Storyteller (#52Ancestors Week 25)

#52Ancestors, Week 25 "Storyteller"

I have really fallen off the wagon, but I'm trying to get going again.

These two stories were told by my great-grandmother, Minnie Loftis Williams (1883-1977), and included in a book on Loftis descendants. I can remember hearing her tell the second story, and it gave me the creeps. I would dearly love to know the identity and back-story of the poor woman who was considered a witch!

When "Aunt Pop" was a small child she was playing in her yard one day. An old woman, regarded by all as a "witch" passed by and as the "witch" crossed over the creek on a foot log, she almost fell off and Aunt Pop started laughing. As the "witch" went her way, shortly thereafter Aunt Pop started having convulsions. No one could
stop them and she almost died. That same afternoon, as the old "witch" returned, she saw the crowd gathered around the house and asked what the trouble was. On being told, she said "well she won't have them any more" and Aunt Pop did not. After that time whenever Aunt Pop saw the old woman coming, she would run and hide and she never laughed at her ever again. (Aunt Pop referred to here was Polly Martelia Loftis [born 1846], sister to Labin Jasper Loftis.)

This same "witch" went to Grandmother Chaffin's house to buy some goose eggs for setting, but Grandmother told her she had only enough for her own use. The "witch" said, "You had just as well let me have them for they will never hatch for you." and do you know, the eggs never did hatch!! (Grandmother Chaffin referred to here was Elizabeth Young Chaffin, mother of Louisa Chaffin Loftis).

Family Gathering (#52Ancestors Week 26)

 #52Ancestors Week 26 - Family Gathering

My 5th-great grandmother, Margareth "Peggy" Crose Fite (1761-1864), lived to be 103. For her 100th birthday, her son Jacob had a family birthday party for her.

(from The biographical and Genealogical Records of the Fite Families in the United States by Elizabeth Mitchell Stephenson Fite, page 46):

"At the celebration of her one hundredth birthday the tables were run the length of the dining room, out across the porch and down on the lawn under the trees. "Granny Fite" was seated at the head of the table in the dining-room, and her descendants were placed according to descent, the small children being seated at the far end of the table under the trees."

Nashville Banner (Apr 1, 1861); image via Find-a-Grave

A BIRTH DAY CELEBRATION. -- On the 12th inst. the birth day of Mrs. PEGGY FITE was celebrated at the residence of her son, JACOB FITE, in Wilson county. A large number of her descendants, including the fifth generation, were present, on this interesting occasion. Mrs. Fite that day entered upon her second century, having the previous day completed her hundredth year. She was in excellent health for one of her age, and greatly enjoyed this reunion of a portion of her descendants. She is the mother of twelve children, one of whom died in infancy; the remainder are still living. Her oldest son is 80 years of age; her youngest child, (a daughter) 56 years of age. Her living descendants number 464, as follows:

11 children

76 grand children,

305 great grand children,

71 gr. gr. grand children,

1 (perhaps 2) gr. gr. gr. grand children

When she died in 1864, news of her death was carried in newspapers in at least 15 states, plus multiple locations in England, Scotland, and Wales.