Corneal, Phannie
[Western Historical Manuscripts Collection
University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri]
NAME OF WORKER Albert Burks ADDRESS 239 So. 20th St.
DATE December 16, 1938 SUBJECT American Folklore
NAME AND ADDRESS OF INFORMANT Mrs. Phannie Corneal, Lincoln
1. Ancestry. Negro-Irish
2. Place and date of birth. Savannah, Mo., Dec. 5, 1864.
3. Family. Three
4. Places lived in, with-dates. Lived in Savannah, Mo., until
fourteen and Soo River, Mo., until twenty. Came to Lincoln
1889. Moved to St. Louis and traveled until 1931--returned
to Lincoln
5. Education, with dates
6. Occupations and accomplishments, with dates. Missionary and
church lecturer.
7. Special skills and interests. Missionary work.
8. Community and religious activities. Church of God.
9. Description of informant. Frail fair complexioned, partially
invalided by reason of rheumatism.
10. Other points gained in interview. Informant an enthusiastic
conversant, and mentally alert.
Corneal, Phannie
Part 2
NAME OF WORKER Albert Burks ADDRESS 239 So. 20th
DATE December 16, 1938 SUBJECT American Folklore
NAME AND ADDRESS OF INFORMANT Mrs. Phannie Corneal 2239 T St., Lincoln, Nebraska
"I don't remember nothin' much about slavery cause I was too young. My mother used to tell me different things about it though. My sister can tell you more than I can because she's older. My mother was the house-girl in a way she was the mistress of her master because he was the father of all my brothers and sisters.
He freed her before the Civil War and her and us children was treated better than the other slaves on his place. She continued to stay on there after her freedom. I married in Sandspring, Oklahoma, and did missionary work for the A.M.E. Church here in Lincoln and helped organize the colored people into the W.C.T.U. I've lectured and traveled all over the country for the W.C.T. U. Now I am too old and afflicted I can't go no more.
Now days the people need missionary work more than ever, they are too apt to put "I" in front and "God" behind. I believe in the holy spirit and life ever' lastin', to those that worship Jesus. My motto is:
God is my help in every need,
God does my every hunger feed,
Corneal, Mrs. Phannie
Page 2 [of Part 2]
God walks beside me all the way,
Through every moment of the day.
My favorite Gospel hymn:
"I'm gonna lay down my burden, down by
the river side,
Down by the river side,
Down by the river side,
ilm,gonna lay down my burden, down by
the river side,
Ain't gonna study war no more."