Our First Child is Born on April 12 1953

We had been married for six months and I thought I couldn’t get pregnant.  Back then if you didn’t get pregnant soon people thought something was wrong with you. So we were overjoyed when I did get pregnant. On April the 12, 1953, I had a beautiful little girl. We named her Deborah Jean after her daddy. Mama came to stay with me for a week and she said the first thing that I said was “What did Gene say?”. You know back then we never knew what our baby was going to be until it was born. But he was thrilled too.

The night before she was born Doris and J.D. Earley (the couple that we had our double wedding with) came to see us and brought their six month old little girl. She got pregnant on their honeymoon. I was glad to see them, but I was already in labor pains so I couldn’t enjoy their visit as much. I had cleaned house all day and made a chocolate cake. People used to say that would happen when you had worked so hard. Our precious baby girl weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces. I came home from Crow’s clinic the same day and mama stayed with me a week. She was always there for me. I wonder if I ever thanked her enough for all she did for us through the years. By the way we nicknamed Deborah “Tippietoe”. 

 

Pictured at right,  Deborah is a few months old, with Martha and Grandma Mattie Bell Franklin at the old homestead in Clifton SC  

Our Life in the early 1950s

Clifton Mill no. 2 built in 1889

read about the history of the Clifton mills at this link 

After four weeks, we found a mill house to rent. Gene worked in the mill in Clifton for many years after we married.  We didn’t have much but we were so happy to have a place of our own. In the summer of 1952, we bought us a Frigidaire. Boy, were we thrilled! We had been using block ice to keep things cold. 

1947 Frigidaire

Then mama (Ethel Allen)  bought us a beautiful dinette suite. The color was gold and we loved it! I want to add what a good cook Gene’s mom (Mattie Bell) was while we lived with her . She would cook a good meal and then make a cobbler or a fried pie. She really did spoil me. 

Mattie Bell with Martha and Deborah - 1953 

           

 I joined Central Baptist Church where Gene had been going for a long time. He led the singing and after a while they needed a pianist so I began playing.  I was glad to do what I could for the Lord.  Gene was also a deacon, Sunday school teacher, Supt, R.A. Director and for some time cleaned the church, and he got some pay for this. 

            I taught Sunday school and had the G.A.’s. When we were first married I was shy and stayed that way for a long time. But I learned from the Linder’s, Robin’s, Coleman’s, Mosses, Reynolds’ and others through the years.

Our double wedding on December 22, 1951

H. Eugene and Martha L Rice Franklin

We were very excited as we began getting ready for our wedding. Mama took me to Spartanburg, SC, and bought me a beautiful navy blue suit. Doris Howell also wore navy blue and we both wore white hats.  Gene and J.D. Early wore navy blue suits also. We had pictures made and had beautiful gladiolas and walked on white sheets. Gene’s pastor, Rev. Robert Shephard, married us and my sister, Louise Rice, was my maid of honor. Gene’s brother, Howard Franklin, was his best man. We had a scare on Friday night during the rehearsal. The person who was supposed to play the music at our wedding did not show up, so we had to find someone. We asked Miss Patricia Neal and she graciously consented to do it. Bobby Dean Hall sang “I Love you truly” and “The Lord’s Prayer”. They did very well and everything turned out wonderful. I need to add that our dad’s gave us away. We were on cloud nine and were in love.

J.D. and Doris Howell Early