Demetra Browning's Memories
It was May 1890, dust rose from the country road as the carriage rounded the bend at the mail boxes and began the climb up the hill to the Browning place.
The Mother raised the light basket slightly to keep the bright sun from the west from the baby's eyes. The other two children, a boy and a girl sat stiffly on the seat.
At the top of the hill....a sharp turn to the right... and through the big gate.. up the long way to the house....At the gate the old negro driver's low " Whoa" brought them to a stop in the cool shade of the tall cedars. All was quiet. The children stared wide-eyed. The Mother raised her eyes from the sleeping baby, a soft smile on her face and felt a wonderful peace as she lifted her eyes to the kindly farm house, behind cool green box woods.
This was the day Mother came to the happy place she was always to call "home" Children playing on the lawn sighted the carriage and ran excitedly toward the house, calling " Papa"' someone is coming"
Lineage:
James Levin Browning(Methodist minister) --------- Susan Headspeth
Demetra Browning married Beal Wells from Deer Forked Community
Demetra Irene ------------------------Mary Alice----------------Herman Richard
Susan Headspeth Browning was not exactly the type one would expect a minister's wife to be...... She primped too much, and wore powder and makeup. Oh she tried to attract the men. Demetra was known in her Uncle Richard's family as Cousin Metie. Cousin Metie had a sister, Julia. Cousin Metie was more lovable then Julia. The Browning's were fond of her.
Julia and Metie married early. Metie married Beal Wells November 13 1874. Beals family was from the Deer Forked Community in Haywood county, Tenn. They made the home in Gates. Lauderdale. Tenn Three children were born to them.
Mary Alice, Herman Richard, Demetra Irene. By the time the third child was born, Cousin Metie had become very ill with dropsy. Beal Wells seemed no longer to love her or the children and in desperation Cousin Metie turned to her family for help.
James Levin, fondly called " Jeems" by his brother Richard, had died. Uncle James had been a handsome man. His picture now belongs to Murray and Joyce, I believe. He had a beautiful direct brown eyes, a kindly man.. big morals. From a letter to his wife Susan while in the Southern Forces of the Civil War.
After Jeems death Susan married a Pearson. and moved to Mayfield. Ky. When Metie went there Susan would not take her in. Then, it was , that she turned to her Uncle Richard.
As Aunt Lillain remembers it, Metie seemed better for a few weeks after arriving at their home. She enjoyed walking out doors, seeing the spring flowers. However Metie and baby Demetra contracted pneumonia. Metie died there shortly after she called to Uncle Richard and then could say no more. The baby had a high fever and all though she would not live. A Mrs. Sim Abernathy had heard and came to the Browning Home. To Aunt Jenny she gave orders to fill a large pan with hot water. She place the baby down in the water.. and on the baby's head a cold towel. The fever was driven out and she recovered almost immediately.
The question of the three children was then to be settled. I believe there was no question about their keeping the baby. Aunt Lillian says they all wanted to and Aunt Lillain, Aunt Ethel and Aunt Stella had naturally thought that Mary Alice and Herman would stay also.
One day not long after Metie passed away, Beal Wells came riding up much as Uncle Richard had expected. I wonder if his children May and Herman, ran to meet him,, glad to see him. Seems natural that they would. Uncle Richard came out....Hoping, no doubt the interview would be short. " Have married" Beal said and am heading for Missouri to start all over....Be glad if you'd keep Mary and Herman they'll make good workers on your farm here." But Uncle Richard would not do this. Mary and Herman left for Missouri with the father and step mother and made their home there. It was 1931(41 years later) before mother saw Mary again. (There was a family resemblance although Mary was larger The baby was given all the love and care possible, there in Uncle Richard's home,, and the baby was named Demetra Irene Browning, and officially adopted.