Our father, Ollie Erastus Lewis, aka Daddy, was born December 31, 1906 to Cornelius Lafayette “Fayette” Lewis, aka Grandpa, 1877-1922 and Louella Scott Lewis, aka Granny, 1880-1956. Daddy was the fourth of ten children and was visually impaired from birth. He was next to the oldest who remained at home when his father was mortally wounded on November 28, 1921, and subsequently died the following February 23, 1922.

Daddy’s birthplace was approximately two-hundred yards west of Corinth Road and about one-tenth mile north of the Lewis-Altom Cemetery in Henderson County, Tennessee. It was the house built by his grandfather William Matthew Lewis (1839-1891) and his grandmother Nancy Ann Woods Lewis (1839-1921) , several years before. See footnote later in this chapter for names of the Lewis siblings.

Daddy had just turned fifteen years of age when he was left with three brothers and four sisters, all but one younger than himself, to whom he would come as close to being their father as they would ever know again.

The most detailed account of the family tragedy is described in a memoir by Aunt Ruby Scates, a younger sister to Daddy, which she recorded in her own handwriting in 2004. For lack of visual clarity in the original copy, her account is transcribed verbatim in the following paragraphs.

The first place I remember us living was a house on west side of the road down from cemetery. [Same site described above.] As far as I know, we were all born there, except Hal. I don’t know if the farm belonged to us or if it was Grandma Lewis’.

I can’t remember much about it. I know our family pictures were from Cova to Lothy. Ethel had already married. Lothie looks like she might be little over 1 year old and me little over two.

Someone built a house between that house and road after we moved. Don’t know if anyone ever lived there after we moved.

Do you know where Maness schoolhouse used to be? We moved into a house on Sam Maness farm on road between schoolhouse and Browns Creek bottom. Hal was born there.

We then moved to Mr. John Small farm. Pin Oak Lodge is located on that. You know the green spot at edge of woods on right. That’s where the house sit we lived in.

Papa was shot not far out in the lake now. He hollered for Mama. Ollie was home that day. I think I had turned 7 in October. Mama put me, Lothie, Lucille and Hal in bed and told us to stay in bed, as far as I know we did. She and Ollie went to him. She sent Ollie to Joe Florence for help. It had to have been a long time to get him to house. They had to make something to carry him on. I don’t know how long it was before they got started to hospital. The good Lord had to have been with all of them or he would never have made it. Just think of being carried from there to Wildersville [7-8 miles] in wagon put on train, sent to Nashville to hospital.

Uncle Tom Lewis, his brother, went to hospital with him. I don’t know if he stayed with him or not. I don’t know how long he stayed before he came home. I think he lived 3 months. He died on 2-22-22. The Dr told them the spinal cord was badly damaged and when it came into he would die. Cova got married in the spring. He was teaching school at White [School was located just north of Bible Grove Baptist Church.]

That fall [1922] we moved to Oak Grove community where Eddie Scott lived. We were there 2 or 3 years I think. Orvie and Mary both got married while we lived there.
We moved to the Broadway community. Mama’s brothers lived out there. Uncle Ben and Uncle Billie. Grandpa Scott had passed away and Grandma was living out there with Uncle Ben. She died pretty soon after we moved.

Sammie married Linnie Nichols while we were there. I think he was 16 years old and she younger. I remember how unhappy Mama was with Dewey [Scott; son-in-law] that he helped arrange everything for them. They didn’t live together too long. Thank the Lord there was not any children.
We lived out there six or eight years I guess. We moved back to house that belonged to Cova on Darden Road. I got married while we lived there. [April 22, 1933] Mama, Ollie, Lothy, Lucille and Hal moved to Freight [Frate] Lewis [near Scarce Creek Baptist Church] for a little while. Lothy got married while they lived up there. [late 1933]

They moved back to Cova’s house. I think that is when Ollie started staying with Audie Duke. Then, Lucille and Hal got married. Mama started living with children. She would stay a while and move on. I can’t remember for sure when Ollie married. [May 23, 1942]

I know Mama must have gone through some miserable times. It was a rough time for us.

Those were the words of Aunt Ruby Scates, as she recorded her memories, beginning as a seven-year-old. At the time of Grandpa being mortally wounded, this family of Lewises was living on the Pat (John) Small farm, which was situated about 100 yards southwest and across the road from present-day Pin Oak Lodge, situated on the west banks of present-day Pin Oak Lake. A sewer lagoon is presently located where the house sat on a small knoll which was excavated in the early 1970s to facilitate the new lodge.

Daddy remained with his mother, Louella (Granny), along with one older brother, Orvie (Uncle Orvie) and his younger brothers and sisters , until they all married and moved away. As related in Aunt Ruby’s handwritten account above, soon after Grandpa died, the family moved from the farm in upper Browns Creek bottom to the Oak Grove community near to Granny’s parents, Samuel Matthew and Mary Jane Scott, who lived on a road now abandoned and running south behind present day 1680 Davis Road. At time of this writing, the house into which they would move and call home for 2-3 years remains standing at 470 Davis Road.

After their stay on Davis Road, Granny would relocate her brood to the Juno community west of Lexington, near to where she had a brother named Ben (Benjamin; Uncle Ben) Scott. With kids in tow, Granny apparently and understandably was searching for support from anybody willing to lend a hand, even for a brief period. The next several years would be spent moving from one rental place to another where Granny and Daddy, along with the children who remained at home, could find an empty house and work to supplement their sustenance………………………………

She would pass away at our house on Christmas Day, 1956. More details on Granny’s life with our family are revealed as our story moves along.

I believe my sisters would agree that our mother, mentioned below, was one of barely a few, and maybe the only one, who could have tolerated both their temperaments over an extended time.

Our mother, Tressie Bell (Woods) Lewis 1920-2012, aka Mama, was born December 29, 1920 to the late Alvis Calvin Woods, 1900-1999, aka Pap, and Flerzie Bell (Hayes) Woods, 1904–1955, aka Mam. Mama was the firstborn of ten children, eight of whom would survive until adulthood. Her birthplace was just northeast of the Darden community and near present-day Beech River Regional Airport. Almost totally within the confines of the Beacon, Pleasant Hill, Mount Ararat, Darden and Oak Grove communities, Mama would be raised as they frequently moved from one farm to another as sharecroppers.