GRANNY BLOOM'S DUMPLINGS

~ I am a Great Grandson of Rose Bloom, the great pioneer and Prayer Warrior of Rusk Texas! Rose Bloom was the Native American daughter of Bough of the Great CHEROKEE Nation of Georgia on my mother's side.

Granny Bloom was born November 19, 1893 in Rusk Texas. Although only one family was living here in 1846, the site was chosen as the seat of Cherokee County. Named after Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

The town is famed as the birthplace of James Stephen Hogg and Thomas Mitchell Campbell who were first and second native born Texans to serve as governor.

Granny Bloom was married in 1905 at age 12 and gave birth to 10 children. One son, being illegitimate, was unknown by the family during her life time. It wasn't until after her death we discovered that secret. Yes, Granny once had an illicit affair but she died as she had lived: a strong believer in the forgiving power of Jesus!

My Great, great Grandfather's name simply meant: bough- (bou) n. A tree branch, especially a large or main branch.

Bough was carried within his mother's womb on the Cherokee Trail of Tears migration in 1838. He was one of the six born along the way as reported by State papers in a detachment of 1035 Cherokee peoples, led by Moses Daniel. His emigration party left on September 30, 1838 but did not reach their designated area until March 2, 1839.

The number of deaths reported from the State Papers record 48, with 924 arriving. Counting the reported six births in with the 924 reported arrivals, that would leave a difference of 69 people unaccounted for.

The story Granny Bloom shared with me concerning the Trail of Tears, (as handed down to her), spoke of many deaths of children unaccounted for. I couldn't understand her full meaning until now, after much research and prayer.

She also spoke of many births which resulted in still born babies, or short lived births because of the hardships of the journey.

Many on the children were born in the coldest winter months of November, December, and January. The many children that died were Spring conceived babies when the passions of those truly in love ran high among the Cherokees! They were not counted among the death rates, nor with the birth rates either.

They simply were discounted along with the others. It was covered up by officials in that day in an effort to keep the numbers lower for the records. The less deaths reported, the better it looked and there was less paper work.

They knew the number of the death reports not adding up with the number of arrivals verses the number of departures could be attributed to "run offs", but that was rarely the case. They were escourted closely by Governmental assigned men on horseback, while most all Natives walked. They were marched dilligently to the point of exhaustion, and few had the strength to run.

To record a still birth as a birth would also involve the record of a death. Being a child it would especially look bad on file. To the record keepers in charge at the time, their short lives or deaths just didn't account for nothing!

To the Cherokee Nation this was a great injustice which they believed would lead to a great imbalance where the souls of these children would not rest in the eternal world.

Being thought of as a great immoral imbalance, it brought on the strong continual verbal curses of the people; as well as any religious rituals which involved the invoking of spiritual curses.

Many curses were invoked on the children of any non American Native man who might father a child with a Cherokee woman, and upon the children fathered between a non Native woman and a Cherokee man!

The Cherokees felt assured the curses would not touch the ones whom would stay pure to their race. All pure blooded Cherokees became more set than ever against mixed marriages, especially after the word went around of the curses.

Many caucasion men at the time were not too concerned about mixed marriages as recorded history would like us to believe. Because of the scarcity of non Native women in the wilderness, when the loneliness set in for a mountain man, a woman was welcomed regardless of nationality. Many caucasion men took full advantage of castaway Native women. Many rapes against non castaways were also common.

The Cherokees knew this and what they couldn't fight by gun battles, courts, or wars, they fought spiritually, believing that balance would prevail again.

To the ancient Cherokee their moral belief system of justice was, "death for a death"; "curse for a curse"; "an eye for an eye!" They were a very similar type of people as ancient Israel was. In fact, many believe the ancient American Natives were originally Israeli tribes, from the ten tribes whom were not of the tribe of Judah or Benjamin, known as Jews.

Modern discoveries now reveal the sons of Abraham migrated on the Great Sea in sea worthy boats becoming known as Saac's sons, or what history records as the Saxons, the sons of Isaac! (Anciently spelled: I-Saax) (See- "They Came As Vikings", PBS Documentary)

The two Jewish tribes, (Judah and Benjamin), held dear to their patriot father Jacob, whose name we know was later changed to "Israel". They refered to themselves as the "sons of Israel".

The ten other tribes desired to be known differently after breaking away from their identification with the Jewish tribes in Jerusalem after Solomon's death. They prefered to identify with their Patriot father Isaac. They refered to themselves as the "sons of Isaac" or Saac's Sons for short.

A strong son to help with farming was coveted. The Cherokees knew non Native men would value their children once produced, (whether by rape or consented marriage).

They considered a Native woman who consented to a mixed marriage as a traitor and deserving of the curse. They believed the curse would effect all children of mixed Cherokee marriages, but they also believed the curse would return as a "crooked arrow" to the head and feet, "the first and the last" children born among future generations of mixed Cherokee blood.

The "crooked arrow" represented the "eternal imbalanced harm" done to their children, as a crooked arrow in flight that goes in never ending circles. They believed it would cause a "mental imbalance" that would appear-"eternally from generation to generation" upon the lives of the first and last born children of mixed Cherokee blood. They knew that a mental imbalance could render lives to account for nothing!

This eye for an eye curse was performed in a ceremony involving a crooked arrow, because among the many other small children unaccounted for, many of the "first" and "last" infants born in different tribes on the Trail Of Tears died!

Half breed children were more readily accepted among non Native people. The Cherokee, knowing of the curse, dared not embrace them! If a cursed child or a castaway mother were to wonder back into the village it was under the penality of death. Those found aiding them were also under such penality! This left many half breed children and their mothers as castaways.

The non Native people did not understand the extent of such believed curses and in many cases accepted castaways for selfish purposes. The mother was immediately put to work, as so was the child when it came of age. Not knowing of the curses, many wilderness men also had other children with the Native women castaways.

If the mother of a young half breed child died, the child was in many cases left to be cared for by missionaries or they were deserted at Milatary posts for the government to care for and find families to raise them.

Bough was a pure blooded Cherokee and believed his wife to be; but somewhere along their union, after Rose's birth, he believed his wife had a trace of non Native blood.

Rose's complexion was not as dark as theirs and her eyes were a lighter shade of brown than both her parents. The texture of her hair was very fine and also lighter than theirs.

Bough had thought upon the curses so much until he became that which he filled himself with, "a cursed". Believing he had become joined to the curse he felt like the black snake of death was at his door step seeking vengeance as foretold in a Native American legion.

It speaks of a wife who kills a yellow snake, only to discover it was the Chief among snakes! Because of this someone had to die to justify the wrong. It usually was the death of the wife the other snakes demanded, else the husbandman would die, but if a female child of the wife was offered, (especially if a scalping occurred in the death), it might be acceptable to set the balance right. If a sacrifice was allowed, the husbandman could walk in peace among the tribe of snakes in ANY field.

Because of such beliefs, Granny and her mother became the focus of his wrath and anguish. He was cut off from his heritage, his tribe, his branch! He thought he could no longer produce a pure Native blood line through his wife for the son he desired. He became cursed in his own mind believing he was as dead mentally and spiritually as the Chief yellow snake was in legion, killed by a wife!

As a result Bough felt that his and Rose's life would be meaning less and would count for nothing, just as the births and lives of those children were! His belief in this was as strong to him as many Christians believe in their strong beliefs! He could not shake it. It was his religion! His life was one of un redemption; of hopelessness as many feel today whom have backslid from what they know is right.

Bough became a heavy consumer of whiskey. This caused Rose to marry young. She sought to escape the whiskey anger, slappings, and possible death he imposed on her. In a drunken state he once even cut some of her beautiful long hair with a sharp bowie type knife.

Rose's mother had disclosed to her how Bough was also disappointed that she had been born a female. Her mother was fearful for Rose and wanted her to understand so she might be ready at any time to flee for her life!

Rose knew she would have to leave her mother at a young age and she and her mother spent as much time together as possible, preparing her for her departure to a life of her own. It broke their hearts each day that Bough's anger grew stronger.

Rose caught her father secretly trying to examine her scalp one day and believed she was in immediate danger. She really believed Bough would kill and scalp her! As soon as the opportunity availed itself she quickly departed when her father slumped into a drunken stupor.

She hurried from her home, in tears and low wimpers, with one last hug to mama. She left a shack where dried red clay was used for insulation. With her mother's help in a prearranged plan she met a hardy Irish man at a dirt cross road. They rode into town together in silence and were married by a Parsons.

The Parsons stood by the carriage and they exchanged their vows in a one horse buggy without even stepping down. It had leather seats and fancy tassels. It was at dusk, just before the sun went down and as she put it, "He was so pretty!"

I questioned, "I thought only women were pretty and men were handsome?" Granny replied, "I'm speaking of the horse. He was pale white with brown spots!"

She told me this story when I was twelve years of age and I thought it was kinda odd that I was the same age as she was in the story. I couldn't image being married at age 12. Up until that time I had not even paid any attention to girls! They were just obstacles in my way on the way to the lunch line!

I had never heard Granny Bloom talk as much as she did that day. There was a gleam in her eye that made me want to listen to more. As she put it, "Totty, I rode off into the sunset to follow my dreams with the first man who showed me kind attention, and we fell in love along the way, hehehe."

Not too long afterwards, she became the owner of an important General Merchandise Store in Cherokee County.

The word Rusk means: a kind of biscuit; A light, soft bread made with yeast and eggs, often toasted or crisped in an oven; or, a kind of re baked sweetened biscuit.

Granny Bloom specialized in rusk bread and created her own small bakery area in the store. Her recipe for such a great tasting dumpling was never given out. It was the one thing she would always keep secet except for when she passed it on to my Grandmother in her later years.

My Grandmother use to make the recipe in a chicken sauce and in peach cobblers. Her chicken and crusty dumplings were the best I've ever tasted but Grandmother always gave Granny Rose the credit! No recipe to date, even my own, has ever matched the texture and taste that I remember in Granny Bloom's recipe.

Her peach cobblers were always the center of attention and comment at family reunions. Rarely were there left overs. You either got some and placed it next to the meat and tators as the meal began or you didn't get any!

My uncles had a habit of excusing them selves from the table for something, only to go straight to the cobbler to rake out a chunk next to the turkey! Another would see it, begin to worry, then do the same until it was nearly all gone before any body finished the main course!

The women thought it was so silly to have the cobbler next to the meat and gravy and scolded the men for not leaving them some.

Rose Bloom became noted in the Rusk community for her dumplings and cobblers we all loved, peach especially! They called them, "Granny Bloom's Rusk Dumplings", "Bloom's Rusk Dumpling Pie," or just, "Bloom's Dumplings". How ever they referred to them they were good!

She was once pictured in the Rusk newspaper. Originally, it was the Rusk Pioneer which was first published in 1848. It became the Cherokee Sentinel in 1850. Although the paper changed hands and names in succeeding years, eventually changing the name to the present day Cherokean Herald, it is and continues to be Texas' oldest continuously printed newspaper.

The newspaper clipping shows her wearing a beautiful Saint Louis style dress with a fancy fashionable hat of the era. The clipping is kept in Dad's family Bible.

In 1967, Granny Bloom's beautiful long black hair stretched to nearly 6 feet in length when brushed out. It stretched nearly a foot longer than her own height. She never once cut her hair again after her father's ordeal and she retained most of it until her death in 1971 at age 78.

I was 16 when she passed. It was the year I too almost passed from this life by my own hand, to escape my father's wrath and hair pullings. The curse upon her father seemed to be carried over to mine.

I thought it was all very odd but I didn't see the curious comparisons until only recently.

Bough was born in November 1838; Rose Bloom in November 1893. Bough was age 55 at her birth. I was born in the year 1955.

Bough had a hair issue with Granny, whacking her long hair off wishing she was a boy. My dad use to whack my long hair off saying, "You don't want to look like a girl do you? I want you to look like a boy!"

Bough arrived and reached his designated area ending his Trail of Tears emigration on March 2, 1839. I arrived and came into the world beginning my trail of tears, March 2, 1955. That's a difference of one generational century and 16 years.

Granny died when I was 16 and that year I attempted suicide.

As a teenager, dad once took a 2 by 4 to my head and then put a rifle to me over a hair cut dispute. I was really scared that I was going to die. It left me in a depressed state of mind, along with the drugs I was taking, and there after I struggled with suicide.

See- "TODAY I AWOKE."

Bough, to have been born in November meant he was most likely conceived in Georgia in March. I was also most likely conceived in Georgia and born in March.

Bough's father was in a Cherokee Division and received a military order from the US Army to report to Kansas to Government officials after leaving Georgia. Bough's mother went to East Texas with him. He spent his early years near Palestine Texas waiting for his father to come home.

My father was in the 82 Airborne Division and received a military order from the US Army to report to Korea to Government officials after leaving Georgia. My mother also went to East Texas with me. I spent my early years near Palestine Texas waiting for my father to come home!

I knew I felt something strong transpiring that I couldn't understand when Granny Rose Bloom reached out to me and held me back from my play time with my cousins. I know now that she was discerning by the Holy Spirit a tie to the generational curse that apparently seemed to be focused on me.

Her eyes drew me to sit and listen as she opened her heart to me. On the day she told me these things, she also told me the story of Jesus. She spoke of how he suffered the penalty of death; how the curse he bore on the cross cancels out all other curses; how all repented sins are covered by his blood; how he released us from the bondage of the curse of the law.

My lip began to quiver and I found it hard to swallow the spit. A warm feeling moved over me when she asked if I had received Jesus in my heart! I didn't know what to say. I just replied, "I guess so. But how can I know for sure Mame Ma?"

"How do you know a peach pie is one of mine?" she questioned.

"When it's gooood and sweet!" I said.

"That's how you will know when Jesus comes to you. He is good and sweet! There will be no mistaking it son. You will know!" she said.

She was concerned if I really understood all she had shared, and asked me a number of times if I understood. All I could do was reply, "I think so Granny. I do understand about Jesus now because he's like one of your pies!"

She smiled and said, "Come closer and let me pray for you that you will understand these things when you are older."

I slid closer and she touched my hair. As she did I could tell my Great Granny was in prayer. But it was sure hard trying to figure out what she was saying! Her words were not in English. Even though she was only speaking in a whisper there was power in her words!

She suddenly let out a laugh and a lot of joy came out of her. Finally she grew silent and didn't say another word. She just sat in her rocker reading her Bible with a smile.

She had a somewhat far away look in her eyes. I know now, being much older with understanding, that it was the look of Godly confidence in humility with relief and peace in the Holy Spirit.

She knew the Lord had heard her prayer and His hand was upon me to carry me through such hardships as were mentioned, as He had carried her through.

Less than a handful of years went by and she was soon with the Lord in heaven. That was the last chance I had to really sit at her feet to listen or to ask questions. Her graceful smile has never escaped my memory, nor has the sweet tug of Jesus on my heart.

A few years later the windows of heaven opened upon me. I and my father, (along with the whole family), came to know Jesus with life changing salvation in 1974.

AND NOW FOW THE REST OF THE STORY:

So what's the real point concerning Granny Bloom's rusk dumplings? The dumplings played a big part with Bough making his peace and finding a balance. Granny Bloom always prayed over each batch, asking the Lord for each and every eater of the dumplings to be filled with the peace of God as the dumplings filled them!

She made them extra sweet for those she knew whom were unbelievers. In her mind, she figured the sweeter they were the more they'd order to eat, thus, as the more they filled up- the deeper the effect of peace would be! She always had a hope that the goodness of the Lord would lead everyone to repentance.

Bough never visited her and was unaware of her prayers but she knew her dumpling were going out to him through others he was sending.

IT WAS HER DEEP FORGIVING LOVE FOR HER FATHER, in spite of his harshness, that actually started the whole prayer process over the dumpling batches!

It was more than the cane sugar and corn syrup that made them so sweet and tasty!

It was an ingriedient called loving forgiveness!

It is uncertain as to what ever happened to Bough. However, Granny said, "Some said he just up and quit drinking one day and died a sober man!"

Today, Rose Bloom's children, grand children, great grand and great-great grand children are just too many in number for me to accurately say. But there is one thing that's sure! We all count for something!

Even her illegitimate child counted with bringing the family together and closer to the Lord. He was on his death bed thinking he was all alone in the world. When the family discovered he was Rose's child, my parents along with multiples of others visited him daily until his death.

It had a great humbling influence on the whole family! But it was the honor of my dear parents to present Jesus to him in the power of love at his death bed, as Granny had presented Him to me. In his passing he died knowing he was dearly loved and cared for by Jesus.

Rose Bloom's pioneer life and prayer influence in Rusk Texas went far further than anyone might imagine. But just to give one a perspective of the power of her prayers; (that began with a forgiving love molded into those dumplings):

In the town of Rusk's modest 17.3 sq km land area where there are only an approximate 1486 housing units, and with only a population of 4,498,..there are NOW over 30 churches and Christian related organizations!

One might think the odds were high someone would point a finger at Granny Bloom for her one time illicit affair; but Grandmother had baked Granny Bloom's dumplings in a cobbler on the day it was discussed and EVERYONE had a PEACE!

"And now you know the rest of the story!
~God bless!"

Chaplain Scott

GRANNY BLOOM'S DUMPLINGS © Copyright 2001. ~by Chaplain Scott
All rights reserved to chaplainscott.com

Other FACTS on Rusk Texas:
Rusk Texas is now home of the University of Texas Medical Branch and the TEXAS STATE RAILROAD- Operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Antique steam engines power vintage coaches 25.5 miles to Palestine in the nation's longest, skinniest state park through dense East Texas forest lands.

Passengers can enjoy their "step back in time" in Rusk State Park in a train ride to Palestine and back. The Indian Summer Arts and Crafts Festival in October is also one of the oldest in the state.

Author's Note: Holy scripture says: Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Prov 18:21 (KJV)

Both my oldest and youngest brothers, "the first and last born" to my parents (of mixed Cherokee blood), received the Lord's salvation in 1974. During the time they were devoted to Jesus no mental imbalances overtook them, however when each backslid they both suffered serious mental imbalances that landed them in institutions for long periods.

Both the lives of my oldest and youngest brothers, Bernie and Randy Campbell were rendared unproductive for many, many years, bringing my Christian parents much anguish, until the Lord showed me specifically what was needed, and I went to each with spoken, focused prayer in Jesus name against all generational curses.

Afterwards, both Bernie and Randy immediately had breakthroughs and each were delivered from the hold of mental imbalances, with each one living productive lives today!

After receiving deliverance, Bernie (the oldest, having once earned a Ph.D), made the comment that for all those unbalanced years he felt like he was under some sort of curse but couldn't understand why. On the night at the very moment when the Lord's Spirit in a spoken prayer cast that evil cursive spirit off Bernie, the neighbor's dogs, horses, cows along with some peacocks, all howled and brayed together at the same moment he received his deliverance!

Bernie had gone from a nasty disposition of violently cursing Jesus as he wiggled his tongue at me to a humble, gentle soul that began praising Jesus and then he offered to wash all the dirty dishes...something he never would do. Soon after, Bernie even quit cigarette smoking and today he is an inspiration to us and very frequently still washes the dishes!

Whether we believe in Cherokee curses or not, they believed and loved speaking them because in their belief system they were promoting what they considered an "equal balance" for the benefit of the souls of their lost, unaccounted children! Such a strong belief voiced among so many may have produced death "fruit" we need not discount nor fear, but simply come against in spoken prayer by the blood of the Lamb.

There is liberty through Christ Jesus and we are not to be held under any curses, but we should not take any for granted once we have knowledge of them.

Generational curses are real, as scripture reveals. Noah spoke one upon the children of Canaan for less than what the Cherokee Nation suffered and it came to pass.

Gen 9:24-25: And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Noah was Israeli, and so may the Cherokee peoples be.

The people of the lineage of Canaan involved the black race. A black person may come to the Lord in salvation but the generational curse upon Canaan can still have it's effect. Predijuce towards blacks still runs high and many do not feel they have full civil rights and equality.

Simply becoming a Christian doesn't automatically immune any from the results of generational curses. They must be broken through the focused voiced prayer of faith!

It was focused voiced prayer in the union of believers that fueled the civil rights movement. Focus your Prayers in faith and make them voiced!

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