The Story of Aunt Jemima

About the Book

“ The story of Aunt Jemima “ is a biography about the life of the real Annie Short Harrington (1897- 1955) ,written in picture book form. She was born in rural Marlboro County in the community now known as Wallace ,  South Carolina. The county seat is Bennettsville. The Short Family lived on the Peguese Plantation , where they picked cotton and worked in tobacco as “ sharecroppers. “

     Her last surviving sibling, Lila Short Davis, provided most of the information about her through interviews. She died during the early 1990s. Her niece, Lenora Harrington Peguese also contributed to this story.

     Annie(also known as Ann and Anna) Short Harrington left the South going North to look for work, to support her five young children – three daughters and two sons. She found domestic work in the homes of  wealthy people , including Governors. Syracuse, New York was where she eventually settled. There she worked for a fraternity house at Syracuse University.

     Mrs. Harrington’s fame was launched at a Fairground in the Syracuse , New York area in 1935. She was cooking pancakes there when she was discovered by the Quaker Oats Company – her picture drawn ,and her image publicized all over America as “Aunt Jemima. “

     She died in 1955 at the age of fifty- eight. Her remains were buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse, New York , at grave plot number 63 – section H-4 . Many of her relatives continue to live in the Wallace Community in South Carolina. They are proud of her niche in history.

About the Author

John Troy McQueen was born in Bennettsville, South Carolina . He grew up on a farm. He was  the ninth of ten children born to Kinney and Estelle Oliver McQueen. Through determination and  faith was how he worked his way through college. A Bachelor of Science degree in Biology  was received from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He holds a Master’s Degree in education with a certification in Elementary School Administration from the University of South Carolina.

     He taught fifth and sixth grades before becoming an Elementary School Principal. He has worked at the School District Office level and as an Attendance Supervisor and an Adult Education Director. He retired in 2002 following a career of thirty- five years in education – all in South Carolina schools.

     Mr. McQueen is the author of the following books:  “A World Full of Monsters, “  “ A Biography of Edward James Sawyer, “ “  Marlboro County’s Black Heritage , “  “ Marl-boro  County’s African American Heritage , “  and  “  Famous First Facts “( about African American heritage in Marlboro County).          

His marriage to the former Dorothy Jackson of Chester , South  Carolina produced  four adult sons : John Troy, Jr., Gregory Lamont , Garrick  Desmond, and Jackson Kinte. He and his wife are also the Guardian of  a daughter, Felicia Rogers. He is a member of of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, where he is a Deacon and sings in  the choir. He is a Mason and holds membership in several civic organizations. He enjoys  reading , gardening , and traveling .