Oxford Orphanage now call The Masonic Home For Children was my home that I love dearly. I go back to homecoming each year the second week-end of October.

I was asked by so many people of Southport to write about my life growing up in an orphanage. I had 315+ brothers and sisters that I love dearly. Even the younger ones that I am friends with on facebook now call me Mama Shelby. I even love these young people as much even though I don't know them as well. 

Being an orphan had it advantage when I was growing up.The Masons of North Carolina raised me to become a respected woman and I am still respected by others as growing up and learning manners. I learned to cook and I worked at the hospital where I worked with the nurse there.

See, orphans worked each day that we were there. Different jobs for different people. The boys worked on the farm, dairy, electric, shoe shop, and the printing building.

The girls worked at the vegetable house when we were little. Then we waited on tables in the three dining rooms, kitchen, hospital, industrial building where some girls learned sewing.  We went to school a half day so we worked the half we were not in school.