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January 1.  News Years Day.  I go one mile South of Lilburn Ga. after Hiram Pittards family to bring them to Mr. Lum Brewer's home.  Mr. Brewer is not expected to live from paralysis.  I eat dinner at Mrs. Georgia Flinn's.  Very cool.  I sat up with Mr. Brewer last night, and was awake at the birth of the New Year.

                   May God spare us to live an unbroken family through the year 1902.  God spare us all to live happily to-gether another year, Mother, Father, Lillie, Jodie, Everett and myself.  Guide, keep and direct us every moment, protect and prepare us to meet God our Savior when death shall come.  May Jesus ever be with us.

Jan. 2, I take up rutabaga turnips.  Mr. J.T.O. Beard died last night.

Jan. 3, I help dig grave of Mr. Beard in A.M. at Mechanicsville.  I stay at home with Mother and Everett in P.M. while the rest go to burying.

Jan. 4, I go to Norcross in A.M.  Mr. Lum Brewer dies at 6:10 P.M.  I help wash and dress the body and sit up with the corpse all night.

Jan. 5, Sunday.  At home.

Jan. 6, Father goes to the burial of Mr. Brewer.  I go to Norcross in P.M.  Our mule is sick.  Bro. Tom calls in P.M.

Jan. 7, We commence hauling cotton to gin.

Jan. 8, We haul cotton to gin 3300 lbs. = total of 8859 lbs. lint = 3028 lbs.

Jan. 9, We sell cotton.  3 bales 368 x .0740, 368 x .07625 and 380 x .0768 = 85.00.  Beards toll = 5.35, rent 19.91.

Jan. 10, We thrashed peas.

Jan. 11, I go to Norcross in A.M.  Cold and windy.

Jan. 12, Sunday.  Cold.

Jan. 13, Wash and hang up meat in A.M.  Bro. Tom calls and we make final settlement for last year we pay him 40.45 to-day.  We haul wood in P.M.

Jan. 14, We work on pasture.  Mr. J.F. Mathews comes in P.M. and stays all night.

Jan. 15, 16, 17, We work on pasture.  I haul load of wood to school house in P.M. of the 17th.

Jan. 18, I work on pasture in A.M.  Father goes to Bethlehem.  William Greer is with us at dinner.  Rain at night.  We get letter from Oliver.

Jan. 19, Lee's Birthday.  Sunday.  Father goes to Bethlehem.  Mrs. Piety Warbington and Mrs. Jane Turner with us at dinner.  Jodie stays all day at Bro. Johns, I go after her in P.M.

Jan. 20, I shoe mend in A.M., work on pasture in P.M.  Cloudy.

Jan. 21, Mr. Mathews staid with us last night going home to-day.  Rainy.  Mr. Mayfield Nash, wife and two children stay all night to-night.

Jan. 22, Cold, we finish pasture.  Nashes leave.

Jan. 23, Work on shelter.

Jan. 24, Rainy.  Father goes to Norcross, he gets his pension check - 60.00.

Jan. 25, We finish shelter.  I deliver turnips to Beard and potatoes to Terrell.

Jan. 26, Sunday.  Lillie, Jodie, Everett and myself visit Bro. Tom and family.

Jan. 27, Cut stove wood.  Rainy.

Jan. 28, A rainy day.

Jan. 29, A rainy day.  I bottom chair.  Mother is 76 yrs old.

Jan. 30, A rainy day.  Cut wood in P.M.

Jan. 31, A rainy day, it has been cloudy for a week.  We have not done any farm work at all towards this years crop.

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February 1, A rainy day.  I go to Bro. Johns and to Starnes store in P.M.  It has rained every day for the past nine days.

Feb. 2, Sunday.  Cold and blustery.  Father stays all day at Bro. Tom's.  Mr. Alf. Gresham and wife call in P.M.

Feb. 3, Cold.  We cut wood in A.M., haul wood in P.M.

Feb. 4, Cold, we cut stove wood.

Feb. 5, Cold.  I go to Norcross in A.M.  I sell John Malony 3 1/2 bus. potatoes for 2.20 in P.M.

Feb. 6, Cold.  Lillie and I go to Norcross.  I sell 4 1/2 bus. potatoes 3.35.

Feb. 7, I go to Norcross in A.M.  I sell 4 1/2 bus. potatoes 3.35.  Father goes to Atlanta on a four days visit.  I do first plowing of the year in P.M.  Cold, blustery.

Feb. 8, Cold.  I plow part of day.

Feb. 9, Very cold.  Sunday.

Feb. 10, Very cold.  I plow in P.M.  Father returns from Atlanta.

Feb. 11, Cold.  Cut sprouts and plow.

Feb. 12, Cold.  Plow in A.M., ask quilters in P.M. for Tomorrow.

Feb. 13, Lillie has a quilting.  I go to Norcross in A.M. and sell 2 bus. potatoes = 1.58, 1/2 bu. goobers = .50 and 1/2 bu. shallots sets = .50.  I plow in P.M.

Feb. 14, St. Valentine's Day.  We sow English peas, lettuce and put out onion sets.  It snows in P.M. the sixth snow this winter.

Feb. 15, Three inches of snow covers the ground.

Feb. 16, Sunday.  At home cold and ground covered with snow.  Father stays all day at Mayfield Nash's.

Feb. 17, Snow melts very slow.  I mend shoes in A.M.  Cut wood in P.M.

Feb. 18, Mother is sick, Father goes to the Dr. for her.  We knock cotton stalks in A.M. cut wood in P.M.  Put meat down.

Feb. 19, Mother is better.  We knock cotton stalks and cut wood.  Hugh Ray calls in A.M.

Feb. 20, A very cold rain.  I go to Norcross in P.M.

Feb. 21, A thief came to our hen house last night, but I think he became frightened from noises that we made in talking to Jodie who was sick, and left without getting any chickens.  I tracked him this morning for a mile.  I think I saw the thief this morning.  Henry Beard had all of his chickens stolen last night.  I cut wood in P.M.

Feb. 22, Washington's Birth Day.  I cut and haul wood.  Bro. Tom and Walter calls in A.M.

Feb. 23, Sunday.  Everett is a little sick with cold.

Feb. 24, I go to meeting of Mechanicsville school trustees.  I am elected a member for two years.  We plant first Irish potatoes - Early Bliss - rain in P.M.

Feb. 25, Cold and windy.  We cut stalks.

April 1, All fools day.  I sow oats, bed sweet potatoes in P.M.

Apr. 2, We finish sowing oats.  I plant some Irish potatoes.  We plant first corn.  Mr. J.F. Mathews comes in A.M.

Apr. 3, Plant corn, house piece, some rain at night.  Mr. Mathews leaves for home.

Apr. 4, We put in first guano.

Apr. 5, Put in guano orchid piece, - Cotton Boll -, in A.M.  I prepare watermelon patch in P.M.

Apr. 6, Sunday.  Rainy.

Apr. 7, Work on creek bank in A.M., rain in P.M.

Apr. 8, Run up terraces in A.M.  H. Dean and C. Green call.  I run out cotton stalks in P.M.

Apr. 9, I put in guano.

Apr. 10, 11, 12, I put in guano.  Bro. Tom calls in P.M. on the 11th.

Apr. 13, Sunday.  Bro. John calls in A.M.  Hugh Ray stays all day.  Jodie and I go to Bethel, sermon by Rev. W.W. Owens, text = John 16:8.  Father and Jodie go to E. Warbington's in P.M.

                   Ice formed on 9th and 10th.  We have sold 12 1/4 bushels seed sweet potatoes = 8.75.  Father heifer, Beauty, brought a calf the 12th inst.  The whippoorwill is heard in the land.

Apr. 14, We plant syrup cane.

Apr. 15, Put in guano.

Apr. 16, Plant corn long hill.

Apr. 17, Rain in A.M.  I go to Norcross in P.M., have mule shod in front and four plows sharpened.  I get one sack of Farmer's Bone guano of Lively.

We let T.B. Ray have (7) seven bushels cotton seed.

Apr. 18, Father goes hog hunting but finds none.  I haul out manure for sweet potatoes in A.M.  I put in guano in P.M.  E. Warbington calls.

Apr. 19, I plant corn long hill.  Father and Jodie go to Bethlehem meeting.  Showery.

Apr. 20, Sunday.  I go to Bethlehem.  Rev. P.N. Phillips preaches.  Bro. Tom and Annie calls in A.M.  Father and Jodie go to Aunt Piety Warbington's in P.M.

Apr. 21, We plant first cotton seed for this year.

Apr. 22, Plant cotton seed.  Bro. Tom calls in P.M.

Apr. 23, Plant cotton seed.

Apr. 24, Put in guano.

Apr. 25, We finish planting cotton seed in A.M., plant corn in P.M.

Apr. 26, Plant corn.  Father and Mother goes to Bro. Tom's to stay all night.  Della and Vada Mathews comes in P.M.

Apr. 27, Sunday, I go to Bro. John's and also to see Etcheson in A.M.  Della and Vada with us to-day.  Father and Mother return home in P.M.

Apr. 28, Plant corn.  Della and Vada leave in A.M.

Apr. 29, Prepare land for corn some rain in P.M.

Apr. 30, Plant corn in poplar flat.  I put heifer in Nuckoll's pasture yesterday P.M.

 M. W. Ray Diaries 1902
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Old Harmony Cemetery - List and Diagrams from the Diaries