Ella Mae Jenkins

May 2024 Issue

Story by and Photography by Elizabeth Skenes Millen

Ella Mae Jenkins was born on Daufuskie Island in 1937 on a hot summer Sunday in August. Now, she is the oldest living matriarch on the Island, still calling Daufuskie home 86 years later. Both of Ella Mae’s parents, Cornelia and Freddy Grant, Sr., were also natives of the eight-square mile sea island still only accessible by water. Her father worked in Savannah as a river dredger.

According to the 1940 Census, rarely did a Daufuskie resident get educated beyond the sixth grade, as it wasn’t until the 1930s that the Maryfields School for black children was even built. This is the two-room schoolhouse where Pat Conroy taught in the late ‘60s, and yes, one of Ella Mae’s seven children had Conroy as a teacher.

Ella Mae, the youngest of three children, helped her industrious mother, who they all called Meme (pronounced MayMe), in all she did. “Meme was an entrepreneur, a go-getter,” Ella Mae said, “She shucked oysters at the Daufuskie oyster plant, she planted her own crops, made wine, jams, and deviled crab. She had her own store in the late 40s next to the house.”

Meme’s work ethic became a way of life for Ella Mae, who gave birth to nine children, losing two as babies. She raised her first four in Meme’s “little” house, which was a four-room farmhouse on the family land.

Ella Mae was as industrious as her mama and pushed all of her children to succeed. “Mama instilled work ethic,” said her oldest daughter Janice Gordon. “She pushed me and all my brothers and sisters to do something with our lives. When I told her I wanted to discover myself, she told me I could discover myself working at somebody’s job.”

“None of my kids were ever in trouble. They are good, hardworking people. I am proud of all of them,” Ella Mae said.

Ella Mae, herself, worked in Meme’s store, served as an assistant teacher, and volunteered with the Emergency Medical Services. She also, served the church, pumped water, fed chickens and hogs, worked the fields, cut wood, and carried it in, cooked dinner (the mid-day meal) every day on a wood burning stove until eventually converting to electric, and had her family in church at First Union African Baptist, dressed in church clothes, every Sunday.

I had to ask her, with all that work, what she did for fun. “Play cards and drink beer,” she said with a laugh, adding, “We had some good times!”

There is a 22-year span between her eldest child and her youngest. Her first four were born at home with assistance from her step-grandmother, the well-known Daufuskie Island mid-wife, Sarah Grant. “Sarah brought ‘em into the world and my grandfather, who was the undertaker, took them out. When my grandfather passed, Sarah took over as undertaker, too.”

Fighting her fifth battle with bladder cancer, Ella Mae is hanging in there, taking a brief reprieve from Daufuskie to stay with her daughter while going through treatments in Savannah. Sick or not, Ella Mae still loves to go places. Once she got to get off of Daufuskie to discover the rest of the world, she caught the travel bug. She has been on a cruise to the Bahamas—even though she spent a lifetime keeping her and her children away from the waters surrounding Daufuskie. She also loves to travel to Florida and just go riding around town.

“Mama was known to feed every person who came through her door. She would take in children, too,” Janice said, and that’s when we got to talking about Miss Ella
Mae’s homecooking.

“No one can duplicate her red rice. We think the secret is in the pot. She’s used the same pot for over 40 years. We have a running joke (that’s kind of serious) about who’s going to inherit the pot.”

“I have my recipes in my head, and I got most of them from my mama,” Ella Mae smiled, speaking of red rice, oyster dressing, deviled crab, and the likes. When I asked about the deviled crab recipe, she responded, “It’s not written down. If I tell you, I have to kill you,” she said teasingly.

“Life on Daufuskie was simple and good, safe and quiet. I didn’t have to worry about much. I don’t regret anything in my life,” Ella Mae exhaled, as her thoughts drifted over to Daufuskie to relish in the memories of a life well lived.

 

Up Close:

Words to Live By: “Be honest and treat people the way you want to be treated. Teach your children to have good manners and respect their elders.”

Daily Routine: Ella Mae reads The Bible every morning and takes in words of inspiration. She loves to watch her stories after lunch, The Young and the Restless and Bold and Beautiful, and since staying with her daughter, she has taken to watching Gunsmoke.

Favorite Bible Verse: Psalms 37: 1-4 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart…

Preserving the Past: Ella Mae’s mama’s store is still standing, though in disrepair. “I’d love to see it remodeled and re-roofed for future generations to go back to.”

Hope for the Future: “I pray the original people can keep their land.”