Grandmother of my husband, Dennis Brown.

Amanda was the daughter of Owen & Charlotte (Belcher) Sizemore. Her first marriage was to Franklin Jackson "Jack" Perrine in Alleghany Co, VA on February 28, 1907. His name has also been shown as Frank Jackson "Jack," and other variations. She and Jack lived in Covington, Alleghany Co, VA, where their daughter, Elsie, was born on March 3, 1909.

Jack, an alcoholic, often had uncontrollable fits of rage, sometimes resulting in mistreatment of Amanda and Elsie. Late one cold winter night, Jack came home in a drunken state. He threatened to kill Amanda and went to the woodshed for his ax. This time Amanda grabbed Elsie, ran and leaped off the front porch, raced blindly into the woods, and hid in some brush. She looked back and could see Jack silhouetted in the doorway, holding his ax. She and Elsie were lightly clothed and not prepared for the cold night and snow covered ground. It was so dark she could hardly see, but she had to make her way through the brush and woods to the home of her parents. She avoided the road, where she could see the light from his lantern as he searched for her.

Somehow she made it to her parent's home. Later, after he had sobered up, Jack came by the house and wanted to take her back home, but Amanda's father, Owen, wouldn't allow him to see her.

Subsequently, her family rented an entire railroad car to travel to Washington State. Owen wanted to take part in the "timber rush" in the great northwest. To avoid any problems with Jack, he arranged for Amanda and Elsie to board the train in another town. After spending a short time in Washington, Amanda's mother, Charlotte, returned to VA.

In 1910 Amanda and her daughter, Elsie, were living with her father, while he worked in a logging camp in Lewis County. It was there she met a young widower, David Self, ten years older than herself, who was living in a boarding house down the street. (Amanda's father & some of her siblings eventually returned to VA.)

David and Amanda lived in Lewis County, Washington, in the Chehalis and Centralia area. They had five daughters, Dorothy, Agnes, Bertha, Virginia, and Vivian, as well as an infant who was still-born. David was like a father to Amanda's infant daughter, Elsie, who grew up with her half-sisters.

David worked as an engineer on a logging train, but had to quit after he was injured by a log that rolled on him. He then became a plumber and steam fitter. Like his father, he was also good at carpentry work and built a house near Chehalis.

Amanda & David's daughter, Agnes (my mother-in-law), always talked about how patient & loving her mother was with all of her girls. She recalled how her mother would say, "Okay, girls, let's get the house cleaned up so we can go play."

David died in Centralia on November 19, 1941. Amanda lived 20 years more. She always wanted to go back to VA to see her parents and visit relatives, but never had that opportunity.

She was visiting her daughter, Vivian Heryford, in Klamath Falls, Oregon, when she had a heart attack. They called an ambulance to take her to Hillside hospital where she died about two hours later.

The Daily Chronicle (Centralia, WA)
Mon. Aug. 7, 1961
"SUCCUMBS IN OREGON
A long time Centralia resident, Mrs. David (Mandalee) Self, 75, died Sunday at Klamath Falls, Ore., where she had been visiting. Mrs. Self was born May 4, 1886, in Covington, Va. The deceased had lived in Centralia for 51 years. The family home is at 524 South Gold St.

Surviving are six daughters, Mrs. Elsie Moffett, Los Angeles; Mrs. Vivian Heryford, Klamath Falls; Mrs. Agnes Brown, Puyallup; Mrs. Bertha Towner, Mrs. Dorothy Sapp, and Mrs. Virginia Sloan, all of Centralia; 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services are to be Wednesday at 11 a.m., at the Sticklin Funeral Home in Centralia. The Rev. Otto Bright will officiate and interment will be at Greenwood Memorial Park."