Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Back to Jack

If I ever return to a church that dad pastored and I was asked to say anything, I always start with:I pestered this church in 1946 (etc).

After High Shoals my dad was assigned to the Burlington, NC Church. It was a larger church than High Shoals. This was the first church where the church ‘rented’ a parsonage for the pastor. So Shirl and I were in high cotton, we had separate rooms and a bath. The house had a wrap around porch, I loved that. A place to play in the rain.

I remember trying to catch birds there with the box, stick, string and bread crumbs.  We came close, but never caught a bird.

670px-Trap-a-Backyard-Bird-Step-1

Our good fortune was not to last long. Dad was not about ‘wasting God’s money’ on rent. The church owned an older house beside the church. ‘That is a fine house,’ dad had said. Dad felt that a minister should be close to his church, not a mile away. So he and the men cleaned the house, painted it. 

Dad introduced them to well digging, so they all pitched in and dug the well. Before long Shirl and I were back in the same room. It never bothered me, we got along pretty good. With the money saved from rent and a fund raiser, they started building onto the church. I loved that. Playing in the unfinished areas was like an adventure.

Dad loved building, but only when it could be paid for, I have him to thank for my attitudes later when I started building for a living.

Burlington was the first place I met a boy who would be a lifetime friend. Sonny Turner. The sucker also would one day, try to take Sherry before I even knew her.Steaming mad Sherry and I still haven’t met yet, She is growing up a 100miles away in Belmont and in the 2nd-3rd grades. I began school in Burlington. Mrs. Cherry was my 1st grade teacher. Shirl was in the 3rd grade when we moved there.

New Folder (3) - Copy

(Notice I had shoes, Grandpa behind me did not)

It was in Burlington I learned more about the war and rationing. I learned missionaries were in prison behind the lines in Germany. Mama regularly sent them food and clothes by the Red Cross. I remember the boxes being wrapped in Black Wax Paper and tied with the heavy twine.

shoexlg

I  we were allowed one pair of shoes a year. I needed a pair and I remember the first Pedascope or Florascope,  you could see your feet bones and the shoe outline. Your mom, the shoe salesman and you could see your foot bones, It was fun to see the bones wiggle. They were later banned as dangerous.

pedascope-card

More next time.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Burlington was a BIG city to me.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

It was here dad thought of trading the 1941 Chevy for this:

1948 chevrolet

1948 Chevy Fleetline, back then the dealer would let you drive it for a couple days to see if you liked it. Dad did not get it.

7 comments:

TARYTERRE said...

I love wrap-around porches. I bet you really enjoyed that. My husband's aunt owned a shoe store and my husband would play with the Florascope.

shirl72 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
shirl72 said...

I had to delete my comment it was
to long.

I remember Grandpa Hilly the Judge
in Ga. I enjoyed going to visit
him and sitting in front of the fireplace and listen to him tell
stories when he was a Judge. We
wanted some of his law books but
his niece got all of them I guess
we were to young.

Mrs. Broome was my piano teacher
in Burlington. When it was time to practice our friends would be skating on the sidewalk. I would hurry and play something and take off outside. Mrs. Broome told Mother I was not practicing and that was the end of my piano career.

Paula said...

I never saw one of those scopes. As for Shirl and her piano career, mine ended because the teacher spent my lesson time trying to convert me to the Baptist church.

betty said...

Interesting with the pedascope, they must have banned them before I cam along because I don't remember them. Love how frugal your dad was and how he wanted to use the assets that came in for God's work rather than for rent for a parsonage. Wise man! You'll have to take all these entries you are doing about you and Sherry and print them out and bind them somewhat in a book fashion for your family!

betty

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

More good memories of your younger days for sure. What a great man your dad was. He practiced what he preached. Good idea Betty had to make a book of your memories.

Chatty Crone said...

I don;t think I had that done to my feet , but it must have been pretty cool. Jack where in the world or how in the world do you remember all this? I have no memory at all.