Minnie Sota Hursh-Shinn
March 4, 1902-December 16, 1998
This enhancement was a gift from
a friend. Thank you Wayne!
Minnie Sota Hursh was born on March 4, 1902. She was born deep
in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas.
At the age of 12, her Mother passed away. Her being the oldest
child left at home,she had to take on the job of raising her younger
brother and 2 sisters. Her Dad worked alot of hours in a saw mill,
so she had the full responsibility of caring for kids and taking care
of the house.
Her family moved to Shinn Mountain,right outside of Dover, Ark.
Her Dad built a saw mill across the road from the house he built
for his family.
This is where she met and married Roy Shinn. They had a son
and named him Nealy. This is when they decided to leave the
mountains and move to southern Arkansas and do share cropping.
They loaded all their belonging on a wagon,pulled by a horse and
headed out. They settled in Wilmont, Arkansas. And from there,
they kept moving and working other peoples land.
In the early 1940's they bought 63 acres of land in Galion,
Louisiana,outside of Bastrop. By this time, they had a girl, named
Maxine.
They farmed cotton, corn and soy beans. Plus raised cattle,hogs
and chickens. And a whole acre of fresh vegetables.
Nealy married a young girl from Portland, Arkansas named
Charlene Hicks. He had attended college to be a Baptist preacher.
Maxine married a young man,Jack Hattaway,Jr. He had just
gotten out of the Navy when they met and married. His family
lived right down the road from the Shinns.
Minnie spent her time working side by side with Roy in the fields.
She would work just like a man,since they could not afford to hire
help.
But every Sunday was church day. She would cook her Sunday
dinner on Saturday,and refuse to do any work on the Sabbeth.
Minnie had the greenest thumb in the area. People claimed she
could plant a door knob and it would grow. Her yard was a sight
to be seen. If you ever went to her house, you had to have what
was known as the "dollar ninty eight" tour. She would take you
around and show you all her flowers and tell you a story about
each one.
In 1948, she became a grandmother. Maxine and Jack had a
little girl and they named her Gayle. Gayle was the apple of her
grandmother's eye. Maxine and Jack was living in the house with
the Shinns, so she helped alot with the new baby. A year after
the baby was born, Maxine and Jack divorced. Maxine and Gayle
continued to live with them.
When Gayle was 5, her mother married again. He was a
traveling man, so off they went to Chicago. Gayle remained with
her grandparents.Who, by this time is calling her, Mother Shinn.
Roy, she called Granddaddy.
In the future years, Gayle might have lived with her mother a
total of about 3 years. The remainder of her life was lived right
there on the farm. They would make trips back to Arkansas to
visit family and the old home place, which still stands, at least
once a year.
In 1965, Roy died and left Minnie and Gayle to run the farm.
That first year was real hard on them. But they prevailed and
worked very hard.
Church, God and family was the most important things in Minnie's
life and she embedded that into Gayle.
Minnie spent alot of time helping raise her nieces, nephews and
grandkids. Maxine had three more children and she helped raise
them also. Minnie once said that she had been a Mother to alot
of kids. And we all loved her dearly. Nealy and Charlene had one
child, a son, Artie. Gayle spent alot of time with Nealy and
Charlene, so Artie was like a brother to her.
At Roy's death, he was Justice of the Peace for his area.
Minnie assumed his position and held it for about 30 years.
She also wrote a column for the local newspaper for about 32
years.
She was very headstrong and stubborn. She had to be.At Roy's
death, all she inherited was bank loans on farm and equipment, to
pay off. She would do anything to make a dime, to help pay off
the debts. She worked in a peach orchard, packing peaches,
worked at a sweet potato canning plant, culling potatoes. She did
not have one lazy bone in her body. She had pecan trees and her
garden. She would sell fresh vegetables and pecans she had picked,
for extra money. One year she picked up and sold 400 lbs. of
pecans.
She had a herd of cattle she raised and fed,they were her babies.
But she had to sell them in 1994, because she could no longer carry
the bails of hay to feed them.
Minnie was an outside person. She did not like housework one bit.
And in the winter, when she could not get outside, she would actually
get cabin fever.
Minnie Shinn passed away Dec 16, 1998 at the age of 96. Only
the last year of her life, did she have any major health problems.
Until 1997, she lived alone on her beloved farm. She said she felt
close to God right there on her place. She was a remarkable lady.
The local newspaper and television station, have done stories on her,
over the years.
She loved her God, her family, flowers and Elvis. I had no problem
loving and listening to Elvis, as a teenager, she was as big a fan
as I was. We would attend his movies together.
All of this is dedicated to her and her life. I owe her for all I am
today. She was my best friend and the foundation for my whole life.
Until the last year of her life, we would talk every other day on the
phone. And I would make the 400 mile trip to see her, at least 3
times a year. But that last year I made a trip to see her, at least
once a month and we spent alot of quality time together that year.
I miss her so much,every day. But she paid her dues and deserves
the rest.
I can imagine her in heaven, tending God's flowers. I do feel her
close to me sometimes and I feel that part of her, lives on in me.
Thank you, Mother Shinn, for all you did for me;
and for loving me so unconditonally..........Gayle
A beautiful place to visit. It reminds me of Minnie .... Yellow Roses
And another great site is .... Grandmother's Rocking Chair
Our Home
Roy & Minnie
Roy, Minnie & Gayle
This candle burns for all grandmothers!
THANK YOU!!!!!!