Pulaski County, AR. Martha was married to William Daniel Adkins at the age of 23 & he was 50 (old geezer! LOL). Martha had a son, Henry Huston Tolbert, that was born out of wedlock & Henry's father is unknown. With William, she had 10 kids & 8 of them lived. Martha was about 3 months pregnant with her & William's first-born, Walter Adkins, before they married. This baby did not live for very long & is buried at Sumner Cemetery, Pulaski County, AR, near Martha & William.
According to my mom, Olgie, Martha was short & thin, & at the age of 77, had thin (probably due to age) dark hair with just a touch of gray at the temples, which she wore up & twisted into something like a bun. Martha dipped snuff & had only a few teeth. She could still thread a needle even without glasses. Martha's eyes were either brown or steel gray (from a picture I've seen of her, I'd say her eyes were gray). Martha wore long dresses (down to her ankles & these she did not make herself but had someone sew them for her) with high-top, lace-up leather shoes. Underneath the dress, she wore a "shimmy" that she made from muslin. During the winter, she would wear knee-high wool stockings that she had made herself; during the winter [summer], due to heat, she did not wear stockings.
As previously stated, Martha made her own stockings by getting sheep wool, which she would first wash, dry, and then "card" (used sort of a board with metal wire that was spike-like & wool laced between the "spikes"). After this process, she would dye the wool with berries she had collected from the woods (usually brown). She had a big spinning wheel (which they just moved off & left after Martha passed) & she would spin & make thread. Then, she'd get long needles & knit her own stockings!
Martha also made her own soap, (called "lye soap" due to the lye that was in the fireplace ashes that was saved after their usage of heating their home during the winter months & also for cooking). To make this soap, Martha had an "ash hopper" where ashes were dumped. Once hopper was full, water was added & via a "trough" on the hopper, the water would drain from the hopper into buckets, then placed in barrels with fat meats & other inedible parts of animals. This was then placed in the smokehouse & became "soap" which was a thick, thick liquid, which would be scooped out for washing clothes. Mom said the clothes washed in this soap were very, very white.
After William died in 1916, their son Marion Adkins lived with Martha, moved & Eva & her two kids lived with Martha until Martha's death in 1935. Martha's daughter, Nancy Adkins, came to the farm, told Eva the farm was to be sold so that's why Eva & kids moved to North Little Rock. On the farm, Martha had 4 cows, which would be milked & some of the milk was churned & made into butter). There were usually two pigs, which would be fattened up over the summer, butchered & smoked during the winter. Martha had a smokehouse, the pigs would be hung in hangers in the room & Martha would gather hickory chips, place them in something under the carcasses & the pigs would be smoked this way.
Along with the above, Martha & Eva planted a garden every year & on this, grew: okra, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, onions, radishes, lettuce, & collard & turnip greens. They would get corn from neighbors.
Martha also delivered Eva's babies.
All I can say about Martha is "WHAT A WOMAN!!!" I wish I had met her. I know my mom really loved her & thought the world of her. Wow!”
I love that I still have Martha’s glasses, but after rereading this, I think my mom’s words may be the more precious thing that was passed down. She preserved details about Martha that would otherwise have been lost—the clothes she wore, the soap she made, the stockings she knitted, even the snuff she dipped.
Nearly a century after Martha died, her glasses are still here, and so are her stories. And thanks to my mom for writing them down, hopefully both will be long-lasting for generations yet to come.