Margaret Elizabeth (Bessie) Bethune Cagle "Life Account"

“Once upon a time, Man meets Lady at a church meeting (out from the little town of Bethune SC) His name was Daniel Malcolm Bethune and he lived in the Bethune Plantation which town was named for Daniel’s father whose name was Daniel Murdock Bethune. The lady’s name was Emma Jane Thomas who lived in Darlington County which was joining counties with Kershaw City where the Bethune’s lived.

Emma Jane lived about ten miles from the Bethune Plantation at a “crossroad section” in Darlington County. The Thomas Home was at “Thomas Cross Roads.” Four roads divided there, one went to Hartsville SC about ten miles South East and one to North West to Bethune SC the same distance the other way, the other road went one way to Bishopville SC, South and the other way North to McBee SC which later became the Post Office for that community. The old “Stage Coach Road” passed in front of the Thomas Home and came from Camden SC to Society Hill, SC. This was the home of the Lady. Emma Jane Thomas was the youngest of four children. One whole brother, Thornwell Thomas and one half brother Erwin, we called him Uncle Doctor McLure and one half sister Mary Elizabeth Amanda Thomas and that was our Aunt May.

Emma Jane Thomas and Daniel Malcolm Bethune were married on Sept 7, 1897 in the Thomas Home in the living room standing in the bay window on Monday morning. Emma Jane’s mothers name was Jane Elizabeth Reeves from Darlington County. Her father was John Hamilton Thomas. They had a large plantation in Darlington County.

Emma Jane’s mother was married to McLure first time. They had the one son Erwin, uncle Doctor McLure. He grew up and practiced medicine in that area. Emma Jane’s father married Shields first time. They had one daughter Mary Elizabeth Amanda our Aunt May.

Daniel Malcolm Bethune was the oldest child of Catherine Margaret McCaskill and Daniel Murdock Bethune. His four sisters were Sally, Mary, Margaret Elizabeth and Catherine (Kate) the youngest one and one brother Allen. All of theses families were dear to me. There were our aunts and uncles and their children, our first cousins.

Daniel and Emma had a daughter born August 23, 1898 her name was Jane Kate (named for both grandmothers)

Then another daughter Margaret Elizabeth born August 12, 1900 named for both great grandmothers.

Another daughter, the third child, named Emma Malcolm for her mother and father nicknamed “Mac” who was born October 7, 1901 the only blue eyed daughter. We the three oldest daughters were born in different places, Janie Kate arrived at the Thomas Home at Thomas Cross Roads. Margaret Elizabeth arrived at Clyde Section of Darlington County a small community, one store where Papa was bookkeeper for Mr. A. M. Mc Nair. The Mc Nair’s lived across the road from where Margaret Elizabeth was born, her oldest sister, Janie Kate played with the little McNair girl. Her name was Bessie; this is how I, Margaret Elizabeth, got my nickname Bessie which I never liked. The other daughter, Emma Malcolm arrived in Bethune SC.

Then Sally Louise was born at Thomas Cross Roads in the Thomas’ new home (our mother’s home when she was 12 or 13 years old.) I can remember her arrival. We three children were taken by Papa to stay at Aunt May’s home, then when we came back home our little sister named Sally Louise was there. We laughed and were so happy to have another baby sister, Her birthday March 7. 1905, she was named for Papa’s sister our Aunt Sally McCaskill.

Then on July 7, 1908 another daughter arrived named Mary Lucille named for Papa’s sister our Aunt Mary Yarbough. I was so glad I could “look after’ her as I was soon to be eight years old. She was lots of fun to play with when Mama would let me.

Then on September 1, 1911 another brown eyed daughter was born. I was old enough to “look after” Thornwell Faye, named for Mama’s brother. These three last to be born all were born in the Thomas Home where our mother lived from 13 years old until she was married September 7, 1 897.

This was a lovely two story home with big oak trees surrounding the home and a big magnolia tree on the left side of the house. We girls had swings in the oak trees and climbed the magnolia. I got to the bottom limb and I kept watch over the younger girls that I was afraid they would fall and get hurt. On the right side of the yard was a very deep well and a building called “the well house.” We were not allowed to play around the well. We had a happy home life. We all went to school to a graded school which was not far from our home. This was called Clyde School as we little girls were old enough we went to school there except Thornwell Faye, she was the baby and didn’t want to grow up, so she never went to the school there.

On rainy mornings Papa never let us walk to school, he got the scurry or buggy out and “hitched” the horse to it and would come back for us in the afternoon if it was still raining. When summer came Mama was real busy sewing our summer clothes and we got new hair ribbons and sashes to wear on our new Sunday dresses.

We always went to Bethune to visit our cousins and aunts and uncles in summer. We had ten or twelve first cousins we’d visit. Something new for us to go up town in Bethune as our home was in the country. Sometimes our “city” cousins came to visit us. They enjoyed our fruit orchards. We had all kinds of fruits and a big garden that Papa worked every summer so we had such good vegetables and Aunt May had a big cherry orchard which she let us climb up the trees to eat cherries.

Our oldest sister Janie Kate lived with Aunt May at Thomas Cross Roads which wasn’t very far from the home where the five of us lived with Mama and Papa. Aunt May loved Janie Kate “like her very own”. She had more clothes etc than we had but I’m glad I lived in the home with Mama and Papa. Aunt May was so good to all of the other five children when Mama would let us go down to Aunt May’s house. She had games for us to play. She had a gentle horse named Nellie that we could ride. Some of us would fall off but never really got hurt and a dog named Chester. Papa had a big black horse his name was “Kid” which I was afraid of but Mac loved for Papa to let her drive Kid to the buggy to go to church it was the Union Church not to far from where we lived. Aunt May always had ole “Sam Turley” get Nellie hitched to the buggy for her to go to Town Branch Church. She took Janie Kate and sometimes one of the five of us to go too.”