Tales tell of a magical woman who would appear when a child was at death’s door to offer an elixir to restore health.
“Little JoBeth was seeing angels when Me-maw showed up and gave her a spoonful of Tarheel Molasses. The next morning, the child was out playing with gators,” said an old Creole man from West Baton Rouge Parish.
Around the Mississippi Delta, folks talk of Me-maw Minerva’s cure-all tonics. They have been known to overcome snake bites and banish leprosy.
“The woman shows up, gives you a spoonful of tonic, then vanishes,” said Clyde Hopper of Lafayette Parish.
Father O’Dey tells his parish that angels walk the earth in many forms. Some folks aren’t so kind, calling her a demon in a petticoat.
“Daddy swears he saw her eyes glow bright red when he was a child suffering from a fever,” Miss Crabtree says.
Whatever folks speculate, the truth behind Me-maw is even more mystifying.
Margaret Mansfield was the only child of a wealthy merchant from Boston. The family moved to New Orleans in 1890 to open several cotton mills.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck shortly after their arrival, leaving the girl orphaned. A local nanny named Me-Maw Baptiste took care of her.
Due to her family’s wealth, Margaret was well cared for. She spent much time with her nanny, exploring the swamps around her home.
After Me-Maw Baptiste passed, Margaret closed up the home and traveled abroad.
“Folks tell of a woman moving into the manor house. They heard strange noises and saw phantasmagoria shortly after,” Miss Twitch said.
Locals kept their distance out of fear and respect.
During a cholera outbreak, a woman dressed in black appeared at the homes of children who were sick. She offered each a spoonful of dark liquid.
The next day, each child was fit as a fiddle, and no trace of the woman could be found.
“Folks started calling her Me-Maw Minerva. In honor of a wise woman who helped many over the years,” said old Doc Simpson.
Margaret liked the idea of being named after the saintly woman and kept the name. The secret behind her potions is another matter.
Me-maw learned a thing or two about witchcraft from her nanny. She calls on bayou folk to help when the need is great.
Rare roots and herbs are added to Tarheel molasses to produce her cures.
Me-maw repays the swamp folk by making moonshine for their late-night parties. Sometimes, Creole folk have been known to slip down to the swamp and enjoy some of Me-maw’s secret recipe.
There’s not much more to say about the woman. If you’re down in bayou country and get low-sick, drop in and see Me-maw Minerva for a spoonful of her cure-all.
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