Parker Motor’s displayed Bonnie and Clyde’s car

Today is Monday November 7, 2011. We left out November 6th birthdays last week, so they are included with this week’s birthdays: Nov. 6: Sammy Dance, Steve Tinkle, Charles Rushing, Celia Boles, Floyd Osby and Jake Lavigne.

Nov. 7: Sandy Samford Wheeler, Sandie Owens, Mary E. Harris, Becky Wiggens and Billy Graham, born in 1918 and who will be 92. It was the birthday of Fannie Mae Davis who died in 1997, and also the birthday of Audie Green.

Nov.8: Betty Bailey, Mike Munnerlyn, Dan Wilkens, Evelyn Hufferd, Willie Herndon, Nancy Ballard Mills and Wilton Rhodes. It was the birthday of Beulah Biggar Case and Kate’s granddaughter Debbie Johnson.

Nov. 9: Elma Swindle who will be 96, Charlie Mac Bussey, Carolyn Lightfoot, Sue Partin, Debra Samford, Jason Covington, Alyne McDaniel, Reba Taylor and Gary Jackson.

Nov. 10: Cathy S. Williams, Mike Fox and Mrs. Gary (Courtney) Jackson.

Nov. 11: Zaundra Lee Ford Dean and Mary Parker. It was the birthday of Son Hooker, Carl Crouch and Mrs. Sallie (Heber) Parker who would have been 100 (11-1111).

Nov. 12: Bo Barbee, Betty Crawford, Kathy Cook, Edwin Perley, Donald Duncan and Suzanne Whitney. It was the birthday of Maud Rushing.

Nov. 13: James Allen Payne (my nephew), Verbon Pate, Shonia Copelin and Llea Baugh.

Nov. 14: Mrs. Paul (Bobby) Ross, Ronnie West, Denny Haley, Valerie Warren, Nell Polley, Sandra McSwain, David Brittain and Beverly Windham.

••••••• When I see the shape of Shelby County on the weather maps on TV, there are seemingly sharp curves in the bend of the Sabine River that forms the eastern shape of Shelby County. I wonder if those bends are visible and just where are they?

••••••• Do you remember in the 1920s and 1930s that boys gave their girlfriends silver bracelets called “slave bracelets” They were closed with a lock and the boy kept the key. I still have mine that Pete gave me.

Another custom we had was to put the postage stamp on an envelope upside down to mean “I love you.” Many folks still do. I taught my two granddaughters this, and Denise’s stamps are always upside down on my letters.

I always smile when I see it to think she remembers what I taught her.

••••••• The place where we burn trash and dead limbs in my back yard is a brick pit. It’s been so long since a fire was in it that four o’clock bushes have covered it with beautiful pink and yellow blooming flowers.

••••••• I was asked if I remembered when Hitler’s private touring car was brought by Center for exhibition after the close of WW II. I can’t call it to mind and if you saw it, or remember anything about it, write me.

I do remember seeing Bonnie and Clyde Barrow’s car full of bullet holes that was being toured about the country. It was on display in front of Parker Motor Company. We all flocked to town to see it. It was a Ford car. Clyde wrote a letter to Henry Ford praising him for his make of cars.

When Clyde and Bonnie needed a get-away car, they always stole a Ford. Henry Ford Company made copies of that letter and distributed them. I have a copy somewhere. Clyde’s Center first cousin Leo Muckleroy gave it to me.

••••••• I have lost one of my pet yard cats. I had two and one was a big white with brownish black marking on his back and neck. He hasn’t been up to eat this week. Becky is watching the road to see if he has been run over. I’ll give a reward for his return. ••••••• I hope you weren’t too upset about the last part of my column for November 1 being left off. It was the part about the WWII maneuvers. I thought the war maneuvers were starting again when fans of the column couldn’t find the rest of the article and started calling the paper. The paper ran it in its entirety on Thursday. ••••••• Patsy Barber, PhD in Le Compte, La. wrote to me asking what I remembered about the WW II maneuvers from 1940-1944. She wrote, “My two colleagues and I are researching the Louisiana maneuvers, trying to locate people, veterans, stories and photos. We simply are going to lose the importance of these great events if we don’t produce videos for use in schools and for others.”

Then she told of Gen. George Patton’s unit of tanks which drove through Shelbyville, on to Marshall to “capture” Shreveport.

She added that her grandparents lived in Joaquin. They were Belle King and Bill and Lori Blevins.

If you can help her with pictures, tapes or memories, write to her: Dr. Patsy Barber, 21 Meeker Road, LeCompte, La. 71346.

I am unable to help her as I don’t remember too much about it. I just knew it was happening.

••••••• People used to call suspenders “galluses” and a burlap bag a gunny sack or a toe-sack.

You may have heard the definition of a wasteful housewife: “She could throw more out the back door in a spoon than her husband could bring in the front with a shovel.”

My grandma McLendon repeated that once when one of her friends used it about a new bride in town. The bride heard from someone what Grandma had said about her and came to see her, and set Grandma straight. Grandma said that taught her a lesson not to repeat gossip.

••••••• I received a long, handwritten letter November 1 from Hazel Taylor Ray in Hopkinsville, Ky. She is one of the few left in the CHS class of 1931. Her parents were Banks and Ross Taylor. Banks was a brother of county Judge Duke Taylor Sr.

Hazel was 95 on March 28. Duke and Eva Richardson Taylor’s five sons were Duke Jr., James, John Fisher, Julian and Edgar. All 5 served in World War II.

The five boys were 1st cousins to Hazel. I remember Hazel Taylor as a pretty blonde girl, and I often wondered where she was.

Hazel said she was only 8 years old when she was in the 5th grade. She recalled some of her 1931 classmates as Ila Sue Barron, Margaret Taylor, J.B. Taylor, Ray Weaver and LaVoice Middleton.

Hazel received a bachelor’s degree from SFA and a master’s degree from a Tennessee University. She taught 44 school terms at Jackson School in Shelby County and taught a Sunday school class for 60 years.

If you remember Hazel Taylor Ray, please write to her. The address is 6380 Latham Road, Hopkinsville, Ky 42240.

Others in the 1931 class included Earl Biggars, Alford Childs, Paul Hughes, Ercyle Jarry, Bennis Meeks, Vestal Ramsey, Mary Lee Rogers, Ruth Turner, Zettie Walker, Lucy Willis and Lillie Mae Jones.

As far as I know, Hazel and LaVoice Middleton Smallwood may be the only two left living in this class.

Let me know if there are others. Earl Biggars nickname was “Hair Brush” because he always carried a small brush in his pocket to keep his hair neat.

••••••• Visit our Christmas Store out on Hwy 7E. Browsers are welcome.

– Mattie