Bess-Alice Phifer
celebrates 104 years
By Loretta Cozart
On Thursday, October 13th, Bess-Alice Hambright Phifer, known to many as Bess, will be 104 years old. Her family gathered Sunday for an early birthday celebration.
Growing up on the family farm near the Kings Mountain National Military Park, Bess had a strong sense of self. Her parents were Tom and Mable Weir Hambright. She had 7 siblings: Louise, Aileen, Lucy, Sue, Anderson, Lawrence, and Tom. Their lives revolved around family, school, and church and their roots run deep in the community.
Bess knew her grandparents and often visited them in Grover and Kings Mountain. Her Uncle Gill Hambright lived in the home currently occupied by the Patrick family on Battleground Avenue.
On her mother’s side of the family, she is related to the Weir and McGill families; Grandfather Ted Weir was the postmaster. “At that time, the post office had moved out of Mauney Brothers Store and was located on Battleground Avenue,” Phifer explained.
Her dad’s family descends from the Dickson and Hambright families. The Hambright line goes back to Colonel Frederick Hambright, commander of the Lincoln County Militia during the battle of Kings Mountain.
Her family belonged toAntioch Baptist Church, and she attended school in a one-room schoolhouse her mother founded.
When Bess was just 12, she attended the one hundred- fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain. The year was 1930. President Herbert Hoover was the keynote speaker. Her mother had responsibilities during the celebration, so Bess and her siblings were free to wander.
She remembers the throngs of people. “The President speech was good; I can remember seeing the speakers’ stand. Most of all,” she says, “I remember having the whole day free with all those people I didn’t know”
While in her junior and senior years at Blacksburg Centralized High School, Bess played basketball and participated in class plays. In her senior year, she was a founding member of the very first Beta Club in the United States in 1934 - 1935. After high school, she attended Asheville college and earned a teaching degree. She taught 6th graders at Waco Graded School and coached their high school women’s basketball team.
In the early part of World War II, Bess also took on work in the Shell Plant in Charlotte “making 40 mm shells. I inspected the little percussion cup to make sure it had powder in it. I did it at night on the third shift.” The plant went into operation on December 17, 1942 - just 10 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
With the war raging in Europe and the Pacific, Bess was about to face the biggest challenge of her life: serving in the American National Red Cross from 1943 until 1946. A co-worker at Waco suggested they apply for the American National Red Cross together.
“When I got to Washington, Kings Mountain native Hazel Frye was there. I was in training with Hazel for six weeks. We thought we’d go overseas together. I certainly didn’t have any idea I’d be going to the Pacific. I knew Hazel a little bit because mother and daddy were friends to her parents.” Hazel was assigned to Europe and Bess was assigned to the Pacific.
Bess began her service on the island of Hawaii at a Red Cross Rest Camp that had been established during World War I. “We had everything: a golf course and tennis courts. We had about 200 bicycles. All the men seemed to like to ride bikes. We had archery. And we’d take the men by van around the volcano and the bird park.”
Every five days, five hundred men would arrive at the rest camp for five-days of rest and relaxation. “We worked from 7 am to 10 pm,” said Bess. Every five days, a new group of men would arrive.
“The men appreciated having a few days of rest. I didn’t realize it meant so much to them. They had such a poor life. Even when I was there, I knew it was rough. They would tell you a few things. But I didn’t realize it was quite as bad as it was.”
By this time, Bess had received four promotions. She had “taken over as the head of the camp, seeing that it was all taken care of. I was over the Red Cross work, not the food,” she said. “It was a pretty big deal.”
While working in Hawaii, Bess met her husband-to-be, Marriott Phifer who was a Kings Mountain native. Due to her duties, she didn’t see him much when he was at the camp. When asked if they dated in the Pacific, Bess replied, “When they told me they needed me to go to Guam, I got a week off. I spent a right smart time with Marriott that week.”
While in Guam, Bess was assigned to a field hospital processing the troops who were freed from prison camps. “Most had spent four or five years as prisoners. And to see those fellows…” her voice trailed-off. “I stayed up all night trying to process who they were, to gather a little information about them.
“They looked like death standing, practically every one of them. I had seen a lot of wounded because at Guam I stayed at the field hospital. There were 200 – 300 doctors there. I ate the same places the men ate. In that hospital, all the wounded fellows were there. They couldn’t go home because they were waiting for transportation.
Bess was discharged on May 13, 1946. Six weeks later, on June 26, 1946, Bess Alice Hambright married Marriott Phifer in a double wedding at Antioch Baptist Church with sister, Lucy Hambright Kinard and her husband, James Herman Kinard.
Marriott’s family belonged to Boyce Memorial Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, so they joined that congregation. She has now been a member for 75 years.
Together, Bess and Marriott have four children: Dr. Reta Phifer, Doyt Phifer, Connie Savell, M.D. Phifer Jr., and one granddaughter, Lesley Phifer.
Throughout her life, Bess Phifer held close to her faith. She never feared serving in the Red Cross, saying, “I wasn’t scared a bit. I felt like I was where I needed to be. I never felt like I shouldn’t have done this.”
Last summer, Bess was interviewed by a representative from the Betty H Carter Women Veterans Historical Project UNC Greensboro Special Collections & University Archives to document her work in the American Red Cross during WW II.
She wants most for her children to “stay close to the Lord.” When asked what got her through the difficult times of her life, Bess replied without hesitation, “I lean on the Lord all the time, every day. If you didn’t have him to lean on, you’d be in bad shape, wouldn’t you?”
On Thursday, October 13th, Bess-Alice Hambright Phifer, known to many as Bess, will be 104 years old. Her family gathered Sunday for an early birthday celebration.
Growing up on the family farm near the Kings Mountain National Military Park, Bess had a strong sense of self. Her parents were Tom and Mable Weir Hambright. She had 7 siblings: Louise, Aileen, Lucy, Sue, Anderson, Lawrence, and Tom. Their lives revolved around family, school, and church and their roots run deep in the community.
Bess knew her grandparents and often visited them in Grover and Kings Mountain. Her Uncle Gill Hambright lived in the home currently occupied by the Patrick family on Battleground Avenue.
On her mother’s side of the family, she is related to the Weir and McGill families; Grandfather Ted Weir was the postmaster. “At that time, the post office had moved out of Mauney Brothers Store and was located on Battleground Avenue,” Phifer explained.
Her dad’s family descends from the Dickson and Hambright families. The Hambright line goes back to Colonel Frederick Hambright, commander of the Lincoln County Militia during the battle of Kings Mountain.
Her family belonged toAntioch Baptist Church, and she attended school in a one-room schoolhouse her mother founded.
When Bess was just 12, she attended the one hundred- fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain. The year was 1930. President Herbert Hoover was the keynote speaker. Her mother had responsibilities during the celebration, so Bess and her siblings were free to wander.
She remembers the throngs of people. “The President speech was good; I can remember seeing the speakers’ stand. Most of all,” she says, “I remember having the whole day free with all those people I didn’t know”
While in her junior and senior years at Blacksburg Centralized High School, Bess played basketball and participated in class plays. In her senior year, she was a founding member of the very first Beta Club in the United States in 1934 - 1935. After high school, she attended Asheville college and earned a teaching degree. She taught 6th graders at Waco Graded School and coached their high school women’s basketball team.
In the early part of World War II, Bess also took on work in the Shell Plant in Charlotte “making 40 mm shells. I inspected the little percussion cup to make sure it had powder in it. I did it at night on the third shift.” The plant went into operation on December 17, 1942 - just 10 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
With the war raging in Europe and the Pacific, Bess was about to face the biggest challenge of her life: serving in the American National Red Cross from 1943 until 1946. A co-worker at Waco suggested they apply for the American National Red Cross together.
“When I got to Washington, Kings Mountain native Hazel Frye was there. I was in training with Hazel for six weeks. We thought we’d go overseas together. I certainly didn’t have any idea I’d be going to the Pacific. I knew Hazel a little bit because mother and daddy were friends to her parents.” Hazel was assigned to Europe and Bess was assigned to the Pacific.
Bess began her service on the island of Hawaii at a Red Cross Rest Camp that had been established during World War I. “We had everything: a golf course and tennis courts. We had about 200 bicycles. All the men seemed to like to ride bikes. We had archery. And we’d take the men by van around the volcano and the bird park.”
Every five days, five hundred men would arrive at the rest camp for five-days of rest and relaxation. “We worked from 7 am to 10 pm,” said Bess. Every five days, a new group of men would arrive.
“The men appreciated having a few days of rest. I didn’t realize it meant so much to them. They had such a poor life. Even when I was there, I knew it was rough. They would tell you a few things. But I didn’t realize it was quite as bad as it was.”
By this time, Bess had received four promotions. She had “taken over as the head of the camp, seeing that it was all taken care of. I was over the Red Cross work, not the food,” she said. “It was a pretty big deal.”
While working in Hawaii, Bess met her husband-to-be, Marriott Phifer who was a Kings Mountain native. Due to her duties, she didn’t see him much when he was at the camp. When asked if they dated in the Pacific, Bess replied, “When they told me they needed me to go to Guam, I got a week off. I spent a right smart time with Marriott that week.”
While in Guam, Bess was assigned to a field hospital processing the troops who were freed from prison camps. “Most had spent four or five years as prisoners. And to see those fellows…” her voice trailed-off. “I stayed up all night trying to process who they were, to gather a little information about them.
“They looked like death standing, practically every one of them. I had seen a lot of wounded because at Guam I stayed at the field hospital. There were 200 – 300 doctors there. I ate the same places the men ate. In that hospital, all the wounded fellows were there. They couldn’t go home because they were waiting for transportation.
Bess was discharged on May 13, 1946. Six weeks later, on June 26, 1946, Bess Alice Hambright married Marriott Phifer in a double wedding at Antioch Baptist Church with sister, Lucy Hambright Kinard and her husband, James Herman Kinard.
Marriott’s family belonged to Boyce Memorial Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, so they joined that congregation. She has now been a member for 75 years.
Together, Bess and Marriott have four children: Dr. Reta Phifer, Doyt Phifer, Connie Savell, M.D. Phifer Jr., and one granddaughter, Lesley Phifer.
Throughout her life, Bess Phifer held close to her faith. She never feared serving in the Red Cross, saying, “I wasn’t scared a bit. I felt like I was where I needed to be. I never felt like I shouldn’t have done this.”
Last summer, Bess was interviewed by a representative from the Betty H Carter Women Veterans Historical Project UNC Greensboro Special Collections & University Archives to document her work in the American Red Cross during WW II.
She wants most for her children to “stay close to the Lord.” When asked what got her through the difficult times of her life, Bess replied without hesitation, “I lean on the Lord all the time, every day. If you didn’t have him to lean on, you’d be in bad shape, wouldn’t you?”
