"Blue"
“Blue” was a small Black woman who worked for Clarence J. and Annie Lee Richardson in their general store in Norwood, Louisiana – the Brick Store. The Richardson family was well-acquainted with her as she had worked for them in the period approx. 1923 to 1933/4/5 when they lived near Norwood where Clarence Richardson worked as a clerk and buyer for Bridges and West Mercantile – a general store that he bought in the 1950’s, renamed “The Brick Store,” and operated it until he sold it in the mid-1960’s.
The following is the text of a note from Annie Lee Richardson Schlatter (1924 – 2007) to her granddaughter, Stephanie Hope Schlatter, daughter of Joseph A. Schlatter, Jr., and Rose Golden Schlatter. Joseph (Joe) was Annie Lee Richardson Schlatter’s son, Clarence and Annie Lee Richardson’s grandson. He worked during the summers 1951 – 1961 at Richardson’s Cash Grocery in Centreville, MS, and The Brick Store in Norwood, LA.
Around 1885-1890 a baby girl was born to a Black couple in Norwood, LA. This couple had been slaves belonging to the Gayden family. The newborn was very frail – a “blue baby.” She did survive and was always known as “Blue.”
When Teena and I were very young, “Blue” was our keeper and even after we moved from Norwood we often saw “Blue” when we visited Nannie Dudding, our grandmother.
When Mama Richardson and Granddad opened The Brick Store in Norwood they had a kitchen-sitting room in the back and Blue was the official maid. So, we renewed our friendship with Blue. About 1962 when we were visiting, Blue had us come to her little three room unpainted house and gave to each of us a keepsake – things given to her by the Gayden family. Her gift to me was this little glass dish.
So, Stephanie, I pass it on to you with my love . . . Grandmother Schlatter.
Note from Annie Lee Richardson Schlatter (1924 - 2007) to her granddaughter.
Second line has a typo, should read: "To a Black couple . . . "
Here is a photo of the dish given by Blue to Annie Lee Richardson Schlatter and passed on by her to her granddaughter.
COMMENT by Joseph A. Schlatter, Jr. ( 1944 - ). I remember Blue very well. She worked at The Brick Store, cleaning, cooking, and generally taking care of the “sitting room” and kitchen in the back of the store. I have two main recollections of her.
ONE
She was a small person who smiled all the time. She talked with me a lot when I was working at The Brick Store, sometimes following me around as I swept the floors, stocked the shelves, etc. One summer she was especially excited because she was going on a bus with her church to “Bow-Mount” – which turned out to be Beaumont, Texas, where her church was taking a bus for a day of singing and preaching. After she returned from “Bow-Mount,” she told me all about the trip in great detail. At this point in my life, I am certain that she had never been more than 5 – 10 miles away from where she was born.
TWO
She asked me one time: “Do you know why all us colored folks trade with your grandfather?” (NOTE: “Trade” meant “do business with.”)
When I replied, well, no, I do not know, she said: “Because he don’t cheat us.” At the time I did not understand the burden of sharecropping and tenant farming on Black and White families who owned no land and were bound to local landowners by sharecropping or tenant farming contracts and how they were essentially cheated by landlords and local merchants. This episode has stuck with me for all these years.