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Submitted
by Vashti Brewer Dargan
Thomas Franklin Brewer was born September 30, 1880,
to Robert and Emiline Watts Brewer in Chesterfield County (Homesboro), near the town which is now Pageland. Thomas was the
ninth child of Robert and Emiline’s eleven children, and the fifth son.
When Thomas was ten, his father
died, leaving his mother and older brothers to rear Houston, Jaby and
himself. It seems
that Vinnie, William (Bill), and Joseph were either already married or
married soon thereafter. Isaiah, the third son and twin to Effie, seemed
to have taken his place as active head of the family. They made their
living by farming.
The
family were early members of the Oro United Methodist Church and later,
organized Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church which was closer to the
family home. Since traveling was either by foot or horse or buggy, school
and church were always nearby and closely associated. It seems that most
of their education was obtained from each other.
Thomas
and Houston always enjoyed telling of the times that they were told to do
certain chores by Isaiah while he was to be away for a day or two.
Thomas and Houston were attracted to some girls who lived near Oro. One
night, they walked four or so miles to Oro to go to a party where the
girls were in attendance. Just as they had asked the girls if they could
walk them home and had joined in a game (which was something about a sweet
kiss from a young lady), Isaiah walked in the door. They immediately
became too tired or sick to walk the girls home. Instead, they sheepishly
started walking in front of Isaiah, feeling like men reduced to little
boys. Degraded and sensing a whipping about to take place, they began to
plot against Isaiah. Houston, knowing that Thomas would get the first
whipping, told him: "Anything you look like doing, I am going to
do!" Thomas was fat and could not run very fast. While he was getting
his whipping from Isaiah, Houston ran home and went to bed. When poor
Thomas finally got home, he asked Houston: "Why didn't you help
me?" Houston reminded him: "I told you, anything you looked like
doing, I would do. To me, you looked like you wanted to run, so I
ran!" This is one of the many stories the brothers told on
themselves.
Thomas
and Houston did eventually run away from home to Florida. They fell upon
some hard times, but finally, were able to get jobs and worked enough to
get back home. Even at that time, to teach school in Chesterfield County,
South Carolina, one had to pass a teacher's test. Thomas, along with many
of his brothers and sisters before him, took the test, passed and began
teaching.
On
August 5, 1907, Thomas married Nannie Ophelia Robinson. Nannie, the
daughter of Doctor Coleman (August 8, 1850-July 19, 1931)and Charity
Elizabeth McNeil Robinson (April 13, 1856-October 27, 1915), was born
July 30, 1885 in the Pee Dee Community of Lilesville, North Carolina in
Anson County. While growing up, she attended the private school of
Barraths College in Pee Dee. Very little is known about Thomas' formal
schooling. It seems that the preachers and their wives, who came and went
often, were also the teachers in the Hornesboro Community.
Thomas
and Nannie lived in a small community called Guess where both taught
school in the winter and farmed in the summer. Thomas and Nannie worked
hard to improve the community and encouraged everyone to get an education.
They were often thought of as the community's free Funeral Directors. For
example, before there was embalming and morticians, when a person died in
the community, Thomas would go to home of the dead person, give him a
bath, dress him and put him in a cheap casket purchased by the family. If
the dead person was a lady, Nannie would give her a bath, comb her hair,
dress her and put her in the casket. The next day, since the body was not
embalmed, Thomas would take it on his two-horse wagon (the hearse) to the
church or burial place. Nannie would follow with the next-of-kin on the
buggy (the limousine). Many times the body was brought to the home of the
dead person to lie-in-state before the burial. On occasion, the body was
noted to "purge" and the casket could not be opened. Thomas was
always helpful to the family by taking them to town and getting the store
to open if a casket or other goods needed to be purchased after the
store's closing time. Thomas did later open a store for the convenience of
the people of the community.
Nannie
Ophelia and Thomas Franklin were the parents of five children--Thomas
Coleman, Vashti Elizabeth, Esther Naomi, Margaret and Alice Jamina. They
also one adopted son--Louis Lee. At the time when there were no public
high schools for Blacks in Chesterfield County, they managed to struggle
and send all of the girls to private schools (outside of Chesterfield).
All graduated from college and continued in their parents' tradition of
teaching. Coleman and Vashti continued the tradition of service to the
Guess Community.
Most
of the children married and settled within less than 100 miles of each
other. Margaret
(Maggie) married Brooks Henry Walker. They both taught in Presbyterian
schools, Coulter Academy and Brainerd Institute in Cordele, Georgia. Two
children were born to this union, Brooks Henry, Jr. and Margaret Joan.
Coleman married Laura Johnson of Irmo, South Carolina. He farmed and
worked in textiles while she taught in the Chesterfield County school
system. They had two children- Nannie and Thomas Coleman, Jr. Vashti
married William Dargan and this this union was born one son, William
Thomas. Vashti taught in the Chesterfield County school system while
William worked in textiles. Esther married Berlin Huntley. They had no
children. She taught in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and he worked in a
laundry. Alice married Benson George. She taught school in Moncks Corner,
South Carolina while he was a funeral director. They had no children.
Louis Lee served in the armed services and later lived in New York City
and Florida where he worked as a domestic for a private family.
When
Thomas was about fifty-nine, he suffered a stroke which kept him in poor
health for nearly five years until his death on March 12, 1945. Nannie
died on January 2, 1952. Both are buried near birthplace at Wesley Chapel
Church in the family cemetery.
Children:
Margaret, Thomas,
Vashti, Esther Naomi, Alice Jamina, Lee.
Grandchildren:
William
Thomas, Brooks, Jr., Nannie, Thomas Jr., Samuel, Mary and Margaret Joan.
Great
Grandchildren: Ivan, Thomas III, Ingrid, Kelly.
Great
Great Grandchildren: Brandon, Chad, Jasmine, J, James, and Paul.
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