Fred's father, David W. Densmore, moved to the Jasper area sometime in the early 1900s. He bought 200 mountainous acres about four miles west of Jasper. It was called Densmore Mountain. 

There was a large log cabin on the property, a log barn, and a log crib. To reach the main road, which was almost a mile away, there were three branches to cross. In the winter, a car could not get through, so you walked. The property was beautiful with all kinds of fruit and nut trees and grape vines. The house had a large fireplace. They cooked on the fireplace in big iron pots and ovens. There was no electricity, so a box was kept in the spring to keep the milk cold.

After his first wife Clarissa's death, Dave married Emily Catherine Farriba, widow of Hyman Farriba. Dave and Emily married February 20, 1920. Their children were Grace born 1921, Cora born 1924, Fred Roy born 1928, infant girl born and died 1932, and Mary born and died 1933. Emily died one week after the birth of Mary.

Fred had polio when he was three or four years old. After his mother died in 1933, his sister Grace cared for him.

They walked to Federal School except on rainy or snowy days when they stayed home. Lunch was taken to school in lard buckets with holes punched in the lids to keep them from sweating. Lunch consisted of biscuits, jelly, sausage, eggs, or whatever was on hand at home. Syrup was a plentiful commodity as they usually had 30 or 40 gallons to do them in the winter.

After Fred's grandfather's death in 1927, his father moved his family to the Four Mile area to take care of Fred's grandmother. After his grandmother died in 1931, they moved back to Jasper. About 1944, they moved near Nelson in Cherokee County.

Life was hard but the home was always filled with love.

--excerpt from "DAVID W. DENSMORE FAMILY", Pickens County Georgia Heritage 1853-1998, Walsworth Publishing Company, 2007, p. 188, article submitted by Elaine Gary, based on an interview with Grace Densmore.