My grandmother, Blanche Genetta Dwiggins Smith, was born on a farm out in the country in Davie County in 1891. The Dwiggins land was close to and part of the original Granville grant of 640 acres of land to Daniel Boone’s father in 1753. Squire Boone sold this land to Daniel and his wife Rebecca in 1759. The property is now right off Highway 64 and just a few miles from I-40.
She married my grandfather, William Nathan Smith, on December 28, 1914. Unfortunately, I don’t know how they met or courted, but I do know that he grew up in the Farmington community, some eight miles away from her home. What I do know is that Mama and Papa, as we called them, built a house in Mocksville in 1920 right beside of her parents. Both houses were built from wood cut from the land belonging to her grandparents. It was significant in that they were the first of my maternal ancestors to leave the farm and move into town, thus pursuing careers other than farming. My grandfather eventually bought the Esso gas station and oil company, and they raised their seven children. My mother was the oldest girl in the family and the second oldest of their children, born in 1917.
Mama lived to be 97 years old, thus disputing the old saying that the “good die young.” She was the best and kindest person that I ever knew. She lived her faith, having come from a long line of devout Methodists! She was also a great cook and a lover of flowers. She always had a beautiful garden full of lilac bushes, peonies, ash trees, fruit trees, and roses in addition to daffodils and tulips. Even when she was very old she would walk among her flowers. I think of her anytime I see a beautiful garden. She was a talented cook too. Her sugar cookies were the best I have ever tasted, along with her chocolate pie! For her chocolate cake she made white icing in a pot on top of the stove. There has never been anything better!!
She was also the first person who instilled in me a love of family history as she had in her possession several deeds and other things that were precious to her. She was the keeper of the flame, so to speak. Once when she was almost 90, she and I sat down and she reeled off from memory her parents, grandparents, and several generations of her family. At that time I was not interested in genealogy, but I kept that piece of paper, and now spend a lot of time on genealogy. I think that Mama would be very proud of my work! I feel sure that she passed the torch to me.