My Favorite Grandparents

The Samuel Winn and Mary Roxie Eason Hallmark Household
by

Fred McCaleb

This is not to run down my McCaleb grandparents , James F. “Jim” McCaleb and Rejina Catherine Hollingsworth, which were also very well liked
My grandfather, S. W. “Bud” Hallmark, was born July 16 1858 to William Hopwood and Susan McCollum Hallmark. Hopwood’s parents George and Sarah Tipton Hallmark and George’s brother James Hallmark were the first known Hallmarks to come into Fayette County, Al. The parents of Hopwood’s wife were William McCollum and Mary Pickle who came into Fayette County near the same time. They lived in N.E. Fayette County near the Biler road as did the Hallmarks.

My grandmother, Mary Roxie Eason born May 15, 1866, had parents Moses and Elizabeth Woodard Eason. Moses was the son of Thomas and and Martha Welch Eason of Ga. Elizabeth was the daughter of Jesse and Mily ? Woodard. Moses and Elizabeth Eason were married before the Civil War in Ga., but were living on a poor hilly farm in N.E. Fayette County when the war came up. Moses got drafted into the Confederate Army and survived many of the battles of the war, and was with Lee’s finest troops when they surrendered at Appamatox. Moses’ father Thomas Eason was an Indian fighter in Ga. and Al. My mother said that Moses was in the first aid group that tried to save the wounded, sick, and dying. They called the first aid ambulance the “meat wagon” in WW2 which I was in. I suppose Moses had horses pulling the meat wagon he drove. He must have seen some horrible events, and was lucky to come out alive. There would have been no me if he had been killed in the war.

The Hallmarks were not hepped up about the Civil War. Our great grandpa Hopwood never joined the South or the North. According to mother he hid out in the woods and caves and cliffs.Hopwood had 4 brothers that were in the Union army. Their names were James W., Thomas Frank, George N. and John M. Only John M. lived past the war. The rest of George’s family were Minerva, Susan, Elizabeth, Ann, Mahaly Jane, Sarah, Mary and Nancy A.. Ann got killed by Confederate home guards in 1863 and dad George got killed by same in 1864.George shot some of them while they were getting him. They were mean on both sides. Hallmarks were hated because of the 4 boys in the Union Army. George was in S.E. Marion Co. Al. during civil war and died there.

Now to Georges’ son William Hopwood Hallmark, my g grandpa. He and wife Susan McCollum had children Mary Jane, William Frank, John M, Willis “Will” Hopwood, Samuel Winn, Sara Martha, James “Jim” Thomas, Andrew “Drew” Jackson and then wife Susan died. Hopwood married again Mary E. Jeffers and had Soloman Jack and Joseph.He moved to North Al. soon after last marriage.

My grandpa Samuel Winn “Bud” Hallmark didn’t like the new step mother. He stayed some while young with his grandma Sarah Tipton Hallmark. When he became larger he hired out as a farm hand with his older sister Mary Jane’s husband Wesley Fowler and others. His last job as a hired out farmboy was with Moses Eason. Moses had no plowboys. His family consisted only of girls. Moses had a nice country log house where he and family made out. One of the girls was Mary Roxie who charmed my grandpa and became his wife. Bud’s brother Drew also married one of the Eason girls named Martha Della. Susan Elizabeth married Preacher James I. McCollum. Emma married Henry Killingsworth and Minnie never married.

Mary Roxie Eason and Bud Hallmark were married 3 Feb. 1887 at Moses Eason home. Moses lived on the Beiler Road, and below his house was some more of his hilly land that he gave his new son in law. “Bud” managed to build a log cabin probably with the help of Moses and other neighbors. The log cabin was was about 50 feet from the Beiler Road. The late model cooking was done on the big fireplace. Tongs hung from a bar above the fire and pots were swung from them to boil things. Cast iron frying pans were placed directly on hot coals of fire to bake cornbread, cook bisquits, etc. I saw this log cabin fireplace when a small boy. Mother said that when cast iron wood burning cook stoves came around that her grandpa Moses Eason said food didn’t taste right. New fangled cooking had gone to the dogs. My mother, Eza Etta Hallmark was born here Apr. 12 1892 and married H. McCaleb, Eva Belle born feb 22, 1888 married Wiley Perry, Ethel Elizabeth born June 13 1890 married Ecter Killingsworth, Arthur born April 28, 1894 married Nannie Lee Harkins, and Emma Susan born Dec. 16, 1901married Dr. Henry F. Blount. She died suddenly soon after marriage, maybe from poisoning. My grandpas’ log house was lived in while all the older children were growing up. Arthur went off to WW1. After the war, grandpa with Arthur and Emmas’ help built a little more modern farm house. This house had 3 big rooms plus one small and a side kitchen. The Hallmark grandparents had gone modern. This is where the Hallmark grandchildren went to visit. Grandma had a nice wood burning stove, always had jelly, honey , hot biscuits and good thngs to eat. There was a drilled well that gave only small amounts of water. The south big room was for guests. Son Arthur made last call for breakfast at 4 A.M. He was the intertainer of grandkids. Grandpa died in 1927 and he took care of grandma until she died in 1938. The rest of the children had granted him title of the place to take care of grandma. After she died he married Nannie Lee Harkins and they made Hallmarks and Harkin kids happy until he died in 1973. Nannie Lee died 1997.