Introduction to Butter Peas

In the summer of 1995, I took my four girls down South so they could meet relatives and see the beautiful homeland of our ancestors. Our van traveled in a caravan with my parents and brother, Leslie, in one car; and my other brother, Fred, and his family in another.

While at Uncle Charles’ and Aunt Blanche’s house in Albany, Georgia, she served up some lunch, which included field peas I’d never seen before. They were green like a regular garden pea, but not quite as round. They were more oblong, but not quite like a black-eyed pea. I sure did like those peas. I had never had anything like them before and I’ve never had anything like them since.

Apparently, I did not find out right then what they were called, but as I have thought about them a lot, I have decided they must have been butter peas, the most delicious of all the different varieties of field peas. I would sure like to have some more of those, cooked just the way Aunt Blanch cooked them, flavored with a little butter or meat grease.

I will always remember Aunt Blanche when I think of butter peas or whenever I get to taste them again.

Picture found at http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/food/stories/2008/07/22/fieldpeas_0724fd05CVV.html

(The previous story was submitted to a memory book being compiled for Blanche (Booth) Thaden in honor of her 90th birthday!!)

Our Southern Belle

The few documents that have been collected on Mattie Love (Meigs) Thaden reveal that she was a serious Christian. The following short announcement, which appeared in the Society column of the Atlanta Constitution in 1905, is further evidence.

A Silver Tea

The Ladies Aid Society of the West Side Methodist church will give a silver tea for the benefit of the parsonage Monday evening, March 1 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Thaden 458 West Hunter street. The public is most cordially invited. A pleasant evening is promised to all.
(27 Feb 1905, p. 6.)

So what is a Silver Tea? A brief Google search turned up an article about a contemporary charity organization that has revived the Silver Tea explaining that it "is a tradition that began in the early 1900s when guests at fundraising events learned to place their contributions – very discreetly – into a large silver bowl.”¹

This gives us a better glimpse into Mattie's home as she graciously hosted a pleasant social gathering of Southern ladies and gentlemen on a Georgia winter evening. One can almost see the sparkle of the polished tea sets and hear the delicate clatter of porcelein cups against their saucer mates. And off in a place that is niether prominent nor hidden sits the silver bowl, steadily collecting the willing contributions of the guests. . . .
¹Burl Stiff, “A Silver Anniversary for the Silver Tea,” The San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec 2008, par. 7.

Soldier and Patriot

Capt. Henry Rhoads is the 6th great grandfather of Michael Hahn and one of Michael's ancestral heroes because of the patriot he was during the Revolutionary War. Isn't it special then that Henry and Michael both share the same birth date of June 5th.

Image posted at FindAGrave.com, Memorial #11345940, by JYOAKE.