June (Craft) Israel

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l was born 1931-07-06 on a farm in Piedmont North Carolina to farmer/carpenter Winburn Craft 1902-08-10. and his first cousin, once removed, Anita Long 1906-01-29. I was their oldest child. My mother was obsessed with having a son, and after giving birth to 2nd, 3rd and 4th daughters, she finally managed it. In the depression years of the 1930's we were cash-poor, but there was always food. My father was addicted to Camel cigarettes and tobacco was raised on the farm, which actually belonged to my maternal grandfather Arthur Long 1872-12-07 to 1944-11-16 , who had no male heirs, so eventually his four daughters inherited it, and the major portion was inherited by Anita, my mother, as she and my father had shared the labor with maternal grandparents. In the present, my sister Marjorie 1933-08-27 and her oldest son, Douglas Graham 1952-09-11, occupy most of the farm, though three of the sisters still reside there. The farm was originally bought from the Leinbachs by carpenter Frederic Long 1781-02-08 to 1829-11-28, presumably with help from his sister Susannah 1778-06-04 TO 1857-02-03 who had married joseph Leinbach 1774-09-13 to 1860--01-22.

At one time, Frederick and four of his sons had a carpentry shop [1850 census] on the land which extended over much more territory than the current farm. Frederick's father Johannes George Long/Lang 1738-08-01 to 1805-01-08 wed his mother Catherine Miller/Muller 1749-02-08 TO 1784-02-08 who had died in childbirth of twins (who survived) when Frederick was only four years old, so his education was neglected. In time, Frederick's descendants Jesse Long 1812-05-01 to 1895-02-06 , Solomon Long, Rev., 1818-06-18 to 1895-05-11, John Jacob Long 1804-09-04 to 1875-02-07, and William Long 1809-11-02 to 1891-06-27 shared the original tract, some of it purchased from Frederick and some of it given by him. My ancestor Thomas Long, 1807-1894, my great-great grandfather, was the first literate member of Frederick's sons, possibly attending the academy run by the Doubs at the Chapel, about 1830, or otherwise in Bethania. He was given the task as executor of Frederick Long's will of assuring that his mother Mary {"Polly"} Muecke Long 1781-02-12 should receive her ration of whiskey every month from the still inherited by one of his brothers!

My great-great grandfather Thomas Long 1807-02-10 TO 1894-02-18 wed Elizabeth Doub 1809-11-26 to 1886-08-31 and built her a magnificent house which stood on the farm until 1945, so my sisters and I remember it well.

Unfortunately, especially following the Civil War, the Doub family ministers seemed to be more interested in girls finding husbands than ensuring that first cousins should not wed each other, so I am descended from three early 19th century Doub brothers and several sets of Long-Doub first cousins. This makes family trees difficult. I also believe that pre-Civil War, the bigamy and financial wreck that Hartwell ("Hart") Barham Newsom 1801-05-15 to 1872 fled from in North Carolina to Virginia and left his second "wife" Elizabeth with tuberculosis and his deserted family traumatised in crowded circumstances, although Elijah Doub 1809-11-15 to 1885-03-04 and his father Henry Hart Doub 1782-10-07 to 1850-10-05 tried to rescue the situation, providing shelter and finance.

Cousin marriage also made it socially awkward because my mother had some weird idea that a girl could not be friends with a boy, she had to marry him! I did not think that friend=sex! I did not believe in the 1945-1962 idea down south that pregnancy automatically equalled marriage because birth control was entirely male privilege In cars down by the riverside or in cars at the drive-in. Therefore my parents ensured their daughters had very Victorian upbringing, but my brother was cautious and unlike some, he graduated from high school. Unchanged. Some cousins were more fortunate.

My Long grandfather went to the mountains to find a non-relative, but his doctor brother had decided in med school that he should have no children because his parents were first cousins, though late in life he regretted that decision.

I attended Old Richmond School, graduated June, 1949 then worked in hosiery mill to try to earn to attend Brevard Junior College 1952-54, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 1953-1955 then I did two years of graduate study as assistant to the costumer for the Carolina Playmakers,1955-1957, but I did not complete my thesis for masters degree in Dramatic Arts though I had much help from my aunt Dorothy Long 1908-10-07 to 1987-06-20. I worked as assistant costumer 1953,1954, 1955 and did makeup at the Lost ColonyItalic text on Roanoke Island for 3 summers and one summer 1957 in Virginia I designed costumes and was understudy for the female lead in a drama called Let Freedom Ring. Bold text I then worked in New York, 1958 and met and wed Michael Israel , an Englishman, and came with him to London to live and work. We have three living children, two of whom live and work in California, and two grandsons. My husband is retired and enjoys gardening, pond fish, Rugby watching, I enjoy walking, painting, writing, family research and cooking.

I hope lock-down will be finished by July to celebrate my 90th birthday.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by June Craft at registration.