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.

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. 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.

(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.

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.

More next time.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Burlington was a BIG city to me.

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

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.