TLC #32: December 23, 2001
Season's Greetings to all you Dear Hearts
and Gentle People who live or lived in my hometown! I wish you all a blessed
Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year!
Several of our
"family" have responded to TLC #31, so here
goes:
From Barbara Tabb
Jarman:
Thanks so much for
another great issue of TLC. I'm not surprised at all the comments about
Mose Butler. I can remember when Mose was all we needed in the way
of 'law enforcement'. I don't think he got called on much to pursue
criminals, but every kid in town seemed to know that Mose was there to help us
in whatever way he could. We did have to call him once on a serious matter, when
a rabid dog was loose in the neighborhood, and he had to come down and shoot
it. It certainly left its impression on me. I didn't actually see
him do it, because I was already in the house getting a Clorox bath per our
doctor's advice. But, Mose was down there pronto, and handled the
situation. Later tests confirmed that the dog was indeed
rabid.
I was very small at the
time, and we were all out in the backyard down on 7th Street, and Dad suddenly
yelled at us to get up on something quick - "that's a mad dog."
I'd never heard of a mad dog, but supposed that he meant angry. The dog
was running hard across the Hackley's yard from Franklin Ave., and was dripping
wet and foaming at the mouth. Wayne jumped up on a bench by the house, but I was
in the middle of the yard, and just froze as that dog came straight at me.
I felt its feet thud on my chest, and was staring into its wide-open slobbery
mouth when Dad kicked it away with everything he had, snatched me up, and sent
me into
the house. I hadn't
known my Dad could move so fast, but he sure saved me. Then, he yelled across
the street to tell the Rockholds to get inside and he'd call Mose, which he did.
Mr. Rockhold picked up a long 2x4 board, and covered the kids' hasty retreat
into the house; then, he and Dad kept an eye on the dog until Mose could get
there. I'll bet it was one of the very few times Mose ever fired that gun, but
we were all glad he had it and was such a good shot. Luckily, no one was bitten
by the dog, and I had no broken skin anywhere, so I was spared the painful
series of rabies shots.
Wouldn't it be nice
if conditions were such that Mose were still all that was needed to keep the
peace? I thought fondly of Mose when Wayne and I drove to Lexington for
the big reunion of 2000, but it was because of the sharp contrast in law
enforcement methods then and now. I don't know what it was that made us look
like such a threat to society, but we had been on the road all day from Houston,
and were just turning the corner to go into Mom's driveway on Highland when we
got stopped by the police. Maybe it was my Texas license
plates???
Wayne was
driving, and as he put on the turn signal, the sheriff's car (which had followed
us from 13th & Main) started flashing to pull us over. Wayne went
ahead and pulled into Mom's driveway, and by the time we got out of the car,
there were 4 - count them, 4 - squad cars there with lights flashing. Three were
behind us, and the last one to arrive pulled across the street to block any
'escape' by these two old desperadoes. They must have been on their radios
the whole time we were driving slowly through town, looking at the changes. I
guarantee that we had broken no traffic laws, and we couldn't believe what was
happening to us. I'll admit that I also thought about Barney Fife at the time -
it was certainly overkill. Even when it was so obvious that we were there
for a legitimate reason, they phoned in my license number while they put Wayne
through the usual routine for DUI. I'm afraid I was laughing even before
it was over with; but, I did honestly think about Mose Butler,
and how times
had changed. I think Mose could have handled us all by himself.
:-) What think ye?
But, maybe it was
justice, after all - Wayne had laughed at me for getting a speeding ticket that
day, my first one ever. I always did get the last laugh. Well - almost
always.
I don't recall
eating at Maib's but once or twice. We always had Sunday dinner at home after
church, and I can remember the smell of fried chicken - not like chickens from
the store, but fresh ones that had an entirely different taste. My
grandmother raised chickens, and we would go out in the country and 'dress'
several at once. My job was to catch them, and then to pluck feathers on down
the line. If Mary Pat Gueguen Miller thinks it was memorable to see her
grandfather hatchet off the turkey's head, she should have seen my grandmother
wring those
chickens' necks! I don't think I could handle watching such
things today, but thought nothing of it back then. A headless chicken
flops around pretty good, too - for a little while.
Ditto to all of
Duncan Lee's comments about Ernestine Seiter - and, Miss Lena was an institution
in herself. Throw Fern Cullom and Miss Gruber into the mix, and it's small
wonder that everyone writes so well. We did get a thorough grounding in
the language, thanks to the quality of the teaching.
I do tend to
'ramble' - so, I'll end this one with my very best wishes for a wonderful
Holiday Season for everyone.
Mary Pat Gueguen
Miller:
If you print feedback
on TLC #31, I submit the following: Barbara Tabb, yes, we learned a lot in
Lexington that has lasted a lifetime. We are lucky people! Duncan
Lee, I remember you from my sister's class, Loretta, and love hearing about your
worldly escapades and first-hand knowledge of such things as international
airports, scares, time delays, etc. Liz Anne White, I LAUGHED my head off,
as I know all my sisters did, in relaying your experience at Gordon Reed's
store. Loretta and I worked at Mattingly's dime store a few Easter seasons
filling those cute little Saran Wrapped decorated Easter baskets with
candy. (We actually thought they CAME that way to the store.)
Anyway, we made up those baskets and had a ball eating all the candy, and
laughing about it all these years later.
I had a lot of
experience working at what we called "greasy spoons", and one year at
Joe's Cafe, about six in the morning, I was asked to fix a "basted
egg." I said, You want a WHAT!" Dear Mr. Joe Bookasta
showed me, right in front of the customer, how to baste an egg. Just slop
all that grease on 'em. Susan, about your anthrax scare: One year
when I had very small children and probably a baby, I called a gas man out in
the dead of winter because I smelled something funny. He checked the
entire house, found nothing, and finally said, "It wouldn't be that diaper
pail, would it??" I remembered thinking, "You
IDIOT!!" Anyway, we had a cracked heat exchanger and had to go to my
Mother's for a few days so we could have a new furnace installed. Moral of the
story: never suspect a diaper pail, and trust your nose!! As you can
tell, I REALLY enjoyed TLC 31. Susan, you are a major GIFT.
Mary Kay Wilcoxon Gooseman:
Susan, thanks again for a most memorable
TLC. All of the articles certainly have brought back memories for me as
well. I too want to wish each and everyone a very Merry and Blessed
Christmas as well as a wonderful New Year. Surely 2002 will be better than
this one has been for all of us. Please keep our men and women in uniform
in your prayers for a safe return home.
You mentioned the "house
moving" expedition on Friday November 30th. Yes, it was totally
exciting for me, as I had never seen a building moved. With camera in
hand, I was there at 7a.m. in mid-30 degree weather for things to start
happening. (At least it wasn't snowing!) I was amazed at all the 'behind
the scenes' so to speak, preparations being made for that journey. Our
utility people were there busy leaning utility poles, cutting tree limbs out of
the way, either dropping some lines or raising them to allow the house to make
its journey up Tenth St. to Main. The police dept. had earlier blocked off
Franklin St. from 9th to 12th and all side streets leading into it as well as
the side streets from Main to Franklin, not allowing anyone to park on these
streets. Promptly a few minutes after 7:00 the procession began.
Creeping up N. 10th St. very slowly. Can anyone imagine, being on your way
to work at 8:00 a.m. not fully awake, and suddenly seeing a large 'house' in the
middle of the intersection at 10th & Main?? That would certainly wake
you up, OR...sober you up!! LOL
From Main St. on to 12th &
Franklin, things moved much faster with the streets being much wider and easier
turning at corners. By 9:15, the house was at 12th and Franklin ready to
be placed on the new site. It would be a while before that was
accomplished, and I had to leave. I returned at 1 p.m., and it was on the
site, but they still had to set it up on blocks allowing them to pour a concrete
foundation under it. Yes, it was truly exciting to say the least, as well
as mind boggling with what ease this moving company accomplished its
mission. I might add, there was quite a congregation that had gathered in
front of "the Coen Brothers" business at 12th and Franklin, including
our scribe's husband...don't know where our scribe was that morning! Don
Coen even had the coffee pot going! I documented the move the entire route
and the pictures have turned out wonderful. If anyone would like, I can
email pictures to them. My email address: gsengndr@iland.net
It's so good to be in
touch with so many LHS grads once again. Keep up the good
work.
Barbara Lee Fay and several others wrote about seeing our
old music prof Carroll Lewis in the K.C. Star. One
reported:
It seems a bunch of
Raytown South high school singers went caroling at the homes of people named
"Carol" recently, and happened on Carroll Lewis and wife, Ellie.
He was thrilled. Of course he reminded them that he STARTED Raytown South,
being their first music director. "Lewis loved caroling. He
went as a boy "with any girl who would go with me." He also
"went once with a 100-girl glee club while teaching in Lexington,
MO." They were to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" on
the courthouse lawn. The only problem? The wind blew the music
away. How
many lords a-leaping was that again? "Oh, it was a
disaster! I don't know how
we got through it," he said. Before
they left, the kids sang one final tune: their school song. At the opening
strains, Lewis gave a cackle of recognition. After all, who had written that
song decades ago, but he and his wife, Ellie!! At the end, it said,
"Lewis stood in his yard, waving. He couldn't wipe the smile off his
face." It also had a picture accompanying the article and he's as cute as
ever.
The anonymous writer
continued "it seems to me like I vaguely remember something about that glee
club fiasco when people like Joyce Gueguen, Barbara Tabb and Carol Jo Rank were
in it. It would have had to be the Christmas of '54 or '55. Anyone
remember???
Usually I
refrain from adding too many personal memories but, for the sake of the Girls
Glee Club members reading, Carroll Lewis used to blow kisses at us when he had
his back to the audience, directing us. That was the secret of our smiling while
we sang. - Ed.
Mary Pat
Gueguen Miller also was mentioned in the Star recently. When I inquired, she
responded:
I guess you are speaking about
the "Cuddles and Tuckie" article in the Sunday
Star, FYI, Sunday,
Dec. 9th. Apparently, the writer got my name from some OLD letters on file
at UMKC, that I had written to the author, Francis Royster Williams, WAY back in
1982. She just wanted feedback from OLD people like me who remembered
listening to it in the late 40's. Anyway, if you can pull it up, you can
read it for yourself. I have since gone to UMKC and purchased a set of the
audio tapes to send to my sister, Loretta, since we were SO crazy about
listening to it as kids.
And so we come
to the end of Issue 32. Let's hear a little more about "Cuddles and
Tuckie," Maib's, Mose Butler and the rest in 2002. We also have more
new shops open, plus Captain Jack's Restaurant. For those of you near enough,
come see how wonderful the old hometown looks, decorated for Christmas, and
every single storefront in use.
Your devoted
scribe,
Susan
P.S. Mary Kay W. G.
describes 7 a.m. and 30 degree weather and then she wonders why I wasn't there
for the house moving? I sent my stringer and stayed in
bed!
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