Mildred Heard

Profile manager: Gene Ellison [send private message]

Not much is known about Mildred Heard at this time... She was interviewed as part of the Federal Writer's Project, however the interview covered animal behavior of cows, birds, bees, snakes, etc...

There were also stories handed down to her from former enslaved ancestors.

I could not ascertain who Mildred Heard was as it relates to her own history.

Interview

Mildred was interviewed sometime in 1937 in Georgia as part of the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The results are presented in narrative form, most, allegedly, in the first person, and made available by the Library of Congress.

The following interviews were obtained from Mildred Heard a young woman who has lived in the country most of her life and might easily be described as a child of nature. Although a full grown woman and the mother of two children she seems much older than her years, this is true I believe because she has always lived among much older people.

"The following stories relate to Birthmarks"

As previously mentioned Mildred Heard has two small daughters and the story of birthmarks begins with her own experience concerning them.

"My oldest child Tina is marked by crying. I don't care how much you whip or beg her to stop crying she will not stop until she gets ready. During the time I was pregnant my aunt died and I went to the funeral and before I knew it I found myself crying and unable to stop.

My youngest child Georgia is marked by a monkey. This mark is the result of a visit to Grants Park during the time I was pregnant. As I stood with the white baby I was nursing at the time a monkey fell and when he got up he started scratching his back. It all looked so funny I began to laugh. When Gloria was born her head resembled a monkey's in shape and on the lower part of her back she had red marks and was very hairy. I was afraid she would never change but as she grew older the marks and the hair disappeared." note - I glanced at the child and it is quite true that the shape of her head slightly rasembles that of a monkey.*

The next stories were related by Mrs. Heard. Mildred's grandmother. "I know a white woman that lives in Thomasville now that marked her child by a horse. This woman got tickled, at a horse with his tongue hanging out. When her baby was born he had feet and hands jest lak a horse and she nebber would let any one see this child' s feet.

Another woman, Alberta Turner, got scared of a turtle while she wuz fishing and right now her child got feet that spreads out just like a turtles and he walks with his feet straight out that way.

Aunt Eattie Coffee who lives in Macedonia, Ga., had a baby born with 4 teeth that looked jest like pearls. The doctor told her that the baby would shed those teeth and if she lost 'em the baby would die. He told her to be sure and watch the baby and to give him the teeth when they came out. Sho nuff them teeth came out but they never knowed where they went and that baby sho died

Source

[1] Library of Congress - TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT. 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - SLAVE NARRATIVES - Mildred Heard - Page 168