Memories

I am writing this on Monday, August 3 but it won't be in the paper until Wednesday. So you will be reading this after the Gaither Concert and I am writing it before. That just seems so unfair. There are going to be all these wonderful, interesting people in town and I have to wait a week to write about them. Let me know how you liked the concert and all the other festivities and we can all share next week.

This week we can talk about the fire. I got lots of comments about that. Of course the Lumber yard has been a part of Rector as long as most of us can remember so you know this has brought back all kinds of memories, not only of the lumber yard itself but of the Brewers who once owned it. Mack Manchester and I talked early last week. Back when he was a young man, (way, way back) he worked for the Brewers. They built a little house and rented to Mack and his first wife, Eileen when they were first married. Later Mack and Eileen bought the house. His memories of the lumber yard are many and the Brewers were very special to him.

Aleen Bozarth also emailed me with memories stirred by the mention of the lumber yard. She and her family moved to the area in 1958 and lived on the Clay/Green county line west of Rector. John and Hattie Brewer were the owners then, and Aleen's husband was a do it yourself carpenter/builder. They bought a lot of lumber and supplies from the Brewers. The Bozarths had four children who graduated from Rector in 61, 63, 65 and 67. Do you remember them? Aleen didn't mention their names, but I am sure some of you will know who they are. They all loved the Labor Day Picnic of course. Don't we all! Aleen, thank you for your email. If you or your children make to the picnic this year, please give me call.

Frankie Lyles also had some memories to share. Her husband, Billie worked at the lumber yard for the Brewers and continued to work there after Claude Fielder bought it. When Billie first went to work for John they had one child. They added 3 more as the years went by. Frankie remembers Hattie fondly. She would slip into Frankie's house and bring cookies and jelly and a wonderful lemon cake. She even shared advice from time to time. It was good advice too.

Billy and Claude Fielder not only worked together at the lumber yard, they volunteered as firemen together and Bill followed Claude as fire chief.

The lumber yard was a favorite gathering place on cold winter mornings. Frankie would go in to see Billie and the old pot bellied stove would be surrounded by Rector's men folk, lots of men, lots and lots of Malins with striped overalls on. She suspects that many of the world's problems were solved there. Frankie says, "I imagine my husband learned lots of life's lessons right there. That's when the world was young and gay; a million, million years away." That sounds like it could be a song, doesn't it?

Frankie was working on new memories last week too. She has been to Houston, TX to visit her granddaughter, Amanda (Pruett) Vineyard and her three darling children, Samantha, Simon and Spencer. Frankie and I share a great love for them. Their father, Travis Vineyard is my nephew. Frankie says she had a really good time, but now she misses them all again. I think they should visit us up here. Hmmm, Labor Day, maybe?

Did you know that Mae (Ellis) Williams has been in town? She and her grandchildren, Ashlee Williams of Skokie, IL and Jessie, Eryn and Erick Williams of Pleasant Prairie, WI, spent last week visiting with Mae's mother Odessa Ellis and brother Gene Ellis. They also visited other relatives and friends in Rector and Kennett. On Friday evening everyone got together at Kennett for a family dinner and visit. Mae and grandchildren left for home on Saturday. Mae, thank you for the email. I am glad you had a good time in Rector. Come back soon.

Jessie Malin and Cathy Louder have been running the roads again. This time they took off for East Tennessee to visit with relatives there. They got to meet Jessie's new great niece and nephew, (twins) as well as visiting with all the not so new nieces, nephews, etc. Boy the grass doesn't grow under their feet in the summer, does it?

More travelers are Abbe and Blake McCarroll and their friend Tyler Kilough from Paragould. They are on a road trip to Maine. Their first stop was Lynchburg, TN to spend the night with Abbe's college roommate, then on to Durham, NC to visit with relatives there. They also toured Duke University. Next they will make a pit stop in Richmond, VA to stay with a college friend of Tyler's from Harding. They plan to pick upa capitol tour in Washington, DC and then on to Maine!

They plan to stay in Maine for three days and visit Portland, Bar Harbor and Bangor and they want to visit Stephen King's home. I am not sure I want to visit his home. He is definitely sort of strange. The traveling trio are going to catch as many sights as they possibly can before starting back. They will make a brief stop in New York where they will stay in a hostel and see Big Apple from the inside. Then back through Durham to regroup with relatives and then back to Rector by the 10th. Wow! What a trip. Sounds like we are gonna need an update.

I have also been entertaining this weekend. My cousin Lina (Dudley) Sheffield and her daughter, Tracey Sheffield Hom and granddaughter Elizabeth Sheffield Hom are here from League City, TX. Like me, Lina spent many magical summers here when we were young, and Tracy has been here a few times, but it is Elizabeth's first visit. I think we kept her entertained by showing her all our old stomping grounds. Again I apologize to the folks living at the corner of East 5th and Hickman. Our grandparent's house used to be there so every time family is in town we drive by and take a long slow gawking look at the place that used to be our summer utopia.

We also showed off Piggott a little and made a trip to Kennett. They will be heading out tomorrow, but today we will meet up with another cousin, Gloria (Rust) Reed and her son Don from the Chicago area. Gloria will be here for the concert.

I cannot say enough about our firefighters. When you look at the damage at the lumber yard and then look at all the fuel they kept it away from, it is miraculous that it wasn't far, far worse than it was. All those logs and pallets within a few feet from a fire so hot were just tinder waiting for a stray spark. Thank you all firefighters, Rector, Greenway, Piggott and anyone else who helped to keep this fire contained. My late husband retired from the San Diego Fire Department so I sort of know what it takes to work fires like this. We are very fortunate to have these men and their wives in our community. Because of you we are safe. Thank you!

I do believe I have gone on long enough. Time to go. Let me know what goes on with you. My address is 514 West 3rd St. Phone: (870) 595-3173 and email: porchswing@newwavecomm.net. Thank you so much for all your emails and phone calls. I love hearing from you.

Keep all our soldiers in your prayers.