Strange Family Folklore
Strange Family Folklore
Strange Family Hayride
For this episode, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to interview the oldest living descendent in the Strange family, Walter “Thel” Strange while taking an intergenerational hayride. Let’s just say, I got an abundance of riches in the form of interweaving conversations, enveloped within a bouquet of sounds.
My Great Grandfather, Jesse Strange, was born a slave and freed in his 20s. His 12 children were born free, and referred to as "The First Freeborn Generation." In this podcast series, I interview Jesse Strange's descendants in order to document our stories. This is Strange Family Folklore.
For this episode, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to interview the oldest living descendent in the Strange family, Walter “Thel” Strange while taking an intergenerational hayride. Let’s just say, I got an abundance of riches in the form of interweaving conversations, enveloped within a bouquet of sounds.
In addition to Cousin Thel’s voice, cousins Universe, Rikkia and Yohanna are also heard, with an occasional one-liner from our tractor driver, Rome.
Now, if this was a classic Greek comedy, the numerous children’s voices would be collectively known as the “chorus,” but since this is a podcast about an extended family in the country, their voices will collectively be known as “chaps.”
In order to distinguish one voice from another, I’ll play a sample of the voices.
Here’s Rome’s voice: Don't throw the hay off.
Here’s Yohanna’s voice: Oh, no, South Korea.
Here’s Rikkia’s voice: We going in the jungle. George of the Jungle!
Here’s Universe’s voice: No, it's a bear. Don't worry about it. I got this. I just wrestled three.
Here are the Chaps voices: That tastes like water. I want to try.
And here’s the star of the podcast, Thel’s voice:
Part of our 2024 Strange Family Reunion celebration included a hayride around some of the family land. Although the hayride went smoothly, the podcast recording got off to a bumpy start.
Teresa Roberson
Rikkia, can you put that beside Thel? I want to get a recording.
Rikkia is my second cousin. Her uncle, Universe, is my first cousin.
Rikkia
Who's narrating it?
Teresa Roberson
No, no. I don't need the video. I just need the sound.
Thel Strange
You get back here.
Teresa Roberson
She's recording for me.
Thel Strange
She's gonna record it?
Teresa Roberson
She's recording it now. You're the family historian. You gotta tell us about why we're taking this ride.
Thel Strange
'Cause you can't walk through the woods. I know all about it. I know before any of you was born.
Teresa Roberson
Well, tell us.
Thel Strange
I'm telling you now.
Universe Strange
What she's trying to say, show her where you was farming at back here. What was going on?
Thel Strange
Back the other way.
Universe Strange
Back the other way?
Thel Strange
I farm right there, where you just left from.
Universe Strange
What about by the creek? When we get to the creek?
Thel Strange
I dug a big hole down and shot water from the creek up here.
Universe Strange
Right. They made it where they could get water up there.
Thel Strange
I had pipes. Water, my plant beds. You know what a plant bed is? You don't know, do you?
Teresa Roberson
Don’t know what?
Thel Strange
Plant beds!
Teresa Roberson
Oh, plant beds. I know what a plant bed is.
Thel Strange
All right, then. That’s what I watered it with there. Them chaps don't know nothing about it.
Teresa Roberson
That's why they're taking this ride 'cause they want you to tell them about it.
Rikkia
Yohanna studied that when she was in middle school. She says she doesn’t remember it. They made a system. A water system. It was a STEM, STEAM program.
Yohanna is Rikkia’s daughter.
Thel Strange
I told him to go ahead.
The “him” in question, is our tractor driver, Rome.
Thel Strange
Can't turn around here in the woods.
Universe Strange
Gotta go to the springs.
Rikkia
No turning back!
Universe Strange
Ain’t no turning back now.
Rikkia
Yeah, only forward. Who said they, they were scared of the water?
Thel Strange
Said, "I'm ready to leave." Turn around. Stop. Let her get off and walk.
Rikkia
What is this back here? What is this?
Universe Strange
I got a piece over here.
Rikkia
OK.
Universe Strange
I'm going to be putting some trailers, a trailer, back here.
Rikkia
I like the camping idea. I love camping.
Universe Strange
Yeah, we going to be doing it. We going do it Friday evening, Saturday. We leave Sunday. So, we're going to really camp. Camp out. We can't use the kitchen.
Rikkia
No, we like to camp. We used to go camping with other families up in New York. Black. Like Hudson Valley. Over that way.
Thel Strange
See there? That's where I pump the water from. Right there.
Universe Strange
Right down there. I'm going down there and get me some.
Thel Strange
Oh, well, you walk down there then.
Universe Strange
Today.
Thel Strange
Got some berries. Look at 'em. Woo!
CHAPS
Oh, my lord!
Thel Strange
Plenty of berries. Blooming. Ya’ll see them blackberries?
Rikkia
Ya'll see the berries?
Universe Strange
We gonna, we gonna get some water today. All right, it's up to you. We gonna, we gonna back down some.
CHAPS
I wanna get some berries.
Thel Strange
Put it in low range, boy.
Rome
I got it in low range.
Thel Strange
Well, don't let the clutch be in then.
CHAPS
I wanna get a berry!
CHAPS
Where we going?
Rikkia
To the water.
Universe Strange
To the spring.
Rikkia
We going in the jungle. George of the Jungle!
CHAPS
Ya’ll we in the jungle.
Rikkia
We in the jungle, ya'll.
CHAPS
I'm scared. I’m scared now.
Universe Strange
Just got cool. Just got cooler, right up in here.
CHAPS
I’ve never been in the jungle before.
Universe Strange
No, it's a bear. Don't worry about it. I got this. I just wrestled three of them last week.
Rikkia
We going into the bayou, you guys.
Universe Strange
All right, that's good, ain’t it?
Thel Strange
Yes, that's good enough.
Universe Strange
That’s good. Let the rack down. We’re going to go get some water.
Thel Strange
Well, go ahead then and walk. If a snake bite you, come on up back here I got a...
Universe Strange
I ain't worried about no snakes.
Thel Strange
I'll cut you and scrape it out.
CHAPS
If I see a first bear, I’m out.
Thel Strange
If he bites you, come back, I'll cut it. Squeeze it out. and scrape it.
Rikkia
We'll be all right. We'll be all right. We'll live.
Teresa Roberson
I don't have the right footwear. No, I ain't going out there.
Thel Strange
I ain't going. I ain't going to go.
Teresa Roberson
I know I ain’t got the right footwear.
CHAPS
Oh, lord.
Thel Strange
Why is ya'll gotta walk? You ain't going to drink out the creek.
CHAPS
Universe, can we go?
Universe Strange
Come on.
Teresa Roberson
Rikkia, I'll take my phone, so I can do my own dirty work. You're a doll.
Universe Strange
Don’t worry. I got you.
Rikkia
Count the children, make sure we get them all back. You make sure you hold on to somebody.
Teresa Roberson
Nessa, you ain't going either?
Nessa
No, I ain't going.
Teresa Roberson
I ain't either. I didn't wear the right shoes. I want to wear closed toed shoes.
Rome
Ya'll in the creek?
At this point, Universe and Rikkia escort the chaps down to the creek. I take advantage of the relative quiet to continue my interview with Cousin Thel.
Thel Strange
It's right there on that pine yonder. That's where I pump my water from.
Teresa Roberson
Do you still get water from that creek?
Thel Strange
No, baby, we don't.
Teresa Roberson
How many years did you do that?
Thel Strange
Aaaah, 15.
Teresa Roberson
Do you remember when that started?
Thel Strange
Don't remember when I started, but I know when I did it because these here things weren't here. Won't none of these trees here.
Teresa Roberson
Now, this water here, was that...
Thel Strange
Creek spring. Come from up yonder, and it was plenty of water. I took and he dug a big hole around it, and it filled up. And all I had to do was run pipes from up yonder, down here. And I cranked it up. Throwed water all over that hole you got up there today.
Teresa Roberson
Oh, there's a lot more water than what it is now?
Thel Strange
Yeah, you got to dig a hole now, baby, to stop that water. Got to dig a hole to stop that water. The guy come down here, dug a hole, deep as I am. Oh, great, big, round hole.
Now, the water expedition party returned.
Teresa Roberson
You got in the water?
CHAPS
Huh?
Teresa Roberson
You got in the water? Oh, okay. I just thought your legs were wet.
CHAPS
I touched the water.
Teresa Roberson
OK. Was it cool? Was it cold or just cool to the touch?
CHAPS
Cold.
Teresa Roberson
Cold?
At this point, all conversations weave in and out.
Was it just for crops? It was also for drinking?
Thel Strange
No, we had the well up there.
Teresa Roberson
Did ya'll just fill water balloons? Down there?
CHAPS
No. Somebody took me to get water.
Teresa Roberson
Oh, OK. When I was a Peace Corps volunteer...
Thel Strange
When the first one falls, we ain't stopping.
Teresa Roberson
...and if it's not boiled or chemically treated, I'm not drinking it.
CHAPS
No, I understand.
So, Cousin Universe enthusiastically drank the creek water and encouraged the chaps to do the same.
Universe Strange
Fresh spring water.
Thel Strange
Right.
Universe Strange
Real spring water.
Thel Strange
That's right.
Universe Strange
Fresh spring water.
CHAPS
I’m I going to die?
Teresa Roberson
I was telling everybody else, I either need my water boiled or chemically treated.
Rikkia
When we used to camp, I think we used to put iodine drops in the water.
Teresa Roberson
Yes, yes! You either, you either put iodine or you put a little bit of bleach. Chlorine, yeah.
Rikkia
We used to put tabs.
Universe Strange
Waterfall, waterfall.
Teresa Roberson
Those were iodine tabs, more or less.
CHAPS
Now, this tastes like water.
Universe Strange
It is water!
CHAPS
That tastes like water. I want to try.
Universe Strange
It's good. It's good. It's good ya'll. It tastes better than that other stuff we be drinking. OK, Rome. All aboard!
CHAPS
Choo-choo!
Universe Strange
Let’s roll. It’s good.
Teresa Roberson
Y’know what? You’re probably used to it. I'm even not going to pretend.
Universe Strange
No, it's good.
Teresa Roberson
So, you’re going to drink that water now?
Universe Strange
Say, if we going to get sick, it's going to be me, them, them.
Teresa Roberson
What else would you like to tell us about the land back here?
Thel Strange
Ain't no land back here.
Universe Strange
Don't that water taste good? Tell the truth. That water tastes good.
CHAPS
No, it don’t.
I tried once again to learn more about the family land.
Teresa Roberson
The land can't be developed?
Thel Strange
Yeah, you could push it off and clean it up, but what you gonna put on it?
Teresa Roberson
I don't know.
Thel Strange
It ain't nothing but a hillside. You'd have to let it stay like a hill. It ain't nothing but a hillside.
Universe Strange
You want the berries?
Thel Strange
Can't do nothing but clean it up.
Universe Strange
Watch the sticker bushes when you go in there. That's sticker briars.
Teresa Roberson
You don't think it should be developed as real estate? So, when people visit...
Thel Strange
They the one who have to do it. You can't do it.
Teresa Roberson
But you don't grow anything there.
Thel Strange
You can't grow anything. If you do, you have to push it off.
Universe Strange
Yeah, you come back. I should have had a mason jar. Filled it up and then I would have had half a gallon. Or a gallon. Won't have to go back for this little bit.
Teresa Roberson
Did you remember to take pictures?
Universe Strange
Yes, I got your pictures. I'm going to send them to you. I took three. One that way, one that way.
CHAPS
Can we do this again?
Universe Strange
To get this water, I had to get down to the thing, the creek. I had to get down on my knees to get this water.
Rikkia
I’ll send you the pictures of him.
Teresa Roberson
Thank you.
Universe Strange
I’ll text you right now.
Teresa Roberson
All right, I appreciate it, man.
Universe Strange
I got three pictures.
CHAPS
There's a bird's nest right there.
Universe Strange
The creek is beautiful. It's beautiful.
Teresa Roberson
I bet it is. I just like having closed-toe shoes, personally.
Thel Strange
You know our spring creek ain't no more deep than right there.
Teresa Roberson
Oh, that's beautiful. I like that.
Thel Strange
Creek, it don't get much wider than just this.
Universe Strange
You can look right through it. It's clear. When it's dirty you can't see nothing.
Teresa Roberson
So, you never developed land back here to grow anything...
Thel Strange
No.
Teresa Roberson
...like tobacco or corn?
Thel Strange
Can't grow tobacco back here. No, baby, can't grow tobacco back here, now.
Teresa Roberson
Why not?
Thel Strange
What you going to do with it? You know, this was a hill and you harvest like this. You can't put no tobacco in here.
Teresa Roberson
I know I don't know any better. I grew up in the suburbs.
Thel Strange
I don't know no better?
Teresa Roberson
I don't know no better!
Thel Strange
Oh, well, I'm telling you.
Teresa Roberson
That's why I'm asking you all these questions because I know you know.
Thel Strange
You can't put no tobacco back here. Because look yonder behind you. See how gutted it is?
Teresa Roberson
Yes.
Thel Strange
You can't put no tobacco back there.
Universe Strange
All right, guys look at the land. It's our land back there. Wide open.
Teresa Roberson
Is it a lot of clay?
Universe Strange
Look at the earth!
Thel Strange
It ain't nothing but land, but it's gutted. You can't put no tobacco back there.
Teresa Roberson
OK, but is the soil a lot of clay?
Thel Strange
The soil you see right there. You can use it. Carry it home. Put it on your yard. If you want it anymore.
Teresa Roberson
But is this that red dirt?
Thel Strange
Red dirt, yes.
Teresa Roberson
And what is that good for?
Thel Strange
For anything. Red dirt will grow stuff.
CHAPS
If, if, if you see a snake, don’t blame us.
Thel Strange
Run and leave it.
Teresa Roberson
I don't grow anything. I kill plants.
Thel Strange
You got a house of your own?
Teresa Roberson
No, I live with my parents.
Thel Strange
Well, you got a yard?
Teresa Roberson
Yes.
Thel Strange
You can put some of it in the yard, if you want. Some of that dirt.
Teresa Roberson
So, it'll grow flowers and grass?
Thel Strange
Yes, it'll grow flowers. It'll grow it all. Grass. Somebody will give you a sackful. Get you a sackful, and carry it home and make you a bed. Put you some flowers on it and see if they don't come right up.
Teresa Roberson
So, even though it's red dirt, it's fertile?
Thel Strange
Huh?
Teresa Roberson
It's fertile dirt?
Thel Strange
Red dirt is when you get it, chop it up. Just as fine as you want it to be. It'll grow.
Teresa Roberson
I see that they’re clearing the land.
Thel Strange
The sawmill did that. Timber cutters. They cut it and got the wood off it.
Teresa Roberson
But they were clearing it just for the land?
Thel Strange
Yeah, they were getting the wood off it, see?
Teresa Roberson
Do people hunt back here?
Thel Strange
Yeah, you can hunt. You can hunt bears. You can hunt rabbits. Fox.
Teresa Roberson
I know that they're deer.
Thel Strange
Plenty of deer. See all that land over yonder? You can't grow nothing over there.
Teresa Roberson
So, you doing good for the wood and hunting?
Thel Strange
That's all.
Teresa Roberson
But no fishing.
Thel Strange
Fishing?
At this point, I got a firsthand account of the creek experience since I didn’t see it for myself.
Teresa Roberson
So, you were on this trip yesterday, weren't you? I thought I recognized you. Did you think the creek was worth seeing? I don't know. It just looked really dark.
Rikkia
It was dark.
Teresa Roberson
Was it steep? Because ya'll got closed-toed shoes. And I'm just like, nope.
Toward the end of our hayride, I suddenly remembered to ask Yohanna about her upcoming study abroad.
Teresa Roberson
When do you for Seoul? I mean Pyongyang. Is that where you're going? Oh, you're going to Seoul?
Yohanna
Yes.
Teresa Roberson
People keep telling me North Korea. That's why I keep saying, "You're brave."
Yohanna
Oh, no, South Korea.
Teresa Roberson
That's why I’m saying you're brave. Braver than me. ‘Cause I used to work in South Korea for 14 months and I went to the DMZ that one time. I was thinking, "Wow, you're braver than me."
Yohanna
No, my mom would not allow me go.
Teresa Roberson
The collaboration that you're doing is with the South Koreans?
Yohanna
Yeah.
Rikkia
I actually went to grad school with somebody who's in South Korea now. So, we did a Zoom call and I felt a little bit better. She's a teacher. She’s a teacher over there. And she's from South Korea. So, I did a videocall with her. She said, "I'm gonna go check on her.” I said, “All right."
Teresa Roberson
And you're leaving when?
Yohanna
November, the week before Thanksgiving.
Teresa Roberson
OK, well if you're ever in Fayetteville again before you leave, I'll show you my, because that was before... listen, did I have a digital camera?
Rikkia
No, that was before we put everything up.
Teresa Roberson
I have a photo album, but I haven't digitized it yet.
Thel Strange
Ask Rome where is he going.
Teresa Roberson
I do plan to do that eventually. I know that's not going to happen before you leave.
Thel Strange
Stop throwing that grass, boy!
CHAPS
Where are we?
Thel Strange
Where is you going, Rome?
Rikkia
He's turning around.
CHAPS
Where are we going? We're turning around.
Universe Strange
He's turning around to the front. Because we're so wide and long, he has to to, y'know, swing around.
Teresa Roberson
Door to door service.
CHAPS
Around the country.
Teresa Roberson
Did you enjoy the reunion?
Thel Strange
I enjoy outdoors all the time on the farm, baby. That's all I do. I was born outdoors. My house, you could lay down here and look up there and you could see holes all in it. That was way back in the woods.
Rikkia
Who's going to be in the dance contest?
Universe Strange
Who's doing the dance competition?
Rome
Don't throw the hay off.
Thel Strange
Boy, I told you don't throw that no more!
CHAPS
Not me!
Rikkia
Yohanna does majorette. It's like an HBCU styles in, when they be marching in, dressed up.
Universe Strange
They march.
Teresa Roberson
You don't like being in the city?
Universe Strange
You gonna be in the dance contest?
Thel Strange
No!
Universe Strange
You can't have more than four people in a group. Anybody know how to do a dance on the New Beyoncé song?
Teresa Roberson
Now, did you grow corn as well?
Universe Strange
The new Beyoncé song.
Thel Strange
I growed everything.
Universe Strange
The cowboy song.
Teresa Roberson
So, my next question was, did you ever make moonshine?
Thel Strange
Yes, I did make moonshine and sold it.
Teresa Roberson
Ew! OK. You ever sell any to my Uncle Clarence?
Thel Strange
Sold it to all of them.
Teresa Roberson
Well, see, then I have had your moonshine.
Thel Strange
Good.
Teresa Roberson
That's the best way to make eggnog.
Thel Strange
I made plenty of eggnog and sold it to them.
Rikkia
Nobody got bitten by a snake. Nobody got...fell into the creek.
CHAPS
Nobody got dead.
Universe Strange
No, everybody's safe.
Rikkia
Nobody got splinters.
Universe Strange
Hey, y'all, he gotta hold up for a second. They gonna pull on the 50-50. No. They getting ready to pull. Once they pull, then he gonna ride again. He don't want y'all to miss your ticket.
Hope you enjoyed the Strange Family Hayride. The only thing better, is attending the reunion itself!