Mamie Reels Ellison

How long have you lived on this land? I've been on this land all my life. I am 64. I'll be 65 in August. I've been here all my life. And how long has your family lived on this land? 100, 200 years. We've been here all our life. That's all we know.

How long have you lived on this land? I've been on this land all my life. I am 64. I'll be 65 in August. I've been here all my life. And how long has your family lived on this land? 100, 200 years. We've been here all our life. That's all we know.

Well, for me, being that little girl, always wanted to go to Disney World. So the water... was just this magical thing to me. Because I just always had that imagination about mermaids. But growing up here on this road, you were free. I was a little girl, but I could kick off my blouse and run like the boys, you know? And you could run free. You had the fields to play ball in.

Well, for me, being that little girl, always wanted to go to Disney World. So the water... was just this magical thing to me. Because I just always had that imagination about mermaids. But growing up here on this road, you were free. I was a little girl, but I could kick off my blouse and run like the boys, you know? And you could run free. You had the fields to play ball in.

You could ride your bikes. And you could basically ride in the road because it was a dirt road. And I remember as a little girl, there was an ice cream truck that came down. So this was a quiet area. It was so quiet you could hear the crickets and the frogs at night. But the ice cream truck was coming. You could hear the ice cream truck coming, playing the music, and you run out.

You could ride your bikes. And you could basically ride in the road because it was a dirt road. And I remember as a little girl, there was an ice cream truck that came down. So this was a quiet area. It was so quiet you could hear the crickets and the frogs at night. But the ice cream truck was coming. You could hear the ice cream truck coming, playing the music, and you run out.

and get your ice cream if you had the money. And growing up in the summertime, you wanted that beach ball and that float, and you could go to the water, you could go swimming. And then my mother would go to work and say, don't go to that water.

and get your ice cream if you had the money. And growing up in the summertime, you wanted that beach ball and that float, and you could go to the water, you could go swimming. And then my mother would go to work and say, don't go to that water.

I had enough time to go to that water, go fishing, go swimming, and go to that water hose and shower off, get the sand off me before she got home from work. And the only thing that stopped me from doing that was I went fishing one day with her swimming pole, and she told me not to. And I caught an eel. I had never seen an eel, but I thought it was a snake. I let go fishing, pole and all.

I had enough time to go to that water, go fishing, go swimming, and go to that water hose and shower off, get the sand off me before she got home from work. And the only thing that stopped me from doing that was I went fishing one day with her swimming pole, and she told me not to. And I caught an eel. I had never seen an eel, but I thought it was a snake. I let go fishing, pole and all.

So I paid the consequences when she got home from work. But that was the beauty of growing up here on Silver Dollar Road. You could just run free.

So I paid the consequences when she got home from work. But that was the beauty of growing up here on Silver Dollar Road. You could just run free.

When you come on Silver Dollar Road, you might see 20 homes on Silver Dollar Road. But if you go down a dirt road or a lane, there are probably five or six or more homes back there. Coming up here as a little girl, it was like the place to be because you didn't see a lot of law enforcement. You didn't see a lot of strangers.

When you come on Silver Dollar Road, you might see 20 homes on Silver Dollar Road. But if you go down a dirt road or a lane, there are probably five or six or more homes back there. Coming up here as a little girl, it was like the place to be because you didn't see a lot of law enforcement. You didn't see a lot of strangers.

And the amazing thing is you really knew who was who by the sound of their vehicle. You knew who vehicle it was. We lived off the land. My grandfather had hogs and my uncles did soybean, but we lived off the land so we had enough to keep us busy. I remember my mom doing the pickle, the pickles in the jar, the beets in the jar, and

And the amazing thing is you really knew who was who by the sound of their vehicle. You knew who vehicle it was. We lived off the land. My grandfather had hogs and my uncles did soybean, but we lived off the land so we had enough to keep us busy. I remember my mom doing the pickle, the pickles in the jar, the beets in the jar, and

stained the green beans and preserved them for the winter and shucking the corn and them cutting the corn off the cob and preparing it for the winter. And so it sounded like hard living, but it was good living.

stained the green beans and preserved them for the winter and shucking the corn and them cutting the corn off the cob and preparing it for the winter. And so it sounded like hard living, but it was good living.

There was a lot of good memory because if my mother were at work, it was that village looking out for you. You know, if she was at work, my uncle and different ones would come and say, okay, I'm making sure you kids is all right over here. Mamie, where's LaCurtis? LaCurtis, where's Mamie? So we all looked out for one another.

There was a lot of good memory because if my mother were at work, it was that village looking out for you. You know, if she was at work, my uncle and different ones would come and say, okay, I'm making sure you kids is all right over here. Mamie, where's LaCurtis? LaCurtis, where's Mamie? So we all looked out for one another.