Glimpses of Our Grandmother

As the task of chronicling the history of our centennial farm began, it became important to understand the journey our ancestors took to get here. The facts of history are not disputed, but how those facts intertwined with and played out in the minds and will of the people involved is a lesson for the generations.

The actual Titus Stephens farm began post civil war reconstruction, but the realness of the farm came during the lifetime of our family matriarch, Clemmie Holmes. She became the embodiment of the farm. It was her determination to cherish the land, and keep it forever intact in our family, that became a rallying chant for each generation. She spoke of the farm as a sanctuary for the family. No matter where we were, or what adversities we faced, we were welcomed to come home. The farm, our homeland was a place to gather strength, to find acceptance, and to be surrounded by God’s beauty and grace. It would become a self contained center of growth for the family.

Gathering together the facts of the farm’s history, and considering the persona of its matriarch, is where her three remaining grandchildren began their own journey. That journey formed a cohesive bond and a determination to encompass our entire family in the farm’s legacy. We reminisced and told stories that formed glimpses of our grandmother as she worked in the fields or tended to her livestock. We hear her hushed prayers in the early morning, and her melodic songs of praise in the noon day. We feel her loving touch of comfort whenever we’ve been hurt or distraught. She was the catalyst that helped us to know about forgiveness, love, humility and perseverance. We have concluded that these are the sure foundation of our family that must forever stand.

The continuance of our journey helped the three of us to know that we want to be for our grandchildren, what our grandmother became for us – the link between history and humanity. Although we have lived our separate truths and made our marks on the world, we have our foundation in the work and history of that small farm in southwest Georgia.