Cathcart Memories

MEMORIES OF CATHCART GRANDPARENTS ¹ 
by Jean Thomas

Grandmother Cathcart.  Sitting in her lap, staying in the kitchen, I loved to watch her decorate wedding cakes—it looked so easy and so beautiful—her short fat fingers making magic. It was fun to walk with her to the community market—her BIG basket and all the good things she would bring home to cook.  She let me play the xylophone ²  when it was time for a meal—when I was tall enough to reach it.

I stayed with them while Mama went to Beaufort to take care of Nammie ³  when she was sick. Daddy made the mistake of coming to check on me and I remember running down the hall when I saw him at the screen door, saying, "I'm giving out for my Daddy!"  Soft hearted man that he was; he took me home with him.

Summers that John, Foster and I spent a week with Grandmother and Grandfather, B ⁴  was always there to entertain us—Rummy, Solitaire, Go Fishing.  I always slept with B and I remember waking up to see her putting on her corset and listen to her "whistle" as she pulled the strings tighter!

CHRISTMAS in HARTSVILLE

The presents B wrapped looked gorgeous to me—fancy ribbons curled around.  The Manger scene in the gourd, lights in beautiful shapes on the tree.  One Christmas, B gave me a Boy Doll and I did not like him, so I sold him to Foster for five cents!  He loved that doll, slept with him played ball with him and I think he still has him in a box somewhere.  His name was Tuffy. ⁵ 

There was food everywhere, desserts—Pecan Pie (my favorite). When John and Foster were about 12 years old they would always have a second layer of food on their plates!!! I got a Mickey Mouse watch one Christmas and loved it.  Grandmother even sent a Pecan Pie to me when I was at Columbia College!

Foster and I loved to go through the trash behind the newspaper office, found all sort of dirty treasures there.
I don't know why I don't remember a lot about Grandfather Cathcart.  I'm sure that he was very good to me.  I remember him coming home for lunch, wearing a dress shirt and garters on his sleeves.  He worked in the Post Office.  Grandmother always announced at the dinner table that the Pulley bone belonged to Jean.  When I was a little older, I was so embarrassed when she said that!

Notes

1. These short notes were written by my aunt, Jean Elizabeth Cathcart Thomas (1930-2009).  I no longer remember when she wrote them—nor to whom.  I'm guessing that she sent them to me in an e-mail, responding to my request for her recollections of her paternal grandparents: John Sterling Cathcart (1868-1947) & Margaret "Maggie" Elizabeth Foster Cathcart (1870-1958).
   1. John and Maggie had four children:
      1. James Foster Cathcart (1891-1891).
      2. Thomas Madden Cathcart, Sr. (1892-1944)
      3. Sarah Elizabeth "B" Cathcart (1895-1983)
      4. Ellen Cathcart (1899-1910)
2. I'm pretty sure that all my cousins also remember this xylophone—it was certainly one of my favorite toys every time we went to visit my grandmother, "Day Day" in Bishopville.
3. Jane Vardel Lawton (1863-1955)—wife of John Wingard Varn (1863-1940)—was Jean's maternal grandmother, and was always called Nammie by all the grandchildren.
4. Aunt "B" (who never married) was the sister of Thomas Madden Cathcart, Sr.  (see paragraph 1a-iii above).  My memories of Aunt B—her great nephews and nieces also referred to her the same way—are very similar to my Aunt Jean's... well, except for the "corset thing!"  I remember her sparkling eyes and nearly constant beaming smile.  She also seemed always willing to accommodate the visiting young family members' sweet teeth with some sort of dessert treat—something to which we always looked forward during every visit.  Although rather than Aunt Jean's favorite: pecan pie, I preferred her wonderful frosted lemon cake during our quick visits to Hartsville to see her during our many family trips to South Carolina!
5. For some reason, my father never shared any "Tuffy" stories with me—nor do I remember the subject of Tuffy coming up during discussions with Dad's high school and college friends during Clemson-Carolina games! :-)