Lamm, Elijah and Delana

In Memoriam Elijah Braxton Lamm
June 11, 1907 — April 17, 1979

Delana Pittman Lamm
February 21, 1902 — June 18, 1988

Elijah Braxton Lamm, son of Andrew Jackson Lamm, Wilson County farmer / land owner, and Delana "Lanie" Pittman, daughter of James "Jim" Griffin Pittman, married in Micro on February 8, 1927. They started married life as tenant farmers on his father's farm on Simpson Road. His aunt Mary and uncle John Johnson lived across the road on Highway 301 at Aycock's Crossing. His half-brother, Arthur, lived next door, and sister Lennie and her husband Ollie Johnson next door, among all his Price relatives' homes.

During the Depression and for lack of cash, they lived mostly off what they could grow on the land. Travelers on Hwy 301, often looking for work, would spend a few days at Elijah's home and work to pay board until they could move on. As Elijah's father's health failed, Elijah's family moved next door to his father on Upper Black Creek Church Road until his death, and then again moved to a farm in his father's estate at Bethany Church, to be near Lanie's family. When efforts to buy that farm from the estate failed, he moved to Glendale Road within sight of the Glendale School. This meant that the older children — by then five girls and two boys —walked to school. When Lanie's father's estate was settled, Elijah and Lanie bought the Atkinson home place in the Glendale community, on what now is Bay Valley Road. This has been in Lanie's family since prior to the Civil War. The house was built by Lanie's grandfather and had the old type carbide gas lights inside. Elijah was soon able to improve it when electricity and indoor plumbing were available. He also donated the right of way for Carolina Power & Light and for paving the road by the house.

In his early married years, Elijah took a detective course, but remained on the farm to grow corn, sweet potatoes, tobacco, garden vegetables, and sometimes cotton, beans, hogs, cows, and chickens. He cured sweet potatoes for the community. He hunted and brought home game for the table. He cared for Lanie's two sisters next door — Tavia Pittman and Sarah Scott — as his own family. His most consistent advice, if we children said "I can't" was "Can't died in the mudhole." His advice when we were pouting was unprintable! We often awoke to his chanting "Lazy bones, lazy bones! Sleeping in the sun. How're you going to get your work done!" He was a proud father.

Lanie was born at Hickory Cross, but at an early age the family moved back to the Glendale community, buying her grandfather's home. Lanie was too thrifty to have finer things and she designed and sewed all our clothes. Her father was also thrifty, but splurged only on a self-player piano, which her daughter, Betty Broughton, restored and still owns. Lanie's greatest interest was providing for her children's education and well being. She taught her children to love and respect one another.

She loved growing flowers and had us cut and arrange them. The first tobacco sold in the fall provided for book fees, shoes, and coats for the children. The older children — Geraldine, Betty Gray, and James Edward "J.E." — started school at St. Mary's and transferred to Glendale School. All seven children, including Wyona, Vira Lee, Sybil Lynn, and Wayne, later graduated from there.