"Miss" Ora's Diary
Ora Louise Credle Benson, affectionately known as Miss Ora, was born January 14, 1894 to Thomas Ruffin Benson and Mary Graham Bridgman. She was first married to William Cromwell Boomer on October 31, 1917. Mr. Boomer died in 1947 and Ora married John Madison Berry, Sr., a widower, on March 10, 1948. This diary is owned by Merlin S. Berry, step-son of Miss Ora. His comments about the diary entries will be shown here in brackets.
1929
1931
March 16 it snowed. [a rare event in Hyde]
1932
Colonel Lindberg's baby kidnapped Feb. 29, 1932.
1939
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England visited Canada and the United States year 1939. Came in May and left for England June 15, 1939 on the Empress of Britain. Came over on the Empress of Australia.
1940
Mr. Ronald Payne of Swan Quarter N.C. died Jan. 1940. He was Register of Deeds of Hyde Co., N.C.
Rev. R.A. Bruton of Greenville, N.C. died Aug. 25, 1940.1943
Billie Jones the son of Radford Jones and Mrs. Don Harris killed in action. He was in the Navy. They received word some time in March 1943, He was 18 yrs. old.
Bought Living Room Suite Nov. 1943 from Carson Tunnel.
1944
Sept. 14, 1944 the most destructive storm in years struck Hyde Co. injured crops and blew down buildings.
Summer of 1944 an epidemic of infantile paralysis struck N.C.1945
Bought cook stove Jan. 12, 1945 from Carson Tunnell.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt died of cerebral hemorrhage at Warm Springs, Ga. Apr. 12, 1945. He was serving his fourth term as President of United States. Vice Pres. Harry S. Truman of Missouri took his place as President. [She does not mention the surrender of Germany on May 8. The only entry for that date is: "Mrs. Mamie Berry of Swan Quarter, N.C. died at F. M. Hospital, Washington, N. C. May 8, 1945." That was the Fowle Memorial Hospital; Dr. Lewis ("Plum") Swindell, a native of Swan Quarter, was practicing there. The other hospital in Washington was the Tayloe Hospital. Hyde had no hospital.]
War with Japan ended Tuesday, August 14, 1945, after almost four years of fighting. The war started after the Japs attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.
Had electric lights put in Nov. 1945.1949
Ruth Credle (col) was the first negro ever to be drawn to serve as juror for Hyde Superior Court, May 1949.
Mr. Warren Gray Spencer and Miss Grace Cahoon were married June 12, 1949
Sheriff Claude Davis and Miss Mary Roper were married July 28.
Ruth Credle (col) of Swan Quarter, N.C. died Labor Day, Sept. 5, 1949, around noon. Buried Sunday Sept. 11, 1949.
Copyright 2002