Chapter Four

Nov. 17, 1938

Mr. Abram P. Hollifield lived on Roberson’s Creek, about three miles from Sunshine post office. He married Miss Eliza Whisnant of near Casar in Cleveland county. Nearly all of the people in the community called them Uncle Abe and Aunt Liza. They reared a family of nine children, five boys and four daughters. Eight of them are still living, the youngest being about fifty-nine years of age.

Mr. Hollifield was among the best farmers in the county and made a good living. He was a member of the Baptist church and took an active part in church work and was always on hand when there was money to raise for any object. He was United States deputy marshal for a number of years and had to arrest many blockaders during that time, but he was always their friend when court convened, for he would always speak a good word to the court on their behalf. Mr. Hollifield had a great deal of pride. He was very active in his movements and was fond of horseback riding. He sat very erect in his saddle and even after he was seventy years old frequent remarks were made in regard to his ability to ride.

It was told on him that he traded a horse that was a “stump sucker”* and never told the man about it.His home was a great place for company and the more company the better it seemed to please him. I have been there when a number of young people would gather in. He always appeared to enjoy the occasion as much as any of the younger ones. He was a great fellow to trade horses and sometimes he would get cheated but would more usually hold his own. It was told on him that he traded a horse that was a “stump sucker” and never told the man about it. The fellow came back and wanted to rue the trade, stating that when he traded for the horse, it was represented as being sound, but it developed that the horse was a “stump sucker*.” Mr. Hollifield replied that it was no disease, but it was a mighty fool habit the horse had. I saw him trade for a horse that was blind but no one could tell it by looking at his eyes and got on the horse and started home. He had to cross a little gully and the horse came very near to falling down. He then discovered that the horse was blind, but he never looked back at all. Someone was teasing him about trading for the blind and he replied, “That’s all right. The one I let the other fellow have was so old he could not hear.”

Mr. Hollifield was a good neighbor and always accommodating and in case of sickness Uncle Abe and Aunt Liza would very often spend the night with a sick family and sometimes several nights in succession.

Uncle Abe was always active in politics. He was a Republican and was county coroner for a few years. He lived to be eighty four years of age. He has been dead about 24 years.

Aunt Liza was among the best of women. She was never idle, but always doing for herself or someone else. She would card the wool, spin the thread and weave the cloth to make her boys clothing and then cut and make them. She almost ran a tailor shop for she would cut and make suits, both coats and pants, for nearly all the men in the settlement and never made a charge for it. She also made women’s dresses. It would take from ten to fifteen yards of cloth to make one dress. When a girl or woman would get cloth to make a new dress, someone would ask, “Who are you going to get to make it.” She would almost invariably answer, “Aunt Liza.”

Aunt Liza lived to be eighty-four years of age. She has been dead about eleven years. Uncle Abe and Aunt Liza were buried at Walls church. These good people lived together about fifty-two years.

Editors note: A “stump sucker” was a horse or mule that had a habit of clamping its mouth over a fence pole or the edge of a plank and frantically sucking air into its lungs, until it became bloated. If it was a bony, poor-looking animal to begin with, this bloating might make it look normal enough to appeal to a buyer—for a while.