Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Tales from the Shade







This morning I had plans, like most mornings, to go to the Sweat Mountain Dog Park.  However, someone had conflicting plans:  The drive into the park was blocked off for maintenance.
Then I went to the Woof Park Dog Park in Woodstock.
After Willow had her dog interaction/mingle time we headed back home.  Every time we go there we pass American Tool in an old house on Main Street. 
My great grandparents William A. and Emaline Ray Hunter lived in that house.  I heard they built it.
Next to the house is Ingram Drive.  Coincidentally William and Emaline's grandson-in-law was Vernon Tip Ingram.
I bet they lived on Ingram Drive.  Today, I investigated.
I pulled into Ingram Drive and drove beside the HunterHouse/American Tool Rental.  Ingram Drive went into a shady area.  I followed the road.   There were about four houses which have seen their better days.  They all are among big old tall trees, the whole neighborhood was shady.   At the dead-end I turned around.  The driveway I used to turn around in stood a man watching me intently.  He was gray headed and smoking a cigarillo.
I thought, "Heck!  Why not?"
I got out of the truck and  told the man that my great grandparents lived in what now is American Tool Rental and their son-in-law was an Ingram (later I realized it was their grand-son-in-law).  I told him a condensed history of how William found his way to Woodstock, and the name change, bla bla bla.  He listened with interest. taking a puff of his cigarillo from time to time.
He pointed at the large house behind him.  He said they used to be nursing home taking care of the elderly, and a 100 year old woman was a resident there that used to live in that Hunter/American Tool Rental house.
I said it had to be Lois Hunter Carroway.  She lived to be 103.  Her sister Jacie Hunter was the one who married Tip Ingram.
He said, "That's right!  We called her Miss Lois!"

Now, we know another chapter of the Hunter Saga.

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