Why is this gravestone special?
This is the grave marker of my great grandmother, who was a midwife in Milton and Caswell County. Her name was Henrietta Phelps Jeffries, and she was famous around here. She was brought to the Yanceyville, NC court in 1913 for practicing medicine without a license (you can google her here and read about the trial!).
Henrietta was a black, and the daughter of a slave, but delivered children of both black and white families. A new (white) doctor came to town and wanted to shut down her business. He took her to court and claimed she was practicing illegally. The judge himself, who was white, stepped down from the bench to defend her. Why? She had delivered him! And she delivered almost everyone else in the courtroom, too, and they all stood up to support her.
This the cemetery for Macedonia AME Church in Milton where Henrietta was a member and the family helped to start the church back in the 1800’s I believe. This is according to family folklore.
Did you ever want to be a midwife?
I was an English teacher for many years, which I enjoyed. Before that, I was a truck driver– which I also loved!
There is an expression that you use that we’ve never heard before.
You mean “snippy snap”? Saying that helps to cover my loss of words due to my “chemo brain.”