Saturday, April 5, 2014

Life continues in Rutherfordton but tragically ends for one in 1963.

chimney_rock(Chimney Rock over looking Lake Lure, just 21 miles from Rutherfordton)

When we arrived at the church we learned the ladies of the Church (Called the LWWB, Ladies Willing Worker Band) had a tradition of setting up a booth once a month at the County Trade Lot (later referred to as Flea Markets). There they sold hot dogs, hamburgers and home made baked goods. That was right down my alley. I looked forward to helping set up the booth and getting it ready. Then the ladies took charge and I was free to wander the Trade Lot.

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(This picture and the one below is lake Lure, just 20miles from Rutherfordton and where Sherry and I spent our 1 night honeymoon in 1956)

As you can tell with our lives, I have always been a little off kilter.  You may have heard the joke about the man and woman in bed, he has his mind on ‘one thing’ and she mentions the ceiling needs painting. Well one night we are lying in bed and Sherry says, “Have you noticed the ceiling is bowing down a little.”

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Not until she said something, and it was. There was no danger of it falling. This was during the time we were building the SS department. I knew I had the materials so at 11PM I said to her, “You go get in bed with the boys, I am going to fix the ceiling.”

I took the bed apart and moved all the furniture into the living room and tore the ceiling completely out. By 6:00 AM we had we had a new ceiling, sheet rock hung, finished, and ready to paint. (and a lot of sheetrock mud dust for us to clean up!)

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It was during this time Jackie had a good friend Jimmy with whom he played.  We had a wonderful neighbor, Mr. Neeland who raised some of the most beautiful flowers to sell.  The church attendance remained about the same.

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Then the fateful day, November 22, 1963 the ladies were working in the Fellowship Hall in the new SS Department that we had just completed. Getting ready for the trade lot, they had sent me to the Grocery store over in Forest City, and over the car radio I heard that President Kennedy had been shot. When I told the ladies of course a solemn mood fell over the group. JFK had very few supporters in the edge of the NC mountains, but that forever changes when YOUR PRESIDENT IS KILLED!  A supporter or not, no one is supposed to assassinate OUR PRESIDENT.  That is an attack on every American.

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For days we and the rest of the country followed the infamous event. Watched in horror on live TV when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald.

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The nation cried as JJ saluted thru tears

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We listened intently as the conspiracy theories were abound.  But none really answered the questions, and nothing would bring back the leader who had forced Khrushchev to back down.

We were in Rutherfordton, NC during that sad time in our history.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Nothing is as surreal as DEATH, when it comes out of the blue.

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We saw this Kennedy car at the Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI

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I had no idea the Limo came apart like this.

11 comments:

Paula said...

I'm glad you didn't take all day getting around to fixing that ceiling for Sherry. lol I notice little things like that too, wish John would fix 'em. Guess it's a woman thing.

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

I guess none of us will ever forget where we were and what we were doing at the time of JFK's death. I don't know if we'll ever know the whole story to that disaster.

shirl72 said...

That was a bad day. We have had
some events that will stay in our minds. Nine eleven will always
be in the mind.

You could have said the Sky is
Falling like Chicken Little. I
think that was who said that or
you could have laid in bed and
counted the stars. Glad you got
the ceiling fixed and life go on.

Jean said...

I remember that day clearly, it was so sad. I've always believed that Ruby shot Oswald to keep him from talking. I think he was involved. Glad you got the ceiling fixed before it fell on you and Sherry.

Cher' Shots said...

I know exactly where I was that day, sitting in school. The secretary came in with shock and tears in her eyes and told the teacher who in turn told us the news. Amazing how real it all becomes again through memory.
'love & hugs from afar'

Louis la Vache said...

«Louis» was a Junior in High School when Kennedy was assassinated. He lived in Tulia, Texas. «Louis», Jody White and Peter Overgaard, an exchange student from Denmark were sitting in Jody's '58 Ford Custom at lunch, sipping some cherry schnapps Peter had brought from Denmark when we heard the news. We were listening to a powerful station (KOMA?) from Oklahoma City when the news broke. Jody and «Louis» immediately thought Lyndon Johnson was behind the assassination. Having grown up in Lyndon Johnson's Texas, we KNEW he wasn't above doing something like this...

Dar said...

I was sitting in 7th grade History class and I remember the shock wave in the room...it couldn't be true. It did forever change America.

Now, about that ceiling...lol...I just pointed out today, that our ceiling was sagging in the living room...lol...but I Know for a fact that Bill is Not going to get up and fix it, ' right now.' His line has always been, "Don't rush me." then he 'thinks on it' for as many as 20 yrs...lol

Chatty Crone said...

You can't be that perfect of a man who starts working at midnight and works all night with two children and fixes the roof!

I just have a hard time believing any husband or man would do that.

Yes you are off!

I was in Mrs. Davis's 5th grade class in the afternoon. She comes in and bursts out crying that the President was dead. We would hear it when we got home.

Mevely317 said...

Just the thought of the LWWB's trade lot burgers and baked goods had my taste buds squirting!

Then, the goose-bumps. 3 defining moments in my life thus far, but this - my first at age 13 - remains so dang poignant. Dad, mom and I were no fans of the Kennedy's -- but you're absolutely right. How DARE anyone assassinate our President.

PS - Your Rutherfordton is so lovely!

betty said...

I like your ambition, Jack, to fix the ceiling at that time of the night when most people would be thinking about getting a good night's rest! I think those of us old enough to remember, will remember where we were and the events afterwards of JFK's assasination. A sad time indeed for our country.

betty

TARYTERRE said...

I can't believe how fast you fixed that ceiling. Good for you. It was a very sad time, indeed for America because of what happened to President Kennedy.