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Hello from Lincoln Co. Skill Care Center. I was in the Fayetteville hospital for four days. The phone beside my bed now is (931)-438-6929. My mailing address is: Lincoln Skill Care Center, Room 463A, 501 Amana Avenue, Fayetteville, TN 37334. I cannot walk so well now and my handwriting is bad and I will be getting physical therapy. Brother Doyle Wright and his wife Grace visit me about every Sunday. This week’s Passing Parade involves a party for a pretty little girl, the granddaughter of Brenda and Billy Cole. It was held locally September 30 at the home of parents, Stuart and Rebel Towry. Morgan has just turned 1 year old. Winnie Gatlin is sick and in St. Thomas in Nashville. She’s been a lot of help to me over the past year since I’ve been sick. We hope she gets to come home soon. Wendell and Winnie are deeply loved by the entire Liberty community. Ken and Sandra Hereford of Chattanooga have recently returned from a trip to Gatlinburg where they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and visited me Sunday. Other visitors I’ve had include Marie Campbell and Willie Whitaker. |
Passing Parade |
The Koonce Reunion was held October 1 and 46 attended. More details will be in a later column.
Dr. Sain is a wonderful doctor and is quite helpful to my family. Past doctors whose service I really enjoyed were Dr. Toon, Dr. Mike Ashby and Dr. Patrick.
October birthdays include Larry Pease (10/6), Willie Whitaker and Gail Daniel Travis (10/12), and Brenda Cole (10/28).
Someone recently asked me about the dirigible that fell and burned in Fayetteville. My best recollection is this happened about 1910 close to the old Spon Hotel on Main Street. Jess Ventress was there that day and I believe Poodle Moore was too. Lifelong friends Bertha Locker Haney and Bess Koonce Ventress hoped to get a ride on the dirigible but no one got to ride it that day before it burned. They bought new hats that day and for years kidded each other about one hat looking like a bumblebee’s nest and the other resembling a cow pile. If anyone has more details, I would appreciate your contacting me.
I’m getting a lot of company and the hospital nurses sent me a beautiful card and said all were sorry I could not come to the reunion held on October 7. It’s so good to hear from those I used to work with.
October 6 was Leland Gray’s birthday and it is still hard to get over his death as he was killed in a car accident on the way to the emergency room. With him were Billy and Joanne Harrison and his wife Hilda Blair Gray. October 7 was my Grandmother, Mrs. O. P. Gray’s birthday. She was born in 1864 and died in 1935. We remember her for taking all the family chestnut hunting in November. Also on the hunt were Mr. and Mrs. Riley Gray and six children, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Pearson, Avery Woodard, and Charlie Ventress. Dinner was spread at the old Price Springs. Charlie Ventress and Mrs. O. P. Gray played Hully Gully. Put a handful of nuts in one hand and hold out your closed fists and holler Hully Gully. Then whoever guesses the correct hand gets all the nuts in your hand.
Willie Whitaker and her mother went to the Chattanooga zoo recently and they said they saw many varied colored animals and a variety of different ones.
Mary Sue Koonce’s birthday was on October 7. She was Bess Ventress’ sister. She was wading in the ocean in Jacksonville, FL and her legs were cut up by a fish. Mary Sue attended Liberty School under Virgil Haney with Beulah Locker, Rose and Rossie Corder, Lizzie Locker, Audrey Futch, Jennie and Susie Fanning, Jess Ventress, Sol Locker, Pearle Ventress, Howard Gray, Pernie Ashby and Novie, Allie and Robert Locker. Pearle Ventress was standing by a fire and her dress caught on fire and she died in 1923.