Centenarian: Effie Spears still going at 101

By Myra Bean
February marks the celebration of Black History Month around the United States.
Those who have made life-changing contributions to the cause are recognized nationally. However, there are a lot of individuals who have made contributions to the history of the African-American race and cause that the world may never hear about.
The Panolian honors the recognition of this month by talking to someone who has seen a lot in her 100 plus years on earth.
Centenarian Effie Mitchell Spears is 101 years old, born September 13, 1916. She lived through World War 1 though she was too young to remember. However, she does remember the other wars the United States has fought.
With the quietest voice, she spoke for an hour about growing up on a farm in Bynum, playing mud cakes as a child, getting married and moving to Batesville.
She grew up in the Bynum area an only child. She does have a half-sister, but they did not live together. She attended early school in Yalobusha County where her father paid 50 cents a month for her to attend. She remembers when it was cold, getting some brush to burn and taking turns going to a spring and bringing back a bucket of water for the one-room school house.
They first lived on the Perry Brown property and moved. When they moved back to the Brown property, she went to school in Panola County at the old Bynum Rosenthal School which building still stands today. She went to school through the eighth grade. She remembers walking three or four miles to get to school.
Some of Spears’ earliest memories center around attending church at Providence M.B. Church which burned down. New Providence was built on the site of the old church. She is still a member and attends church as much as she is able. Mostly, she goes up the street from her house in Batesville to Armstrong Street Church of God in Christ.
Members help her into the church though she is concerned about being “a bother” to people.
One of her concerns is there does not seem to be much spirituality in the church these days.
“People do not feel the spirit,” Spears said.
Spears is living through her 18th president. She has not really had a favorite.
“They will each do what they want to do,” she said.
Spears married her husband, Alfred, September 18, 1938. They were married for 63 years when he died in July of 1996.
Her father died August 24, 1934 at the age of 50. Her mom lived until the ripe old age of 97 and passed away in 1988.
Effie and Alfred have one son, Hardle “Shake” Spears, who has five children, four children with his wife, Mattie “Sis” Spears, including one late daughter, Corvette. Effie has nine great-grandchildren, including one late great-grandson.
Effie also had a hand in raising Sara Jane Crowell and her little brother, Dylan that Spears calls “Bob” as in Bob Dylan. She said their dad, Boyce “Crow” Crowell, always checks on her and makes sure she has what she needs.
Spears is in relatively good health. She uses a walker rollator, still cooks nearly every day. She shared her idea of cooking sweet potatoes in the crockpot. She believes in using her crockpot.
“All the ones I went to school with are gone,” she said. “I am the only one left.”
Unfortunately, that is a way of life when one lives to be 100 years old.