Nancy Jane Rucker ("Jackie") was born 21 June, 1854. She was the fourth child of William Deryl (or Derrell, or Deryl) and Permelia Caroline Dorris Rucker. Her grandparents were James and Nancy Cook Dorris and Simeon Bluford and Jane Barnwell. On 21 Dec. 1876 she married William Norman ("Bud") Manning. He was the son of Mary Camp and Reuben Haulsey Manning. His grandparents were Abner Norman and Elizabeth Ragsdale Camp, and Benjamin and Ruth Beam Manning.

By 1904 the W. N. Manning family had moved to Funston, Ga., a small village in the south Georgia county of Colquit. W. N. Manning became one of the first County Farm Agents in the United States. He died 29 Nov. 1929. His wife N. J. Manning died 13 Jan. 1941. They and several of their children and grandchildren are buried in the Funston, Ga. cemetery.

On 1 Jan. 1929 Nancy Jane Rucker Manning wrote the following piece, telling what life was like when she was a child in the North Georgia community of Crabapple-out from Alpharetta and Roswell. Following is the typed account made by one of her numerous grandsons from her hand written copy.

THEN AND NOW

Jan. 1, 1929 - by Mrs. N. J. Manning-Funston, Georgia

Just after Christmas, which was often one or two days, but sometimes the younger set would take a week off. But on New Years day, if it didn't come on Sunday, every one had to getout his work clothes, (that was large enough to bring in chips) and was expected to do the biggestday's work possible in order that they would do a good year's work (superstition). I lived in the country and we couldn't dress like the town kids, though we went to school in a little burg, Alpharetta, Milton County-now Fulton County. The kids kinda looked down on us because we had to wear homespun dresses and bonnets that we helped our Mothers card and spin at night, after school, or when the weather was too bad to go. Our Mothers would dye the thread, spool and warp the thread, draw it in slays and harness in loom, and weave it. She sewed all of our garments with her fingers, mostly at night by a pine knot light, or a candle the she would mould out of tallow

We were a bit shame-faced when we would walk two miles with our little tin buckets with our big biscuits sweated soft and sometimes gritty when we would stump our toes and spill the dinner. But those kids in town would get very good when we would have some red June apples or a bunch of pinks. I won my first sweetheart by carrying him apples and flowers. He was the best speller in school and I was next best. When we would choose out on Friday afternoon we both tried to get on the same side.

In February and March, before my father would burn off his new-ground, he and my brothers and one Negro boy would clear a piece of land in the winter and the little birds would roost in the brush under the leaves from the rain and cold, sleet and snowy weather. We and the neighbor's girls and boys would go bird striking at night. We would all have a torch lited and a brush and all would surround the brush heap. Someone would give a little shake and the birds would fly out, and then such a thrashing. Someone would build a fire, skin and broil them before going home. It was fun for us then. Town folks had their social functions and guess they enjoyed themselves, but it didn't suit us roughs.

Then we would have candy pullings made out of sorghum syrup, boiled in an iron pot on the fire hearth. Mother used to say next morning that everything was sticky, even to the door knobs. The grown-ups had a candy pulling in town and had bad luck-knocked the fine comb off of the mantle and it fell in the pot of cand

Then we didn't have Christmas trees or hang up stockings. A pack of fire crackers for the boys and they would let the girls pop a few, and a dime of stick candy was the limit. It was some trouble to clean away the old shells from the doors. But the best time was when we would have a big snow. We would all help track rabbits in the snow and catch them housed under tussics of broom straw or grass. Then what a chase.

The town folks had one advantage. They were close to Church and Sunday School and could attend regularly. We could go once in a while.

hen the grownups would have log rollings and quiltings, and have old time dances at night. Those that didn't dance would play Opossum pie, club first, eleven-up, Chichinacrany crow, lost my glove yesterday and found it today, whip to the right, puss wants a corner, wind the ball, Twistification, Kitchen furniture, blind fold, then sell ponds, Jack is alive as live can be, if this dies in my hand saddle-pack me, London bridge is washing away.

Then we enjoyed rambling in the fields and woods, wading in the branches, climbing bushes, finding birds and crows nests. We would hunt for the turkey, guinea and goose nests. At harvest time we often found partridge nests with twenty odd eggs or little ones. Then the fruit season-May apples, June apples and a variety of winter apples. In April the strawberries. Peaches, plums and pears, grapes, haws, beechnuts, Hazel nuts, chestnuts, chinquapins, apricots, ground cherries, locust, mulberries. I don't know how the town folks could get along without all those nice things.

Then we gathered so many kinds of wild flowers, such as wild rose, laurel, dogwood, honeysuckle, goldenrod, wild asters, devil shoe string, red berries, hart leaf, pitchers, autum leaves, magnolia blooms, sour wood tags, love vine, button burrella, and in the fall there were walnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, peanuts, chutas, pomegranate, wild crabapple.

Then occasionally a circus would come to town and we would all try to go see the big elephant and all those wild animals and especially the music was enjoyed. But we were most afraid to go to sleep at night. Afraid the bears would get us.

Then most every farmer planted an orchard, dried and stilled the peaches and apples. Fattened the shoats on the refuse. In the mean tine we made all the cider and vinegar we wanted. Then, father kept whiskey in the house most all the time. I never saw father or one of my four brothers drunk. He would have mint toddy passed around when we had a gathering. He tanned his leather and an uncle made our rough shoes. Sometimes he would get lamp black and black our shoes. We thought they were so fine and pretty, even if they did rub off on our white stockings. Those were the kind our mothers sat up at night and knit. We seldom had but one pair of shoes til we were about grown. We went bare footed most of the time and liked it much better though our feet would chap til they bled. But we could get about faster. Not even the babies have shoes.

Then the boys would go possum hunting once or twice a week. If it was fair weather they would let us girls go too if they were planning to stay only a part of the night. They would build a fire in the woods and camp while the dogs trailed the opossum, coons, fox, others or whatever the dogs happened to scent. Sometimes they would have to cut down two or three trees. They always carried an ax and plenty of torch pine.

Then we had to stop school in March to drop corn and peas, carry water to the plough hands. We made it convenient to be in the field when the plough hands started to dinner in order to get to ride the mule back. Sometime father would set us on the plough stock and let us ride around. Then we would have to set potato slips after making the little hills or mounds with a hoe. Father and Mother would pull them from the bed for fear we would pull the potatoes up, for they often produced several drawings. One would drop, one would set, one would water, and another rake the dirt in.

Oh! At harvest time in June what a glorious time. All the neighbors would join together. The big folks would cut the grain and tie it. We little folks would pile it ready to be shocked. We carried water and whet rocks. Sometimes they would cut their fingers. Then we would go get the turpentine and cloths. Always had a good dinner cooked on the fireplace. A big pot of vegetables, chicken pie, cooked in an oven, also sliced potato pie, onions, lettuce, Irish potatoes, pickles, ginger cakes and beer. After the mint toddy was passed there would usually be a game of marbles before going back to work, and so on, until the neighbors wheat had been cut. Then a little later after the grain had been hauled up, stacked and dried out the threshers would come. The old time threshers had to have six mules and eight hands that went along regularly, besides the neighbors would help each other. Sometimes we would have to keep them all night. The dirtiest men, but they couldn't be otherwise. But they always carried an extra suit of underwear in a little pouch to sleep in. Now, they have but few hands to use the steam threshers. Then they had to keep mules or oxen to feed. Now they thresh out the whole district in a week. Then it took weeks to thresh in our community.

Then came fodder pulling and corn gathering. We little folks would help them if only to mind the gap or bar. Then they didn't think of making gates. Then, we didn't have stock laws. Now, everything is run by machinery, steam, gas or electricity. Then, it was mules, horses and oxen.

There was eight of us children, and my father used to raise sweet potatoes for market. He would haul them to Atlanta in the spring and take one of us girls, as the boys had so much work to do on the farm getting ready for another crop. Often some of the neighbors would go with something to sell so they could buy rice, sugar, coffee and cloth to make bed sheets. It took three days to make the trip there and back. We would camp in Buckbean. That was just a fork in the road then. Then we would go into town, spend half a day selling out and doing the trading. I can remember we bought most of our dry goods from Gay & McCleskey on Peachtree Street. Maybe we would get a little farther out than Buckbean the second day. If the roads were not too bad, would make it home by night, it being only 26 miles. Now they carry a truck load down and get back before night. Then we had to cross the Chattahoochee river on a flat. Sometimes it would be on the opposite side and we would have to wait till they came across for us, and that took a lot of time. We always got up and started before day. And Oh! What a good time we had camping out in the woods if it didn't rain or snow. Would cook on a log fire and it was so good, especially coffee and eggs. Mother always cooked plenty of potato biscuits and ginger cakes.

Then Father would give sister and me a cotton patch from which we would buy a nice dress, shoes or hat, one each in the spring and one in the fall. This was our Sunday dress-up. One trip I'll never forget. We went to Atlanta after it was burned by the army and was being built back I never heard so many hammers at one time. We spent the night in town in the wagon yard. That night the band played "Hurrah for the homespun dresses the Southern Ladies wear. And I saw the flag fall at the barracks when the cannon fired as the sun was setting. Now I can't tell where Buckbean, Big Poplars or Colliers fine home was, where we often camped. We slept in wagons on thick comforts made for the purpose, spread on fodder that was carried for the mules or oxen or a load of potatoes, or whatever happened to be loaded with. We always had to spend two nights out. Sometimes we would get caught out in hard rain or snow or sleet. On one trip it was my hard luck to be caught out with my four months old baby, "Bob ." The rain froze on the trees and bent them down across the road til it was impossible to travel. We had to stop at a farmhouse and spend the night til the ice melted.

Now, the folks take a truck of produce, go to Atlanta, 26 miles, sell out the load, do their trading, and get back home before night. Or if they go shopping now, they don't think of spending the whole day.

My grandparents were the first settlers of Georgia, Milton County, six miles north of Roswell, Ga. They were from Scotland and Germany. The Negro servants had good houses. The 3^rd and 4^th generations are living in them now, 1929.

My Father's Father was Simeon B. Rucker. His house was built of split logs, then ceiled and weather boarded. My grandmother was very, very large. I don't think she was ever weighed. One Christmas the narrow roads were rough and frozen. A bunch of young folks loaded up a two- horse wagon to move from one community to another to have their parties. As a wagon came over a hill it made an awful rumbling noise. My grandmother ran out of the house thinking it was the house on fire. She said "I ran as fast as I could." Grandfather replied, "Yes, you did run hard but not fast." At this same place my grandfather told two of his boys that which one of them would get up first each morning and carry a load of boards to a certain place, grandfather would give him 25 cents. One of the boys got up in his sleep, carried the boards to the appointed place. When he threw them down it waked him up.

Father had a grainery and would store his apples in a part of it. If we could find his key his apples wouldn't keep well. He had a large sheep arbor but sheltered more fleas than sheep.

My Mother's Father, James Dorris, had a large two story house with five fireplaces. At the time the Roswell Factory was being built my grandmother had several of her servants carding and spinning. Some mountain wagons came by and inquired if that was the Roswell Factory. But by and by the Negroes were freed and it was quite different. We did like to go to the kitchen where the fireplace was wide enough to burn ten feet rails. We enjoyed sitting on the little Negroes muddy, greasy stools. The stools were made of a solid wood blocked off so there would be a back to them. We would climb the ladder to the loft to see the kittens. We would go to their quarters and they would show us through their chest or lock box, for they always kept everything locked from each other, doors and all. But it was pitiful to see them get a pass to go on foot on Saturday nights, to come back Sunday afternoon from seeing their parents, husbands, wives or children.

Now they ride in their own autos, go to their own churches, schools, have their musical instruments and can perform on them. We didn't have so many commencements, anniversary celebration, churches, schools, lodge unions, farmers business of every faith and order. These all call for donations, gifts, presents, and so many places to attend. That was when we had time to read our Bibles, visit the sick and neighbors. Then our mothers would do their sewing, knitting, garments to be finished up, with button holes and spend the day or afternoon with a neighbor and was served with refreshments such as apples, walnuts, peanuts, loaf bread and butter, beer made from sweet potatoes, locust and persimmons, with roasted potatoes or ginger cakes. We didn't know about folks taking vacations. We would often spend Saturday or Sunday with our kin or neighbors. During and after the Civil War the soldiers' wives drew their coffee, sugar, rice etc. from the government. My Aunt Mary Stewart would walk three and one half miles to draw rations. She and an old colored woman that would draw for my great aunt, came by my father's, stopped for dinner. They unrolled their strips of side meat, Aunt Mary's being about two inches wide and fifteen inches long. The colored woman, Aunt Hannah Bond, said "Miss Mary, I'm sorta mad wid you cause your thing is longer than mine." Aunt Mary scared the hiccups off my sister, Roxie. She said, "Roxie, what have you been telling lies on Janie for?". Roxie burst out crying and said "I haven't been telling lies on Janie." But she didn't hiccup anymore.

An old man came to Fathers and said (they were neighbors, Oscar James), "Billy, can you let me have a turn of corn? I have eat sweet potatoes until I have heart burn so bad til I can hardly live."

Then, the women would weave cloth and swap for corn or potatoes or anything to eat.

Then, we substituted wheat, rye, sweet potatoes, persimmons or seed for coffee. Wheat was considered best.

When we got some real (Lincoln) coffee, for that is what it was called after the Civil War it was so clear, and smelled so good. We sure enjoyed it.

Now we have Lincoln coffee with sugar in it instead of syrup, Ice Tea, Coca cola, Orange Crush, Beer and wine and so many nice drinks.

When my children started to school, we only had the blue back speller. Would be taught in same book to read with only one syllable, as to go in, go out, go up, etc. When we had completed the blue back speller we could spell, read, accent, punctuate, give definitions and the key. Could tell different sounds of each vowel. Our only reader was the Bible. Had only one or two teachers, all in one room. Would have recess in morning, ten minutes, noon hour, ten minutes and P.M. ten minutes.