Linda Watley Norris and Pearl Watley Mitchell

00:03 Good morning. My name is Pearl. Mitchell. Pearl Whatley Mitchell.

00:11 My age is 78 years old and I'm proud of every day of it.

00:17 Today's date is Monday, November 8th, 2021. And we are I am here in Columbus Georgia with my partner by Sister Linda Watley Norris.

00:34 Linda.

00:37 Do you want answer this yourself? My name is Linda Watley Norris, and I'm 73 years old. And I'm glad to be here today, November 8th 2021 at the Columbus, Public Library in Columbus, Georgia, with my sister, Pearl Watley, Mitchell. And hopefully we're going to get through this without any problems.

01:07 Linda, you don't remember when we move to Columbus. Do you know I was two years old, right? And I was 7 years old in second grade and I started at Fox school and the only reason I got the start in second grade is because I started first grade in Alabama. And my birthday is October 4th, and they have an earlier. I mean, a later Deadlight. So I got started second grade.

01:42 And then I started at Fox school, went to Columbus, junior, high school for 7th and 8th, grade and Jordan high school, but not through 12th grade.

01:59 Do it live.

02:02 But before my senior year, we moved back to Andalusia where Alabama, where I was born and I graduated at Andalusia High School. 12th grade gear. That's where I met my husband and got married. Do you want to talk about your education? Linda and one question. And how long were you married?

02:31 I was married 30 years and my husband passed away at 49th.

02:40 Almost 20 years ago and had to hurry and children. Died, three children. I have three children and I've been blessed. They all live in close proximity.

02:55 In Columbus and Phenix, Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama, which is right across the Chattahoochee, River brought. I remember when we have very little memory of moving to Columbus and living on 6th Avenue. My first real memory is living in the Wilson Apartments act. When move down there and I remember, my brother James been born. I was four years old when he was born, but I remember being in that apartment when he was born after he was born and a devastating thing happened, is that when you fell down the stairs, know that was when I saw a policeman come to the door,

03:55 All right, and mama was sitting there chain on the couch changing James. And she said, let it go see who's at the door. So I went to the door and I saw that policeman and I was scared to death to think what's that policeman doing it our house. So I'm at the moment. I said it's supposedly assessment. She don't want to walk to the door.

04:28 She said, go open the door and let him and

04:32 So, I opened the door and that lady and he came in and he asked for diet.

04:39 Emma diet, what home?

04:41 And,

04:44 She said that he needed to talk to Dad. He had news for Friday. So Mom told them that Dad was that Second Baptist Church on 2nd Avenue, and she said that there had been an accident and he and my dad's family.

05:08 Oh and that's all I remember of that incident but Pearl I know continue what she remembers of it, but I followed her Fox Columbus. Junior, High, Jordan. I only went one year. Columbus Junior High because we were in living a red level for the seventh and Ninth Grade. Ninth ended, run love Australian, red level, Alabama, and then we came back. Came back to Columbus and I got to go to Columbus to Jared and graduate from church in 1966, and I have two children, two children, both boys, one lives in Phenix, City. His name is Ray and then the youngest one, Ricky, he lives in, Bremerton, Washington.

06:08 So, I don't get sick, much up. Babe. And I have one grandchild, and unfortunately, she lives in Missoula, Montana, so or Alberton Montana, which is close to Missoula. So I don't get to see much of see, much of her. And how did she now? She is 28 and her name is Linda. Also Linda and yet, though, she's more 93, tell him the rest of the story about about the, well, to the door, the policeman dated. They did not come to the church. They called, and asked to speak to my dad and it was after the service. And so

07:01 The front of the church at Second Baptist, the church burned years ago and the front of it. It had real high steps. You went up and a little porch, a little Portico and to the left was the preachers office and to the right was the

07:24 Like a conference room. And so, my dad went into the conference room and I say it on the top step of the church, and I could hear what he was saying. And it turns out, it was my uncle, my mother's baby brother. She has a sister younger, but he was a baby brother and he was 16, and I was 10 years old at that time and

07:55 He had been hunting, they lived in the countries. My mom's parents, they lived in the country and he had been hunting and he picked up the shotgun behind him. He was sitting on a stump and it just triggered and shot him. And that was all. That was some of the hardest times I had and and the funeral and all that. We went through and his sister.

08:24 3 years younger. She she was my mother's baby sister, but we were like sisters me and her and Linda all three and it just tore her up. I mean cuz she was the closest to him, but that was probably the saddest time of both of our lives.

08:48 And then the next saddest time for me, I think was when my husband passed away. He was, he was 48 years old. He had work that day as a plumber and he was watching TV. He got up and went to bed and I finished watching. I remember I was watching Columbo, and when I got in the bed after a few minutes, he got up and went to the bathroom and he never came back. So, I went to check on him and I said, oh my God, baby, what you do? He said, I didn't do anything and those of the last words he ever said to me, and we called the ambulance. They got there and went to the hospital and he was gone by the time I got there that. But after 30 years, it was like, my life had just ended my life as I knew it had just sent it.

09:47 And that was probably second saddest. I'm at my life.

09:52 But when we first move to Columbus, as Linda said, we lived on 6th Avenue and we lived with a guy who was a friend of my daddy and Mom and we lived in a shotgun house. He had three rooms, not three, bedrooms three rooms and his bed was in the front room. Our bed was in the middle room and then the kitchen and all of our family, we had two beds, and their mom and dad, and the kids, I slept in there. Then if you walk down 3030 2nd Street to get one block from where we lived. There is a Wilson Apartments, where I remember when I was 7 years old.

10:52 States with me, but when I was seven years old, they had torn down all the houses in that area from 29th Street to 35th Street. And it was, it was kind of like a bad, a bad lay down in there. And I'll, I could look down there and it was just totaled just told before they built that part. And that was I remember that awesome site. It was like, just seems like desert to me. Then they finish the apartments like within a year and we move down there and lendy. One of your first memories is being in the apartments, right? Yeah, but what my first text you in the apartment, except I remember James. And I remember Roy Edward dying and I remember

11:52 No one time apart. We were there. And I remember that we I went to Fox school to sign up for kindergarten and

12:07 I went for school, sign up for kindergarten and I cried because they told me, I couldn't go to school at Fox school because they had too many kids up there. So we had to go to school and kindergarten, then at the apartment office and I was so upset cuz I was looking forward to going to school my big brother and big sister and I didn't get to, but I loved that classroom and I believe that classroom is still there today. Remember the rental, what they're right, except hers was not in the office. Hers was in one of the actual. Okay. I think I think every one of them David.

13:07 Except maybe beat me because they think they would have been kindergarten-age from when did the red level? And it's so was Terry. So I don't think they went to kindergarten but David.

13:19 Ronnie Mark, Frankie.

13:23 Frankie went with your Renda and my old anti-drone didn't reach to go there to go there. She went to the old school. That is now, it's not Valley Rescue, but it's one of the

13:43 It's down on 2nd. I mean 3rd Avenue and

13:49 Michael honey, no. Woodall

13:53 We didn't mention Linda, that we are in a group that I am the oldest of 10 children and Linda, comes third in. And then there's me a brother who passed away my beloved brother, buddy, he would just so precious and then Linda, and we were almost like a family within ourselves to the others started coming along and the rest were boys. So, we had seven boys. After Linda, and I were like still because it was, it was 3 years 2 years between your buddy. Three years between me and Buddy for years between me and James. And then, he has two years David the next year. Next year and then two years later later. Ronnie.

14:53 One year, liger Mark and then four years, a lighter. Frankie. And Frankie was born after the run. Do was write Frankie was, I think too much younger than my oldest daughter. He was born August and there was born in May and unfortunately for my brothers have going on.

15:17 To meet God. And that was really, really hard with me and Linda, especially being older, you know, and we thought they would outlive us.

15:29 But that was one of the saddest times of our life. The that happened a couple years apart when they touch, one of the hardest giant, cuz it just didn't seem right, did seem right course, baby was. Same way. I remember, Ray coming in said, Mama, get up, cuz right was sleeping with me. Mama, get up. We got it goes, maybe he's gone. I said, I know, mama is dead.

16:08 But that was unbelievable. He was 38 years old, two of the brothers were 38.

16:16 In my other brother. The one between me and Linda he was 67 know. Nobody was 5250, 10in James was 67, right? So what gets me sometimes is the fact that we have both that lived, our mom and dad cuz our dad was that it's 63 or mom died later at 67th.

16:52 So, we have both outlive both of them, and her mother is just

17:04 Come to mind.

17:07 I always thought.

17:10 That Mom.

17:12 Would live to a ripe old age and her grandmother live to ninety six years night. Her mother live to 78 but Mama live 267 but cancer got hurt. That will answer. That was really hard for me and Mama that way. And I but they're in that they wanted to say this time. So but what was sad to is, is my husband. What's a smoker? He grew up in the country started smoking. Very, very early. My daddy was a heavy smoker, and I had two or three brothers that smoked, and we were smoking.

18:12 They were smoking family Linda and I, we never needed anybody did not, but my mother died from secondhand smoke. Lung cancer. All those years. The doctor Tilton us that in both of us alike, but that don't make sense. She's never smoke cigarette and I'll lie and the doctor soon as she ever been around.

18:45 Cigarette smoke in. I said you walked into her house, was broken into smoke-filled bar. And he said, that's what killed her was second. And I truly believe that swap tell my husband to hear. He was in good health. They didn't have anything as I knew, but the doctor said he had a heart attack and that smoking. All those years probably narrowed his arteries and caused the heart attack. So I just don't see how anybody would smoke today with the knowledge that we have. Of smokers will even be be the death certificate was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

19:45 I'm so that y'all did my sons did my baby still does my oldest one went to a job interview with Swift and he fails the breathalyzer test. Praise God. They told him said we can't hire you with dolls that need the effect that working in the cotton mill was not good. I tell them to quit going home. Quit smoking, get his get, his breath back up and I talked to him about it. Well, in the meantime, he wouldn't work as plumber. A plumber's helper from my as pumper sapper for your husband. And that was the best thing that ever happened to it. And your son is the one that

20:45 Recommended him for the job. He's on right now and that job is been a blessing for him. He's doing he's doing quite well, but you know God sometimes his.

21:02 A plan for things, right? We wonder we don't understand why things happen, but in my 73 Jeep.

21:16 I can look back and I can show you instances where I believe.

21:22 That God was working. He had a plan and his plan was for fail. One of those was when we moved to Andalusia Pearl.

21:38 Was Senior High School?

21:41 She hasn't been that drunk and high school for three years, not 10 11. I remember how much you love that school with me and I would have been voted most athletic as a senior. Everybody told me that and I was looking forward to it. And then we moved in there and nobody her husband of 30 years. If we had not moved to move to Covington County. She moved live with our grandparents at senior year in Andalusia. The rest of us went to Red level, but if she had not been in school where she was at event where she was living, she would never have met Pete. Mitchell's when we say God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. He

22:41 The whole family of nine children and parents to Andalusia just for me to get to meet Pete. And Pete was up. He was hauling pulpwood and hit, we were playing softball in their yard in his parents yard because he had a brother that was just a couple years younger than me and we were playing softball and he drove up in his putt wood truck on our softball field and the whole both teams went crazy. And that's where I'm heading that way. Do you remember Linda, you remember Hirsch's department store to go get off the old? Is it one or two cuz they make videos, but they were special people up on the corner of 38th Street and South

23:41 And the line would be all the way around the building. The kids from North Holland. And from Bibb City would come there. Because if you brought your report card day, or for every age nickel and back then, a nickel was a lot of money. We could go to the movies tonight. We could buy candy for that one. Time telling dr1 movie. I remember, once it passed time was Invasion of the Body Snatchers about the dates for years that the Pastime was directly across the street from Hershey's department stores and on Saturday.

24:41 We could go like for a nickel.

24:47 Was it 12 and under 13 under $39? I think. But, I always look kind of young, much younger. And I was, and I was, like, 15 years old to get in the Pastime theater, but that's what we did on Saturday. And sometimes we would stay watch the movie and watch the series Network, continued from week-to-week. My favorite, one with the Invisible, Man, we would stay. And then, with my brother, buddy, and I, we would stay and watch the movie again.

25:30 Because it was like a treat being able to go to one of the few places. We got to go sometime. I think we got to go to the movies later on. Did you ever go to The Bradley or was that after a few times? We went to to The Bradley and going down the stricklands grocery store on the corner of 32nd and 6th Avenue. Daddy used to work there getting the couch out of the container and have to buy drinks. When did I wouldn't hate it and walked into the Bradley theater in downtown Columbus? A movie and stay real? Same way in and lie down, there would be backed up over cross the bridge and Phenix City. Where you remember?

26:29 Comer Auditorium, yeah, I remember going there with Mama to say, Faron Young, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash, June, Carter, still married to call Smith. And I remember. He was not Dottie West. It was wasn't Dottie West. Jeff, what lives? Very and she had on so much makeup. There was only just in there little thing in my mother didn't do makeup and she look like a clown. She had so much makeup on. That was his mail that make up that she had a what what what what did you say you remembered that you got in with their mama.

27:30 With Martha white flowers at Champs and also want time. I think this was a time. When we saw Johnny Cash, they had the Marlboro Man. If you're old enough, you remember there was a little character dressed up at as a Marlboro man and advertise Marlboro cigarettes. And if you get a Marlboro pack, you could get in the door and then, the parents had them a little see, you. They had to pay but all the children could get in with a Marlboro pack. And and that's the time we saw Johnny Cash and Faron Young. And then also one time, I don't remember how I got it in cuz we never had any money, but I saw Roy Rogers and his horse.

28:25 And Gino, and

28:29 And we're brought fruits and Trigger. Yeah, and Gene, Autry. It was the dog and Gene, Autry. I saw them.

28:41 Second Baptist Church. That was our second home. Yep. It was.

28:48 I think that it had a very strong role in where we are today. Yes. Or definitely in more than in, more than one way because of growing up with Dad. Was it being in the hospital for actually from time for years old, when Channel 4 or 5 years old. I was eleven years old when we moved into red level, and I know that the church that church did a lot for us, not just spiritually, but they gave us food and the clothes that we can wear hand-me-down. Yes, and I really have her son's names are

29:42 I remember Christmas presents their home from Dyer and if it hadn't been for them, we wouldn't had any Christmas because Dad was in the hospital and Mama didn't work. Cuz she had she had nine kids at home. You know, she was pregnant. Having kids was not that educated. Mama drop down and fourth fifth grade fifth grade cuz she was raised in the country. Yeah, but the people there were so good to us Linda and I they paid the latest groups always paid our way to GA Camp girls auxiliary and you had to pass. They had like Steps in the girls on zileri certain Bible passages. You had to learn and

30:42 Certain things you had to achieve and you had to pass a stamp every year to go to the the next step and they told us if we passed those steps every year that they would pay our way to GA camp and that's only way we got to go and it was all the way up to Juniper George except. I went one year to Savannah and that was like out of the country to me, but we never went any further than Alabama, Covington County Andalusia and back that was on vacation going to visit Grandma and granddaddy wait Sunday in with Grandma, and she didn't have TV weight set that put together puzzles.

31:39 And sit down fight cards, and watch the chickens. Yes, gather the eggs, and Grandma, my mother, and my aunt, and her mother. They were Cooks. They could have been chips, but they were creative because they both fed big families on with the resources, they had.

32:03 But I'm, I remember also, the recreation department 29th Street Gym and, and the recreation department at

32:18 Anyway, the one-year, the lady from the recreation department, at 29th from 29th Street, Gym called the lady at recreation department and they were having a Citywide Horseshoe Tournament, except back. Then, they didn't have things for girls. And so this was a boys tournament and she told Miss Hyatt Hyatt, and I think she's kin to the Hyatt guy that work writes for the newspaper. She told her I have this girl and and she's better at horseshoes than any boy. I got and she begged her and she let me doing the tournament and then this girl from Nike poop. I was 12 years old that year that was in 1954 and I still have the blue ribbon that I want today cuz I won first. Place in the girl from 94 in the 16 and under

33:18 S.

33:20 And the very next year, they started having girls tournaments and they had girls tournaments until we moved back to Alabama. Dad, to lose it and I want a couple more. But that first Blue Ribbon was just something that that I still cherish.

33:41 So do you have anything that pops out at you? Not right now about growing up. Well.

33:50 Get up growing up. I don't know if you remember the story or not. But I remember daddy talkin about or looking for information on his it would be she is great granddaddy, right? He had heard the stories about this guy coming in down at the store. You worked at Strickland's grocery looking for Whatley that fell in the whale AP1. He thought it was right there on 32nd Street right here was. It was 30 seconds. Came up with a

34:38 Article of the Columbus Ledger Enquirer from May 7th 1902. And if I got that much, like to read it right quick.

34:50 35 ft underground. Mr. IPP Whatley Met Death, mr. LP Whatley suffered a horrible death yesterday morning about 10:30 when a whale when she was digging caved in on the him burying him alive. Mr. Wylie was digging a well, just west of the

35:18 I can't really read that one word. I'm sorry, but it's just west of 23rd Street and 2nd Avenue for a doctor C. A L Williams, who owned several colleges in that neighborhood and hate going down about 35 ft. It looks between s. And the article, doesn't say between it says something else. And they said it's best that the lot being on the side of Hill was very Sandy and very likely to came in. In fact, there was a slight cave in a short time before the serious accident word. He was one of this and dr. Benjamin. Mr. Benjamin. He asked me who was helping him told him to come out of the whale and go down to a lumber yard for a curbing as it was unable to Diggs.

36:18 Father with that one. What? Lee remark that he was. All right. He been in worse places than this before, but few moments later the noise of falling through Watford and Mr. Highsmith rent to the whale and caught a lot C, but there was no answer. He knew instantly. What was the matter, so I ran and got to be alarmed very soon. After a large crowd, gathered around the place. And the work of risk. You can't about fifteen feet of dirt caved in on him. So it was not until late in the afternoon. When the body was recovered. He was found in a standing position with his head slightly bent over.

37:07 That rope was lured down the well and securely. Fastened around the dead body and it slowly grown up. Mr. Wylie was 56 years of age and leaves a wife and seven children. They are mr. Mg Whatley Miss Mary Whatley. Mrs. Eddie said, Barry of this city. Mr. James Watt live Brantley, who was who was our great-grandfather? Mr. J T, white lie, Flat Rock, Georgia and mrs. Lily Lizzie Cox. He lives 9 miles east of the city. He's also survived by a stepdaughter. Miss is Ali Owens one brother. Mr. Or 1/8 of Tampa, Florida, and one sister. Mrs. Lauren Lauren.

38:07 Georgia. No funeral arrangements have been made yet.

38:15 App absence of I can't read the rest of it but it is on this site. Too many had done that in Marin County and his work went and slept ran out. So it moved to Columbus and went to work at Clapp Mill Factory, which was up above the current density Georgia. And that's where he was buried and also miss Tracy Whatley. He was like I for great-grandfather, we traced back and he thought in the Civil War with a group from Atlanta. I forgot the number, but he thought with in the Civil War and then after

39:10 They stopped fighting. He went back to Marion County Buena Vista which and then eventually move to Columbus, but it has been great growing up in the Chattahoochee. Area of I love this area and I really think it's a good place to live one. Last thought, loved one last thought.

39:38 I was lying when we moved back to Columbus because I love the family. If Mama's Family is in red level and they're very close, but it was our maternal grandmother's family and I love them and I love this thing with them. But Columbus has always had Recreation facilities and things that the less fortunate like us always had something with the dates. And the community has always supported that RC Cola.

40:23 Sponsored so much. How could we were blessed to be a part of Tom's sponsored so much that we were blessed to be a part of and there was just nothing like that in the wrong area of lower Alabama. Butler, Alabama is a second home where I've gotten torn between two people so far. Are you from? I say, I'm from Ellijay Georgia because my heart's done places, my heart's in Columbus, but it's also in lower, Alabama and Phoenix City, now because we've lived in Phenix, City outlet, in Phenix City, for

41:11 30 years. Now. I lived in Phenix City for 30 years before my husband passed away. So and I have a child who lives over there. Now my son Mitchell Wichita Tebow and my daughter darinda and Teresa both live in Columbus, but it is it it's a combined area that it's a great place to live.