 |
| Anne Eliza Leak |
| Anne Leak Thomson |
| "In infancy, owing to my extreme helplessness and bad health, my parents thought it would be a blessing not only to them but to myself, if God should take me to Himself." And so begins the story of Anne Leak; the little daughter born to Wesley and Eleanor Leak. The couple would eventually go on to have a total of twelve children but only this one, little Annie, was born different. Because this one was born without arms. The year was 1842 and the family was living in the heart of Georgia in the sleepy town of Zebulon, pop. 400. When Annie was seven the Leak family moved about 10 miles north to Griffin where the little girl grew up. "Dear old Griffin! How sweet the place to me then! My feet stopped before a bed of flowers, planted by my mother's hand; further on, there was the orchard which was my father's care and delight. Here, we were all together once, - father and mother, brothers and sisters. How pleasant to recall to mind the associations, even though not unmixed with trials; reminding me that God's hand has been over us for good!" |
| "I have made it a rule that where I cannot do a given thing as well as those with arms and fingers, I abandon its pursuit altogether." |
| Though sickly as a child, Anne's health gradually improved. Her father, initially despondent over his "helpless offspring", began to have hope when he noticed his daughter naturally starting to pick up objects with her feet as a child would with her hands. Then again, Annie's right leg was shorter than her left and the child just couldn't get the hang of walking. But this she was finally able to do by age five. Annie was able to attend school with the rest of the neighborhood kids and did well in her studies. By her own account she was enrolled at Griffin Female College at age 11 but had to leave in 1859 before completing her studies in order "to superintend the labor of housekeeping at home." By this time five more children were added to the Leak household and Mom needed the help from her eldest daughter. Education would have to wait. But it was not to be. On Jan 21, 1861 Georgia became the fifth state to secede from the Union in anticipation of America's Civil War. Still, the State and the Leak family were relatively free from the effects of the conflict until late 1863. Finally, with conditions worsening and Georgia becoming a major player in the Rebellion Wesley Leak and family decided to cut their losses, abandoning house and home to relocate to a much quieter (relatively speaking) Florida where they had extended family. It was because of the financially devastating effects of the War combined with the loss of their eldest sons either to illness or the war itself that the Leak household was left in dire straits. At the close of the war Mr. Leak was almost 60 years of age, considered elderly in those times, and his wife was only six years younger. All eyes were on Annie, or perhaps she thought they were. As reserved as she was in her person Anne felt obligated, as it were, to try to do something to help with the support of her parents and siblings. “There was then only one way open for me to support myself and assist the dear ones at home.” |
 |