Notes for Dewey Phillip EADDY

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Notes for Dewey Phillip EADDY

DEWEY P. EADDY AND EFFIE E. ROGERS
by
VANIK S. EADDY, Ph. D.

Americans are fond of believing that they have somehow created themselves
and achieved greatness because of their efforts and personal goodness.
Nothing could be further from the truth! We were created by God
Almighty. We are the products of the genetic make-up we inherit from our
ancestors through our parents, the environment in which we are allowed to
grow, and the experiences encountered to develop those unique talents and
abilities. We owe more to God and those persons who have cared for us
and encouraged us than to our own efforts.

Man did not create himself; but, was fashioned by God before the
foundation of the Earth. God himself created each of us and implanted
into us his divine nature. This nature requires continuous maintenance
by the Creator to help us to develop our inherent capabilities, to reach
our maximum potential, and to maintain that level of achievement. This
can happen only when we live in association with him and allow him to
lead us to his ultimate plan for our lives.

Children need both parents to properly lead them in their development.
God has given the family for this purpose. A child who is born to Godly
parents is truly blessed more than words can describe. Such parents
provide not only food and shelter; but, lead their children to know God
Almighty. To Christians, he is Jesus Christ. My parents led me to Jesus
Christ at an early age and continued to provide leadership by example as
long as they lived. There is no greater gift. The spiritual gifts
provided by my parents will live forever.

Our parents did not provide a wealthy home for my brother, Leland J.
Eaddy, and me to experience. They did not possess lofty educational
credentials nor business titles. They did provide more than adequate
food, clothing, and shelter along with abundant love and encouragement
beyond words. The taught us how to live by faith, trust in the provision
of the Almighty, and be guided by the truth of his Word. Because of
these valuable gifts, I was reared as a Child of the King. Our parents
possessed undying courage and could not be defeated by their
circumstances; because, they would never surrender as long as they had
the means to resist.

Dewey P. Eaddy was born September 18, 1899 in Prospect, Florence County,
South Carolina and died April 1987 at home in Indiantown, South
Carolina. He moved with his family from Prospect in Florence County to
Indiantown in Williamsburg County, South Carolina about 1914. They
acquired a tract of land on the Boggy Branch and established themselves
as farmers just as five generations of Eaddys before had done. The
record will reveal that among them were a large number of farmers,
teachers, and preachers. Only after the end of World War II did many of
the descendants of the Eaddy family seek employment away from the farm.
Many of them resisted working for anyone other than themselves and even
when necessary they typically disdained "public" work.

Farming was a way of life which provided independence, a wholesome living
environment, and an extended family which provided a support system for
growing children. This network supplied strength to overcome personal
weaknesses of either parent and absorbed children who had lost one or
both parents. As children, we could walk no more than one fourth of a
mile and eat at least four meals for lunch or dinner. Each of our
grandparents, uncles, aunts, and relatives would invite us in without
reservations and insist that we eat heartily unless one resisted by
revealing that the meal had already been taken. No matter how good the
food was at the last place visited, a growing boy could always manage
another serving of something good or at least a dessert. The growing boy
could also experience discipline metered out with the same measure of
enthusiasm if it were needed away from home. Family was more than one’s
parents.

Poverty is not a blessing; but, a curse! The family of Robert James
Eaddy, I. tasted the bitter fruit of poverty following his death in 1863
while serving in the Army of the Confederate States of America. He died
of disease and was buried in an unmarked grave in Vernon Community in
Madison County, Mississippi following the Siege of Vicksburg. The
wealthy and influential family of his father, Edward Drake Eaddy, was
quickly reduced from ownership of plantations, slaves, and antebellum
homes to become “dirt farmers. The period of Reconstruction was intended
to punish the South, and especially South Carolina for its leading role
in Succession from the Union and the ensuing Civil War. The Great
Depression” did not make this family poor; but, it probably prevented the
progressive recovery of their losses as a result of those chaotic years
leading up to this economic disaster.

When Robert James "Jimmy" Eaddy, II. died, his farm was divided among six
heirs. The three living male heirs received about 40 acres each and they
each purchased approximately 40 more acres from the three living female
heirs. Eighty acres of land was known as a two horse farm” and was an
economical unit for subsistence farming where a majority of the food
needed was grown and consumed on the farm. Tobacco, vegetable (truck)
crops, and cotton was sold for cash to purchase farming supplies and
limited items needed by the family. Following World War II. and the
rising cost of living, 80 acres became inadequate to support a family and
the farming way of life for my branch of the Eaddy family slowly ended.
Dewey Eaddy was unprepared for any other
occupation as he possessed only a ninth grade education and a drafting
course in a technical school. He had worked only briefly as a Rough
Carpenter; but, had no desire to become a laborer. He lived to the
senior age of 88 with the last 28 years in failing health; but, all of it
on the land he loved.

Production credit became a severe form of bondage as money was borrowed
each year to produce the crop for next year. Dewey Eaddy possessed an
unblemished credit record. This resulted not from prompt payment in
full; but, from his reputation for keeping his word and making it good
whenever successful crop years were had. He was honest down to his shoe
soles. His word was his bond and frequently served as the only legal
document to bind a loan or business agreement.

Dewey Eaddy was a farmer who understood the principles of sowing and
reaping. The seeds he planted always came up year after year. One of
the principles he understood so well was that the seeds of character one
plants in life will eventually come to harvest. He was eternally
stubborn, possessed a quick temper, frequently rushed to judgment before
knowing all the facts, and as a young man was given to excessive
consumption of alcohol, smoking, and swearing. One day he overheard me
lambasting my toys with the same blasphemous words he had just been
applying to some livestock which
escaped from a broken fence. He immediately gave all these vices up to
become a better example. As a teenager, I asked him why he had ceased
these habits we observed being done by other men and he answered, "Son, I
gave those up for you." Thank you Daddy, I will always love and
appreciate you for the many sacrifices you made for me.

He was the most unselfish man I have ever known and would gladly give or
loan anything to someone in need, regardless of his circumstances. He
rarely had money to give; but, gave himself freely. He actually enjoyed
hard work and would not be satisfied until each chore was performed
correctly. His work ethic and endless perseverance made the impossible
come to pass. Daddy, we’ll finish those jobs we left undone and continue
those incomplete conversations when we meet in heaven.

My father was a living Christian who insisted that Jesus was “the way,
the truth, and the life. He served as a deacon at Indiantown
Presbyterian Church for many years and on cold Sundays, would arrive
early in the morning to start the heating system to have the church warm
when everyone arrived. He loved to talk and would be one of the last
standing in circles with his friends discussing current events and
matters of interest long after the church service ended. These
conversational opportunities were some of the most enjoyable social
events of the period.

Dewey P. Eaddy was an amateur genealogist who repeated stories about many
of the persons in the Eaddy family as well as their kin. He knew from
memory his family history and could associate marriages, children, and
historical events surrounding each person. He never tired of repeating
these anecdotes and was eventually shut out by a younger generation which
did not understand the reasons for his endless presentations. Oh how I
would like to be able to request his assistance in reconstructing the
history of the family which he so dearly loved. His seeds are now coming
to harvest.

Effie E. Rogers was born October 18, 1912 at Cedar Swamp in Williamsburg
County, South Carolina and died October 1984 in Florence, South
Carolina. She was the best thing ever to happen to my father. When
Dewey Eaddy called on Leland Laranza Rogers to request permission to
marry his daughter, Mr. Rogers said, "Well maybe so; but, I have a lot of
hoeing to be done in my crops." Dewey quickly retorted, "I also have a
lot of grass to be hoed from my crops." And, now you know the rest of
the story.

Her character was effectively molded by the strong role model examples
provided by her father, Leland Laranza Rogers and her mother, Rebecca
Jannetha Brown. They inspired her with character, undaunted courage,
efficient management decisions, and effective planning. My grandfather
died young as a result of an automobile accident leaving my grandmother
who was in poor health to support the family. Effie became the farm
manager and never looked back until Lucius Laranza Rogers, Sr. became of
age.

She was persistent, untiring, and could be a harsh taskmaster for a
sharecropper or a lazy boy. Her endurance in laborious tasks was
legendary. It still hurts to think about those countless hours of
transplanting, suckering, harvesting, grading, and tying tobacco. She
was only 5' 4"; but, bullet proof and treetop tall as well as an
excellent cook. Translation... she was a hard working lady who was
always there to lead the charge with unlimited love and generous
compassion! Generations of children at Indiantown Presbyterian Church
have passed through the nursery and known the love of Ms. Effie. We’ll
see you in Heaven Momma... and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Of material gifts received from my parents the greatest was the
opportunity to attend Clemson Agricultural College (Clemson University)
1955-1959. They sacrificed more than I will ever know to make this dream
a reality. Both of them regarded education highly and put their opinions
and words into actions. They had always taught us that anything was
possible for those with vision, who would plan ahead, and be willing to
pay the price. They paid the price with their lives. I owe them a debt
which can only be paid through my children and grandchildren in their
honor.

See Effie E. Rogers for more notes for Dewey P. Eaddy.

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