Ada Lee Martin-Cannon

1884-1987

"Mamaw"

The picture to the right, taken about 1910,  is of Ada Martin-Cannon, along with her husband Robert,  and the first 4 of their 10 children.  Bertha, Horace, Dewitt and Eva.

Robert and Ada raised their family in Louisiana, where they were farmers during the Great Depression.  It was not easy during those times, and the Federal Government stepped in during the later part of the decade to help out in Northeastern Louisiana.  In 1939, the government bought a 10,725 acre plantation at Transylvania from its owners who lived in Tennessee, for about $5 dollars an acre and they began subdividing it into 160 units, each on the average of 40 acres.  It was said that each 40 acre farm, had a house, a barn, and a chicken house, all for about $4,000.  Families from all over north Louisiana came there to the total of about 200 families.  The government eventually gave up an association idea, and the people were allowed to purchase the land.   Robert and Ada had a very large garden and raised all kinds of animals for slaughter.  Truly hard working people.  It was good that they had so many children, as I am sure there was lots of work to be done.

This picture on the left is Ada MARTIN-CANNON and her mother Missouri Lydia Ann WHITE-MARTIN.  Charles MARTIN moved his wife Lydia and their children from Alabama to Louisiana in the early 1900's, then back again to Alabama, then back to Louisiana around 1911.

Ada died in 1987 just one month shy of her 103rd birthday.  I remember sitting on the porch helping her snap beans that were gathered from her wonderful garden.