Mary Virginia Hill "Jennie" FRENSLEY

1863 - 1946  (82 years)

• Name	Mary Virginia Hill "Jennie" FRENSLEY
  Nickname	Jennie
  Birth	27 Mar 1863	Davidson County, Tennessee
  Gender	Female
  _UID	C9EC7534A05B44ECAB72EC5BD5930FD73B92
  Death	1 Jan 1946	Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
  Person ID	I27484	Carney Wehofer 2024 Genealogy
  Last Modified	22 Mar 2012

  
  

  Father	Thomas Osborn FRENSLEY,   b. 4 Mar 1824, Tennessee d. 19 Dec 1881, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee (Age 57 years)
  Mother	Talitha Janet Jane FRENCH,   b. 9 Aug 1825   d. 22 May 1897, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee (Age 71 years)
  Marriage	11 Nov 1857	Davidson County, Tennessee
  Family ID	F12127	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Virginia Hill Frensley.jpg Virginia Hill Frensley

  
  

• Notes

  Text Document made in 1940 of Mary Virginia Hill Frensley on file. PICTURE ON FILE. COPY OF DIARY ON FILE. BIRTH:ON WHITE'S CREEK ROAD. SUMMARY FROM VIRGINIA'S DIARY: WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD, WE MOVED TO TOWN (EDGEFIELD). THE OLDEST BOY GOT A JOB IN SUTHERLAND'S SAW MILL LOCATED ON THE RIVER BANK JUST NORTH OF WOODLAND ST. BRIDGE. THE YOUNGER DRAKE BOY GOT ODD JOBS AND LATER A JOB WITH THE L. & N. R.R. ADDIE WENT TO WORK WITH A NOTED DRESSMAKER. TOMMY HAD ATTENDED SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY AND IN TOWN. HE WAS NEVER A BOOKISH LAD, HE WANTED TO WORK AND HELP HIS MOTHER, HE WAS NEVER LAZY. HE WORKED IN A BAKERY, GROCERY, GRIST MILL, LUMBER YARD. WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 15 HE HE WENT TO MONTGOMERY BELL SCHOOL FOR A SHORT TIME. THAT WAS HIS LAST SCHOOLING. I STARTED MY EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOL OF MRS. JACKSON B. WHITE, WHERE I SPENT 2 SESSIONS. I HAD LEARNED THE ALPHABET AND COULD READ PARROT FASHION MCGUFFEY'S FIRST READER FROM HAVING HEARD TOMMY READ. I STUDIED WEBSTER'S BLUEBACK SPELLING BOOK, AND LEARNED TO WRITE. I THEN WENT TO THE EDGEFIELD FEMALE ACADEMY ON THE CORNER OF WOODLAND AND 7TH. ST. I REMAINED THERE 2 YEARS ADVANCING LABORIOUSLY, WORKING HARD, BUT NEVER QUITE SUCCEEDING IN GETTING THE COVETED PINK TICKET REPOAR. WHEN I WAS ELEVEN, I ENTERED THE MAIN ST. SCHOOL IN THE 5TH GRADE, AND HERE I REMAINED UNTIL I GRADUATED. MY TEACHER WAS MRS. LIZZIE MILLER (OF BLESSED MEMORY). HOW I LOVED HER. SHE WAS THE PASSION OF MY CHILD HEART. SHE RECOGNIZED MY LONGINGS AND ASPIRATIONS AND BY SOME INTUITION, SHE DISCOVERED MY MODEST ABILITIES AND ENCOURAGED ME TO "HITCH MY WAGON TO A STAR". TIME WENT ON, AND I GRADUATED MAGNA CUM LAUDE, AS VALEDICTORIAN OF MY CLASS JUNE 1879. I BEGAN TEACHING AT SEARIGHT SCHOOL IN NORTH EDGEFIELD IN SEPT. 1879. THIS BEGAN 57 YEARS OF TEACHING FROM ABC'S AT SEARIGHT TO THE 12TH GRADE SENIORS AT HUME-FOGG.(AT THIS POINT VIRGINIA NAMES ALL THE SCHOOLS WHERE SHE TAUGHT AND THE ASSOCIATE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS). CONCLUSION:WHATEVER ABILITY I HAVE TO EXPRESS MYSELF IN WRITING, I OWE TO SARAH A. WHITE WHO TAUGHT ME IN THE 7TH AND 8TH GRADES. SHE DID EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO ENCOURAGE AND PUSH ME ALONG. I MUST OWE THE LOVE OF POETRY TO MY LITTLE MOTHER. SHE WAS ALWAYS CLIPPING POEMS FROM THE FEW PAPERS WE COULD AFFORD TO GET. I REMEMBER SHE HAD A VOLUME OF POEMS WRITTEN BY AMERICAN WOMEN POETS. I WISH I HAD IT NOW