I started writing these stories (7) years ago as Today is January 29th, 2016, and now figured out to put it on this site, as it used to be for my music blogs. The music blogs from now on will be on a site I co-own, www.musicstartshere.org and now this site will be stories I remember from my life.
I will write in segments of my life and stories I remember growing up and going through life. There is not particular order after the first couple of blogs that were just me taking off and writing to the best of my memory. I’ve been writing these memories from time to time, no particular order, just something would spark a memory and I’d sometimes type it out and file it, now it’s time to share memories!
Back when I first had the idea for these stories and the below are the beginning of what was going to be a book and now blogs.
At age 49, living in Nashville, TN. It is August 13, 2008 and I’ve been thinking of writing a book (now will be blogs) for a long time. This is the first day and I am very thankful to be alive, healthy and feeling very blessed in life. I write this book for my family especially for my nieces and nephews so they will know who “Uncle Doak” is and was. I also write it so I can remember through the years as I get older – maybe sitting an a rocking chair one day and still have the memories of some of what I will write in the next months(years) or so.
My earliest memories are waking up at Mamaw’s house on Goshorn Street in Spring Hill, WV and my mom was getting ready to go to work, my Aunt Barb was already at work at Spring Hill Bakery, Mamaw was probably already at work in the kitchen at a hospital – forgot the original name but it was later named Pick Memorial Hospital in South Charleston at it was later torn down.
My Uncle Butch would tell me that Bozo the Clown will be on TV when the little hand is on the 7 and the big hand on the 6 (7:30) I remember watching Bozo the Clown and a little later Jack LaLane would be on TV in his jumpsuit and doing jumping Jacks. My Grandfather had passed away on August 1st, 1959, which was 25 days after I was born.
I remember watching “I Love Lucy” in the mornings and Andy Griffith – early TV memories.
Mamaw had her hands full raising her son, Butch, Her Daughter Barb and my mom, Betty and a couple year old grandson that she spoiled rotten. I was spoiled by everyone on Goshorn Street! I remember my Aunt Ginny telling the story (She was Mamaw’s sister) telling a story of Mom taking me to the family doctor – Doctor Crigger and telling him that I do not talk and they are worried. Doctor Crigger replied, “All Doak has to do is point at something and everyone in the family runs to get it for him”! He told them to make me ask for things instead of pointing and I would learn to talk. Well 40 some years later I am still talking so he was right!
Mom worked at Sharp Shepherd on Route 60 in Spring Hill from what I remember. They sold tires and TVs and the owner was Dale Sharp. I remember visiting it every now and then as a kid. Dale had a friend named Jimmy “Speedy” Durrett that would have a big impact on our family.
I remember life on Goshorn Street as we were surrounded by cousins – The Hammock’s – Bill and Macel and their kids Walt and Judy in a white house with a couple big trees – a weeping willow along the sidewalk to their house with those bright yellow blooms, a big plum tree in the front yard across the street from our house.
An old man named Babe lived beside Bill and Macel – I think he had an old rusty fence around his yard. Mamaw’s house was in the middle of two houses that Merle and Katharine Ratchford owned. Merle’s house as I recall was brick with big stones on the front. I remember his Christmas trees – they always had those colorful little glass ornaments that when plugged in, had the bubbles – in red, orange, yellow and green and used to really fascinate me.
The house beside us was white and I remember the lattice work on the side of it. Merle also owned a corner lot on the other side of the house and he had these big green glass rocks, all sizes and shapes going around the edge of the lot. The house was on the corner of Goshorn and Railroad Avenue which the road was made of black cinders and ran along the railroad tracks.
There was a house that was a brownish yellow looked like it had shingles on it. I forgot who lived in that house at times, I am thinking maybe my cousin Elaine and her two boys, Ben F and his little brother lived there at one time. Another house which I recall was a maroon color – the Bailey’s moved in that house – Steve, Sherry, Vanessa were the kids of Homer and Evelyn Bailey. That house had a crawl space that we’d hide in from time to time, even was our “Batcave” when I was probably 6 or 7 years old. I remember that plastic vapor barrier on the ground.
The house next to them were another family of Hammocks –Jim (I think) and Freda with their kids (my cousins) Alan, Keith and their sister Linda. (to be continued soon).
Let me know if you remember anything else about the neighborhood so far.
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