Samuel was A.J. Harris' uncle (his mother, Delphia's brother). He came to live in Missouri in the late 1960s when he could no longer live alone in Mississippi. At the time, most of our close relatives had died or moved away and there was no one to really care for him. His property was disposed of and he moved north with a few precious personal items: a couple pieces of furniture, clothing, pictures, some family documents and two bibles.
Uncle Sam, as he was affectionately called was a real character. He was one of those curious relatives one reads about from the south who really didn't say a whole lot unless prompted. Yet, he appeared quite content sitting in the grocery store that my father owned in Southeast Missouri. Growing up, Harris Grocery and Market was a hub of excitement in our little town of Charleston. Uncle Sam had a store of his own for more than 20 years in Crenshaw, MS (see photo below) so this probably brought back many fond memories.
On the 1930 and 1940 U.S. Federal census, Uncle Sam's occupation was shown as a proprietor of a general grocery store. He may have been the inspiration for grandfather, Jacob Harris' interest in merchandising. He too was a grocer before leaving Mississippi. I'd like to think brother-in-law Jacob received his training under Uncle Sam in this same establishment. Acquiring his business acumen under his tutelage. Before leaving the south Jacob sold clothing and household goods from a wagon. He also ran a small restaurant and sold barbecue and sweet potato slips (cuttings from the plant for new starts) to his neighbors.
Uncle Sam Richardson, grandfather Jacob Harris, and later my father, A.J. Harris had similar clientele--share cropper farmers and small town inhabitants. It was at the local store in his home of Crenshaw that folks gathered around the old wood and coal stove and shared their joys or troubles. I can just imagine this scene in Crenshaw, Mississippi located about an hour’s drive from Memphis, TN. When Uncle Sam lived there in 1930 the population was only 575 people. Its population never exceeded 884 and the town has been shrinking ever since. Tunica, is nearby and probably drew many residents.
Tracing Uncle Sam’s life as a black Mississippian was difficult. Names and birth dates rarely match. Very few records were kept of the Negro population post slavery and there was not much of an incentive to do so during the Jim Crow Era. Tracing black family blood lines are particularly hard as family structures were comprised of many members of dubious origin. You will see this shortly.
I found Uncle Sam at the age of 17 years old on the 1900 Federal Census. A census of U.S. citizens is initiated every ten years. The 1890 census was destroyed by fire. On this particular census he was listed as Samuel Wicker. His mother, Clarysie had remarried.
Numerous children were listed with Henry Wicker, Clarysie's new husband: Alfred 15 yrs.; Ophelia (grandmother Delphia) 10 yrs.; and Orange 5 yrs. These were names I recognized from prior research. However, the four youngest children: George 11yrs.; Docia 9 yrs.; Nancy 7 yrs.; and Nathan 5 yrs. were from Henry’s first union. Clarysie and Henry had only been married one year. Uncle Sam's older siblings: Mary, Louis, Tom, and Louise were adults and most likely in their own homes.
Uncle Sam’s early adult years were spent farming. On his WWI draft card, signed September 12, 1918, he stated he was married and employed by Joe Jones as a farm worker. His wife Esther appears for the first time on this document. Daddy A.J. told me in an interview her maiden name was Whalum so this confirms this oral information.
On the 1920 census, I find them in their own home with a two year old son, Jessie. I never heard Uncle Sam talk about either. Later in Uncle Sam's life, he began using the initial "J" as part of his formal name. Perhaps this was to honor the child that mysteriously disappears from the 1930 census. On that census, Uncle Sam states that he is a widower. Jessie is not listed. He may have died also. The 1940 Federal census finds him still unmarried and a retail merchant in Crenshaw.
Uncle Sam had been a farmer, barber, and retail grocer but was also a man who loved God's Word. Up until the time he died he could get his bible and out preach or teach any bible scholar I've known. It was not a surprise to me that as soon as he relocated to Missouri he joined Perry Chapel A.M.E. a church only a few blocks from his home.
Urban Renewal in the 1970s forced a move of the store and house to a location a few blocks away. In this new house, Uncle Sam had a very spacious bedroom with private bath and shower. Of course by this time he was well into his eighties and as he aged, getting him to give up his long johns for his baths became more and more of a chore. He just never felt warm enough to strip bare, I suppose.
I regret that I didn’t spend more time with Uncle Sam. His mind was sharp, especially about family matters until he died. His skin was dark and smooth as silk, barely a trace of a wrinkle on his plump face or anywhere else on his hefty body. He was smart, could sing, spout bible verses and rattle off poems he learned as a child. He didn't leave much materially to his family but what he did leave has been ever so helpful in my research.
Below is a copy of his obituary appearing in nearby Sikeston, Mo. newspaper. He appears looking sharp and in a jaunty looking hat and crisp white shirt. A transcript follows:
Happy Valentines Day,
Your Family Griot, Carolyn Harris Betts
