They stayed in Panther Burn for close to 10 years and may not have returned to Hinds County heroes, but they had tried, and they had survived, and they had something to show for it. Not only did they come back as a family, a much bigger one in fact—Esther gave birth to Stanford, Velma, Clara, Luevester, and Roscoe down in Panther Burn—but George learned that they had enough money to buy property right there in Hinds County.

They had to make their home fit for their ever-growing family. George and Esther got to building the biggest house they could imagine to hold all of their children. When it was done, they could all fit on the first floor and they stored their belongings up on the second. There was even a house on the property for George’s mother Molly. Queen Esther Jr, Virgil, Mynetta, Aileen, Ethel, Robert, and Huey were all born on the estate, giving them twelve children in all.

Tragedy would strike the family first with Virgil’s death at the young age of nine in 1931. Just a few years later, Esther was walking out to the back porch on her way to milk the cows. She had landed on that step thousands of times before but on that day in November she slipped, fell, and broke her hip. Esther died shortly after. It is unclear whether from complications from her accident or not. She was only 44 years old. She and George had worked hard to make something of their family, and they were still just getting started. He had taken on so much debt, so many of the children were still so young. George grieved for the next four years he lived without Esther. He leaned on his father, George Sr., more than anyone during that time. George Jr., joined his wife Esther again when he passed at age 56 in 1939. After participating in the most unnatural of ceremonies, the burial of one’s child, George Sr. and his other children embraced his orphaned grandchildren from afar along with members of Queen Esther’s family and other community members. George and Esther’s legacy would live on through them.