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History of the
Sharpersons:
Sharper was our original surname. My great grandfather, the
Reverend Isaac and his brother Michael Sharper changed the
name. The reason the name was changed was that their
children’s first names were the same. They thought that this
might cause some confusion in the future; therefore, my
great-grandfather changed his name from Sharper to Sharperson.
My grandfather Johnnie Sharperson
was born on October 29, 1899; he was the son of Isaac and
Queen Sharperson. He was described to me as a gentle and very
diligent man, and an outstanding mechanic. He later worked at
The Chemical Plant now called The Albemarle Corporation. He
died at the early age of 52.
My grandmother formally Lila Jamison was the daughter of Mary
and James Jamison; she was born on December 27, 1905. They
eloped on October 15, 1918 in a town called North, SC. They
purchased the land on 717 Norway Road in 1938 for $100.00.
They had fifteen inimitable children. My grandmother was a
very gentle and always very composed. I remember the summers
that I would visit her during the early seventies. We would
have many conversations while she smoked her pipe, while she
sat in her favorite chair in the screened porch. I would sit
down near this enormously large buffalo pecan tree located
next to the house, and she would often tell me stories about
my aunts and uncles, always telling me about the ones that had
the worst behavior. There was one conversation that resides in
my mind even today, and that was the one about getting an
education. My grandmother said once, “You stay in school and
get a good education because times are different for colored
people”.
I attained this idea to do an African-American Museum while
attending a family reunion in Orangeburg, SC in 2003. I
visited the site and it was incredible, seeing the house, it
brought back many admirable memories. Although the thesis is
an imaginary project, it was something that I wanted to do in
honor of my grandmother. I wanted to thank her for all the
love and inspirations that she has given me.
THANK YOU SO MUCH GRANDMA LILA.
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