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

(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.

(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.”

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!)

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.

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.

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.

The nation cried as JJ saluted thru tears

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

I had no idea the Limo came apart like this.