BY ANN OWENS AND MOSE COLEMAN, JR. | PHOTOS BY ANN OWENS AND MOSE COLEMAN, JR.
down on the
farm
Stories with Mose Coleman
Have you ever walked into your favorite store, and everything was so pleasing
to you that you told yourself, “I want all of these things. I have no idea where
to put them or how to arrange them, but I must have all these things”? Well,
that’s how I feel about these stories–these life experiences of my friend Mose
Coleman, Jr. There’s just so much, too much, and I cannot get my fill nor can I perfectly
reconcile in my head how to tell you about this man and the fascinating life that he has
led.
This work definitely won’t earn me any sort of literary award, and I apologize in
advance if it may seem a bit disjointed or lack a sense of cohesion, but it’s really hard to
reel myself in. Learning about him and getting to this point that I can share him with you
in this manner has been a dream of mine for many, many years.
The content of this series of writings are and will be (yes, this is very much a work in
progress) taken from different sources: 1) from a 2-part, video interview conducted by
Mose’s grandson Harry Greer; 2) from talking to his family; and 3) from sitting and talking
to Mose himself. Some of these stories are just little snippets that don’t really seem to fit
anywhere, most are written exactly as he told them, and some are just me filling in some
blanks.
Since 2000, Mose has been writing books and restoring old photographs and home
movies for himself and others. Because his collection has such an impact on this
community, I wanted to introduce you to the man himself. So, here we begin the story of
Moses (Mose) Matthews Coleman, Jr., one of the coolest guys I know.
Moses Matthews Coleman, Jr., was born
in Lyons, Georgia, on October 25, 1926.
Both names – Moses and Matthews – go
way back into the family tree. Mose’s
grandfather was Moses Matthews, his
dad was Moses Matthews, his great
grandmother’s brother was Moses
Matthews, and he is Moses Matthews.
While technically he is not a ‘junior,’
that is the role he chose, and so be it.
Following are a few stories in his own
words.
HIS PEOPLE
My mother’s parents resided on Hill
Street in Athens. It was a huge house with
winding stairs and big windows, and the
house must have been terrible to keep
warm. They lived there, renting, from
1913 until 1941, and the house is still
there. My mother, Alice McCorkle, met my
dad, Moses M. Coleman, Sr., in 1919/1920,
and they married in 1923 in an efficient
manner because Daddy was an efficient
man. They agreed to meet in Augusta for
the wedding and return to Lyons to make a
home. Grandmother and Granddaddy were
out of town and had agreed to leave the
homeplace for the newlyweds. But it was
February, freezing cold, and they found
the home to be locked with no lights and
no water. Daddy and Mama had to climb
Hometown Living At Its Best 101