Albert Jesse Rowlan

Lola's brother Albert

"My little brother was getting pretty big during the summer of 1913.  I was then 13 years old.  Papa and Mama went to one the neighbors who grew bushels and bushels of cucumbers.  The neighbors had put up all they wanted, and told my folks to come and get all they wanted.  They took my little sister Delma with them.  I stayed with the baby.  I changed his diapers and watched him crawl all over the place.  Mama had a high shelf in the back of the stove where she kept cleaning stuff.  Someway the can of lye fell down on my little brother and ate up his diaper where he was sitting on it.  I was scared to death.  I didn't know what to do.  I picked him up, grabbed a gallon of sweet milk and started washing him.  I asked God not to let him die.  He was crying and so was I.  But I kept washing him with the sweet milk until he went to sleep.  We had beds under the trees where the boys slept.  I took him out there to lay him down when my brother James came into the house to get something.  I told him, 'I killed Albert.'  He said, 'Let me see him!' The baby was sleeping peacefully when James looked at him and he just said to me that he looks fine.  Well, it never amounted to much, thanks to God and the sweet milk!"