Roberta

Roberta’s Caring Hands
By Vivian Johnson, Andrea Harper-Smith, and Annette Grier

In 1927, Roberta LeValle embarked on a journey of love, marrying Paul Harper, a man of the land and the road, who cultivated crops and navigated school buses. Roberta, known far and wide as the culinary virtuoso of her time, adorned their home not only with delectable aromas but also with her exquisite needlework, including a striking portrait of majestic horses.

As the mid-1900s dawned, a transformative government initiative offered land to black farmers with a unique requirement: a son to till the soil. Embracing this opportunity, our resilient grandparents, Paul and Roberta Harper, welcomed their firstborn son, Paul Harper Jr., in 1939, leading to the acquisition of 200 fertile acres. With their brood of eight—Gladys, Pauline, Sophronia, Ella, Trudie, Paul Jr., Gloria, and Roosevelt—the Harpers embarked on a journey of toil and triumph.

Their farm burgeoned with life, sustained by the milk of their cow, the bounty of their fields, and the fruits of their labor. From plump chickens to succulent pork, every meal bore the imprint of their hard work and dedication. Cotton swayed in the breeze alongside cucumbers, peanuts, and corn, painting a tableau of abundance.

Generosity flowed from Roberta's hands as she stitched love into quilts, gifting each of her eight children a tangible expression of her affection. Though her life was cut short, before completing quilts for each of her 23 grandchildren, her legacy endured, woven into the fabric of the Harper homestead.

Through the generations, the Harper farm remained a beacon of familial unity, nurturing not only children but also grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In the shadows of towering oaks and swaying fields, bonds were forged and memories etched, with Roberta's quilts always serving as tangible reminders of her enduring love.

Today, the farm consists of 49.5 acres and the descendants of Paul and Roberta Harper gather annually on the third Sunday of October, honoring a more than 20 year-legacy steeped in perseverance and resilience. Together, they celebrate a heritage forged through hardship and triumph, inviting all who seek to partake in a journey of remembrance and renewal. Come, join us, as we continue to craft history together, one stitch at a time.

50th wedding anniversary


PAUL HARPER DRIVE 



The farm - 49.5 acres! 





Bow of cotton