DAUGHTER OF SLAVES
Octavia M. Hayden, Cane River Middle School
The Young Authors in Yancey County Program, 1992- 93
Aunt Cindy Griffeth was loved by all. She was born in Yancey County during the
time of slavery. There was no written records of her birth, although she was born three
miles from here. She was the daughter of Smart and Lucy Griffeth who were slaves. She
was raised on a farm and when she was fourteen she married Uncle Sul Griffeth and
became the mother of fourteen children. Five of her children survived.
In an early history of the county, Lucinda Griffeth was listed as one of the area’s
four seamstresses. It is said that she owned the first sewing machine that was bought in
the county. Her talents were very much in demand, since ready made clothes were almost
unheard of at this time.
The affection between Burnsville and Aunt Cindy was mutual. The youngsters of
each generation she called her “ children”. Whenever sickness or grief struck a family, she
was there to help and give her kindness, affection and loyalty until she suffered a stroke a
week before her death. Aunt Cindy enjoyed good health except for poor vision in later
years. At age one hundred, she was given a certificate by Mitchel/ Yancey Medical Dental
Society by Dr. Melvin Webb, President. She was honored by those local physicians as
one whose life span has parallelled that of the one hundred years of professional medicine
in North Arden. She was one of Yancey County’s best loved citizens and the oldest.
Some say she was one hundred and four when she died. Others say, including her
descendants, that she was at least one hundred and fourteen. When Aunt Cindy died, she
had a number of grandchildren, great- grandchildren and great- great- grandchildren. Her
grandchildren numbered eighty- two, and her great- grandchildren numbered one hundred.
