Granny Bet

My GG Grandmother was Elizabeth Manerva Perkins. Her father was Stephen Perkins and her mother was Penelope Windham. She and my GG Grandfather Jousha {Josh} Perkins were married about 1885. She had one child before this marriage and Josh had five children by his first wife. Together Granny Bet and Josh had eight kids. Counting all the others, there were 14 kids between both of them.
Granny Bet was born on 3/17/1860 and died 8/6/1948. In those days, that was considered a very long life. after Grand Paw Josh died in 1933, Granny Bet came down sick with a case of the flu or something. It must have made her feel under the weather as they said in those days. Some of her kids finally put their foot down and insisted she go to a doctor.
She was totally against this. She had never seen a doctor in her life. She had given birth to all of her children at home. With no problems. It was just a fact of life, that in those days, most sickness was taken care at home. Mostly from hand me down old home remedies. Some worked well, some did not. Others just made you wish you were dead. HHaa
Returning back to Granny Bet, they loaded her up and off to the doctor they went. I can just imagine this was a very odd experience for her. Having never seen a doctor before, I am sure at first she kept him at arms length, until things got comfortable between the two.
The doctor was amazed that she was in such good health. After have given birth to all those kids at home. The living conditions they had to endure were very harsh also in those days. Along with all the back breaking work which everyone endured. From the youngsters to the oldest. From the time you could walk, you had some type of chore to do daily. No exceptions.
At this point the doctor was asking Granny Bet all about her life, the hardships, the different sickness she had encountered through out her life, just the standard medical questions of that day and time. He was having some what of a time communicating with Granny Bet. For over the years she had grown real hard of hearing. He had started asking her, when she was sick during her life, had she ever been bedridden. She did not quite hear or understand what he had asked her and she asked him to speak louder. He attempted to ask the question in a louder voice. He said, I just wanted to know if you have ever been bedridden???? Granny Bet thought for just a moment or two. She looked up at him and with a serious look on her face, she said, why yes I have, plenty of times. She then smiled a sly smile and looked at the doctor again and told him this. Doc, to tell you the truth, even two or three times in a buggy. HHHaaa
Everyone in the family that knew her swears this is a true story.
In telling these old stories of these folks. There is one thing that is confirmed time and again for me about a wish I have had all my life. That wish being, that I would have been able to just meet and sit and talk with these people of mine for just a week. Just imagine the history and details of the different stories and tales we have heard that has been told over and over. We could have learned the truth to. I would be willing to bet, that the truth wouldn't be far from the way we know the stories today.