Ella Lee Wallace

  General Notes:

Made her own "lard" for cooking. Also made "Cracklins", which were pieces of pork fat which had been cooked to render out the liquid which made the "lard". The remaining pieces of fat were salted and pressed to get as much of the liquid out. This was good stuff.

The house was a pink color shingled house. It had a screened front porch the width of the house with about 4-5 rocking chairs on it. There were 3 bedrooms, large kitchen and a living room. Also, there was a small back porch with steps going down to the back yard.

I remember, as a child, that Grandma had a big stove in her kitchen. It burned wood. This was used to prepare her food for meals. On the small back porch was a "hand pump" used for pumping fresh water for drinking, cooking and washing.

Laundry was done by hand, using a scrub board and brush, until as such time one got a washing machine. Those were the old style washer and ringer types.

The bathroom was actually the "outhouse" which was located towards the back of the yard on the side of the corn barn.

Grandma enjoyed going fresh water fishing at Black River and salt water fishing at Topsail Beach. At the river, Grandma would often go out in a boat by herself and fish back in the cove. Many Sunday's were spent at the river, fishing, having a fish fry, and swimming. Soft drinks (soda's) would be placed in the streams (which were very cold). Other foods, such as, fried chicken, cole slaw, potatoe salad, cakes and pies were made and brought from home. We would fish and play almost all day.

Grandma also enjoyed "dipping snuff" and would sit on her front porch in the warmer weather and rock in her rocking chair and every once in a while would get up and go to the screen door, open it, and send a wad of snuff juice squirting through the air out into the yard or into a can she kept on the porch.

She had a monkey, at one time, on her front porch. She had purchased him at the "Totem-in-Zoo".

Grandma suffered with asthma and had to use an "inhaler". It was the type that had a "ball-like" piece attached that she had to squeeze to blow the medicine into her throat.

She was buried on a Sunday (coldest day on record in 100 years rain, sleet, snow).


North Carolina Death Collection, 1908-1996
Name: Ella Wallace Barnhill
Death Date: 18 Jan 1985
Death County: Pender
Death State: North Carolina
Death Age: 84
Burial Location: Burial in state
Birth Date: 16 Dec 1900
Birth Location: North Carolina
Residence County: Pender
Residence State: North Carolina
Father: W
Gender: Female
Race: White
Marital Status: Widowed
Social Security Number: 239584676
Autopsy: No
Institution: Home
Attendant: Physician
Source: NC Department of Health. North Carolina Deaths, 1983-87

Ella married Willie Don Barnhill, son of Robert Bizzell Barnhill and Katherine Sherman, in Mar 1919 in NC. (Willie Don Barnhill was born on 4 Oct 1898 in Atkinson, Pender County, NC, died 8 Feb 1972 (Tuesday) in Pender Mem. Hosp., Burgaw, Pender County, NC and was buried 10 Feb 1972 (Thursday) in Woodcock Cem., Atkinson, Pender County, NC.)