This life-size statue of Myron Griggs Hinson is one of the best-known monuments at Woodlawn Cemetery in Adel, GA. Cleaned in 2014 and blue eyes replaced.
Linda W. Meadows
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How Little Myron Hinson''s story started:
It’s difficult to say just when this story took root in my brain. Maybe it was with the little boy, who died in 1913, or just maybe, it was when I learned about Sallie Bell, a mulatto house servant, who was born in 1877.
In November 2014, my friend, Sue Fulp Wall, my husband Russell, and I gathered our cleaning tools and began about eight hours of concentrated effort, over several days, to clean the life-sized statue of little four-year-old Myron Griggs Hinson, who died in 1913. Sue wanted to be part of our efforts because George William Hinson, who owned a store in Cecil from 1914 to 1949, had given Sue treats when she visited his store. She was a sweet child. Perhaps Sue reminded Mr. Hinson of his son, Myron. At any rate, Sue said it was the least she could do for the kindnesses Mr. Hinson had shown to her.
As we worked, we learned about Mrs. Virginia “Jenny” Luke Hinson, Myron’s mother, who is buried beside him. And, we learned more about Mr. George W. Hinson, who is buried beside Jenny. We also learned that Myron’s grandparents, David Perry Luke and Sarah, are also buried behind his grave.
So, here we were, after much work, with a sparkling marble likeness of Myron Griggs Hinson. We then proceeded to clean his parents’ graves. Our local Adel, GA jeweler, Joseph Shiver, located some shiny blue stones to replace the sapphires that once sparkled form Myron’s statue. The sapphire eyes were stolen shortly after this statue arrived from Italy.
As we talked and worked, Sue mentioned a light-skinned Black lady named Sallie Bell, who was a servant for the Hinsons during Sue’s childhood. We began to wonder about Sallie. Who were her parents, and what happened to Sallie? Those initial thoughts led to an adventure almost a year in the making.
Federal Census records allowed us to trace Sallie Bell’s whereabouts from her very first Census listing in Berrien County, GA’s 1880 Riverbend District household with her mother, Izetta Bell, and Sarah/Sallie Bell’s ten-year-old brother, Thomas Bell. Sallie was two years old. She and Thomas were listed as “Bastard children.” All three were listed as mulatto. Izetta was a “hireling.” With her birth recorded as 1854, she could have been born as a slave. People, who remember Sallie, say that Sallie knew who her prominent white father was in Adel. His name has been forgotten, at that time.
We know the White church that Sallie joined in 1913, as a charter member. We now know where Sallie Bell was buried on 14 June 1955, at 4 PM in the afternoon. We know which funeral home was in charge of her final services. Because we have her obituary from the front page of the Adel News for 23 June 1955, we have a vivid description of Sallie Bell’s funeral. We don’t know who placed a marble slab on her grave in a white cemetery, but we have theories. We also have Sallie’s death certificate. We know the stated cause of her death.
We know the sad circumstances that led to Sallie Bell’s death. We know that she died at GA’s notorious mental institution, Milledgeville State Hospital. We know how she got to that awful place, and we know who put her there. We know where her room was in the Hinson’s home near the railroad tracks in Cecil, GA. We know that she was locked in during her latter days at home.
A beloved child, who died way too young, has led us to a story that is almost like one that was meant to be. A perfect likeness of little Myron in his blue short pants, a photo of his grieving parents on the day of Myron’s funeral, a photo showing the inside of the Hinson Grocery, even tokens from the Hinson grocery, all remain.
But, for Sallie Bell, she was almost lost to the years. Her faithful service to two Cook County families and her love and care for a grieving Jenny Hinson will now be recorded. It is my fervent prayer that Sallie Bell will also be remembered as people ride by to view the statue of little Myron Hinson gleaming in the South GA sun.
Details of this story will soon be published in our Adel News Tribune. I will then share on this site.
Linda W. Meadows)
More picture in comments
How Little Myron Hinson''s story started:
It’s difficult to say just when this story took root in my brain. Maybe it was with the little boy, who died in 1913, or just maybe, it was when I learned about Sallie Bell, a mulatto house servant, who was born in 1877.
In November 2014, my friend, Sue Fulp Wall, my husband Russell, and I gathered our cleaning tools and began about eight hours of concentrated effort, over several days, to clean the life-sized statue of little four-year-old Myron Griggs Hinson, who died in 1913. Sue wanted to be part of our efforts because George William Hinson, who owned a store in Cecil from 1914 to 1949, had given Sue treats when she visited his store. She was a sweet child. Perhaps Sue reminded Mr. Hinson of his son, Myron. At any rate, Sue said it was the least she could do for the kindnesses Mr. Hinson had shown to her.
As we worked, we learned about Mrs. Virginia “Jenny” Luke Hinson, Myron’s mother, who is buried beside him. And, we learned more about Mr. George W. Hinson, who is buried beside Jenny. We also learned that Myron’s grandparents, David Perry Luke and Sarah, are also buried behind his grave.
So, here we were, after much work, with a sparkling marble likeness of Myron Griggs Hinson. We then proceeded to clean his parents’ graves. Our local Adel, GA jeweler, Joseph Shiver, located some shiny blue stones to replace the sapphires that once sparkled form Myron’s statue. The sapphire eyes were stolen shortly after this statue arrived from Italy.
As we talked and worked, Sue mentioned a light-skinned Black lady named Sallie Bell, who was a servant for the Hinsons during Sue’s childhood. We began to wonder about Sallie. Who were her parents, and what happened to Sallie? Those initial thoughts led to an adventure almost a year in the making.
Federal Census records allowed us to trace Sallie Bell’s whereabouts from her very first Census listing in Berrien County, GA’s 1880 Riverbend District household with her mother, Izetta Bell, and Sarah/Sallie Bell’s ten-year-old brother, Thomas Bell. Sallie was two years old. She and Thomas were listed as “Bastard children.” All three were listed as mulatto. Izetta was a “hireling.” With her birth recorded as 1854, she could have been born as a slave. People, who remember Sallie, say that Sallie knew who her prominent white father was in Adel. His name has been forgotten, at that time.
We know the White church that Sallie joined in 1913, as a charter member. We now know where Sallie Bell was buried on 14 June 1955, at 4 PM in the afternoon. We know which funeral home was in charge of her final services. Because we have her obituary from the front page of the Adel News for 23 June 1955, we have a vivid description of Sallie Bell’s funeral. We don’t know who placed a marble slab on her grave in a white cemetery, but we have theories. We also have Sallie’s death certificate. We know the stated cause of her death.
We know the sad circumstances that led to Sallie Bell’s death. We know that she died at GA’s notorious mental institution, Milledgeville State Hospital. We know how she got to that awful place, and we know who put her there. We know where her room was in the Hinson’s home near the railroad tracks in Cecil, GA. We know that she was locked in during her latter days at home.
A beloved child, who died way too young, has led us to a story that is almost like one that was meant to be. A perfect likeness of little Myron in his blue short pants, a photo of his grieving parents on the day of Myron’s funeral, a photo showing the inside of the Hinson Grocery, even tokens from the Hinson grocery, all remain.
But, for Sallie Bell, she was almost lost to the years. Her faithful service to two Cook County families and her love and care for a grieving Jenny Hinson will now be recorded. It is my fervent prayer that Sallie Bell will also be remembered as people ride by to view the statue of little Myron Hinson gleaming in the South GA sun.
Details of this story will soon be published in our Adel News Tribune. I will then share on this site.
Linda W. Meadows)
Wow. Thanks for sharing this piece of history.
ReplyDeleteAny idea on the cause of death for little Myron?
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the whole story! Little Myron, his grieving mother, Jennie, the faithful servant, Sallie...where does SHE fit in?? This is like a mystery we have to wait for the next chapter to be published! No fair!!
ReplyDeleteIt is Adel not Adele
ReplyDeleteIm so in this piece of History. I read it all the way through I'd like to know what happened to Sallie. About The Grieving family and the whole story not just bits and pieces that we just got kept me intrigued and I want to know more
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! This is very interesting!
ReplyDelete