Thornton Sisters’ Story

Maggie Thornton - Webster Parish - photo by Neil JohnsonCarrie Thornton - Webster Parish - photo by Neil JohnsonRosie Thornton - Webster Parish - photo by Neil Johnson

North Louisiana should be on the map for being home to three incredible ladies: the Thornton sisters.  We are so fortunate to have three amazing centenarians residing in Minden, Louisiana.  Maggie Mae Renfro Thornton is the oldest of the three sisters at the wonderful age of 115.  Not only is she the eldest sister, she is the oldest living person in Louisiana, the 4^th oldest in the United States, and the 6^th oldest on the planet.  That is incredible!  Ms. Maggie was born on November 14, 1894 according to the U.S. census, but if you ask her, she was born in 1893.  Ms. Maggie, just like any lady, does not want anyone to know her true age.  Ms. Maggie does like to be called by her nickname, Sugar. The reason she was named Sugar was because when Maggie was a baby, her Mother had to take Maggie to work with her in the cotton fields.  To keep Maggie pacified, Maggie’s mother would fill a “little bitty ole clean rag” with a spoon of sugar and a lot of butter.  She would tie the cloth with a piece of string.  When Maggie became hungry, she would suck the sugar out of the rag, so they called her Sugar.  Following in Maggie’s footsteps is her younger sister, Carrie Miller Thornton, nicknamed Noonie.  Ms. Carrie was born on April 9, 1902, making her only 108 years old.  Just a youngster!  The baby of the family, Ms. Rosie Lee Warren Thornton, nicknamed Squate, was born on January 6, 1906, making her 103.  Just a baby!    There were eleven children in the Thornton family, and they were all born in Athens, Louisiana in Claiborne Parish.

 First, on that most terrible day in October of 1929, forever known as Black Tuesday, when the stock market crashed sending the nation into a depression that lasted seven long years, Maggie was 35 years old, Carrie was 27 years old, and Rosie was 23 years old.  Most of the elders in this book were children during the Great Depression, but these ladies lived through that period in history as adults.  To begin with, Maggie was actually working in Arkansas and Oklahoma as a cook.  She joined a crew that traveled around the South transporting food to job sites.  She earned enough money to buy a truck.  With a truck, she formed her own business transporting workers to and from job sites.  Ms. Maggie was an entrepreneur before her time.  Also, Maggie dearly loved children, but unfortunately, she was unable to have children.  She received a letter from her brother saying that a baby girl in Minden needed a home.  The problem was the child’s mother was very young and was unable to support her.  Maggie immediately left for Minden and took that baby home with her on the bus.  On the trip home, the baby became so ill; Maggie was terrified that the child would die.  The baby cried and Maggie cried.  A sympathetic woman on the bus saw Maggie’s distress, so when the bus stopped, she directed Maggie to a doctor.  Ms. Maggie cannot remember what the doctor did, but the baby girl lived.  Her name is Mattie and she is now in her sixties.   Now, in turn, Mattie is taking care of her mother in Minden.  Maggie told us how the Great Depression affected her when she said, “I have never went hungry in my life.” That is true, Ms. Maggie, because you were a maker and a shaker.  

Second, Carrie and Rosie never left Claiborne Parish; in fact, they remained in Athens and lived very close to their mother.  They were sharecroppers living on a farm.  Sharecropping was very common during the Great Depression and still is in existence in Louisiana today.  It was somewhat similar to slavery, but the sharecroppers were free and received money for their work.  The property owner would provide living quarters (usually a small wooden house) to the sharecropping family.  In addition, the landowner supplied them with mules and plows.  The sharecroppers worked in the fields growing and harvesting the crops.  Out of the profits of the sold crops, the sharecroppers received 50% of the profit and the landowner received the other 50%.  For an example, if the profit was $2.00, then the sharecropper received $1.00 and the owner received $1.00.  Now, Carrie can tell you about sharecropping and about chopping cotton and plowing.  Carrie and Rosie plowed the fields with their daddy.  Carrie lays claim to being the best plow hand in those parts. They would go to the field at seven in the morning, come out at twelve, eat dinner, and return to the field.   Also, they worked a garden that produced all they needed to eat.  They had plenty of food and never went hungry.  Ms. Rosie can tell you exactly how to cook a mean pot of collard greens on a wood stove.  She can also tell you how to cook hot water cornbread and sweet potatoes.

In addition to working, the three girls had a social life that consisted mainly of attending a church that their mother founded in her home. She wanted her children to attend church, and since it was too far to walk to the closest church, she founded her own church. Attending church was about all of a social life they had because there was very little time for leisure.  However, they did remember a game they played.  They would bend a small pine tree over to the ground, jump on the tree, let it spring up from the ground, and ride it like a horse.  In reading the stories of the other elders, I recognized that this was a very common game during the Great Depression years. In addition, they all remembered having fun riding their daddy’s horse.  Maggie said she could ride a horse with or without a saddle.  She said, “I could ride a horse any way you wanna ride it.”  Laughing, she continued,” I’d ride up and down the road just to let folks see me ride.  They would always say “I see Sugar coming.” Another social event that all three sisters remembered was the holiday season of Christmas.  Even though they enjoyed Christmas immensely, for some reason they were very afraid of Santa Claus.  Ms. Maggie recounts, “We’d go to bed early because we were scared that old Santa would scratch our eyes out.”   Also, Maggie said Santa would hide their gifts, which consisted of fruit.  Their favorite gift was raisins in a sack.  However, Ms. Carrie remembered once getting a doll from Santa.

To conclude, it is hard for us to comprehend what these women have seen in their lifetime.  Let us stop a minute and try to imagine what they have seen. They have seen the first car, the first airplane, the first telephone, the first radio, the first television, and the first man on the moon. Not to mention all of today’s modern inventions, such as the internet, the iPod, hand held games and cell phones.  In addition, they have seen our nation at war and at peace and they have lived through two major world wars.  They went from candles to electricity, outhouses to indoor plumbing, cooling food on blocks of ice to refrigeration, and dirt roads to paved highways.  Also, they have seen our country shift from a rural society where 60% of Americans were farmers to an urban culture.  They have lived through the politics of 21 Presidents of this nation.  They have lived through the dark days of the Great Depression and the tragedy of  9/11 and have seen the light of a new day in our nation.  They have suffered discrimination and injustice in a society that was “separate but equal”. They have witnessed the Civil Rights movement, and they have seen our nation take the steps to live up to the words “all men are created equal”.  To top it all off, they have seen the first African American in the history of the United States elected President.  Can you just imagine how proud they must be!  All three of these beautiful and amazing ladies now reside close to each other in Minden in the loving arms of their family.  When asked what they attributed their old age to Ms. Carrie said, “I am hard-headed, but I treat people like I wish to be treated and give them my best respect.”  Moreover, Ms. Maggie said, “All I know is just be good to everybody and treat everybody right and don’t mistreat nobody, and if you can help anybody, then help ‘em and just be good to everybody.  That’s all I know.  I don’t know nothing else….I never was a bad person.”  Immediately they all began to sing together, “On my way to heaven. I’m on my way to heaven. I’m gonna make it there cause my God told me so.  If anybody asks you who I am… you tell them I am a child of God.”  Yes, you certainly are!  You are truly “God’s Miracles”!!!

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