Jerry Johnson (JJ) and Carrie Conley (CC)

CC: When he left, I just said, ’Lord, what am I gonna do with all these kids by myself?’ And I just had the small amount of money for food ’cause everything had to come out of the small check that I was getting.

JJ: How did you get by?

CC: Well, neck bones was 10 cents a pound and I would go to the store and I’d get 10 pounds. I’d buy lima beans, black-eyed peas, something bought for every day in the week. So one of my son and I said he didn’t eat black eyed peas because he ate so many.

JJ: Well I certainly don’t remember ever being hungry. And, you know, we always loved Christmas.

CC: Yes.

JJ: And I cannot remember one Christmas that I didn’t feel like I was the luckiest kid in the world even though now I realize we had hardly anything in terms of money. How’d you hold that together?

CC: Well, you know, we got one sick day a month and if I was sick I would still go to work. I was saving those days for Christmas. And at Christmas time then they would pay me for those days. And, you know, at around the 1st of December all the rich peoples they would clear out their children’s toy chests and they would take all these nice toys to The Salvation Army and I would go there and I would get me a huge box and I would go around and pick out nice toys and I would get that for a couple of dollars and then I would use the other for fruit and for food. And so it seemed like we had a big Christmas. But I never did tell you it was Santa Claus ’cause I said that I can not give no man credit for when I work.

JJ: (Laughs) I know I speak for the rest of the kids who aren’t here in telling you how much we love you and how much we appreciate the sacrifice that you went through and the guidance and leadership that you were teaching us and I think it’s helping us all be better parents.

CC: You know, my whole heart was my kids. And the Lord blessed all of them and I’m so grateful.