Lloyd's Stories, Page 1

THE FAMILY OF BESSIE EDNA BROWN & THOMAS MONNIE WOODS

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A boy & his horse

 

 

Date: Saturday, January 18, 2003 7:08 PM

 

I WAS 8 WHEN WE MOVED FROM BECKVILLE to our first home we owned  in 1924. We made a whopper cotton crop in 25 and I think it was that fall Daddy bought a sorrell saddle horse named polk. He could fox trot & lope but his favorite gait was singlefoot if going fast or pace if going slow. He was Daddys horse but I claimed him and rode him every opportunity. I could catch him in Smith pasture without rope or briddle, pull his head down stick big toe of left foot in socket over his left eye and hold to mane and he would raise head and oitch me on his back. Could guide him with a slap of hand to neck. Many was the time I would round up cows in that big pasture or mules but the best time was when "the indians were chasing me and polk would out run them and we would get home safe". I read those western magazine, books, etc and had a vivid imagination. I was equal with " Rider of the Purple Sage'

James & I would sometimes ride to Martin Creek and fish for the day if we could get something for him to ride. Daddy also bought a club footed bay mare to work and he would sometimes ride her. Also Uncle Jim at one time had bang tail little black mare that could lope all day and he would ride her. I know we had made such a trip one time and forgot the axe and James turned around and loped her about 4 miles back to creek and back home. One of the most daring escapades we did was to borrow Grand Paws horse John and ride to Beckville. I rode polk. Grand Pa emphatically laid t he law down to us. We were not to run john, but we did and had to stop, unsaddle and rub john down with bunches of grass to get him dry and looking reasonably good. Grand Pa knew we had run him for saddle blanket was still wet but he did not kill us. Daddy would ride polk and go fox hunting and one time he let me ride behind saddle and go. Another time when was constable a neighbor that lived about 2 miles  away called that her husband was drunk and threatening to kill her. Daddy told me to rund and saddle polk which I did . When I got back with him Daddy had his 44 pistol in belt and ready to go. I begged to go and he let me. I got behind saddle and held on as polk ran at full speed to get there. Daddy told me to drop off behind horse when we hit driveway about 100 yards from house. I did and watched as Daddy rode up to front of house & man  ran down hall to back steps and into yard. Stopped and reached in shirt like he was going to pull his pistol. I heard Daddy holler don't do it or I will kill you. His hand came out empty and Daddy arrested him.

A little later I would ride polk to parties held every Fri. night when we could get somebody to let us have one at their house and walk some girl home when I could and lead polk. After I got her home I would get on MY horse, drop reins and let him take me home. After polk was gone I had to ride a mule to those parties but I went anyway.

On one occassion James & I were going to a party while he was ridding club foot mare and Sis wanted to go but we told her NO.Mama hear that and told us to let her go or we could not go. I put her up behind me and turned to go and I made polk buck. Sis screamed and nearly chocked me so We had to take her to party.  There are amny more but I must quit for tonite, Love you, Lloyd

 

Current events and more about our neighbors

 

 

Date: Saturday, February 01, 2003 3:28 PM

 

Our neighbors, we had some Lulus.  MA  Pearly was an independent as you ever saw and a good manager of what little she had. She could hook up a team and plow with the best of them and had been married but was single when she and her midget daughter came to live just East of us by a good spring in an old house. Best I remember she dipped snuff and probably could cuss with the best. She may have been the one who said " that snuff and steak had never sold for what it was worth"

Somehow she met with and succombed to Coker as he wooed her. It was probably his tall body and farming experience. they married and they got busy farming.

Yes Pat Coker does deserve a paragraph. He was in world war one in calvary. That means he could ride a horse or drive a team of mules and did not have to walk. He was also a  good horse doctor without any college degree. Several times Daddy would tell me to run and get him ( I was a distance runner. that is I ran as far as necessary in least amount of time). I did get to see how he treated animals and medicine he used and later I would do it myself as need arose. He also had ability to heal. Thats a God given talent and you can not do it unless God gives it to you. I always wanted it but never had it. One day Coker saw me rubbing a wart between my fingers. it was at joint and all kinds work made it sore. He ask if I would like for him to take it off and of course I said yes. He rubbed it a few times and told me it would come off in a week and I would not know when it left. It happened as he said and I did not have a scarr.

Robert & Mamie Dobbins and their two children lived a little further down the road past Pearlys place. She was  a Jones, sister of Aunt Gladys and Mr Dennis and all that famil. Robert was most peculiar. A professing Christian but always un happy. Did I play with Hubert ? No way. He was a crybaby and would not last  one hour with James & I. Further Mr Dobbins would not let us or anyboddy hunt on his place and in our opinion that was the bottom of the totem pole and we did not even know what a totem pole was.

Coker had a bull dog that would tree squirrels but we could not hunt with him but one time I heard him treed on our back 40, got the gun and went over there and shot the sq. out and that cockeyed dog  grabbed my sq. and headed home and I could not stop him. I was tempted to shoot him but knew better.

 

 

 

Little boys at play

 

 

Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 8:23 PM

 

Pat requested this part of my life so here goes. James & I were only about 16 months difference in age and after we were about 5 & 6 he caught up with me and passed me by in size. I was quicker in action so we were bout equal in fights and we had our share of them but still loved each other very much. I miss him even today. Would like to say come by and lets go fishing. He was always ready.

Any way we played in the sand. Made castles and tore them down and let the rain do it. Sometimes we would dig into a bank and make a cave. Rode stick horses for miles and later when our coordination got better we would roll wheels for miles with a staff with a cross board nailed on at bottom. After we started to school we would try to roll the wheel to school without letting it stop or fall over.

The most fun was playing with OUR dogs. The early dogs belonged to Daddy but we claimed them. Would ride them until they lay down to get rid of us.As we got larger we would go rabbit hunting and when the rabbit ran in  a hollow tree we would twist them out and take them home. And we also sometimes had a dog  which was really ours. One time it was a brown feist, another a spotted one and one time a family in Carthage had a small long haired house dog that Daddy agreed for us to keep while they went on a trip. This dog was so ignorant that I had to run rabbits to get to run them but she finally made a rabbit dog and lovely pet and then about 4 months later they came to get 'THEIR DOG". bUT BY NOW SHE WAS MY DOG AND DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE and I did not want her to leave and I cried for days.

Yes we waded in the road ditches and gathered up crayfish and when a little larger used them for fish bait. Sometimes we would peel the tail and Mamma would fry them. Then we graduated to poles and fishing lines and started catching perch and we ate everything we caught including frog legs, ell, turtles and catfish.

Later when we got up to 11 & 12 and Ray entered the picture  at age 7 after the crops were laid by, that is finished plowing and waiting for corn to earout, cotton to get matured bolls and peas to get full and start drying Daddy would let us go to Marting creek and fish for a week. We would hook mules to wagon, gather up fish hooks and lines, seine to catch bait, bed roll, wagon sheet to coverif it rained, watermelons if ripe, cut corn tops to feed mules, skillet,knives, forks,  spoons,pepper, salt, flour, meal, old 22 rifle etc and head to Martin creek. about a mile before we got to Charley Jackson place old Granny Eldridge, Mrs Jacksons mother ,would sit on front porch and watch us coming, and meet us at road and give us advice and tell us to show her our fish when we came back. I will pause here to tell you what she told Mamma when james & I were lap babies at a graveyard working.She ask Mama if those were her babies and Mama swelled up with pride and told her yes. Then she said well if you knew what I do you would take them down in the woods and knock them in head with a pineknot. Needless to say Mama got us away from her thinking she was crazy. She had reason for she had raised about 6 meanest whiskey drinking rascalls that ever came out of Sand Hills. Back to story. We would catch or kill anything we could, rabbits, squirrels,fish, turtels, and eat all of it except catfish. We could keep them alive and take home to Mama and the girls. Of course we had to show Grandma Eldridge when we went by their house. She and Lena sure did like to dip their Snuff.

We never did have bought toys except a top, jacks, and one time a little red wagon, also balls. We made out bats.The morning after Santa came and brought the wagon (they say in my excitement I got up in the wagon getting things off tree without realizing we had a wagon) I doubt the veracity of this statement. We had a great time doing with what we had.  Its my bedtime so off to bed I go.

Love you.Lloyd

 

 

Neighbors We Had

 

 

Date: Sunday, February 09, 2003 5:04 PM

 

I will deal with Uncle Jim on subject  Our Uncles, but tonight I will move a little N.W. to George Brooks and brother John T. Brooks. they were both well to do farmers and brothers of our step mother Miss Settle Lee, my spelling may be off as well as facts. You may correct me on facts but do not worry about spelling. These men were not close in action but I had high respect for them, except for George.  He did not want me hunting on his land but let his boys hunt anywhere. therefore I took delight in slipping on and making a raid like I did one Christmas when I was home from Longview. Lunch had only been over for perhaps 30 min. and he came by headed toward Beckville. I immediately went to barn & saddled up John, Rays horse, got my gun & dog and rode about a mile to our North fence, tied John and took off hunting. Did not go far before Mary, my pointer set a covey of birds. On rise I got 4 in 3 shots, rejoiced and headed for singles but befoe got there she set another covey and got 3 of them and thet went same direction as first ones. We moved in on them and I started dropping them and finished by killing my limit(12) in 12 shots, I did miss one. Walked away from more birds went and got on John and was home in a little over an hour. Mr. George had two boys, Buford, my friend and Tulia, the crybaby. Mr John T. had several boys and girls too I believe, Lloyd, Red, do not remember his name and Theron, my age.

 

Now lets go toward Beckville, across road from Coker was a widow  with daughter named Arzelle she walked to school with us & little Nellie. Poor Arzelle married a Williams and did not get to change her name. Back on the mountain was the Jack

Adams family. They had 2 girls and one boy, none my favorite kind people. The oldest girl named Cassordray, put in a nursing home on Hyway 149 before they were regulated by State laws so she made the rules. Her method for controlling uncooperative patients  was to get her orderly, a black man, and undress them and lay belly down on a table and give them a whiskey enema. It always worked fast." Quite a lovely kind of woman."

 

Later on the Pelhams lived in Coker house and I vividely remember a cold rainy night after Mr Pelham had died and a small boy had diptheria. I was just a boy myself but they needed me to sit up with Mr. Ray Waldrop and attend to the boy. His mother was exhausted. About 1:00 AM the boy died and Mr Ray woke up his mother and ask if she had lumber anywher and she told us where to find some along with tools so we lit a lantern and went to barn, got lumber and built a casket and she placed boy in it. We spent the night and next morning put out word to neighbors and they went to Waldrop Cemetery, dug grave and we hauled little boy & family in wagon to cemetery and buried him. Roads were impassable except by wagon or horseback. I made a giant step in growing up that night.  More later, Good night, Love you, Lloyd

 

 

Date: Friday, February 21, 2003 7:35 PM

 

I am about same. Feel good most time except for swelling of feet & legs. Its not real bad but does prevent "The walking man" from doing much. I bought a 4 wheeler but havent had time to ride it.    Mildred has pretty well recovered from heart attack but is having terrible pain in back where there is no hope for relief.  I was praying for complete recovery but it does not seem likely. You pray for us. Took her for checkup yesterday and I bought a few things at Sams

My business is still racing away. Best I have seen in 40 years. What to do is the question I have just learned that I am known to youth of our church as "The Amen Man" I do speak up.

 

Uncle Hardy Woods, Daddys oldest brother married a Gentry from Brooks community and when I first knew them they lived in a community out of Carthage. We were never close to them as travel was hard and slow by wagon. I did get to know them pretty well when I went to Carthage school and was in the senior play and stayed with them  when we practiced at night.  J.D was oldest boy and he lived  on Hyway 59 before you get to Sabine River toward Marshall, I believe LD(Bud) was next boy and he lived with us one year and helped with crops, courted Wilma Brooks, Then Oscar  who was a professional oil well driller and they say a good one, and Pete who was killed by an outlaw on the street of Carthage. Some of his descendants are in Carthage now and I see them from time to time. There were several girls but I will not try to list  them.

 

Then Uncle John who was shot and killed as he walked by a mans house. I never could get any information about this incident.

He had two children. His son Elton who had several children and lived in Marshall and daughter  Mable who married Sam Fogle, a good man, and they had several fine children, God fearing people. One named Sam who I reccomended to East Texas Baptist university for a job and am glad of it for he made them a good man who is one of its Vice Presidents today. Mable is living in a nursing home in Marshall now.

 

Next was Uncle Frank, whose wife was named Shadie. They had 2 daughters and one boy named Harmon but went by Jack. Uncle Frank was a wanderer who worked enough to keep going. I remember them coming to our house and Mama was not happy about it at all for they were "free loaders". One time when Grandpa lived on hill above out house Jack came to our house to loaf and eat like a hog and he would not work and that made me mad. James & I were cutting and splitting pine logs into stove wood so I told James I was going to whip Jack if he did not work and for him to saw with him and I would split and then i would saw with him and james could split. At noon we went to house and ate and lay on front porch until time to go back to woods. I told James & Jack to get up and lets go and Jack said he was not going and I said you are going or I will whip you. He was about my age & size but I was ready so he went.  Then when we came from work we had to cross road to get to house and Jack turned up hill and went to Grandpas. He never came back so far as I can remember. He made a truck driver and died a few years ago. To be continued, Love you, Lloyd

 

Early days & goings on.

Date: Monday, January 13, 2003 7:50 PM

 

Bo I do not have addresses of all nieces and nephew so I would like for you to print out & keep for future and also to forward to all. I do not have time to do more that write.

 

 

I was a senior, having just enrolled in Carthage, when Daddy took his life. Cotton in field and MUST BE PICKED. I dropped out and took all that were big enough to pick and we got after it. About 3 days later about 5 pm I looked up and saw Q.M. Martin  walking across field to us. I told him I could not go to school for I had to make a living for family. In a nice way he told me I MUST finish high school and then go to college. I promised to come back when we got cotton picked and I did.

 

Then by grace of God I learned I could get a job making $15 per month at SFA, could make $5 milking cows at Uncle Sam’s who took in boarders. Borrowed $250 to buy a few clothes. Striped overals and tennis shoes, buy clothes for all family to go to school, food, school supplies etc.

 

 

James joined Tree Army and sent a little money home to help, so I went to college.

 

 

Sometime in my senior year my appendix started hurting and I drank mineral oil and olive oil that year and next and in summer of 35 mama insisted I have an operation for I was hurting all time and drinking all that oil was not good for me. We did not have money for it but did it anyway. I cannot remember who we used Dr. Barnett or Dr Rosseau, both in Beckville to make connections but anyway I got to Tri State  which is now Willis Knighton West in Shreveport. I had fever so bad they had to delay operation for 5 days until they could get it down. Then they operated and all went well except I had more fever and had to stay longer. Fell in love with my nurse, getting plenty to eat but Mamma  came over with Uncle Roy or Willis and took me home.

By now college has started but I muust get one more year and can then start teaching. Went to Carthage and borrowed $250 from Mr. Payne at First State Bank, no co signers and went to college broke, It took all the $250 to pay debts and buy necessities for family. I had two jobs waiting for me and knew I could make it if I could borrow from student fund run by Auditor, Mr Wisely. Money all gone I am too late. Mr Wisely knew me and wanted to help (God has always provided His men to help me when it seemed there was no way). He shoved me a check on

Stone Fort Bank in Nacogdoches and told me to write SFA a check for $19.75 which was 1/2 of a semester tution. I said Mr Wisely you know I do not have any money there or in any other bank. He said write it, register and when it bounces I will put it in my desk until you can pay it.  He taught me to write hot checks

More later.

 

DEATH

Date: Friday, January 17, 2003 8:21 PM

 

Death is not one of my favorite  subjects but it is apart of life and the fact that Judy, Robbies daughter and our cousin  died yesterday and will be buried tomorrow at 2:00 at Lipsey funeral home in Carthage. Mildred and Rita  and I,went to home tonight and visited with family and friends. Judy led a hard life due to circumstances beyond her control but she has children with good minds and personalities. Marlyin is the only one of that family still living and she is doing well.

I vaugely remember death of family and community friends but the one that impacted me early was Mammy Woods. I was one of the pall bearers, small and had a hard time getting casket up hill to grave and loved her and was hurting inside. Then later Grandpa Brown, and Grandpa Woods and Daddy on a hard cruel day of intense pain, agony and even hatred.  God in His mercy enables us to bear up under difficult circumstances, many more but next one that hurt me to core of my being was Mama. Lovely, devoted caring and daring us to be what we could be. Even in death, knowing that I would see her again as result of her faith and acceptance of Jesus as her redeemer lifted my spirit and made me cry out, Thank you Jesus. I am looking forward to that day & James, Sis,Ray, my precious Aunts,Uncles, Mildreds family, friends who walked by faith and will get to hold my little girl and boy and rejoice, praise God. Open your bible to John 14 & read & believe and trust so you will not miss out on that DAY. Jesus said I am the way, come unto all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. I hope to see you here & now but you be sure that is not the last time. John 3-16, Romans 3-23 and 6-23 and 10,9 & l0 & 13, Psalm 23 and more & more.

Its 8:15 and the old man had a good but hard day and need my rest. Until next time,  I love you, Lloyd

 

Stories you need to tell.

Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 8:04 PM

 

Continuation of  story told yesterday. The first $250.00 I borrowed from Mrs. Sealy, a rich widow with 40 bales cotton laying in yard at her house.  To get the money she required 4 of 5 men she named to co sign note for me.  This meant that if I did not pay they would. Any one would have been sufficient for all were good christian men and hard worker who owned their own land & homes and were leaders of their communities. 2 from Fairplay, one from Liberty, and two from Brooks. # l,2,3 signed & # 4 refused, I am disappointed since I must have # 5 so I ask God to lead him to sign & he did. Turning point in my life.

The other thing is funny. I had a friend named Bounds in hospital same time I was and he had a friend who was drinking and was mostly drunk and they came in to visit me. The drunk saw a fly light on foot bar of my bed frame, reached around to dresser, got a fly swatter, raised it over his shoulder holding with both hands like it was a baseball bat and came down with full forcean d smashed that fly until there was nothing left. He left staggering but happy and I laughed until my sore side nearly came open.

We lived in a house formerly owned by a Dr. Williams I believe who had planted about 5 trees in yard to use in making medicine. On some he used bark or leaves and some had a kind of green berry that he used. We did not know how to use them nor did anyone living.

We had Dr Rousseau and Dr Barnett who would make house calls and bring their pill bags with them and dispense medicine on the spot. When they could they would come in their cars and if roads were bad they would come in buggy. When Ray got sick, we presumed from eating green pecans, the weather was bad, bad and Dr, could not come. A knot swelled up on his stomach that looked like it would burst so about 9 PM daddy put me on our horse named Polk and told me to ride to Beckville to Dr. Barnett house & get him up and put him on  horse and drop reins so he would go home. I could not see my hand before my face and no light so Daddy told me to keep Polk going straight and not let him take a side road. Polk belonged to Daddy but he was my horse in sense that I rode him all over Smith pasture & up down roads. I loved him and he knew that and took care of me.

When Dr left, Mrs Barnett put me to bed and next morning about 10 AM when Dr came home I got on horse and went home. Dr had lanced knot and took out about cup full green bile and Ray got well. Ray must have been about 3 or 4 when this happened and I was about 5 years older.

The Dr's main remedy was calomel and castor oil, aspirin, turpentine, and later 3 C's which was a remedy for malaria.

 

From: John Woods

To: Lloyd Woods

 Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 9:29 PM

 Subject: Stories you need to tell.

 

 

I think what would be of great interest would be what people did when there was sickness and injury.  What was available in the way of doctors, medicines and remedies.  What did Mama and Daddy do and how did they pay for whatever was received.  I was very small but well remember when you had the appendicitis operation.  Tell us about that.

 

Bo

 

A Special Christmas

Date: Thursday, March 27, 2003 8:06 PM

 

Not at our house. We usually had about the same thing, a cluster  of rasins, I still like them, a few nuts, not pecans we had plenty of them, a few pieces of candy, maybe an orange or apple and sometimes a piece of clothing that we badly needed, all on that cedar tree we brought in and Mama & the girls decorated. Yes a ball and ball & jacks for girls.

Mama whispered to me that as soon as we had our presents from off the tree I was to harness the mules and hook to wagon for we were going to Grand Pa Browns. Now we had done this before and I knew it was special for he had more & better and I loved to visit there. I never did know why Daddy did not go but he did not and it was my responsibility and pleasure to do all I could do to make it a great day. Grandpa had special kinds of candy & licorice & cakes & cookies and firecrackers for his grand kids. Yes and a victrola with big good records to play on it and he puffed his pipe and told me stories of when he was a boy and how many bales cotton he made and we would go to barn and slide on piles of hay and corn and just east of barn fence was a bluff that seemed to go all way to China that we would slide down And about this time they would ring the dinner bell and we would go in and the table would be loaded with chicken & dressing & ham, candied yams, fruit cake, banana pudding, chocolate cake and perhaps 2 or 3 kinds pie.

Grand Pa had a big bible laying on a table to his right and he sat on right side fireplace and read from bible and told stories about Daniel in lions den & much more. I guess he was pretty smart for I think he saw promise of better things for me and tried to inspire me to go for it. I thank God for him and what he did for me even tho I did not know what & why then.

Well the day is getting late and we cannot stay overnite this trip so I hurry the mules toward home.

 

Health wise we are about same. I did have one bad day when heart rate got down to 43. I am going to tell my Dr I need an implant to regulate heart beat.  Hope you are well and enjoying these beautiful days. Wish i could garden again.  Love you. Lloyd

 

Earl, John Tom, Jim

Date: Saturday, March 01, 2003 8:13 PM

 

Aunt Kate married Earl Crawford, a farmer that didn’t want to farm so he worked on the rail road. They say he became a foreman because he did not like to work and was loud and could out cuss a sailor and give ORDERS.  Therefore they moved when he was transferred and sometimes it was on short notice. He did stay with the job. Aunt Kate was a slow talking kind woman that learned to tolerate Earl and his high temper. She insisted on taking her laying hens where ever they went much to Earls dislike they were crated and put on the train, with all their worldly possessions and away they went. He did have friends in high places if they had fox hounds and some did. Fox hunting was his passion, run fox all night and work on railroad all day. One noted Evangelist had hounds and they ran them together. They kept moving East &  South. East until they got down to New Roads north of Baton Rouge where I visited them in summer of 35 I think. Alden was going with Louise and they managed to get me a date and we had fun. One of my dates was named Honey Honea and she was as big around as she was tall. While Alden and Louise danced in a honkey tonk  Honey & I went boat riding. I started toward her end boat and she rocked boat and said if you come a step closer I will turn boat over *& since I had on best clothes and was coming home next day I obeyed.

Joe & I went boat riding in Missippi River at flood stage and he did turn boat over and we lodged in a tree top until a fisherman came by and picked us up. God saved me that day as I grabbed a limb and was sucked under time &   again until I climbed back to trunk of tree.

Uncle Earl did not make much money and had to feed those hounds so Aunt Kate would get corn, peas, melons from farmers along river and it helped on groceries.

More when I have time. Mildred had several bad days but got better and we were able to go to Shreveport for Anniversary and eat sea food on Thu and today she & Michael celebrated birthdays with a party at skate rink in Carthage. Of course we sat and let Michael do the skating with his friends. Love you, Lloyd

 

Mamas brothers

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 8:55 PM

 

Uncle Roy married Bonnie Gentry, our cousin and they lived on Grand Pa Brown place when he lived at Brooks community before my time.  Roy was  slow talking, like Grand pa, a patient type man, altogether different from Willis. He was a farmer, shade tree mechanic and could cut hair. He raised a good family and had a hard time making a living. I did not understand why he and Willis did not help us after Daddy died, until later and then it dawned on me, he was not financially able. When I started teaching at Brooks in 1936 I needed some type of car and he & uncle Bill (Willis) put me one together. It was a combination 1925, 26 and 27 model, chassis of one year, motor of another and transmission of another, with wood spoke wheels. Brakes never were any good so I would be careful when getting in a place to park and gear it down to low, or slow before using brakes. Battery was not any good and generator did not work so I would park where I could roll it off and put in gear and let that turn motor over and start. I hauled basketball team in it until it broke down one night about 12:00 Pm about 100 yards from Will Gentry home and I told boys to get out and walk home which I did also and that was end of it. It was a bargain alright for it only cost me $35.00, $5 down and 5 per mo until pd. Uncle Roy sold me his 16 ga Winchester pump shot gun, a good one, for $25  with stipulation he could buy it back at same price at any time and several years later he did.

 

Uncle Bill was cut from different cloth. Never could get his life on track. Moody, high tempered, devout Christian, studied to be a preacher, played French harp, guitar, worked because he had too to live but always hated the discipline of living. He came to live with us one year and I learned much from him. We roomed together in a room where roof leaked and we usually had to get up when we had a storm and move beds at least once in the night. One morning he put on a clean undershirt and it was too tight to please him so he hung his thumbs in arm pit and pushed straight down and tore it off, then another same way and when he put on third, I laughed and he finally left it on. He liked to hunt and fish and one time he took me to river to fish and squirrel hunt. I did not know much so when I saw something coming thru grass and leaves I shot and it was a skunk which sprayed me. I thought he was going to whip me for that. He made me get in river and scrub in sand with soap but I stilled smelled like a skunk.

One time he hired out to Josh Blue to plow for him. About 10:00 AM Josh saw team standing at far end row and they were still there at 12 so he went and got them and turned loose. Willis had decided to go to California so he just walked off and left mules.

He married a woman there and they had one daughter. Later divorced and he came back to Texas, then later went down in La visiting and married a woman there who was a hog farmer. We stopped to visit him one time when we were coming from Aunt Kates and I thought about Prodiagal Son who also had some experiences on a hog farm..

Do not get impression I did not love my uncles for I did and realized I would to some extent be like them. Next letter will be about In-Law Uncles. I had some doozies.

 

Tomorrow will be 61st anniversary. Been married so long I   can hardly remember when i was single. Mildred has been worse last 5 days but felt some better today  and if she is still OK we will drive to Shreveport, I have an eye Dr app., and go to Ralph & Kacoos for seafood lunch to celebrate.   Love you, Lloyd

 

More about Sam (Crawford who married Daddy’s sister Belle).  (He was also a brother to Uncle Earl and Alta who was married to Daddy’s 1st cousin Arthur Woods and Chester who was Daddy’s dear friend and Hetty who was married to Thurston Jones and Mama’s dear friend)

Date: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 8:16 PM

 

I knew more about Uncle Sam than any other Uncle by my boarding there for about 5 months. His second wife was named Molly and she was cross-eyed so when she was looking at you she wasn't and when she wasn't she was. Very confusing. Little James was at home so Sam needed a house keeper and she needed a home so it worked out. Sam was about 5X5 and bald headed and looked a lot like Jiggs from comics. Sam had to lead cows with rope to neighbors bull about 1/2 mile away and that was an ordeal. One time cow would not go so he ask me to twist her tail and I did and she ran & jerked Sam down and that bald head landed in a fresh pile of cow dung. Quite a site and I had to laugh. Another time we were playing 42 on a cold night and had door closed.  Sam opened it and sniffed and said little too hot in here (wanted to save on gas) and one of boys said if it gets too hot we will open window. Made Sam mad and he nearly tore door off when he slammed it. Sam barbered until after midnight on Saturday and I sometimes went to midnight show when my buddy was on door and let me slip in and then ride home with Sam. On this particular night it was raining and we took off and ran out of gas about 1/4 mile from an all night station so we got out and sized situation up and decided if we pushed hard enough we could get over ridge and coast to station and sure enough we did but just before got over top Sam stepped on running board and got behind wheel and I had to keep pushing. Finally got there and we rolled in and Sam hollered fill ‘er up and held up 2 fingers which meant 2 gal. Then while boy was putting it in Sam said to me you will have to pay I don’t have any money. (I knew he was lying but took out my only 25 cents and paid. On a Sunday Miss Molly told me she & James were going to a church gathering but dinner was cooked and Sam would put on table at noon. Sure enough he did set a plate of cornbread and bowl of turnip greens on table and we sat down to eat and I ate all I could for I was hungry. then I got up and walked to peg-leg Wilson store and bought  a Baby Ruth candy bar with my last nickel and ate it on way back to house. When I got to house I walked by dining room window and there sat Sam with a choclate pie. I was mad but did not say anything, just walked into house and sat down at table and reached for pie and started eating the last half. Made Sam mad so he snorted and took off. I stayed until end first semester and moved to Aunt Sally boarding house 10 freshmen and Baldy Ross a senior. he made life hard on us but did have plenty to eat. Next fall I moved into private home of Buck and Lela Parmely and was treated like a king compared to Sam.

 

Health up date. Mildred is about as usual. We both went to see Cardioligst. Left her med. same and seemed to be pleased but she can barely go in mornings and does not wish to eat. I do get her to eat. She may be able to take cortizone shots again and that will really help on pain. Dr increased amount of water pills I take to try & keep edema under control.   Love you, Lloyd

 

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