I thought you might find Archie Green's note regarding Sarah Ogan Gunning's recording of "Dreadful Memories" interesting. I'll quote it in full:

In 1952, when John Greenway visited Aunt Molly Jackson at Sacramento, California, she sang for him a poignant song modeled on the familiar hymn "Precious Memories." Molly placed the date of composition as 1935 and the "experience" as 1931. It was an exciting find for the folklorist, since Molly had not given this piece to previous collectors Alan Lomax or Mary Elizabeth Barnicle in the 1930s. Greenway used "Dreadful Memories" in American Folksongs of Protest and recorded it twice. Consequently, I was pleased and surprised to collect it from Sarah in 1963, for she generally eschewed her half-sister's material. Sarah told me that she composed the song in New York about 1938 and that Molly "learned it from her" when the Gunnings visited California during World War II. There is no question in my mind as to the veracity of Sarah's statement (although to document my belief would require an analysis of Aunt Molly Jackson longer than this brochure). Here it can be said that folksong students are in debt to the two sisters for this excellent example of variation within a single family tradition.

I assume that most of those who are drawn to this thread will be familiar with Archie Green. He is probably the nation's leading authority on labor folklore, author of Only a Miner and several other important studies. I would be inclined to accept his assessment, although I have yet to read Shelly's study and don't know what new evidence she may have turned up.

Sandy