CHAPTER 1

Julia Ann was born July 5, 1910 in Jackson County Arkansas to Walter and Mary Lou Anner Rebecca Bradley Block. She was welcomed into the world by an older brother, William Alexander Block.

Life was very hectic for all the family, living on a farm where everyday was a struggle to grow enough food, harvest enough cotton to eke out a living for the family. Life for the other families who worked as share croppers for the big land baron was no different.

It seemed everyone born in the south was destined to have three names, families would name their children for friends and relatives whether it made snese or not. Julia's father Walter, however was different. He was called Babe until he was four years old, when his mother told him he had to have a Christian name. He told her he wanted to be called Walter and that was that. No middle name. No relative to be remembered. Just Walter.

Life continued in the way hard times of the early part of the 20th century. Julia Ann started school in a one room school house when she was 5 years old. During the winter, her dad would drive nails in their shoes so they could stay together and be able to walk the two miles to school. Julia Ann loved school and would cry when she had to stay home and care for smaller children while the harvest was gathered. By the time she was ten years of age, she was caring for five smaller siblings and cousins and cooking dinner for the family and field hands. The burden of work was great but she always wanted to help her mother (whom she called Mommy until the day she died). At the age of ten, Julia Ann had a stroke. The doctor told her mother she must have bedrest for a long period of time, but after two weeks, times being as they were and everyone having to pull their weight around the farm, Julia was back doing thee same thing, caring for the children, cooking, cleaning, etc. Life went and and Julia got in what schooling she could. She finished the eighth grade. She was so excited because a cousin had agreed to let her stay with her in town and go to high school...she would only need to furnish her books and clothing. "Mommy" was at first agreeable to this arrangement, even though it was thought not necessary for girls to have higher education because they were expected to marry, raised children, keep house and help in the fields.

Julia was ready to leave the house with such high hopes for higher learning. When her cousin came for her, her mother made the statement that set Julia Ann on a path of determination and a goal of seeking knowledge for the rest of her life, :You're not going." Hardly believing her ears, Julia fought back the tears. She was going to be denied her one chance for education. Her mother told her she was needed at home more than she needed an education.

 Being the dutiful daughter, she unpacked her few clothes and returned to the never ending task of caring for the children, cooking for the family and hired hands, and cleaning...like all good girls were raised to do. But the desire to learn still burned like a molten ember that was forever being fanned to burn brightly for the rest of her days. She thirsted for knowledge and adventure.

During the 1920s, times were still hard for everyone...especially living in rural Arkansas. Each week Julia Ann would take a list from each family in the community for the groceries and supplies needed from town. She would put the kids she cared for in the Model T truck and head for Newport to fill the orders (which was a full day's activity).

One particular day, she was doing what had to be done to start the truck: jack up the back wheel, run to the front and crank the truck. When it started, she ran to remove the jack from the back wheel, jumped into the driver's seat and hoped it didn't "die" before she could get in. That was the "system." But today, the truck started, jumped off the jack, knocked Julia down, skinned her leg and took of on its own...the kids giggling and having a great time. It only stopped when it ran  into a pile of stumps which were to be burned. Julia was furious, skinned knee and all.  And to make matters worse, her step dad Shelby was standing on the porch laughing his head off at the spectacle. (Julia told family members years later, if she'd had a weapon she'd have used it on her step father. She always laughed when she told that story)!  She got into the truck after getting everyone out and helping push the truck off the stump pile and headed for town to complete her task of securing the necessities of life to survive.

Julia's Granny Block (her dad's mother), lived with them and was always telling them stories of her earlier married life to the grandfather Nicholas. She was a fiesty and sometimes mean woman. She liked Julias brother Willie but didn't like Julia, stating that she looked too much like on of Anner's sisters...which, in those days, meant you were liked or disliked by whom you looked like. Granny would allow Willie to come into her room and feed him candy while Julia stood at the door and sobbed. Later, Willie would come out and announce to all the kids what flavors he had.

Granny Block did have some "wild" stories. She and Nicholas set up housekeeping in a little house among the trees and raised a handful of children. During their married lives, Nicholas would, as many men in the community did at the time, frequent the local "road house" (with the reputation that went with it). One fateful night, Granny Block had had enough of being alone with the kids and surmising where Nicholas was, she reached for the pistol, walked to the "road house" and ordered Nicholas to "Come out, blast ya!" He refused, she insisted so she told him she was going to start blasting through the door if he didn't "show" himself. So the other men (probably not wanting to be identified) made Nicholas leave and Granny (all five feet of her) marched him the long way home with the gun nestled in the middle of his back. Theirs was a very tumultuous union. She also told of the time they got into an argument at the supper table and she threw a fork and it stuck in Nick's nose. They then proceeded to break all the dishes by throwing them at each other until they had none left. They then had to go to town the next day and buy dishes before another meal could be eaten.

They separated for a long time, people didn't divorce much in those days. But then Nicholas got really ill and asked Granny to come and take care of him. She relented and did just that and she stayed with Grandpa Nicholas until his death some years later. Although great turbulence during their married life, there was enough love and companionship to bridge the gap in the end.