Richard Vernon Fortenberry was born on Oct 11 1904 in Marion County, Mississippi.
He Land Purchases on Sep 29 1933 in Rayville, Richland Parish, La.. (102) Vernon purchaced land from The Mengel Company NW quarter of the NW quarter of Section 21, Township 18 N, R 8 East, containing 40 acres, more or less, and being a part of the same property acquired by this vendor by purchase from C. C. Mengel and Bro. Co. and from Richland Parish Lumber Company, on the 12 Day of Jan., A. D., 1922, as per deed recorded in the Notarial Book "39 " at page 214 of the Natorial records of Richland Parish, La. The sale price is $900. $90, paid in cash, the remainder to be paid over an 8 year period. (Deed Book Richland Parish, La. Book 55 p. 375 #38735.)
He died 18 Apr 1975 (9:00 A.M.) in Girard, Richland Parish, Louisiana. (103) According to Vernon's Death Certificate, he died at 70 years 6 mo. &days of age. He was a retired farmer. He died in Girard, La. His home address is Rt. 4 Box 486 Rayville, La. Emily F. Newton is the informant. Died of Coranary Arrent, Coronary Artery Disease. His death happened while mowing the yard . He and Ruth were preparing to move to Girard, La. to be near their daughter, Emily Newton. Dr. Ellington is the Coroner. He is buried at the Masonic Cemetery in Rayville, La. Brown Funeral Home handled the arrangements. ( State of Louisiana Death Certificate # 11710657)
He was a cotton farmer, 1933 to retirement, in Rayville, Richland Parish, La..
He Biography Written 1997 by N.F. Higgins.(104)
At the time of their marriage, Vernon was employed by Curlee Clothiers in St. Louis, Missouri. The decision was made after their marriage that they would not return to his job in St. Louis. Instead, they stayed in the Rayville, Louisiana area and started to farm on rented land. Vernon and Ruth farmed land they rented until 1933.
On September 29, 1933, Vernon and Ruth decided to purchased land from the Mengel Company. This land included the NW quarter of the NW quarter of Section 21, Township 18 N, Range 8 East, containing 40 acres. This land was part of a January 12, 1922 purchase by the C. C. Mengel and Bro. Co. from Richland Parish Lumber Company. The 40 acres cost a total of $900.00. Vernon and Ruth paid $90.00, cash and the remainder was to be paid over an 8 year period.
The 40 acre homestead was nestled along the banks of Cypress Creek. There were several sloughs, but most of the sandy loam land was excellent for farming. A tribe of Indians had once made there home there. In the many years of plowing the soil, Vernon uncovered many arrowheads and grinding bowls that the Indians had left behind when they left the area.
Soon after moving to their new farm Vernon and Ruth erected a log cabin. Ruth says it was a very comfortable home. It was well insulated and quiet warm. They used a wood stove to cook their meals and had a wood burning fireplace.
About 1 1/2 years after their marriage they endured a terrible tragedy. Their first child, Wilma Jean, was born in January 1928. Ruth says Wilma was a beautiful child. She describes Wilma Jean as looking like a china doll. Wilma Jean lived only 21 days.
In the mid- 1940’s they built a new house. It was a two-story white house, and had been built with the idea of adding large white columns to the front porch, much like the old colonial homes in the South. According to Ruth, the money ran out and the big white columns were never added. It was a great house to grow up in and I shall always remember it with fond memories.
Vernon and Ruth farmed their 40 acres of land for the rest of their lives.. Vernon planted cotton, corn, oats, peanuts, maize, and wonderful vegetable gardens. Their main money crop was cotton. Vernon plowed the land using mules until the early 1950’s. At that time, he bought a John Deere tractor. The tractor made his work much easier, but the life of a small farmer was still very hard and demanding.
The pasture land grazed cows, horses, pigs, chickens, turkeys and sheep. Most of the meat that was served in our home came from the animals that we raised. A very cold day in winter was usually selected for slaughter day. It was necessary to slaughter on a cold day, because the meat would spoil before it could be processed, if the weather was too warm. After the slaughter, the meat had to be either smoked, salted or eaten. A special house was designated as a smoke house. I can remember large pieces of meat hanging from the rafters in that old building.
Ruth would spend many days in the summer, gathering vegetables from the garden then preparing them for canning and pressure cooking them in Mason jars. In the 1950’s food preservation became much easier, when they were able to buy a deep freezer.
Ruth always helped with the field-work, when she wasn’t taking care of the children, washing clothes on a rub-board, cleaning, cooking, canning, sewing and all the other things she always did for the family.
Taking care of the animals was probably one of Ruth’s first loves. She always milked the cows and took care of the animals when they were sick. The fresh milk, creamy butter, cottage cheese, my taste buds can still recall. All her milk cows were named and they all cooperated with her quite well in giving the milk that she needed for the family.
Ruth and Vernon always had one of the most beautiful yards in that community. There were always beautiful flowers in bloom. They worked together in planning the flower beds and keeping the grass clipped. Before we were able to get a gasoline lawn mower in the 1950’s, they used a rotary push mower. The grass didn’t get mowed very often during those early years.
The family had a very good friend by the name of Lewis Clack. Mr. Lewis owned the 40 acres to the south of the Fortenberry property. He was a farmer, growing cotton, corn and oats. He never married and had built himself a one room hut on the banks of Cypress Creek. Mr. Lewis and Vernon became very good friends and were working companions. They helped each other with their many farming chores. Vernon and Mr. Lewis always went to town together on Saturday. One Saturday morning, on his trek to our house, he was stricken with a heart attack. Before we could get help for him, he died on our back porch. This was a sad day for the Fortenberry family. Mr. Lewis had been a neighbor, a farming partner to Vernon and a good friend to us all. I still miss him.
Vernon continued to farm after Mr. Lewis’s death. He made arrangements to purchase the 40 acres of land that Mr. Lewis had owned. This additional 40 acres made the total acreage at 80. Vernon farmed until his health became bad. He suffered with kidney stones and required two major kidney stone surgeries. He also had constant problems with high blood pressure. His heart began to weaken and continued to give him trouble for several years until his death.
Vernon died on April 4, 1975. His death happened as he was mowing the yard. He and Ruth were preparing to move to Girard, La. They wanted to be near their daughter, Emily Newton. According to his death certificate, he died at 70 years, 6 mo., 7 days of age. He is listed as a retired farmer. He died in Girard, La. His home address is Rt. 4 Box 486 Rayville, La. Emily F. Newton is the informant. The cause of death is coronary arrest, coronary artery disease. Dr. Ellington is the Coroner. He is buried at the Masonic Cemetery in Rayville, La. Brown Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
In January 1997, Ruth is 92 years old and is residing with her daughter Emily Rose Newton in Monroe, Louisiana. She is able to get around pretty good and is able to take care of most of her personal needs. She fills her days taking care of her little dog, Heather, and doing beautiful needlework.
He was buried in Rayville Cemetery, Rayville, La..
He has reference number 25. Rayville, La., Masonic Cemetery Ruth Ameal Owen and Richard Vernon Fortenberry had the following children:
62 i. Wilma
Jean Fortenberry was born on Jan 7 1928 in Rayville, La. Richland. Died
of pneumonia. Lived only a few days. She died on Jan 28 1928 in Rayville ,
La.. She was buried in Rayville Cemetery, Richland, La..
(105) Tombstone inscription " I Pray the Lord my Soul to Keep".
She has reference number 52.
+63 ii.
Verna Faye Fortenberry.
+64 iii.
Emily Rose Fortenberry.
+65 iv.
Stanley Owen Fortenberry.
+66 v.
"Nan"Alice Nannette Fortenberry.
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