| Sources |
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 30 Dec 1998.
Eula Mae Gregory obituary
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 29 Jul 2010.
Pauline Crum turns 100 on Tuesday
Pauline Black Crum turned 100 years old Tuesday, July 27. She'll be honored with a surprise party tomorrow evening at Newport Utilities.
Author: Duay O'Neil
NEWPORT-Diners at the old Rhea-Mims Hotel who remember the to-die-for rolls and light-as-a-feather biscuits will be happy to know that the lady who created them turned 100 years old in Tuesday, and she's doing just fine, thank you.
Pauline Crum was born July 27, 1910, a daughter of Soloman Black and his wife, the former Celia Webb.
At the time, the family was living in Dorchester, Virginia, where her father worked in the mines.
"I'm a real coal miner's daughter," laughed the newest member of Cocke County's Century Club on the morning of her birthday.
The family returned to Cocke County when the new baby was four months old and established their home between Bat Harbor and the Old 15th. Soloman farmed and continued to work away from home as a miner.
In a 2008 interview, Pauline's baby sister Joneta Ball, a mere 92, recalled, "We had a pretty good sized place. We raised just about everything we needed-hogs, cattle, chickens-had our own milk and butter. We'd put up hundreds of cans of fruit and vegetables-kept the kraut in crocks."
Joneta added, "We had a good life. We didn't worry about what we ate-about all that cholesterol. And I still don't!"
Pauline, Joneta, and the rest of the crew walked down the mountain to Bat Harbor School where their teachers included Bernice Brooks (who lived past 100 herself), her sister Josephine Brooks, and Ray Pearce.
The family attended the old Log Church at Bat Harbor and also worshiped at Last Chance Church of God, a structure which stood across the road from Lorene Hartsell's home.
In addition to Joneta, Pauline's siblings included Bell, who married Ira Ball, Leonard, who married Jeanette Jones; Lou Emma, who married Oscar Burnett; John, who married Emma Lail; Cicero "S. B.", whose wife is Tina; Rachel, who married Robert Ball, and four children-Walter, Ollie, Rosey, and Rossey-who died as babies.
Joneta's husband was Arlis Ball.
In the early '20s, Pauline was living in South Carolina, where she went to work in a cotton mill.
"You were supposed to be 14 when they hired you," she recalls, "but my sister Lou Emma run our ages up. I was just 13, but she told them I was 14."
Pauline was hired as a spinner and worked about eight hours a day. When asked what her wages were, she smiles and says, "Not much."
After a couple of years down there, Pauline again returned to Bat Harbor. It was at church that she met her future husband, Leonard Crum.
"We were coming up by the spring, and he said, 'That's my girl,'" says Pauline. Rev. Joe Brooks married the couple on 8 April 1928 at the old Bat Harbor Church.
Her parents didn't know about their plans. "Only when I didn't go home," she laughs when asked how they found out.
The couple first lived with his parents, Alonzo and Dora Crum "and all those boys," a reference to Leonard's numerous brothers.
Later they moved to a house on the Wood farm. "It was half log," says Pauline, "and had a big fireplace."
Pauline and Leonard had six children-Jewel, who married J. M. Hall and now lives in Aberdeen, Maryland; Eula Mae, deceased, who was married to George Gregory; and sons Earl, Elwood, and L. D., who all live in Newport, and Mack, who resides in Florida.
There are 14 grandchildren, a bunch of great-grandchildren, and even a fifth generation.
Leonard died at age 72.
About half a century ago, Pauline moved to her present home on Filbert Street.
Later she went to work at the Rhea-Mims, and it was here that the late Myra Murray taught her to make the famous rolls and biscuits.
A surprise party is planned for Friday, July 30, at Newport Utilities at 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to share in the celebration. Wonder if anyone will bring rolls made with the Rhea-Mims recipe?
- [S112] Census, 1920.
Name: Pauline Black
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1920
Event Place: Civil District 7, Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 7
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Daughter
Birth Year (Estimated): 1913
Birthplace: Virginia
Father's Birthplace: North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace: North Carolina
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
S B Black Head M 46 North Carolina
Celia Black Wife F 39 North Carolina
Leonard Black Son M 18 Tennessee
Louemma Black Daughter F 14 Tennessee
Robinson Black Son M 11 Tennessee
Pauline Black Daughter F 7 Virginia
Ciscero Black Son M 4 Tennessee
Joenida Black Daughter F 1 Tennessee
- [S124] Brown Funeral Home, Newport, Tennessee, (http://www.newportfunerals.com), 29 Jan 2013.
(July 27, 1910 - January 29, 2013)
Pauline Crum age 102 of Newport died Tuesday at Tennova Newport Medical Center.
She was born July 27, 1910 in Dorchester, VA, the daughter of the late Mr and Mrs. Solomon Black
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband Leonard Crum, daughter Eula Crum Gregory and several brothers and sisters.
Surviving are four sons Earl Crum, Mack Crum, Elwood Crum and L. D. Crum of Newport and daughter Jewel Crum Hall of Aberdeen, Maryland; brother S. C. Black of Newport , and sisters Rachael Ball and Jonita Ball of Newport; 12 grandchildren, many great grandchildren and several great-great grandchildren.
Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Friday at the Resthaven Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Robert Lee Ball officiating
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name: Solomon Black
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Celia Webb
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 16 May 1897
Marriage Place: , Cocke, Tennessee
Groom's Father's Name:
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name:
Bride's Mother's Name:
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status:
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status:
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M71023-2
System Origin: Tennessee-VR
Source Film Number: 956183
Reference Number: 2:NVVXKX
Collection: Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950
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