Arlin and Minnie Reasons were married in the first part of the 20th century and raised a great family throughout the depression. They both enjoyed the outdoors because they were country folk. Mamaw planted flowers and had a beautiful garden every year. Daddy Arlin farmed the land his whole life.

The Old Home Place

Here is part of the farm-land at the old home place. In this photo, the youngest son, Jerrel, is picking cotton in 2001. When the house burned down many decades ago, Arlin and his four sons, Horace, Morris, Euless and Jerrel RE-BUILT THE HOUSE. (I suspect "his four sons" did most of the work.) But when they rebuilt it, they relocated the home across the road, here on the hill. This photo is taken from the field behind the house, which is obscured by the trees. This land has been in this family for several generations. "The House" has been a "Reasons-Family" home for over SIXTY YEARS!!!

When we were kids, my cousins and I spent many, many nights staying at Mamaw and Daddy Arlin's house, playing in the barn and running around the wide, open land. During the season, we picked strawberries from these same fields...for ten cents per quart.

Cypress Methodist Church played a big roll in the lives of the Arlin Reasons family. Arlin and Minnie are now in the beautiful cemetery behind the church, along side their daughter who died as an infant. Many relatives spanding several generations and branches of the family are buried in this cemetery. In June, the annual homecoming is held. Although not an official family reunion, none of the Reasons kids or cousins ever wanted to miss the Cypress Homecoming, the dinner on the ground where we sat in the cemetery, under the big trees on the hill. Most of us stayed for the great gospel music held after lunch, featuring great gospel singing by the JONES FAMILY and the church chior (and anyone else who wanted to sing) accompanied by Annette Wheeler on the piano with Malcolm Emison on the Baldwin organ.

Inside the church is a window, a stained glass window with a plaque honoring "The Arlin Reasons Family." Arlin was such a strong supporter of Cypress Church over the years. However it is interesting that, although he raised his family there and attended virtually every church function for over fifty-years, Arlin was never actually a member of Cypress Church. This church still plays an important roll in the lives of the kids and grandkids. Even one of Arlin and Minnie's great-granddaughters recently stated that THIS is where she wanted to be burried. We all love Cypress Methodist Church and the fond memories we have of great times there.

Minnie was a master gardener. She was also a strong farm-lady who was honored by all of her family. Euless's wife, Nellie, also picked-up Minnie's green thumb. Nellie has honored her mother-in-law by keeping alive one of Minnie's antique roses. She and Jerrel are standing beside the prize bush, over thirty years old.

Growing up on the farm had many hardships in the great depression days. On the farm, water came from a well. Until the dams of the TVA system were built, The water was provided by this windmill. Even back in the 1950s and 1960s, the wind provided power for this mill to pump the water up from the ground. By the late 1970s, Crockett County had installed a county-wide water system, providing "city water" connections in all parts of the county. Now, living in the country is almost like living in town!

The spinning windmill still stands today as a tribute to the family of Arlin Reasons, although is it not connected to a pump anymore. Country life is not what it used to be, is it?

In the Springtime, Daddy Arlin raised strawberries in the big fields behind the house. All if the grandkids would get out there an pick strawberries. They were always good with Mamaw's fresh yeast rolls, hot out of her gas oven. Nobody can cook like a country grandmother!

If I remember correctly, we would get ten-cents per quart for picking strawberries. Compare that price to what you pay today in the supermarket. Ten-cents back then and TOO MUCH today.

This is the farm of their grandson, Gary. Uncle Jerrel is trying-out Gary's strawberries to see if they measure-up to the "Reasons Standard" of strawberry quality. I suspect they do!

We were a close family. "From the time I can remember anything, we would always spend Easter lunch at Mamaw and Daddy Arlin's house. Next would be Thanksgiving "dinner," at noon-country-standard-time. After lunch on Thanksgiving, we, the grandchildren, would "draw-names" for Christmas. Then, on Christmas day, even though we all had our own homes, we would still have lunch at Mamaw and Daddy Arlin's house. The place will FILLED with their eight kids and 20+ grandchildren. It was a great time for this big, happy family.

After a series of strokes, Daddy Arlin left us in 1972. Mamaw was in perfect health, other than her broken heart. Just one year later, almost to the day, Mamaw died quietly in her sleep and went "home" to be with the Lord and with her beloved Arlin. This left a huge hole in our lives, but we all kept on going. Arlin and Minnie left behind a legacy of eight adult children and many grandchildren. Today, the clan is growing even larger with their great-grandchildren now having kids of their own. Their grandchildren have become good citizens in many walks of life.

Arlin and Minnie did a good thing.

Evening has fallen in Crockett county, most folks are at home with family.

The business day has ended. The streets are silent after midnight. When you contrast the lively business day with this quiet, solitary scene, it seems like two distinctly different towns.

This is the south side of the court square in Alamo, looking south-east. In the mid-1960's, there was a donut shop here. Many times, I would ride my bike to the donut shop for a box of a dozen fresh donuts for breakfast. The tasty glazed pastry sold for five cents each or a dozen for a half dollar. Study this image for a moment and you soom become aware of a peaceful solitude around the Square...late, late at night...when not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.

Now, drive out of town a few miles, to the farm lands, to the Reasons home-place, and just imagine the quiet solitude one can find in such a setting. Life in the city will never be better then the peace that comes from a solid family background, with folks who love you, people of integrity who are there for you all your life. So it goes, being raised as part of the family started by Arlin and Minnie Reasons.