Petty Inverview Part II

Conclusion -

E: Do you know where the Pullens came from?
O: No I don't.
E: Do you know where the Ridleys came from?
O: No they all were from up in Chatsworth. around in there someplace. Now, the Pettys came from Elijay and around in there ....Fannin County. Now, Grandma's Daddy's mother was name Jane. Jane Garrett. They were from Fannin County. Some of them come and see us. Said we were related, But I didn't know them.
E: Did you know anything about the Mashburn Family?
O: No.
E: Know anything about the Killians?
O: Grandma Ridley was a Killian. And Kate's first name was really Killian. Grandma Ridley and Grandma Petty all died when I was a baby. Now, Grandpa Petty, I was three weeks old when he died. He kept on waiting to see the baby because it had red hair that was me they carried me over there when I was three weeks old, before the day was over he died.
E: When you first went to work for pay, where did you work Dalton?
O: Yes. I worked in a hosery mill there. I worked during school vacation. The last year that I went to school I worked that summer. Georgia was working there and she got me a job.
E: How did Georgia meet Cecil Grant?
O: In Dalton. And I didn't know anything about money when I got paid Georgia would take my money and give me a little change out of it and she would take the rest of it and give it to Mama and Papa to run on. I worked for a pair of ___?__
and an ice cream. That's what I got out of it.
E: What about Tom? Was he working to help out too?
O: Tom was a self centered person. He didn't help out with anybody. I never will forget when he was in school.he didn't finish school....he went off to Detroit to work I beleive...and he run out of money and couldn't get a job and he wrote home and said he was blind. That's when we lived on the farm. And Papa sent him the money to come home home on. He met the train....we were all out in the front yard waiting. Thought Papa would be leading Tom. Well, he wasn't no more blind than I am. That was just his temperment. He just told anything to suit himself, absolutely. I know one time there on the farm...I think it was Fourth of July, we usually tried to have the crops laid by, and Tom, I don't know where he was working, but he wasn't living at home, Wallace was. We were all out there in the field working and here comes Tom walking out in these red fields with white shoes, white pants, and a white straw hat on. That made Wallace so mad he said he thought about wallowing him down in that dirt. He was paying us a visit. Ha ha. He wasn't a homebody, he was a taker, not a giver. Now, that may sound kind of bad with him dead and gone, but the truth is the truth.
E: What about Georgia?
O: She was more or less a taker too.
E: Wallace?
O: Wallace was a silent partner you might call him. He didn't have to say it, but he was always there if you need him. Wallace was real quiet.
E: Osmo. Didn't you and he go to Detroit together?
O: He was up there working and hed wrote me to come up and go to work. He said he would send me money to come on which he did. It was on a Saturday, I wasn't expecting it. I wrote and told him I would come but I wasn't expecting to go that soon. I was staying at y'all's house.
E: On Manget Street?
O: No. You weren't born. Frances was a baby. I got this money telegram. I had to get up there and get it cashed. I had to leave Marietta by six o'clock that night on the bus. And he would meet me in Detroit the next afternoon late. I had my hair rolled up when I got it and I had a little over an hour. I took a cab up there and got the telegram cashed, ran back and packed things. And I had my hair rolled up, caught another cab to the bus station and took a bus to Detroit. And I took my hair down in Cincinniti.
E: Did he have you a job in Detroit?
O: I got my own job. He had an apartment. He and Stanley Petty. I went up and stayed with ;them.
E: Where did they work?
O: Some brass company. Robert Pratt or something like that. Some brass I'm not sure.
E: Where did you work?
O: I got a job in a hosery mill that time. I didn't stay up there all that long then. I came back home, and I went back. Leonard was up there. Osmo was in the service. Leonard wanted me to come.
E: Did Osmo have a wild life up there? Drinking a lots?
O: He sure did. Ha ha. That's why I come home. Ha ha.
E: Didn't you say he got into a lot of bar room fights?
O: Yeah, ha ha. I was just telling Janie this afternoon about Stanley and Osmo were living together when I moved in. Osmo when he got his pay would get drunk. I got to where I would go over to where he worked and get his pay...but, if I didn't beat him to it he would spend it all. One time when I went over there well, he hadn't met Gerry then
E: Who's Gerry?
O: That was his first wife. She came over to my apartment. She worked where I did. I said, "I got to get over to Shaw's Bar before Osmo spends it all."
She said, "I'll got with you."
We walked in and there was this girl sitting up there with him. I sat down, Osmo turned around and said, "Who are you?"
And I said, "I've come after your pay."
And he said, "Who's that with you?
And I said, "That's your wife don't you recognize her?" And boy, that old girl got up and left. Ha ha. So Gerry sat down and said, "Since I'm your wife, buy me a drink and hand Opal your pay." He did.
E: Then they got married?
O: Not then, but he married her latter. He married her twice.
E: Did they have any children?
O: No. She was an all together different person from Osmo.
E: What was her last name?
O: Gerry...you know, I can't remember.
E: He married twice didn't he?
O: He married Gerry twice. Then he married Violet.
E: Are all his children by Violet?
O: Yes.
E: What are their names?
O: Viola, Osmo, Roscoe....see, Osmo was a twin....and he just had two boys.....so he named them after the twins, Roscoe and Osmo. Viola, Roscoe, Osmo, Brinda, and Gyrtle....that's six.
E: How many did he have?
O: Seven. Two boys and five girls.
E: Do they all live in Indiana? Besides Viola?
O: No. Some of them live in Florida.
E: What about Rosco. He lived with Roy for a while..
O: But not for long. Roy sent him home. He went into the service somebody said. I don't know.
E: Is Roscoe the oldest son?
O: No, Osmo is the oldest son. Viola was the oldest child. I don't know them very well.
E: Yeah, I only saw them about once or twice in my life. When I was about nine or ten they came through Marietta a couple of times.
O: I seen Roscoe one time and that was when Osmo, they called him "Moe". Moe and Brenda...and some of other kid ran off and they come down here and Osmo found out they were gone and had the law pick them up. He felt that they were heading towards Marietta. They picked them up...and Leonard had to go up there and pick Moe and Brenda out, but he couldn't get the other kid because he wasn't related to him. Then Osmo came down. Held him there until he came. He brought a letter from the other child's parents and he and Leonard had to go up there with the letter to get that one out.
E: When was that?
O: I know it has been over four years ago.four or five.
E: Well, Osmo died about two years ago.
O: Two years ago...a little over two years now. I never did know well, he could have committed suicide but somehow or another I just can't beleive it. What I am going by is that he was still sitting at the table. Now, if he had shot himself at close range like that it would have knocked him outof the chair. So, that's what I'm going by. And I tell you, they lived such a life up there, and I guess they were just considered trash and ;the law didn't take a hand in it, thought, "Well,, that's well and good, that's one more out of the way."
E: Osmo drank a lot...
O: And always in a fight.
E: Did he have any scars from all his fights?
O: No. When we were living in Detroit together one night there Osmo was all dressed up, and Stanley was too, they wanted to go over to some bar the next street over and I was with them and Osmo gave me a nickle for the jukebox. And when I went there to put in I dropped it and this couple sitting at the table a big truck driver type and you know how short Osmo was and a woman....you know...some kind of....you know. She got down trying to help me hunt the nickle.."Find anything?"
And Osmo came there and said, "You get away from her you " and he called her a name "That's my sister, don't you touch her." So the big old truck driver got up and took it up. Osmo had inaudable _______ in him just like a little fice dog.
So the guy said, "You just go ahead and mind your own business".
And Osmo said, "you shut your mough, or I'll shut it for you."
He said, "Lets see you". And Osmo drawed back and hit him and then they got in a fight. The truck driver swung and Osmo hit me in the eye and blackened it. The bartender was call ing the police.
And I said, "I'm getting out out of here." When he went over there he was all dressed up with a suit and a pair of inaudable work gloves. I got him outside and he said he for got his gloves he was going back to get them. I told him I would go get them. I went back and got them. And got home,
I sat him down to play cards and he turned around and saw my black eye.
He said "Where did you get that black eye?"
And I said, "Over at the bar." He grabbed his inaudable and I grabbed my coat and was right behind him. He went across the street to this resturant ran right through it through the kitchen and got a meat cleaver and took out the back door up the alley and I was right behind him. Got over there... He outran me, but I walked up....saw him and that couple was sitting up there on bar stools just laughing and talking. I walked in.
That old woman said, "We're friends now."
And I said, "Come on Osmo, lets go home."
And that guy said, "Well, we're fixing to leave, we will take 58
you home."
I said, "No, we just live a block over there."
He said, "We are going to take a taxi and we'll drop you off."
That old woman kept saying, "We're old friends." Just a kissing (making motions kissing up and down her arms). I thought I wanted to go home and take a bath...her kissing up and down my arms...but I would ride in their taxi, anything for peace.
I said, "You get out of my sight."
Osmo said, "Do you think I am going to stay here?"
I said, "Yes!" And I just drawed back and hit him in the face and knocked him out. I used to do that all the time up there. That's the only I could handle him. He would be so drunk it wouldn't take much. I know one time there was a crowd over and he was going to inaudible and I said, "I can stop him. We were with Charlie and his wife.
His wife said, "Can she?"
Charlie said, "Yeah, you just watch her, she'll land him in a minute."
His wife said, "I'm going to try it on you."
Charlie said, "It won't work on me, I'm from the South."
Osmo had to be drunk before I could do it. That's all I could do. Stanley was the big coward. See, Osmo would start everything and when he got it started Stanley would run. Stanley would ag him on. But when Osmo got it started Stanley would run. That's all water under the bridge. To tell you the truth Osmo was the smartest one of the whole family. As far as being smart. He had a brillant mind.
E: I never heard that before.
O: That's true. He had a brillant mind. He got to drinking and let that get ahold of him.
E: I'm almost out of tape, I guess I better close this out. I think we got some goot stuff here.
O: I hope so. Did I help you out any?
E: Yes, you did, very much. Thank you.





END OF INTERVIEW