HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

This is Anna's great aunt Maude Wright (1895-1975) and Lem Q. Guffin (1887-1969) on their wedding day August 13, 1916.

Last year I got to know Lem's nephew Steve Guffin.   My mother-in-law had some pictures, documents, and notes she wanted to hand over to the Guffin family for genealogical purposes.  I knew my friend Paul Roper had some dealing with a Guffin, which was William Steve Guffin.  I called him and he told me his uncle was Lem.  He also told me his brother does family research and would love to have what I had.  It took two or three meetings.  One was at Piedmont Baptist Church, where Steve is a big worker.... also, in this process I learned that Steve was well known in the antique car restoring community.  One time I ran into him a at Brandi's Hotdogs at a men's prayer service.

I carried some stuff to him at the body shop he owns on Glover Street.

The property on Glover Street that his company is on was the home of a friend a couple of years older than I was in my preteen years, Jack.

Jack was a year or two behind in school and he was in my class one year at Waterman Street Grammar School and kept me in stitches giggling at the wisecracks he whispered.

One time on the corner of Glover Street and Manget, in the Rich's side yard were a bunch of us kids... the older kids who smoked and us younger kids, who wanted to be like them.  Somehow or another the older boys agged Eddie Nichols and I into a fight.  I remember I didn't want to fight and Eddie Nichols was believing every word they older boys said that I said about him, which was making him madder and madder.... Jack was a ring leader.  I think it was Jack who pushed Eddie into me, or me into Eddie - whichever it caused Eddie to start wildly swinging his arms at me.

Eddie Nichols was mentally challenged.  I should say he meant to swing with both fists, but one of his hands was busy.  He was sucking on the back of it.  Every time he got nervous Eddie sucked on the back of one of his hands.

I hit him in the nose and broke it;  blood went everywhere, it got all over him.  He ran home crying.

His adult sister, who was responsible for him, came looking for who ever broke Eddie's nose.  I had already went home. The boys that agged us into a fight acted like they had no idea a fight took place.

In time Eddie forgot about it.  Maybe a year later we were playing in the loft of Eddie's grandfather's barn.  One so-called friend reminded Eddie I was the one that broke his nose.

Suddenly, Eddie pounced on me choking me with an iron strong grip.  I could not breath.  I thought I was about to be killed.

However, in our scuffling in the loft we rolled over a sheet of plywood that was not nailed down.  When we got to end the plywood tilted and like a dumped truck dumped us to the floor of the barn.   I landed, rolled to my feet and took off running like a rabbit.  I suppose Eddie laid there sucking the back of his hand, wondering what happened.

One thing leads to another doesn't it?

By the way, I was told last year at the Bell Reunion that Eddie Nichols is in prison for murder.

Let's Start a Revolution!

Let's start a Revolution!  Let's vote against all incumbents because they are doing such a lousy job.  Then we can start all over! 

GOOD NEWS! This Blog Is In a Tailspin!

GOOD NEWS!  According to my stat counter that tells me how many people visited this blog today has hit lowest number ever.  Seriously!  

I could have all my readers visit me at my home and I could even afford to feed them (providing they didn't go back for seconds) - so that is good news, in a way,  and then we could almost all go and enjoy the outside air on the deck; several may have to stand in the yard, so watch where you step.  My dog hangs out in that area a lot.

Fact: Not many weeks ago I normally received  twice as many visits before breakfast than I have received the past two days combined.

Another bit of good news over my low on-line blog attendance is that I have more freedom.  I can do as I want!  I'm not trying to please anybody!  Which the numbers well back up my statement.

Another bit of Good News:  As far as attendance goes, the only way left to go is up!..... right?

And here even some more Good News - or maybe it is just  Funny News - badly attended blogs get paid the same as the highly attended blogs....so HAW HAW HAW! 

FOOLS!

Skirting About This Past Saturday

First we went to Stilesboro Biscuits to eat breakfast but mostly to hear fiddler player Danny Bermel play.  We heard on Saturday morning he had a gig there.  I kind of imagined he would be off in a corner playing his violin the sophisticated way he plays.  I was surprised to go inside and got hit with a blast of shit-kicking bluegrass with a fast beat.  You just wanted to clap, whoop, and maybe dance.

Danny was a member of the Jot'Em Down Boys until recently when he and Bob Putman moved on.  And Bob was there too playing his guitar.  Unfortunately, Bob's back was to us so I did not get to take a picture of him playing.

It was crowded in the tiny building.  There was only elbow room and only about 4 or 6 tables.  I don't know how we managed to go straight to an empty table with so many people standing. 

Maybe it was the pathetic  way I pitched a fit.

Next we went to downtown Marietta to the Farmers' Market.   I guess the name along with these pictures tell what the Farmers' Market is about.

Then, we went to the Confederate Cemetery.  We read of a new CSA soldier statue and wanted to welcome him.  The sun was blaring, which causes choppy looking photos. 

And I will spare you our shopping details at other places.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, by Gilbert Shelton.  Pardon me if I had already ran these two pages.


Click on image to enlarge so you can read the balloons.

Book Report: North Ga History

A NORTH GEORGIA JOURNAL O FHISTORY, Volume I, compiled and edited by Olin Jackson.

The main contributors are Robert S. Davis, Jr., Jimmy E. Anderson,  Olin Jackson.  Published by Legacy Communications, Inc, 65 Roswell St, Bldge 400, Alpharetta, Ga, 30201, 1992.

If you have any interest in North Georgia Mountains and wondered about the history of its natives you might want to read this book.  It is a collection of articles and essays about the Civil War head-ons, hangings, genealogy of some of the founding families, the Cherokee Indians, about ferries that  crossed rivers, who protected the citizens against the Home Guard during the Civil War, the rough characters who mined gold, and many more.  About 500 pages worth of good reading.       I think Robert S. Davis, Jr, wrote a good many of the essays or articles, and the editor/compiler Olin Jackson had almost as manky.  

The book is so good I just started on Volume II.

Myrtle Irene Jones Foster (1895-1991)

This is Anna's maternal grandmother, Myrtle Irene Jones Foster (1895-1991).  She was born in the Alpharetta, Georgia, area  and died in Marietta, Georgia, at age 95.  Irene's parents are Walter Vernon Jones and Mintoria Mathis Jones.   

Her husband  Paul Everett Foster (1895-1936) died when Irene was 41 years old with four children to raise.  She fed her children by continuing her late husband's profession of repairing Singer Sewing Machines;  taking care of children; being a practical nurse; and having a garden. 

The kids, two sons and two daughters grew up to be fine adults.

Laughing AT, Not WITH

The other day I thought of two little shack houses that used to be on Ebenezer Road in Marietta, down from the chicken houses that  was taking up the land that would eventually be Addison School.   The two shacks  each had an outhouse in back.

When I used to run a lot there  in front of their house there was a no shoulder area beside the road.  If you ran or drove off the pavement there you would have a sudden jar and possibly car or human injury.  Once I was running after it rained and a car coming towards me made me hop off the payment and I fell.  I expected  that my feet would hit the surface of soil, I didn't know it was on the edge of a small bank.  I fell, got muddy and skinned up. 

I was good entertainment for the group sitting on the front porch of one of the shacks.  They all let out a sudden whooping HEE HAW as I took a tumble and when I slid in the mud  it brought more hoots and HEES HAWS. 

They probably didn't have a television. 

Tuba Skinny - CROW JANE MEDLEY

Get on your Blues Dancing Shoes.

Mark Bagley, HULK artist, Interview

Here is a Youtube interview with Mark Bagley, comicbook artist of THE HULK; previously, one of the artists for SPIDERMAN, both of Marvel Publishing Company.  In my own way I am proud of Mark because he is the husband of my cousin Pattie Hunter. I think that would be called family pride.   Mark is a good artist, go to your local comicbook shop and buy one of his comicbooks and see for yourself.

This interview was made last week at the Comic Con in NYC..

Visiting Cartersville, Georgia

Saturday we went to Bluegrass Festival in Cartersville, Georgia.   These are just some random pictures I took here and there in the town.

Cartersville First Baptist Church

My ancestors Greenville and Mary Polly Taylor Pullen were one of the first settlers in Cass County, which eventually became Bartow County, which Cartersville is county seat.   I read that Greenville donated some of his land for the First Baptist Church which eventually became The First Baptist Church of Cartersville.   Mary (Polly) died and Greenville moved on to Dalton, Georgia, where he remarried.   I thought it is reasonable to believe The First Baptist Church of Cartersville might have its own cemetery.  We arrived in the area early for the concerts - we had our Smart Phone GPS lead us to the First Baptist Church of Cartersville.   The church building is huge and is surrounded by acres of  well-sculptured beautiful green grass .  I think some of the church members might think an old cemetery with old weathered  markers and tombstones  an eyesore.  There was no cemetery.  I'll look for the  Cemetery another day.

The formerly depot, now Visotor's Center reminds me of the building in Marietta with the same past and present  reason for being.

I have eaten here once.  I was impress with their "putting on no airs" atmosphere.  I  always thought it is some kind of landmark, sort of like the Big Chicken in Marietta - but inside the customers are much like Brandy's Hotdogs in Marietta.... natives. 

I got carried away with the red  building side Coca Cola sign.   On the inside I think at least 1//3 of the store is antique like Coke promotional items.  We went in to buy a candy bar.  We were having a difficult time finding the shelf they sell candy and I asked a lady at the cash register.  She said by the Coke machine.  We bought some candy and returned to the lady at the cash register, I said, "If you had told me the candy was by the Coke display I would have been confused."  She didn't smile.  She took my money and gave me my change and snappily told me to have a nice day.  I suppose she is tired of hearing Coke display jokes.

The concert was right in the middle of the downtown area, by the railroad tracks.  The buildings definitely have a "downtown Cartersville" personality.

We try to catch the singing group SCARLET WOOL whenever it is close and feasible.    They were one of the 4 to 6 groups we watched. 

SCARLET WOOL consists of three sisters: Tabby, Erin, and Hannah Fleeney.  We think at least one is still a teenager and the two oldest are probably in their early 20s.  They are good.  Their father and brother are always close by when they perform - at least the times we saw them they were.  They are above, I don't know their first names.  They are good.

I'm told that the man dancing is 90 years old.

I have heard in the past few years about Scott's Walk Up Barbecue in Cartersville.  The have catered the Varners Reunion and a local magazie, ATLANTA MAGAZINE I think, rated them one of the top BBQ eateries in Georgia.  I had that on my bucket list, to try one of the times we were in Cartersville..  We did and it was very good.  It is so  downt-to-earth and non pretentious I only saw one pig statuette - it was a bowl with a pig's face by the cash register for tips.   

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SABRINA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our beautiful daughter in law, Sabrina!

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! World Series on TV

The World Series is upon us.  So to get you riled up for it here is a one page cartoon by Bleachman  in HUMBUG Magazine.

click to enlarge to understand (maybe).

The Bettis Children

click on image to enlarge.

These are  Bob and Ida Lavonia Prance Bettis's four sons.  Bob and Ida had  ten children,  6 boys and 4 girls.  The four oldest children were boys, and I think these were probably the only kids at the time of the picture was taken, which I estimate to be 1906.  The first daughter was born in 1907, after when I believe this picture was taken.   Based on that,  from left to right:  James Toliver Cecil Bettis (1900-1969), Reuel Andrew Bettis (1901-1968), Herschel Raymond Bettis (1903-1987), and Isaac Landrum Bettis (1898-1975).

A Night At the Museum, Inside and Outside

As you know we have been approached expectatively  twice recently.  One time in the dark in our driveway of somebody wanting to know what street he was walking down and another time at out front door a lawman wanting to know about one of our neighbors.   We might as well go for three times.  This evening   In the public parking lot, across the tracks from the Marietta History Museum a young decent looking man approached us and asked if we knew anything about Marietta.  I answered, we did know a little, what did he need to know.

He asked us if there is  any place other than MUST MINISTRIES a person can stay.  He said he had a place to stay at Tuirner's Chapel but had some kind of lame excuse why not there.   I said MUST MINISTRIES would be his best bet.  He told us their rules which he would have to be out by a certain time, and on and on - his reasons and words just blended - I have no idea what he said the reason he didn't like Turner Chapel or MUST Ministries.

Then he started telling us he was no bum.  He understood  what we must think of him.  Not really, I just thought he might have hit a bad luck period.  He asked or hinted that we give him a few bucks to get something to eat.

In the middle of his spill up drove a car and Christa, a museum officer, rolled down her window and  said hi and talked a minute or two, which she did not know it but she was interrupting  the guy's bad - luck story.  

She drove off and he picked up where he left off.

I told him I was sorry, but told him we just didn't have money to give him.  He looked intimidated and also looked as he wished he never bother us.

After he was a good distance away we decided to give him some.  I chased him down and gave it to him.  It was enough to get a warm meal at Wendy's and suggested Wendy's.  He said he would go there now.

We wondered if we did the right thing or not.

Then we saw him walking the opposite direction of Wendy's. 

Or maybe he has a dealer named Wendy.

On the plus side we heard a nice talk by a guy who grew up in Kennesaw and wrote an Acadia Press Book about Kennesaw.  He was down to earth and candid. 

And we learned something we didn't know.  Did you know at the depot in Kennesaw is the highest point between Atlanta and the Etowah River?  He told this to make a point.  In THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE the conductor, I think his name was Fuller or Fulton,  chased the stolen engine by one of those hand pump carts was not nearly as hard you might think, because most his journey down the tracks in pursuit he was on a slight incline going down.

the "Do You Know Who I Am?" card

When in a squeeze some celebrities have made the news by playing their "Do you know who I am ?" card.   Sarah Palin, Reese Witherspoon, and George Zimmerman to name a few.  Also you might could add me to the list.

Back in the  late 1950s I hung out with a bunch that was always looking for a party or sometimes we carried the party with us.  On one weekend night we went to Acworth Lake, across the water from Acworth Beach.  We had a bottle of gin.  It was the first time I drank gin.    After we sat around  talking sipping gin we decided to pa the beach pavilion a visit.  We drove around and to the beach parking lot.  We thought we would drink one last beer before going in.  Our car facing a grassy bank with not to sharp of an incline.  Just when we opened our beer cans I heard a jingle of keys and looked up - down the hill came a flashlight bouncing in the darkness as it came down the little hill.  The jingle were keys, gun,  handcuffs, and whatever else police wore around their belts. 

An elderly policeman asked if "You boys drinking?"

Billy Joe Royal* said, "No sir."

The policeman said, "Don't lie to me boy, I saw you!"

He pulled out a pad and began writing our names down.   When he got to me, I gave him my name.  He stopped writing and said, "Are you kin to Ed Hunter?"*

"Yessir.  He is my daddy."

He put his notepad back into his pocket and said, "Listen here!  We don't allow drinking here!  Not for adults, teenagers, especially not teenagers,!"  I am letting you go with a warning this time.  I want y'all to leave and not come back.  Which we did.

*That is right, "Down in the Boondocks" Rockabilly Billy Joe Royal.  In about 2 to 3 years from then he could have played his "Do you know who I am card?"

** Ed Hunter was Chief of the Cobb County Police at the time.

Pontoon Ride on Allatoona video

Don't ask me why I named this video LAKE ALLATOONA RIDE SEPT 2014 when our son Adam took us on the ride on October the 8th.  I am still trying to figure out what was I thinking.

RAY Genealogical Reunion, Macon County, NC

If I counted right there are 22 people in the above picture.  It appears that the spouses did not pose, these are all direct descendants.  There were probably between 45 and 50 people attending.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAULINE!

The Ray Genealogical Research Reunion was nice this year, as I'm sure it always is.  I missed the past two or three.  People brought a covered dish and information.  Some people brought old pictures, charts, grafts, and delicious food.  Who could ask for more?

The ones in charged put on a big sheet of paper in big print John and Nancy Sumner and all their kids listed.  Then they had a sheet up with each child and his spouse and children.   The idea was for the people take a special red marker and write their name beside their link to John and Nancy Ray.  In my case I put my name beside Frank Paris Hunter, which was  one of the children of Emaline Ray. 

People brought pictures,  CDs in information for anyone wanting one, and all kinds of information.  Many people brought camera, of course.


Note, click on image to make it larger and prettier.

Granddaughter & Kathy

Kathy, above with her granddaughter, brought a lot of information.  I didn't noticed until  later that one of the things she brought was a book she compiled, edited, and assembled, of my writings.  A few years ago, when Anna and I last attended I met her and her husband Mike, and we swapped emails until I got boring.   In the emails I took one family member at a time and gave her a candid view  (with humor ) and with pictures.    That is what she assembled and did a great job (lack of a better word).

Granddaughter and Mike

Of course we were the first ones there, that were not part of putting it together.   One person that lives in Marietta and Mike and Kathy who live in Monticello, Georgia, asked , "What time did you leave?"  The Marietta person and  Mike left later than we did.  On the way home we vowed not to leave so early next year.  We'll see.

Dee and Marlene

Gloria

J.C. and J.C.

They gave awards or recognition for some.  Like J.C. on the right was awarded the oldest one there.  Others were awarded for the youngest, came the greater distance, and I forgot what all.  I was waiting and had my acceptance speech ready for when they called me up to recognized me as the most handsome male there that was short, gray and bald, with a red nose.  Oh well, I got over it.

Jacqueline

Elma

Margaret

Mitchell

Nancy.  

A few years ago Nancy gave me a picture of my great grandfather William Hunter.  She is very giving.

The two ladies in the middle on the second row are twins: Darlene and Marlene.  They more or less ran the show and did a darn good job.  Nancy, Dee, and Margaret, I think, kept a sharp eye on the operation to jump in when needed .

The meeting was held at Iotla Baptist Church on Iotla Church Road., in the Iotla Community about five miles northwest of Franklin, North Carolia.  The hilly farming terrain is just beautiful.