Wayne County, NC - Everettsville

                    SUSAN MARINDA POTTS

         Written by Sarah Virginia (Jennie) Jones King

My mother, Susan Marinda Potts, was the daughter of Newman Potts 
and Susan Lewis, prominent farmers, or planters, of Wayne County, 
North Carolina. She was born near the little town of Dudley. In 
fact, her father's land lay about halfway between Dudley and 
Everettsville, so I am not sure which town she claimed as her 
birthplace. She was only nine years old when the "war between the 
states" began, but she could recall vividly many painfull 
experiences she suffered when the "Yankee" soldiers were in the 
vicinity, which was far too ofen judging by the devastation they 
left in their wake. Susan became quite proficient in hiding 
family valuables, food supplies, and even the livestock, when 
word was received that the soldiers were headed in their 
direction. She saw the fine homes of many of her friends, and 
playmates, burned to the ground, and must have lived in constant 
fear that her own home might share the same fate. What a reign of 
terror that must have been for the children of the south. The 
little village, of Everettsville, was almost completely wiped 
out; it lay in the path of both armies. The old Everett home was 
the only house left standing, and that was used for a hospital.

This village was actually a settlement of the more prominent 
Planters, the so-called aristocracy. It was here that a Miss 
Daniels ran a private school, where mother and her older brother 
and sister were fortunate enough to gain entrance. This was an 
advantage, socially, as well as academically, for it gave the 
Potts children the association of the best families in the 
county. Though, grandfather Potts was not as wealthy as many of 
his neighbors, he was considered to be one of the substantial 
citizens of his community, owning over a thousand acres of land 
and several slaves. Of course, Susan's school life in 
Everettsville was cut short by the destruction of that quiet 
little settlement of fine people, and beautiful homes. The 
friendships started there continued on, and she loved to talk 
about her many happy and joyous occasions there.

All that was left of this little settlement was crumbling 
foundations and ghost-like chimneys, standing like silent 
sentinels, guarding the ruins once beautiful home or stately 
mansion. The owner's were never able to rebuild them in their 
former pride and beauty. Such scenes were so common place in the 
south; they hardly excited any great degree of curiosity in me as 
a child. I gathered up small bits of rare old china in the fields 
to play with, never realizing that there was anything unusual 
finding these in the cotton fields, and corn patches. Even now, I 
wonder how they were scattered so far and wide.

The home of Newman Potts was not destroyed. Though it was only a 
few miles from Everettsville, it was well off the main road. Just 
before the war, there was talk of moving the County seat from 
Goldsboro to Everettsville. A few businessmen from Goldsboro 
thought there was a chance to make a profitable investment by 
buying up several acres of land lying near Everettsville. 
Grandfather's home, and a few acres where the house stood, was in 
this transaction. I have heard the story that grandfather had 
been losing livestock on the railroad track that ran by his 
house, so when he was offered a more than generous price for his 
property, he could not resist the offer to make a profitable deal 
for himself. Whether this is true or not, it answers the question 
of why grandfather sold his old home and moved back from the main 
highway.

However, after the war, though he had lost his slaves, he still 
had his land. He had been brought up the hard way, and he was a 
man of great perseverance, he did not intend to let his land go 
back to the forests, as many did, who were too proud to work. He 
hired men to replace his slaves, and sent his boys that were old 
enough, into the fields, thus started a new life.

The boys went into the fields, and the girls went into the 
kitchen, where they were taught the homely art of housekeeping, 
and homemaking. Grandmother Susan Lewis Potts had been brought up 
in a home where these tasks were stressed, and glorified by 
perfection. Apparently, her daughters were apt pupils, and soon 
they were turning out the kind of cooking that has made the south 
famous, and they were all noted for their good housekeeping. 
They, also, learned to spin and weave cloth, to knit and sew, 
mold candles, render lard, make soap, milk cows and churn butter. 
Susan's buttonholes must have been the envy of many less gifted 
women in her circle off friends.

Susan developed into a very pretty young lady, and was a popular 
addition to the younger set, and a general favorite with the 
older. From the stories she like to tell about her childhood, I 
gathered that she had a lot of fun with her brothers, William and 
Newman, who acted as her escorts whenever her activities took her 
to church picnics, and social gatherings. No doubt, other young 
ladies had brothers who escorted them, and were eagerly waiting 
to take her brothers off her hands. Susan was thirteen when the 
war ended, and she had only a few years to wait until she came to 
the time known as the "keeping company" age. Having a sister, 
Mary, four years older than herself, probably brought her to this 
point a little earlier than some. All of this came out little by 
little, as mother was never one to talk, too much, about the 
"good old days," when there were slaves to do more of the menial 
tasks. Nor did she boast about her conquests as belle of the 
ball. But, she was not always the quiet little puss in the 
corner. She had a sense of humor, and was not above playing 
harmless pranks and teasing now and then, as we children learned, 
sometimes, to our discomfort.

She counted some of the most eligible young men of the county 
among her suitors. One of whom asked for her hand in marriage, 
but she had already given her heart to a young Confederate 
soldier on his return from war. She was beginning to see a 
considerable lot of him as time went by.

This romance ended in the marriage of Matthew Mile Jones and 
Susan Marinda Potts, January 13, 1870. To this union, twelve 
children were born. A woman who brought twelve children into this 
world, and reared them, could not have had an easy life. Mother 
had many heartaches, and disappointments in her life, including 
the loss of three sons, in an unusually tragic manner.

Matthew Junior, was burned, critically, when his clothing caught 
fire, while backing up to a blazing fire, in the huge fireplace 
at the old Potts home, where mother lived after the death of her 
parents, and before a house had been built on the hundred acres 
she inherited from her father's estate. Incidentally, I happened 
to have been born at this place, a few years afer little 
Matthew's death. His death, I believe, was the first death among 
the younger generation in either mother or father's family, and 
was a severe blow to all. Later she was to lose her youngest son, 
Jesse, who developed a glioma in his eye. Though his eye was 
removed, and everything was done to save him, the tumor reached 
his brain, and he died afer two or three weeks of agonizing 
suffering. Through all of this, mother bore her grief quietly, 
striving to spare the rest of us, as much as she could.

It was after she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day 
Saints, and when most of her family had come to Utah, that she 
suffered her third great sorrow. While she was in Idaho, visiting 
her eldest daughter, Sophronia, Barney, who was twenty-five, and 
the son to whom she looked to for her welfare and comfort, took 
pneumonia and passed away, before she could reach his bedside. He 
died calling for her. No one knew how deep this blow was, for 
seeing her family in their sorrow and remorse, she bore up in her 
quiet bravery, and no word of reproach came from her lips.

Mother was my ideal, almost an idol. As a child, I placed her in 
the place next to Jesus. I still think they had much in common. 
She was humble, yet dignified, gentle, yet brave, unassuming, but 
always doing something for someone, selfeffacing, yet when 
needed, she was ready to go wherever she might be of service to 
the sick or needy.

I never heard her complain about extra work, or claim any credit 
for her good deeds. No tramp or ragged beggar was ever turned 
from her door empty-handed. They were usually invited in to get 
warm or cool, as the case might be, while they partook of her 
modest vituals. I recall only once when these knights of road 
took advantage of her kindness of heart. One day, she had baked 
several delicious lemon pies, and set them on the back porch to 
cool, when a forlorn looking individual came to the door asking 
for a handout. She, kindly, invited him to sit on the porch while 
she went into the house to make him a sandwich. When she came 
back with his food in a neat paper bag, the man was gone and so 
was one of her pies. We laughed at her, and told her we could not 
blame the poor man, for he had, probably, seldom got the chance 
for such a treat. She smiled that one-sided smile ofhers, but I 
could see she didn't think it was very funny. Oh, such deplorable 
characters I have seen seated at her table, eating like famished 
animals, while she looked on kindly, never thinking to rebuke 
them for their aimless existence.

The children of Matthew Jones and Susan Potts were: William 
Potts, born April 7, 1871, married to Mamie Searle. Redic Hannon, 
born November 13, 1873, married to Frances Lewis. Sophronia Ann, 
born March 11, 1875, married to M.S. Green, divorced, and later 
Joseph Y. Bywater. John Livingston, born August 12, 1877, married 
Mary White. Barney Bryant, born September 11, 1879, unmarried. 
Matthew Mile and Susan Marinda, twins, born February 9, 1882. 
Matthew died in the fire, at about age three. Susan was married 
to Frank Bywater. Harriet Mariah, born March 31, 1884. married 
Ervin H. Fairbanks. Sarah Virginia and Julia Elizabeth, twins, 
born February 17, 1887. Sarah married George R. King, and Julia 
married his younger brother, James F. King. Julius Lambert, born 
July 3, 1890, married Amelia Davis. Jesse Sadler, born June 1, 
1893, died in his early childhood from cancer of the eye.

Mother died in Salt Lake City, Utah, after suffering several 
years from cancer, on May 19, 1920. She is buried in the 
beautiful Wasatch Lawn Cemetery, in Salt Lake. Before her death, 
she buried her second daughter, Susan, her namesake, who died in 
childbirth. This was another tragic blow to her

Father followed his family to Utah, arriving here in the spring 
of 1907. Redic and Fannie came with him; needless to say, it was 
a happy reunion. I believe he and Redic were well pleased with 
the West, but poor Fannie just couldn't see how people could live 
in such a place, with nothing but sagebrush and rocks. She 
couldn't see the valleys for the mountains.

The mountains looked so near that father thought he would take a 
walk and go see them. One day, he took his walking stick and 
started, but if I remember, correctly, he got just beyond the 
eastern boundary line of the city, and couldn't see that he was 
any nearer to the mountains, so he turned back, promising himself 
that he would get an earlier start another day.

He was very fond of his grandchildren, and it seemed to me, he 
delighted in spoiling them. He would walk the floor with them, 
singing the old melodies of Dixie, Nelly Gray being one of his 
favorites. He found employment with the railroad as a watchman, 
and later with the Utah Copper Company, in the same capacity. He 
was happy with his work, saving enough money to be able to send 
mother and Fronia back to North Carolina, for a visit. After 
their return, he seemed to get homesick himself, and decided to 
go back for a whole year. He wanted to see the year come and go 
in his beloved Dixie, and he did this.

He visited among his relatives, and friends, paying his way by 
doing small carpenter jobs, repairing furniture or toys, anything 
that was needed. His year was up, and he beginning to write about 
seeing us soon, when we received a message telling us of his 
sudden death. He was doing a repair job on a porch for a friend 
when he became ill. They told him to lie down, and that they 
would call him when dinner was ready. When they went to get him 
they found him dead. He was laid to rest beside his two sons, 
Matthew and Jesse, in the old Potts family burial ground, in the 
soil of the old State he had fought for, and loved so well. I 
know that is where he wanted to be.

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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Jennie Jones
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