From left to right: Cora, Mary Jane, mother Adeline (seated), baby John Tom, Rosie Lee, Augustus, Elasker, father James (seated), Marlee, James Douglas and George Everett

Home ownership has always been important to my family.  One day while looking over my family’s history, I discovered real estate has been in our blood for nearly 140 years.  Once I combined this information with the wonderful memories I have of vacationing on my family’s land, it helped me understand my passion for real estate.

Lewis Everett (not pictured) my great-great-great grandfather was born a slave in 1833.  In 1849, at the age of 16, Lewis was sold to L.C. Morgan for $350.  In 1873, a freed Lewis purchased 106 acres of land in Morris County, Texas.

The picture on the left is of my great-great-grandfather James Everett, his wife Adeline, (both seated) and their children.  James was born in 1864, the eldest son of Lewis Everett, and the second of eight children.  James represents the last generation of slavery in our family.

James was an industrious young man that helped his father work the land starting from the age of 12.  At age 19, James married Adeline Fullier.  In 1885, 21-year-old James and his father Lewis purchased 150 acres of land in Morris County, Texas.  Six years later, James purchased an additional 75 acres of land and by 1924, James and Adeline Everett had accumulated 253 acres of land.

James and Adeline’s vision, fortitude, and love of family afforded them many luxuries, one being the first to own a car in their community. James was later diagnosed with chronic myocarditis and died March 7, 1939 at the age of 75. Adeline died in 1944, and was buried next to her beloved husband of 56 years. I like to think of Lewis, James, and Adeline Everett as the first unofficial Realtors in my family.

Three of Elasker's sons: Eddie B., Frank, and Vernon Everett

My great-grandfather, Elaskar Everett, is the tall, slender man in the group picture standing directly behind his father, James. One of his sons, Eddie B., is my grandfather and he married Savannah Taylor in 1933.  A veteran of World War II, my grandfather was proud of our family history and instilled in us that same sense of pride.

I remember family vacations taken with my grandparents to east Texas  – the long walks on the land, the rows and rows of vegetables planted, and those quiet summer nights. You could sit outside on the porch at night while listening to the crickets chirp, look up at the sky, and see nothing but stars as far as the eye could see, without any buildings or homes obstructing your view.  A portion of the land still belongs to my family.

Eddie B. and Savannah not only owned their own home, but rental property as well. My grandmother, Savannah, took real estate classes at El Centro Community College and I have her certificate of achievement on my office wall.  It was harder to find sponsors for black women in the 1950s and 60s, so she was never able to live out her dream of becoming a Realtor. However, her sacrifices, wisdom, and life’s lessons were passed down to me and because of her, I am proud to say that I am a real estate agent, and prouder to be the founder of BMarie Realty.

Yours truly,

BerNardette Harvey