Memories of My Grandfather Josiah S. Stancil

Willard Fernie "Bill" Edwards recalls Josiah:

Josiah died of a heart attack. He was between 6'2" and 6'3" and weighted between 220 lbs and 250 lbs. He lost his hair as he aged. He had a farm close to Brogden that he sold. Josiah traded his Pa his farm in Glendale for virgin land at Rains Crossroads. He had the timber cut and had it sawed to specifications for building his home and barns. Horse and oxen hauled the timber. Some of the timber was sold to Dobbin Bailey's store in Kenly.

He enjoyed the time spent in his hammock that hung between two umbrella trees in the yard. The hammock was made of solid fabric. He was proud of his stock. He raised red and black hogs.

He had an orchard and grew banana apples, early May apples and peaches. Bill recalls a hornet's nest next in the peach tree when he was a boy. Reason to give it a wide berth when walking to the orchard.

Josiah farm near Raines Crossroads had over 200 acres. He had a main house, two tenant houses and two pack houses used for tobacco. He had a place under the pack house to place tobacco to get it in order (allow enough moisture to get into the tobacco so it would not crumble as it was worked). Most farmers did not have such a place.

Eliza Jane Creech, Josiah's mother-in-law was not well when she moved in with them. She spent most of the day in bed.

Eliza drew a pension from her husband's Civil War service beginning in 1906 from the State of North Carolina. Her husband Thomas began drawing a pension in 1901.

Bill Edwards remembered cutting teeth on Josiah's watch when just a tot. This gold pocket watch was a gift to Josiah from his Pa, John Thomas Stancil. Josiah gave it to his son "Hub" Herbert. He gave it to his daughter Barbara who gave it to her son Mike. It then went to Herbert's nephew and Barbara's first cousin Bill Edwards, Leafy's son.

Minnie's Ma, had been living alone since her husband, Thomas Haywood Sasser, had gotten killed on the railroad tracks.

In 1920 Eliza Jane Creech Sasser came to live with Minnie and Josiah. She was no longer able to live alone. Eliza was a faithful member of the Mormon Church.

Willard Fernie "Bill" Edwards