My Great Grandma Kemp

My great grandmother on my Dad's Mom's side lived to I believe the ripe old age of 98. We called dad's mom "Maw Clara" and her Mom "Maw Kemp" as that was her last name... full name was Beulah Mae but I don't recall her maiden name.
Anyway, she was born during the Reconstruction Era after the American Civil War. I want to say maybe only 4 years or so after the war.  I was still in my single digits or barely into my doubles when she passed away but I had some grand times with that old lady. She never wore britches, always a dress and I rarely saw her without her bonnet on. I remember when we boys would be out with no shirt on she'd say "Lookit them boys, running around half nekkid".
Every morning and evening she would walk down to the old bridge leading to the farm, oh maybe half a city block or less for her "constitutionals".

The old house had one single faucet in the kitchen, hot water came from the stove in pots. A single bare light bulb lit each room; living room, 2 bedrooms and kitchen. The toilet was a little building some 50' or so from the back door. No air conditioning only 2 electric fans with metal guards over metal blades in the Summer and a wood fire in the fireplace heated the home.
But even at my tender age I got so much pleasure sitting by the fire listening to that frail old lady tell tales of her youth. She was one beautiful person.
The main thing I learned from Maw Kemp is no matter how hard times are we make do. Believe it or not back inn the day salt was a very expensive commodity. So much so that they would go out to the smokehouse where salted meat was hung to smoke for the Winter. There they would dig up the dirt which was full of salt which had fallen off the meat during smoking. They would filter the dirt until the water ran clear then put in pans and put the pans in the Sun to dry out and thusly reclaim the salt.
What? Fifty cents a pound or less for common table salt yet they had to work to reclaim it like that.

I tell you what. Any chance you get to talk to the real oldsters you really should take it. Their wisdom is fading all too quickly.