Sherry, just before we met

(Pictures are cars boys were dreaming of in 1954/55)

I arrived in Belmont going into the 10th grade, Shirl had graduated in Valdese, the first of our family to finish HS

The Harris Mill House was two bed rooms. At the time I was in Valdese, there was only three children still at the Harris home, Tommy, Sherry and Johnny. Vernon and older brother got married and was back home for a while. Things got crowded and Sherry began to consider alternatives to her plans for school after High School. She began to think of quitting HS when she was 16 and heading to Burlington, NC to live with Grethren, a friend, who had already got established in Burlington.

She made several trips to Burlington on the weekends to try and make up her mind.  She met a couple boys there, one was Sonny Turner, who had been a friend of mine a few years before, of course I was not mentioned because Sherry did not know me. Sonny never thought of me of course, all he knew was this was a beautiful girl who might move to Burlington.  I don’t blame him (but of course I  don’t like him anymore. LOL)

Sherry had lots of friends in Belmont, but moving away was fascinating. As was common in the south, a person’s life revolved around the church they attended. Churches tried to keep activities going to hold their youth.  The 1950’s held a lot of rebellious kids, Sherry was not one.

There was the promise of plenty of textile jobs in and around Burlington. Her former pastor was now in Burlington, so there was another connection a hundred miles north of Belmont.

Thankfully she was changing her mind about the time we arrived at Belmont. Dad’s first service was on Sunday morning. That Sunday Sherry was in Burlington but I still did not know her yet. Martha Carver was not present either, and I did miss her.

In the next few weeks I dated a sweet girl, Margaret Woods. I met Sherry and learned she was a grade ahead of me in school, but we would be attending the same school. Margaret and Martha was still in elementary school. I was 15 going on 20! Sherry was 16 going on 25. So she was out of bounds being an older classman. We did eventually meet of course before school started.

I played the trumpet in the church band, one Sunday morning I was late and Sherry went up the steps ahead of me, being a boy I was drawn to her legs, all I could see was the ankles in Bobby sox, but I knew that girl has LEGS.

Belmont was bigger than Valdese and of course was very close to Charlotte, a city. I was closer to the Catawba River than in Valdese, I liked that.  I was surprised to learn the Catawba wound thru a lot of Western NC before passing thru Belmont into South Carolina. There was  lot of fun times swimming, diving and jumping from the RR trestle.  I met Sherry’s brother Johnny at the local swimming hole at the trestle.

(OOPS, that is a ‘56)

 

So now Sherry and Jack are in the same town, if I can just get her to notice me.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Boys must be careful, at times, girls are very picky!

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

I was 15, looking forward to my driver’s, that was a BIG deal to me.

boys wanted a Rod, a custom, or a sports car…