Daddy's Stories

I'm going to start recording some of my Daddy's stories over the next few months.  My mother can help me correct any errors on my part.  My father grew up on a farm in Bedford County, Virginia.  He was born in a log cabin on the side of a mountain near Starkey close to Roanoke.  He was one of eleven children.  As an adult he joined the Coast Guard and left the farm, but later in life he came back and continues to live on land that belonged to his family.

Sea Shanty:  Once when my Daddy was stationed at Oregon Inlet, NC while in the U.S. Coast Guard, he and fellow mates heard strange singing coming from a passing ship.  He says it was a ship coming from way up north making its way down the coast.  He said it was the kind of music that many old sailors used to sing.

Winnie's car:  My Daddy's oldest brother was gone from the farm one day and had left his car with the keys in it.  Daddy and his twin brother decided to take it for spin, but neither one was tall enough to reach the gas pedal, brakes or clutch pedal.  

Uncle Matthew worked all the pedals and brakes, while Daddy did the steering and gears.  They went all the way from the house to the end of their country road, got it turned around and went back home and no one was the wiser. 

With one of his sisters in 2018

Fudge in basement:  Daddy said once he and all the younger children decided to make some fudge.  His mother was out somewhere, maybe at work.  They heard the adults coming in.  The fudge was almost ready.  Daddy grabbed the skillet and everyone ran down the steps into the basement.  As soon as it was cool enough, Daddy cut it in pieces and all the kids ate it all up and licked the pan clean.

Hay in creek:  Once all the boys were getting up a load of loose hay. This was long before hay was tied in square or round bales.  The wagon was piled pretty high and whoever was leading the horses got a little too close to the bank of the creek.  Boys, hay and wagon all toppled over into the water.  Daddy said that he and his brother Matthew could have been killed by the wagon, but the water was deep and they were able to get out of the way.  

Flying haywagon:  Loose hay was stored in the top of a big barn.  The wagon piled high was backed up to the barn doors and a large claw would be lowered from the hayloft to pick it up.  Once the claw caught onto the wagon as someone was already leaving out.  They didn't realize the wagon was being lifted up into the air at first until they turned around.

Carrying groceries in from Route 24:  When Daddy was still rather young, his mother got a job in the city of Roanoke at a store.  She would walk to the end of their country route every morning and catch a Trailways bus.  In the evening she would often come home with bags of groceries.

Daddy said that he and some of his other ten brothers and sisters would walk out in time to meet Mama and help her carry the bags.  It is about a two-mile walk.  I imagine my grandmother made the trek rain or shine, but perhaps from time to time she caught rides to or from the highway.

Daddy also said that for a long time the school bus did not go all the way down Spradlin Road to pick up children.  All the kids would have to walk out to the highway in the morning and back home in the afternoon.

With some of his great grandchildren a few years ago