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Narrative Summary
Interview with Bama Berry by Jeff McVey
Just short of a century ago, Everett and Della Curtis welcomed their first of four children to
the world at Bluff Springs, Arkansas. They named her Alabama Jean. Her home was located
about a mile north of the Bluff Springs community building which served as the center of social
activity in the area. It was the school house, church house, meeting house, and the Masonic
Lodge met upstairs.
The church was the Church of Christ, which was non-denominational with a literal and inerrant belief in scripture. Musical instruments were not used, all music was voice only.
Transportation to this meeting place was on foot, horseback, wagon, or buggy. She usually rode
to church behind her mother, who rode sidesaddle.
Saturdays were spent preparing for church services on Sunday and the family meal which
followed. After church services on Sunday, the family (aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and
cousins) all went to her grandparents’ home about three quarters of a mile to the south of the
church house, beside Bear Creek. The children spent Sunday afternoon playing and the men and
women visited. Bama shared that the person who influenced her the most was her grandfather,
George Andrews.
When Bama was about ten years old, her parents moved to Omaha, Arkansas, about ten miles
away. The reason for this move was to enable the children to receive high school education and
for the family to join a larger church congregation. They lived in town while her father built
them a home/business building where they opened a dry goods store. Her religious training and
study resulted in baptism at the age of thirteen at Bear Creek Springs in early October. Her
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-2comments on that: “Boy, it was cold!” After high school graduation she lived in Harrison,
Arkansas with a cousin so she could attend what was called Normal School. This was to prepare
her for a teaching license which would allow her to teach school while she was getting her
teaching degree.
The dirt road running through Omaha was called the Springfield/Harrison road, and later
became Highway 65. A road contractor was upgrading it from the state line to Harrison,
Arkansas. One of his heavy equipment operators, Jim Berry, was from Texas. He met Bama at
the café in Omaha, and that was the beginning of a relationship which resulted in a forty seven
year marriage starting in 1937. They lived with her parents until purchasing a mobile home
(fifteen foot travel trailer) in which they followed road construction projects all over Arkansas
and Missouri.
World War II broke out in 1941, Mr. Berry was draft exempt due to his work on military
projects. He was sent to Leesville, Louisiana to prepare a rifle range in a training facility called
Camp Polk. They became friends with another family in the trailer court named Ty and Mary
Margaret Cobb, who were from Memphis, Tennessee. Ty was the camp drill instructor and
named after his famous baseball player uncle, Ty Cobb.
Both the Cobb and Berry families were members of Church of Christ, but had no place to
worship. Bama and Mary Margaret searched for a congregation near Leesville, but they couldn’t
find one. They finally went door to door asking for information and by chance found a man who
said he would preach for them if they found a place. They found an empty church building and
inquired about using it for services. They were initially turned down, but then told they could use
the storage room if they cleaned it out. After cleaning, they had an empty room and nothing else.
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-3By word of mouth they had six people present for their first service, in which everyone was to
bring their own chair. Only five chairs were brought for that first service but the person leading
the service would be standing so it all worked out. The attendance increased to twelve very
quickly and they were soon allowed to use the entire building for services. The Church is still
active in Leesville and now has three congregations listed online.
Other construction projects required the Berry family to move away from Leesville. They
lived all over Louisiana and Mississippi, always attending church when possible. They were
blessed with three children. They returned and settled here in Springfield, Missouri where Bama
still lives. Bama, who will be 97 years young next week, continues to serve by attending services
when possible and watching her religious programs on television. Radio programs, bible study,
and church bulletins keep her busy. Her greatest work is encouraging others, both by word and
example.
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Religious Lives of Ozarks Women
-41. INTERESTING – The most interesting thing about her to me is the events and change
that took place in her lifetime.
a. Great depression
b. The change from an isolated, agricultural, rural to urban country
c. Transportation
i. Trains – steam to electric
ii. Planes – air travel
iii. Automobile – papa’s first car
d. Medical improvements
i. Buster died
ii. Appendicitis
e. Remained constant and committed to her faith – colored in the lines
i. Women kept silent
ii. Women didn’t preach
iii. Women taught at home
iv. Male – predominant times
2. INTRIGUING – The most intriguing thing was her involvement in planting a
congregation so she could practice her religion
a. Time and Place
i. War time (ration stamps to buy gas, stamps for bacon, etc.)
ii. Southern location was predominantly Catholic
iii. Women did not lead, male-dominated, women kept silent
3. INSPIRING – the most inspiring is her attitude and the encouragement given
a. Lost child with physical disability
b. Lost husband
c. Loss of vision
4. CONCLUSION – Through trial, she has stayed strong and remained faithful to her
religion.
a. She continues to do what she can to keep practicing her faith
i. When asked how she is doing, her typical response is: “Not bad for a
teenager!”
ii. When you get lemons, make lemonade.
Missouri State University
Spring 2015
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women