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[email protected] (Janet Kemerait)
Our grandmother, Berta Malone Perkins, was born on November 12, 1874,in Monticello, Georgia and she died on September 8, 1952 in Tallahassee, Florida.
Her husband, Joseph Olien Perkins was born in 1875 in Rutledge, Walton County, Georgia, and he died in 1937 in Tallahassee.
His father was John Ingram Perkins (II), his grandfather was Elbert J. Perkins, and his grandfather was John Ingram Perkins (I).
Berta's daughter, Marie, remembers that Berta was always in the kitchen when
the children came home from school, and when they opened the door they were met with the sweet smells of cakes, pies, or desserts like the baked custard with the recipe listed below. This baked custard was one of the family favorites, along with a delicious sweet potato pie.
Marie's daughter Kay remembers her grandmother (our Mother Perk) living in Tallahassee after her husband Joseph Olien died. Berta had a group of girls who worked in the Florida State Department in Tallahassee living with her, and Kay said that "they loved her like she was their own mother." She fed them "supper" at night and it was always "a feast to behold." Lots of fried chicken, sliced fresh tomatoes, lots of different vegetables, and homemade rolls or biscuits. And never a meal was complete without a cake, pie, or pudding of some kind.
Berta was very talented. She played the piano beautifully and gave lessons to young boys and girls of the town. She was a poet, and we still have boxes of her poetry to enjoy. She was an accomplished seamstress and made all of the children's clothes as well as doing lovely hand crafted needle work. Mother Perk was one of the kindest, dearest ladies we have ever known, and she was loved by everyone who knew her. Janet Perkins Kemerait
Mother Perk's Lemon Cake Top Pudding (A family favorite!)
2 tbsp. softened butter or oleo
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp. grated lemon rind
3 eggs with yolks divided from whites
1 1/2 cups milk
Beat the yolks. Stir into beaten yolks 1 1/2 cups of milk. Mix with other
ingredients except for egg whites. Stiffly beat egg whites and fold into above mixture.
Set in pan of water and cook in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
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