Transcription by Robert Echerd
for Desilu Little Price – 1943
Mrs. Clarence (Desilu) Price’s Book
PREFACE
For many years, Mrs. Anna Echerd of Ellendale Township, Alexander County, North Carolina, took quite an interest in collecting records pertaining to the births, marriages and deaths of her many friends and relatives. The idea for this probably had its inception while boarding many of those who came from far and near to partake of the health-giving waters of the All Healing Springs. Procuring a book for this purpose Aunt Annie, as she was more familiarly know, would request these boarders to enter their family record in this book. In visiting relatives and friends, she would have them furnish her with such records. These were usually written upon a sheet of paper and later transferred to “My Book” as she call it. This transferring or transcribing, was usually done by one of her many grandchildren. We remember having spent many Saturday nights with “Grandma” and on such occasions transferring those family records to her book.
Due to much and not too careful handling “My Book” began to fall apart and it finally became necessary to transfer these family records to a new book. This was done by different persons who, either to save time or perhaps not realizing the historical value of such records, copied only the records of there close relatives and friends. Thus many of her older records were lost.
After her older grandchildren had grown up, grandmother came to depend more and more upon her son, John B. Echerd, to make the entries in her book. He not only recorded much new information, but added considerable additional information to those records already entered. In appreciation of this service we find written on the inside cover of “My Book” the following: ” I want John B. Echerd to have this book when I am done with it. This June 23, 1912″
After grandmother’s death, Uncle John took the old book which was by this time in somewhat bad condition and consolidating much of the information which it contained transferred it to a new book. This time, however, the old book was not destroyed, as was the former one. Both the old book and the new one (which is now likewise old) became the property of Charles E. Echerd when his father died, and are a much treasured keep-sake.
Believing that much of this information recorded in the aforementioned books are of such historical value that is should be made available for use by those who are interested in such matters, we undertook to make a transcribed copy of them; however since all information pertaining to the Watts and Echerd families had already been copied and in many instances brought up to date, we have omitted this information, as it appeared in the old books, and have entered the same in a somewhat more consolidated form at the end of such records as we have now copied from the old books.
In conclusion – As time goes on and we too have passed on, it is our sincere hope and trust that there will be others who will carry on in the traditional way and add many other items of historical interests to “My Book.”
Robert S. Echerd
3629 Rogers Street
Charlotte, North Carolina
434 DEATHS OF FRIENDS
Deaths of Friends page 1
Deaths of Friends page 2
Deaths of Friends page 3
Deaths of Friends page 4
Deaths of Friends page 5
Submitted by Robin Wright
