The word "splendid", might just be the appropriate word to describe how a 1920's young couple, Clayborn Smith and Era Mae Chandler, began their life long relationship together!
Clayborn and Era met one another at Faith Tabernacle Church, quite likely by a parent taking them to church. During this time period, Clayborn was earning a few cents working for the carnival. We don't know the duration of their courtship, but we do know that Era Chandler agreed to marry Clayborn, which took place underneath one of the tents at the carnival.
What might Era been thinking as she & Clayborn were about to tie the knot beneath a carnival tent.
I doubt any young lady aspires to have their ceremony beneath a carnival tent?
One of the granddaughter's, Kim Page, shares a memory, which her mother, Linda Smith Page, shared with Kim:
"I spoke with mom, Grandma and Granddaddy actually met at church.
They did marry under a tent at the fair/carnival. Granddaddy didn’t have the money for marriage license, so George Smith lent him the $11 for the license. George Smith went on later to own the George Smith Funeral Home’s here in Jackson TN. George was actually at Gramddaddy’s funeral and he told me the story of loaning the money to Grandaddy. George thought a lot of Grandma and Granddaddy!"
Why Clayborn worked at the carnival is not known, at least to me, but with a little calculating, the year would've been about 1920, considering he was born in 1905. Back in those days, very few families could afford to send their son off to college, so a young man had to resort to working wherever he could make a buck. In those days, the wage was a few pennies a day, so the carnival was easy fast money, and didn't require an education.
When Clayborn worked in the carnival, it's uncertain if he started doing so at the time the carnival came to their home town of Jackson, TN, or if he started out in another town. I also don't know where Clayborn grew up, nor his parents names.
For Jackson, Tennessee, and surrounding Madison County Tennessee, a carnival provided cheap entertainment for all ages. For the the next few days, families could take a break from their busy lives and spend a few dollars tossing rings on coke bottles, pitching darts at balloons, shooting BB rifles at moving ducks, all to hopeful to win a large teddy bear for a sweetheart!
A fella could take his girlfriend up on the ferris wheel and hopefully hold hands for the first time, maybe even steal that first kiss! 😍 When the operator would stop the ride, hopefully when you were at the very highest point, you could seet the world! Who didn't like smashing the bump cars together? After a few days, the carnival would pack up their stuff, and move to the next town.
During this particular stop off in Jackson, TN, unbeknownst to Clayborn, and as God would have it, Clayborn would experience a change of direction in his his life! One evening, a cute young lady, named Era Mae Chandler, a twin herself, who lived at a quaint small house on East Chester St., went to the carnival where Clayborn was working. It could have happened that Era went to the carnival with a friend to see Clayborn.
Their courtship led to them marrying beneath the carnival tent with some carnival coworkers paying for their wedding rings.
Era Chandler Smith was my momma Patsy Jean Smith's mother, Grandma Smith, as we referred to her as.
It would be most enlightening if someone could find a journal where Era had recorded her love story!
Clayborn & Era Smith would go on to raise 4 sons, 2 daughters, on Kidding St.
They lived in a small 2 bedroom wood framed house, at 11 Liddon Street, the third house on the left. It had no indoor plumbing or AC.
They we're members of Faith Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, just a few blocks west of their home, so who knows, maybe the Smith's walked to church on a pretty Sunday! 💓
I wonder which one of them committed their lives to Jesus Christ first?
Back in those days, on Saturday, a man went up town for a Saturday haircut. Clayborn's routine was to dress up a little, slip on a hat, then climb in his light blue Chevrolet, and drive a few miles on E. Chester St. to town and get his weekly hair cut, while chewing the fat with the other men stuck in the same routine! 😀
Grandaddy never had a gas powered lawn mower, but instead, he used an old fashioned manual "push reel" lawnmower. You could hear those razor sharp blades swishing and see them spinning, as you pushed it along.
We grandkids had to take baths in a #2 wash tub that water was warmed up on their gas fired space heater that set on the right side of their living room. My daddy, Leon as they would call him, sat me on that heater which made burn marks down my right calf, although I don't recall the incident, but mom reminded him of it.
Grandaddy Smith had a nasal spray or he kept on top of the shelf. We'd watch him sniffle, then grab the sprayer, which had a nozzle to fit his nose, and watch as he pressed the rubber bulb,getting a good whiff of whatever chemical was in the sprayer.
Their little 2 bedroom house had 2 rooms as you walk in from their wooden porch. The first room was the guest bedroom, and past the living room, into the dining room, sat the gas heater, and their bedroom to the right of that. It always seemed dimly lit to me. Once you stood inside their bedroom, I recall the wooden door leading to the attic. We dare not explore the attic, for we were warned that "bloody bones" lived up in the attic, so I never had the nerve to climb up the steep stairs to the attic.
Leon, my dad, was industrious, so he updated their house by installing them a bathtub, commode, and vanity sink. This was wonderful, for no longer did we have to go out back and use the outhouse!
Also, we didn't have to pump water from their water well to the right of the outhouse.
They never did get AC, but instead, every summer, would temporarily install a huge window fan in the dining room left side window. The summers got hot so we grandkids played outside. On Saturday evening, playing out in the front yard, at 6 pm, we'd be scared to death by the emergency siren that was tested every Saturday. I recall covering my ears, but it was still loud and frightening to me.
One Halloween, I recall some older kids at the end of Lidden St, had dressed up scary and were scaring us grandkids.
Another memory is that my older brother, Randy, seemed to have been befriended by the Townsend couple, like he was their own son or grandson. Their home was a nice dark red brick house on a large lot, maybe even having their own pond.
David Smith (grandson, son of Joe Smith, son of Clayborn and Era), shares this memory:
"Great I remember so many little things I remember grandpa covering the bath room in wall paper it was his first time it was the most beautiful little bowes of flowers one day about 6 Mrs after he showed everyone his great wallpaper Joe I happen to be there on a set morni g watching cartoons went to the bathroom as I set there I turned my head and realized that there were not bows on flowers on the wallpaper but instead it was turtles in the grass the whole room was done upside down I called grandma and showed her see called clayborn and he looked over turned his head sideway and said still looks like bowes of flowers to me they both were so funny together many great memories lol".
Clayborn "Grandaddy" Smith would outlive his sweetheart Era, and remarry to Bernice.
Clayborn & Era Smith would go on to raise 4 sons, 2 daughters, on Kidding St.
They lived in a small 2 bedroom wood framed house, at 11 Liddon Street, the third house on the left. It had no indoor plumbing or AC.
I wonder which one of them committed their lives to Jesus Christ first?
Back in those days, on Saturday, a man went up town for a Saturday haircut. Clayborn's routine was to dress up a little, slip on a hat, then climb in his light blue Chevrolet, and drive a few miles on E. Chester St. to town and get his weekly hair cut, while chewing the fat with the other men stuck in the same routine! 😀
Grandaddy never had a gas powered lawn mower, but instead, he used an old fashioned manual "push reel" lawnmower. You could hear those razor sharp blades swishing and see them spinning, as you pushed it along.
We grandkids had to take baths in a #2 wash tub that water was warmed up on their gas fired space heater that set on the right side of their living room. My daddy, Leon as they would call him, sat me on that heater which made burn marks down my right calf, although I don't recall the incident, but mom reminded him of it.
Grandaddy Smith had a nasal spray or he kept on top of the shelf. We'd watch him sniffle, then grab the sprayer, which had a nozzle to fit his nose, and watch as he pressed the rubber bulb,getting a good whiff of whatever chemical was in the sprayer.
Their little 2 bedroom house had 2 rooms as you walk in from their wooden porch. The first room was the guest bedroom, and past the living room, into the dining room, sat the gas heater, and their bedroom to the right of that. It always seemed dimly lit to me. Once you stood inside their bedroom, I recall the wooden door leading to the attic. We dare not explore the attic, for we were warned that "bloody bones" lived up in the attic, so I never had the nerve to climb up the steep stairs to the attic.
Leon, my dad, was industrious, so he updated their house by installing them a bathtub, commode, and vanity sink. This was wonderful, for no longer did we have to go out back and use the outhouse!
Also, we didn't have to pump water from their water well to the right of the outhouse.
They never did get AC, but instead, every summer, would temporarily install a huge window fan in the dining room left side window. The summers got hot so we grandkids played outside. On Saturday evening, playing out in the front yard, at 6 pm, we'd be scared to death by the emergency siren that was tested every Saturday. I recall covering my ears, but it was still loud and frightening to me.
One Halloween, I recall some older kids at the end of Lidden St, had dressed up scary and were scaring us grandkids.
Another memory is that my older brother, Randy, seemed to have been befriended by the Townsend couple, like he was their own son or grandson. Their home was a nice dark red brick house on a large lot, maybe even having their own pond.
David Smith (grandson, son of Joe Smith, son of Clayborn and Era), shares this memory:
"Great I remember so many little things I remember grandpa covering the bath room in wall paper it was his first time it was the most beautiful little bowes of flowers one day about 6 Mrs after he showed everyone his great wallpaper Joe I happen to be there on a set morni g watching cartoons went to the bathroom as I set there I turned my head and realized that there were not bows on flowers on the wallpaper but instead it was turtles in the grass the whole room was done upside down I called grandma and showed her see called clayborn and he looked over turned his head sideway and said still looks like bowes of flowers to me they both were so funny together many great memories lol".
Clayborn "Grandaddy" Smith would outlive his sweetheart Era, and remarry to Bernice.
I'm sure he would never forget they wedded at a carnival, and how God would build a family who served God, how their love for one another, and Jesus Christ, would have a lasting impact, as their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren continue to serve Jesus Christ, even to this very day.
"Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Matthew 19:6
"Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Matthew 19:6
https://youtu.be/SMN5-1QYkN4
