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This was my grandmother Bessie Ward Harris. She delivered over 1000 babies. I was the last one she raised. Also, she shared her religious background with me, including the fact that she raised me in church at Cherry Lane Free Will Baptist Church near Stokes, NC. The pastor during that time was Bishop Charles Parker. Now, I have my owns kids and family, I reside in Fayetteville, NC. I attended Fayetteville Sate University, majored in Psychology and Funeral Science. Also, I Pastor within the city.Thank you, for including my grandmother in your digital collection of African American Midwives at East Carolina University.Its well deserved.
Bessie Harris was my grandmother. She delivered my son, Victor Lamonte Best, August 17, 1970. She was not only a midwife, but she raised many children and fed many families from her garden,smokehouse, and deep freezer. She was an herbal person as well.
Mrs. Bessie Harris delivered meon August 9, 1943
Mrs.Bessie Harris helped my Dad put in tobacco when I was a boy, we called her Aunt Bessie,even my Dad. She was a midwife at that time also.
In the south, midwives were trained by the health department to help mothers give birth at home who were unable to afford hospital birth. There is a movie about a southern midwife from this time called "All My Babies".
Mrs. Bessie Ward Harris is my great grandmother.
Mrs. Bessie Ward Harris is the lady 5th from right (front row)
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Ms. Bessie Ward Harris and Lula Mae Best were witnesses at my mother's, wedding in 1946. Bessie also attended my grandmother's funeral April 1970. I noticed the surnames of the respondents. Harris, Daniels and Best are noted in my family tree.