Ward Poag-1932 Center, Tennessee

The Poags have always exhibited a strong determination to do and have things their own way and the first time I exhibited that characteristic, I discovered the hard way that Momma was equally strong minded.

I wasn't old enough to go to school, but Momma would let me go down to the schoolyard and play with the kids at recess. Afterwards, I had to go back to the house. I didn't want to go back, but she would make me.

One day I decided I wasn't going back home. I was going to stay at school so when Momma told me to get going, I said, "No! I'm gonna stay."

When Momma got insistent, I laid down on the ground and started yelling and screaming and kicking my heels. That's when I found out my Momma was a very determined woman. She walked over to a hickory sapling at the edge of the school yard. She broke off a small limb and proceeded to wear my little butt out with it!

All of a sudden I decided I was tired of playing with those other younguns after all.

Momma was a great motivator.