Molly Graham a former slave was married to Joseph Graham, they were blessed three daughters, Sally, Sara, and Effie). Sara died at an early age. Molly Graham’s daughter Sally Graham (1835-1950) also known as “TiTi” was married to Frank Bryant (1853-1924) also known as “Papa Frank”.
Sally and Frank Bryant were blessed with eight children, Jake, James, Joe, William, Henry, Rosa, Mamie, and Lizzie Bryant.
After freedom came, they didn’t infect themselves with a lethal dose of self-pity, but they brought forth a spiritual vision with God because they know that God’s vision has a way of showing them their many strengths and possibilities.
They knew that the bible said that a people without vision would parish and now that they were free, they know that a vision for their family was desperately needed during this time of racial injustice and hopelessness in the new South after the war.
Sally and Frank were entrepreneurs and farmers. Sally and Frank were the owners of a Grocery Store in Green Pond, South Carolina. Frank had a two-mule team and wagon which he used to travel to the wholesale supply store twice a month in Charleston, S.C. to purchase supply for his store. The whole sale supply store was located forty-two miles from Green Pond, S.C. Therefore, he had to stay overnight.
Frank and Sally provided credit to people within the community who needed it. They also gave free food and supplies from their store and free produce that they had grown on their farm to both Blacks and Whites who needed help.
They grinded corn to grits, made syrup from sugar cane, they used the earth as a food bank to preserve sweet potatoes, rutabagas, beets, and other produces during the winter months, and used the remaining as seed for planting.
They were blessed with owning approximately thirty-three Acre of land and this was the key for them to change the condition of their lives. They knew that by owning land they would be able to sustain themselves in many ways.
God blessed them by answering their prayers to own land, having eight healthy children, five boys and three girls, and the knowledge of farming and harvesting the land without the expense of paid labor.
Now with these blessings, like David had of the many tribes, they planted corn and cotton, which they sold and purchased more land. They raised their own meats and other domestic games and planted their vegetable garden.
They were blessed with an old art of canning their fruits and vegetables to preserve it from year to year. This art was passed on to her great granddaughter Bertha L Bryant-Givens, who canned all her fresh vegetables and fruits, until she was ninety Years old and taught her daughter and granddaughter the art in which they still practice.
With the knowledge of smoking fresh meat. They made bacon, pork sausage links, and patties. They built a wooden smoke house.
God blessed them to succeed during their lifetime. Sally and Frank became larger landowners; While working solely for themselves, they were blessed to passed on to descendants over two hundred acres of land, and an unknown amount of farm animals and a home that was built with God’s love and family commitment.
As time went on Frank Bryant Sr, brother-in-law April Singleton lost the land do to lark of income to maintain part of their property. Some years later, because of God’s grace and blessing the property was repurchased and back in the family hands by Molly Graham Great! Great! Great-Son in 1991. Frank Bryant Sr. (Sally’s husband) and April Singleton (Sally’s brother-in-law) are buried on the property along with two children (children’s identity unknown) under two oak trees. Molly’s Great Granddaughter told of how her and her siblings would play pick berries on that land. She showed her children the tombstones of her deceased grandfather and uncle. A celebration of praise was held signifying the return of the property, breaking the curse of having once losing the land that was purchased by her grandparents over seventy years ago. Graham-Bryant family proudly say that God’s continued blessing on her from slavery was a setback, however, it became a setup for the success for her future generations.
Molly’s Legacy Continue…Read more in the next edition.
