ALAMANCEATTIC

Clyde R. Roney was born august- 15 -1887 in Alamance County, NC, upstairs in his parents bedroom, during a very hot and moonless night, while downstairs his Father was Impaitently Waiting, walking back and forth across the wooden floor, not knowing what to expect. The house was a normal farm house of the times and large enough for a family to grow in, comfortable by all standards of even any big city houses. For a family a house is more than bricks and wood put togather but the center of their own little world, with chores for the children to do like bringing in firewood, or a bucket of fresh water from the well and careing for the animals, chickens, cows, hogs and horse's.

This would be normal everyday life, and at night reading by kerosene lamps was just one more little chore to do, keeping the lamps full. For a kid, farm life might be hard sometimes but with brothers and sisters and all the space outdoors any kid could have the best of time's to explore, run about, seeking new ways to play and have fun. The night air was slowly begining to cool a little and through the open door it felt so good to have it moving inside the house, as young herbert, Clyde's older brother lay sleeping beside of the front doorway on a thick sofa cushion, his Father decided he would check on his Mother Cornelia (Grand-Mother, of Bessie, Herbert & Clyde), who was busy at the cookstove heating water, as the Doctor, had told them to keep plenty of hot water ready for him when he call for it. On his way back from the kitchen, The Clyde's father  Chesley, heard something from upstairs and he turn and ran toward the steps to go up and see, and at the top of the stairs, found his nine year old daugther "Bessie" calling for him, as she had just woke up from a long nap and was wanting to know "How's Momma", and do'es she, have a new baby yet ? He lifted her up and said, "We will just have to wait a little while more, maybe she would like something to drink and eat" ? So quickly looking at the close door of the room where the country doctor and his younger sister, Nancy was helping the Doctor with his wife to deliver a," he hope son," a boy who could learn from his brother Herbert, who was about four years older and needed someone play marbles with, and running and yelling, like a bunch of wild Indians or roll the hoop down the road. Chesley Roney thought a new son could growup and someday, some years in the future also be a big help in working on the family farm, which he could someday have a part of to past onto any family that he and his brother and sisters may have, that would be able to grow plenty of good crops and have plenty to survive on and be able to live well, with much hope in a better future.

The house was something he had pride in because of all the effort and time to build it, which with out his Father's Ben and Pa-Pa John Roney's help it would have been built out of mostly rough cut logs, but Chesley Henry Lea Roney, who while young at the time knows, how along with everyone else that live during the reconstruction, had suffer from lack of basic needs and even went hungry many a day. But people would just pick themselves up and keep moving forward, helping one another and sharing food, tools or time to help with any work, which there were plenty of, just no money or have a way to pay in cash.

The lost of a life's work in a farm or business, during them hard and scary days were many he witness and knowing of so many kin and friends who had such losses of family members that served during the war years being killed or injury for life, had harden him into a tough, take charge type of man. He would stress to all his son's, the importance of hard work, doing what you say,- you would do, and if the farm is not for you, then learning a trade and always be willing to work harder, and save, far a rainy day, is how to survive through lifes problems that may come.

As he was carrying Bessie back upstairs, they both and also a waking Herbert, heard a loud "CRY," and then more crying, louder and louder! "it's a baby yell, "! Bessie, As Herbert, and his Father Chesley, all ran upstairs to see, the Doctor was just coming out the door, just smiling and shaking his head, saying "that new baby boy of your's going to be a rough-'n one for his brother and sister to keep up with I'm sure of that". When the old country Doctor that deliver young Clyde held him upside down and slap him, he (Clyde) then "yell back to the Doctor what did he do that for!" Or perhaps such a fuss yelling and crying that, they must have thought so it the time anyway. Young Clyde's mother was the former Sallie E. Curtis who was born in 1856, she and Chesley Henry Lea Roney, were married about (estimate 1875-7) on the front steps of her parents home with all the kin who were able to attend and celebrate the event. She and her husband Chesley, work together overseeing the daily business of a good size piedmont farm and home, which soon would have little ones to care for. Two girls and three boys, but the youngest son only living a short while, just two year's of age, and in only seven more years in 1909 she would also die, and both are buried at Pine Hill Cemetery, Burlington, NC. Three young children, all from diffrent generation's of Roney's had died about the same age, about two years old, all name Benjamin, and their father's- were, Benjamin Franklin Roney, Chesley Henry Lea Roney and Clyde Ruffin Roney.

Chesley Roney, started seeing a nearby woman and friend, who had known them both him and his late wife well, and after a time had past he ask her if she would be his wife, she did agree to be his Wife, her name was Essie A. Blanchard and on 25th of December 1910, they were both married.

Clyde was twenty-three when his Father remarried again and he did'nt agree very much on the rules and new understanding of things with his Step-Mother, and Lollie his younger sister would be the only one who could calm and settle the friction between them, at first. Essie felt her job as a good Wife and parent was to run a Organize and well kept home and everyone should be on their best manners and appearance at all times, even when guest were not around, and all family members were expected to know that. Mrs. Essie Blanchard Roney and her understanding and upbring in The Lord's words and Ideals is foremost on her everyday thoughts, that we all must work hard to save and not spend on unneeded things, if the future is going to be worth having time for and enjoying while being secure also. Clyde Roney's parents generation had been thur some rough and tough times were everyday was one hardship after another, and those days are never far from their minds in the decisions and plans they had to made, and any asking for money, or any kind of risk in any investments came with many questions and what if, or let's take time to think about this. Trying to remember only the bad old days and learning from them in the modern times of  a fast and busy time like then, only just recently becoming a new century, with all the new gagets and inventions and opportunity to progress is not how Clyde wanted to spend his time, adjusting his collar and even having to wear a tie, or trying to be someone, other than himself, only this bother him more.

But with his Wife and young children on visiting the old homeplace and then having his parents visit his new home and farm near town, he knew how to keep busy as much as possible, so everyone would enjoy their time together, and the day or evening would go by quicker. The tension was always there between Clyde and his Step-Mother Essie, even when she past away many years later on 24 December 1949, a sad Christmas, for all who knew her, who's faith in the Lord, and how, He must have been in need of a good Organize and very faithful Christian in Heaven that Christmas.

Chesley H. Roney was a farmer, and part owner in a mill and County commissioner of Alamance County in1893, and sheriff, in 1897. His house and farm is located off Faucette Lane between Deep Creek Church Rd. and Highway 62 North of Burlington, NC, and his Fathers homeplace (Benjamin Franklin Roney) is just north of his across a nearby creek. Chesley's GrandFather's John Roney house is also nearby off Sandy Cross Road now owned by Mr C. Warren, all three house's remain as of 2008.

Clyde Roney's great-GrandFather was John Roney and he was married to Mary Trollinger of Haw-River,NC on December 12 1815. They both are buried in The Trollinger Cemetery at Haw River, along side their daugther Artelia R. Duke, who was married to Washington Duke. Clyde Roney's GrandFather was Benjamin Franklin Roney ,born 1816 at the time was part of Orange County, NC and he on 27 February 1849 married Cornlia Hazell , and their farm was know also as a stagecoach stop. Benjamin F. Roney was a State house Representive, from Alamance County, and had died in 1876, and is buried at Union Ridge Church Cemetery with three of his young children, all dieing from illness, about the same time, and son Daniel Roney who was in the Army had died from diseased in 1863. Benjamin F. Roney would died the same year as Col. Custer, and his men all who were ambush in the Dakotas, in 1876, which also was the year for the One Hundrenth Celebration of United States.

Clyde Ruffin Roney and Family had Celebrated many Birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Family gatherings, almost always a big crowd of Roney's and family members. Clyde Roney was married to Bernice (Bennie) Boone Daugther of William and Betty Thomas Boone on 20th of December 1906, and she died much to young in 1922. They had lived on the Boon(e) farm ,now inside city limts of Burlington,NC (house and barn, and family store building have now been torn down) off Highway 62 North at Lower-Hopedale Rd. Around World War one Clyde Roney had built a store and operated it or rent it to a Mr. Allen sometime around 1920s-1930s.

Clyde Roney had been careing for six kids the oldest only fourteen, so one day he met a young woman name Nina Mae Faulkner at a local corn husking party and he later on ask her if she would marry him ? She being much younger and only five years older than his oldest son, was'nt so sure about tying the knot with him a first, but having a big heart and knowing his children needed a mother, and also thinking well it only would be cooking, washing, mop'ing and sweeping the floors, while tending to the little ones. She knew he had a good home, store and farm and so many kids already, that the hard part of Child Birthing had mostly all ready been done, she thought, 'it will be a piece of cake", so sometime before 1926 they were married, and within twenty years raised even more young-ins then ever, anyone could of have before thought, some say more then farming tobacco and or any other crops. Nina F. Roney and Clyde Roney had decided to moved, in the late 1950s to Deep Creek Church Road were land that he had inherited, from his father's farm was. The Roney Children had all, except for Becky the youngest were grown up now and each ingage too, are already married and begining to raised families of their own, so Mr. Roney, with his son's and with a building contractor started to build new house's, which he then overseen the construction of all the new homes for his young growing family, and the Grandkids, soon after would fill each one, making both Mr. and Mrs. Roney very happly busy with a new generation to look after, and help care watch over, loving each and everyone, as all of their children. It was in no time that a small village, of just Brother's and Sister's each with their spouses and children had been built, which I always thought of as "Roneyville".

In the little Glencoe Mill Village, just a few miles north of the Roney's home, was an important place, for the Roney family, a place in the small community were the word of Christ, and his worship, could be held, were services was a coming together of friends and family to enjoy, and learn the teaching of and about Christ, our Lord. This place was Glencoe Baptist Church, and on the MEMBERSHIP roll 10/26/1919 were Mrs Clyde Roney, and Mr. Clyde R. Roney, on 7/19/1925. Through the years the comfort and support of this Church for the family, and friendship share in happy occasions, like the many wedding's, and Holidays being together or the sad times of a Passing family member or friend, will always be our true family home, and special to our family.

GrandPa- Clyde Roney, had past away on the 5th of august 1975, Clyde and Nina were together fifty years and had raised ten children with six older step-children, many grand-children and more great-grandkids also. The rides down to the pond, in back of that old green dodge pick-up truck, full of hollar'ing grand-kids, and even a dog or two, looking over the farm, as the tobacco fields and corn stalks past by slowly, and would they all make it, when, crossing over the dam by the pond, at past Henry Roney's old worn & rust-tic place, and then back up the hill, the trustie and tough dodge just keep clicking along, the well-worn path, toward home and maybe a cookie or two and a glass of milk. Each trip would always be a great adventure, or just a fun way of letting time go-by, and now be just memories, of a time when the world and everything in it seem to move at about the same speed as Grand-pa's old truck, and were surely only laughter and good times would be, even arguement's about little things could be soon forgotten and the fun of each other's company, and love of family to-gatherness surely could last forever.

But sadly, sadness and loss would occur much to often, in this large family from tragic, and unknowing how to understand of events, or sudden and much too soon of passing away. Each one we all just wanting to reverse the wheel's of time and have just one more day to spend, and share our time with them, and keep living the same as before, laughing, and having a good time just being together. Now if only time could some how be turn on or off, instead of Life itself being like a switch, then the good times of the past will always be our chest of treasure's, which we will hold onto forever, and when we all can come together in the future, that will just be interest on our treasure's, value. And after living over a decade, Scence the passing of her husband Clyde, death. Grandma Nina at 81 years of age and then being care for, in a rest home, and being the mother of  such a large, and ever growing family, past away in 1986, she and Grandpa Clyde Roney are buried in the Boone family plot, at Pine Hill Cemetery off Main Street. Burlington, NC.