A son, one of thirteen, honors his mother
Cynthia Culp Allen
Special to the Valley News
Thirteen might seem like an unlucky number of children. But for the Graham family of Dermott, Arkansas, it was the perfect number. Charles Graham, the fifth child in the sibling line-up, left for college and lived in our Valley for 25 years, before returning to Arkansas.
He visited Temecula this past Easter weekend, as featured soloist and speaker at the Europa Village Sunrise service on April 20. Graham shared the powerful redemption story about his family, generations of sharecroppers on a 100-acre plantation next to Bayou Bartholomew.
His parents, Willie and Ollie Graham, packed themselves and their 13 children into a four-room, wood-framed house with no indoor plumbing and only wood heat. From sun-up to sundown, every family member who was able to walk and bend over to pick worked in the cotton fields, aiming to each fill a 100-pound bag a day. But for Graham’s mother, Ollie, the work didn’t end in the fields, nor start there.
Mrs. Graham rose early each morning to bake biscuits and breakfast for her large family. She cleaned her kitchen, then left the youngest to be watched by grandparents. The rest of the family, children and parents, headed to the fields as the owner rang the big bell on the grounds.
In the evening, the bell rang again, ending the workday. But Ollie still had dinner to make and clean up, a house to tidy, baths (with children bringing in buckets of water to heat), bedtime stories and prayer. On her only day off … Sunday … It was time for church, then chores were done for the week.
Doing the laundry for 15 people was a task that took place every other day. Here are the steps Ollie adhered to: Build a fire under the large cast iron pot. Bring in water to fill the pot. In the heated water, rub each piece of clothing vigorously on a washboard to release dirt. Boil the whites for ultimate soil removal.Rinse all clothes. Then, hang strategically on the clothesline outside to let the sun and breeze purify and freshen. Later, remove clothes from the line, shake, fold, and put away.
To make extra money for her family’s needs, Mrs. Graham also cooked for white families across town as well as the school cafeteria. Ollie was the glue that held her family together. Charles appreciated his mother for all she did. Except once. In November, Ollie announced that she would not be cooking the family’s Thanksgiving meal for them.
Their mother had been hired by a white lady, Mrs. Mary Ruth, to cook for her family across town. The agreement included Thanksgiving. Charles, a teen, was not happy that his mother would be cooking for others and serving them, not her own family.
He felt a sense of injustice. “She was my mother,” he explains. “Not someone else’s. I loved Mother being in our house. There was something missing when she was away.” Charles didn’t feel thankful for this new cooking commitment.
Finally, he took matters into his own hands…and feet. He marched into town, up to the front door of the lovely home, and pounded on it. This took courage. On the plantation where he lived, the field workers were not allowed at the front door, nor inside of the house. When Mrs. Mary Ruth answered, Charles informed her that his mother would not be cooking for them. Instead, she would enjoy the holiday with her own family.
When Thanksgiving arrived, the Graham family smiled at each other around the table. All was right with their world … Mother was home with them. Before carving the turkey and enjoying Ollie’s homemade meal, Father offered grace and a Psalm 107 blessing: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His steadfast love endures forever! Lord, we thank you for your blessings, especially Mother here with us. Bless her for this meal she has prepared, and You have provided, Amen.”
Charles lovingly remembers his mother, who died in 2020. “My mother was my teacher,” he explains. “She influenced and nurtured me, impacting my character, emotions and decisions. I thank God I was able to come home and care for my mom before she left us for heaven.”
In 2010, Charles Graham returned home to Dermott, Arkansas. He purchased and renovated the plantation where his family had toiled for many years. The property is now a retreat center called The Fountains: A Place of Refreshing. The front door of the big house welcomes everyone, regardless of color, class or creed.
The first celebration at The Fountains was his mother’s 75th birthday. The old bell that was used to call workers to and from the fields has been repurposed. For Ollie’s birthday party, it rang joyously to call family and friends to a special dinner, honoring a woman who had put her faith and family first, a woman of worth who will never be forgotten.
This inspiring story and many others can be read in Charles Graham’s autobiography, “No Back Doors, The Charles Graham Story,” available at www.charlesgrahamministry.com or Amazon.
Cynthia Culp Allen is an award-winning writer and author who recently moved to Temecula Valley. She is always looking for compelling stories to share with her readers, email Cynthia@reedermedia.com You can purchase her books for women, including Mother’s Day specials and autographed copies for gifts, by emailing her at cynthiaculpallen@yahoo.com.
