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).