By Anne Lasyone Futch
Special to The Piney Woods Journal

My father, Henry Elijah (Lige) Wilkerson, was born February 28, 1896, in Jackson Parish, Louisiana. However, he was reared in Anniston, Alabama and lived there until 1916. His family traveled to Louisiana from Alabama by means of an ox drawn cart. Later years the trip was made by train.

In 1916 the family once again made a trip back to Louisiana and in 1917 he met and married my mother, Bertha Mae Taylor. She was the daughter of Rev. William Raymond Taylor who preached in this area for many years.

After their marriage, they settled in the Old Joyce community. He became employed by Tremont Lumber Company as a section hand for the railroad department. Dad was involved in the laying of trams used to transport logs from the site to the mill which was located in Joyce. He remained with Tremont until they moved the operation.

At that time, he began his career in the forestry business by purchasing tracts of timber to harvest for cross ties. He felled trees with a one man crosscut saw.

They were then cut into lengths as required for railroad ties. Dad hand hewed the cuts to perfection. Everyone knew that he had the reputation for having the most precise and accurate cut of any timberman in Winn Parish. He was a "one man" operation.

Mr. Blackie Jourdan, a Winnfield resident and a cutter himself, often spoke of his respect for my dad being a perfectionist in his chosen trade. In fact, they had an agreement for dad to haul Mr. Blackie's ties to the James Tie Yard which was located near the old creosote plant in Winnfield. Again, this was a one man operation when dad would finish the ties and haul them to James Tie Yard by himself. Only on rare occasions would he hire a helper, just for the sake of loading the ties.

Times were not always easy for my dad. Once when he was hit by a limb, he lay unconscious for hours. Somehow, he found the strength to get himself back to the house, bloody head and all. Mother told him that he WOULD hire full time help.

Dad always believed in leaving the forest in good condition. He would take the smaller cuts, limbs and slabs and cut them into pieces for stove wood and sell them. There was no waste left for the landowners to clean up after he left the site.

His occupation was declared as a war time essential and he was granted extra stamps for gasoline, oil and tires for his truck. However, blessings were still plentiful when he was also issued stamps for sugar, coffee and many other products. When neighbors did not have gas stamps, dad would haul as many passengers as he could that needed a ride from Joyce to Winnfield for groceries or other supplies. Their comment was always, "Much obliged, Mr. Lige."

Dad always had a large herd of hogs and when he butchered the hogs he gladly shared with our neighbors. Back in those days, it was common to have an old smokehouse which served the purpose of curing pork. Occasionally, he would slaughter a cow, then mother canned the meat and this too was shared with our neighbors. That was the kind of person my dad was. Gov. Earl K. Long even recognized the skills my father had other than just those in the lumber business. Dad had hog dogs and Gov. Long often hired dad and his dogs to round up hogs belonging to the governor. Earl Long was a frequent visitor to our home years before he was elected as governor. He was just "Uncle Earl" to our family.

When Tremont Lumber Company moved from Joyce, they sold the "box car" houses that they had moved to the site, via railway. They set up housing which was similar to today's mobile home parks. Dad bought three for $25.00 each, two that he rented for $5.00 per month. Oh, I would definitely say that was a bygone era!

Until 1943, our family lived in the other house that dad purchased. For years we did not have electrical conveniences that we have today. No electric blankets, lamps, television, clothes dryers, vacuum cleaners, fans or air conditioners. The list is endless.

We did have a telephone. Since my dad worked for the forest service, they furnished us with a phone. Those were the days of the four-party lines. Our ring was recognized as a long ring followed by a short ring. By today's comparison, a Blackberry just "ain't" what it used to be. That's for sure.

Dad was always on target with his estimates and bids for a tract of timber. The average price per tie was $1.00 each and he could finish 35 to 40 per day. That was good pay in the late 30's and early 40's.

During the WPA days, he was engaged in the construction work which produced the levees on Red River in Armistead, Louisiana and the bridges on Dugdemona River in Winn Parish.

Due to bad health, dad retired from the timber profession but remained a little active by being employed as a mechanic, carpenter and painter.

My dad had two sons that he was quite proud of. One being William Luther Wilkerson, who enlisted in the Army and was a part of the war maneuvers in Winn Parish with Gen. George Patton as his leader. The other son, George "Rufus" Wilkerson, enlisted in the CCC's and he helped to build the Gum Springs swimming area and pavilion that is still in use today.

Luther stayed in the service and fought with Gen. Patton all through the war, from Africa to Germany. George was later inducted into the Army and after a short time, he was discharged. Thereafter, he was employed by Humble Oil Company in Houston, Texas, as a master electrician until his retirement in 1981.

Along with two sons, my dad had two daughters--one daughter being myself, Anne Lasyone Futch. I have lived in Winnfield for most of my life. Also, I have enjoyed a career in the insurance profession and am founder and co-owner of Lasyone Insurance Agency. Inc. The agency was started by me and my late husband, Huey E. Lasyone, my son, Ronald H. Lasyone, and my daughter, Shirley Lasyone Knotts, in 1986. My grandson, Brandon Knotts and his wife, Jessica Knotts, are both employees of Lasyone Insurance Agency.

The other daughter. Faye Wilkerson Bemont, married L. B. Bemont and moved to Houston, Texas and lived there until moving back to Winnfield in 1981. She has a son, Jimmie Bemont, a well known artist and sculptor in the city of El Paso, Texas, and a daughter, Deanna Johns, who also resides in Winnfield. Faye's husband passed away in early 2007.

My dad, Henry Elijah (Lige) Wilkerson, was a friend to everyone and he remained so until his death on November 10, 1978.

"MUCH OBLIGED, MR. LIGE," for being my dad and my best friend.

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