I
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	:~L.sLAT~E ~i~ORI~S	P~g~ One ?‘	j
	(Texas)	~


~1L:~~Is P~AS~R, a5 • was born near Nacogdoches, Texas, He does not know the nane cxf hi~ first master, Yrank Sparks brou~ght ~i1lis to Bosqueville,
~‚ Texas, when he was two years
old. willis believes firmly
In flconjure~~ent~ and ghosts,
and wears several chari~is ftr
protection against the former.
.	He lives in Waco, Texas.




	“Ifls birthed below Naco~doches, and dey tells me it am on March 19th, In 1852. My mammy had some kindof p~çer what say dat. Bu~t I don ‚ t know i~r mast er ‚ c ause when I ~ s two he done give inc to Marse Prank Sparks and he brung me to Bosqueville. Dat sizeable place dem days. My manmy come ‘bout a month after, tcause Marse trank, he s~r I‘s too much trouble without my rnamniy.

	tlM~fly de bes‘ cook in de county and a master hand at epinninT

and weavint • She made he r ow~i dye, Walnut and ei in m~kee red dye and.

	walnut brown o olor, and ehuma~e mnke s black e olor • Then you want s yallow

color, git cedar moss out de brake,

	“All de~lint was picked by hand on our place. It a slow job to git dat lint out de cotton and ‘ s gone to sleep many a night ‚ I‘ by de fire, pickint lint, In bad weather us sot by de fire and pick lint and patch harness and shoes, or whittle out something, dishes end bowls and troughs and t rape and spoons .

HAll us chilIen weared lowe]. white d~ckLn‘ ‚ homemake, jest one

	garment, .It was de long shirt, You. couldn‘t tell gale from boys on de yard. . ~ O. ~i•~s t~elve when us am freed and for awhile ixs lived. on Marie Bob Worth~~4 piaqe, on Chalk Bluff, on RorseshOs Bend. After de freedom war,