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One hundred and counting
On Oct. 4, Pat Miller of the Vernon County Extension Office presented members of the Jerry and Carol Jean Janes family and other Franks family members a certificate recognizing that their farm has been in the same family for a little more than 100 years. The presentation took place by an historic windmill with the original, but slightly upgraded, barn in the background.
The story starts with General Land Office Warrant No. 69,487 being issued for 120 acres in December 1859 by President Buchanan to Joseph Corteaux, a private in the Mississippi Militia in the War of 1812 as a reward for his wartime service. The family has a certified true copy of this warrant as well as several deeds of trust through the years.
On March 14, 1910, David Shute, who was Carol's great-grandfather, purchased the property. There was a farmhouse on the property, but in 1941 David Shute's son, Walter, and his wife, Ethel, had a new house built for them by Clifford Hines, a Moundville carpenter. That same house is still in use, remodeled and moved up the road. Walter and Ethel had two sons, Lucian and Verner. Lucian never married. Verner and his wife, Mildred, lived on the property a while with Walter and Ethel before moving west one mile to adjoining acreage. There they raised their four children, Hazel Nell, Carol Jean, Larry, and Judy.
After Carol Jean's husband Jerry retired, the couple returned to the farm and together with Hazel Nell and Orton Wilson formed the Franks Farms. Later the Janes became the sole owners of the 80 acres where the original home stood. The Wilsons kept the other 80 acres of the farm. The Janes built their own house on the site of Carol's grandparents homeplace, and their daughter, Brenda Cadle and her husband, Joe, live in the remodeled and moved old house. With their daughter Tessa, there are now three generations living on the property. But nearby, Verner and Mildred Franks' grandson's family lives in their former home and within two miles there are 15 relatives of the Franks family.
This family has been influential in this neighborhood for years. Verner served on the Deerfield School Board, the Moundville Telephone Board, and he and Mildred both served on the Welborn Cemetery Board. That responsibility is being carried on by the next generations, as well as working as election judges and participating in Habitat for Humanity, Rotary, and many other civic organizations. Both of Verner and Mildred's daughters are members of the Ellis Domestic Science Club which both of their grandmothers belonged to for years.
Most of the family gatherings take place back on the homeplace where the Janes host holiday and birthday celebrations and sometimes they continue the practice started by Mildred of having the whole family gather to can green beans or corn. They even make it sound like fun.
The sixth generation of the family to live on the farm since David Shute bought it in 1910, Tessa Cadle, is now a student at Cottey College. She will be joined at the celebration on Oct. 4 by the following relatives and friends: Orton and Hazel Wilson, Frank, Kendrick and Kinley Wilson, Wayne Wilson, Chris and Adina Ricketts, Jerry and Carol Janes, Joe, and Brenda Cadle, Karla Pitts, Larry and Johnna Franks, Matt Welborn, Lester and Carolyn Thornton.