Lillian Stancil Creech |
Lillian Stancil 1902
Lillian Stancil was
born June 1, 1895, and died Dec. 13, 1965. Married Joseph Manley
Creech on May 12, 1912 in Johnston County.
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Lillian's children
With Joseph Manley Creech Sr. |
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Creola Beatrice Creech Jan. 20, 1916 at NC-May 21, 2000 at NC |
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Joseph Worth Creech Dec. 1, 1917-March 26, 2000 at Va. |
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Joseph Manley Creech Jr. Dec. 18, 1919-Jan. 10, 2003 at Norfork, Va. |
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Paul Douglas Creech Dec. 21, 1921-July 7, 1997 at Va. |
Lillian Stancil was born June 1, 1895. She was the fifth child born to Henry and Frances.
Henry had a nickname for at least one of his children. He called his daughter Lillian, "A."
Lillian completed grammar school at the Woodard School. She had
about a fourth-grade education. Then Lillian went to work full time on the farm.
On Sundays Lillian attended and joined Center Ridge Presbyterian Church. This
was the church of her parents and siblings.
Joseph Manley Creech happened to be in the Glendale community and saw Lillian.
He fell in love with dark haired, 5 feet, 2 inches tall Lillian. Manley was from the Live
Oak Community, near Selma in Johnston County. He was the son of John Washington
Creech and Martha Dardin. Manley was much better educated than Lillian. He
completed grammar school, went on to high school and then one year beyond that.
Alvin, Henry’s brother, built the "Manley House" for Lillian and Manley. They
rented it for a time after they married on May 12, 1912. Manley was 21 and
Lillian was 18.
Manley moved his family back to the Live Oak community. There he farmed, ran a
sawmill and later a cotton gin. Manley was even a mail carrier in Selma for a
while. Over the years, Lillian and Manly had five children: William Leslie born
Sept. 29, 1913, Creola Beatrice born Jan. 20, 1916, Joseph Worth born
Dec. 1, 1917, Joseph Manly Jr. born Dec. 18, 1919, and Paul Douglas born
Dec. 12, 1921.
In the 1920 census, Manley and Lillian were farming in Selma. They had 4 children: William Leslie was 6, Creola Beatrice was 4 years old, Joseph Worth was 2 years old and Joseph Manley Jr. was 7 months old.
Manley raised cotton, tobacco, watermelons and corn. He kept cattle, hogs and
mules. Lillian had chickens and a large garden. Six hogs were killed each year.
Neighbor and family attended their hog killings. This was a time of work and
fellowship. Lillian cooked the sausage, storing it under lard in cans. Hams were
prepared for smoking. Hog head cheese, a specialty of Lillian’s was made by
boiling the cleaned head of the hog. The children loved her crackling biscuits. Manley enjoyed chitterlings.
Manley and Lillian joined the Live Oak Free Will Baptist Church. Lillian was also a choir member. Their children were raised in the church. Manley made 60-inch
long wooden benches with backs for the children’s Sunday School Classes. Manley loved to entertain. He was an excellent dancer and danced what was called "Scapper Down Tap Dancing." He encouraged his children to join in. Lillian was smart and a hard worker. She enjoyed plowing and often milked the cow. Her son Leslie liked to milk too. She taught all her children to milk.
Lillian worked in the fields with the children. Manley had a road cart he hooked up to a mule to make harvesting the garden easier. Lillian picked blueberries
and served them on her buttermilk biscuits. She also canned blueberries. Creola recalled riding from Selma to Pine Level in the same cart with her dad.
Lillian found time to crochet a bedspread and make quilts for her family. Manly often surprised her with some pretty fabric for her quilts.
Manley was really a "Jack of all trades." He worked hard to make things easier for Lillian. The family’s first car was a black Paige.
Creola Creech spent several weeks each summer with Henry and Frances. Aunt Elizabeth
made her sock baby dolls.
Once, Lillian gave Creola a lesson on how to wring a chicken's neck. Creola
followed her directions, spun the chicken about, and laid the chicken down.
After a few seconds the chicken jumped up and ran away.
An exasperated Lillian said "Now just look at that, I’m going to have a hard
time catching that chicken, why didn't you kill her."
Creola explained, "Why Mama, I wrung her neck, just like you told me, but she
just got up and went."
Lillian replied, "You have to break her neck Creola!"
Manley bought a piano for his Creola in 1927. Miss Mildred Perkins of Selma
taught her piano for four years. Manly sold the piano after Creola married.
Creola had a piano in her own home and enjoyed music her entire life. She could
play anything by ear or note.
Manley developed bronchia pneumonia and influenza. It caused
his death at 3 p.m. on March 20, 1934. Bailey Undertaker Company was called. He
was buried on March 23 in the Ferrell Cemetery. This was only a year after
Henry’s death.
Creola was an excellent cook. She’d rather do house work than be in the fields.
Lillian was happy to let her cook. When Creola was 12 she started cooking
breakfast for the family. She would fixed ham, biscuits, eggs and coffee. When
tobacco was being barned, Creola fix lunch for the 15 plus hands. Quite a feat
for this young girl.
In the 1930 Census, Manley was still farming in Selma. They had one more son,
Paul Douglas age 8 years old. All the children were attending school.
The depression came. Like many others, Manley lost his farm because he could not
pay the taxes. Manley became a tenant farmer. He worked hard to support his
family. As his depression increased so did his drinking. Manley had history of
some heart problems. One night Manley passed out drunk in the yard and was not
found for hours.
Lillian moved in with Leslie, Creola and Earl to Durham. For a time Lillian ran
a successful boarding house.
Lillian visited her family in Glendale, Beulah Township as often as she could.
She often stayed with Agnes and her family. Jack Atkinson, a childhood beau,
also a widower, took Lillian to dinner. Lillian always dressed to the nines for
these occasions.
Niece, Frances once asked, "Do those earrings hurt?" Lillian replied, "Yes, but
I want to look nice!"
Lillian was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1961. She was treated at Duke
University Medical Center. She visited son Paul in Norfolk, Va. Then
Lillian moved into a trailer next to Leslie and Pauline’s home in Durham. She
joined the Calvary Baptist Church.
Finally Lillian decided to move to Virginia and lived with Paul Douglas. Breast
cancer took her life on Dec. 13, 1965. She was buried beside Manley in the
Ferrell Cemetery in Selma, NC.