Some of my favorite stories

This will be a little conjecture, as 80 years have drifted by and I was young here in this photo, about 4!

I recall this dress mom is wearing, I have seen it in another photo, on a picnic with the Frenches from Indy. Frank French was a baker and then went to chiropractic school, guess he had strong hands from squeezing dough. They came to visit occasionally !

I remember Mom saying,” Dad did not like this dress”, but I’m betting money was tight and she needed to wear this out. I am sure we were renting on St. Peter St where all us boys were born so hopefully that drain was gone. I believe Charles said we moved into a store front there in Memphis! I believe the war had begun and we had seen all the military saluting on the train and Charles remember the Japanese  children were creating origami ! I imagine they were on the way to intern camps!

I imagine Mother and Charles were putting a ‘smiling face’ on my Father’s rebuking. Now he had not seen us for quite a while, not sure how long he had been in Mph setting up or taking over the Pan American Paint and wall paper store. His new position!

My understanding is Mph had a bad hail storm and a lot of slate roof were damaged. Dad had a willing group of painters with ladders so he quickly went into business. Renew was the name of his first new business, I have seen a truck with than logo on it.

Dad became friends of Wilfred Hittle, Owner of United Paint I believe. He had a son Charles age and Wilfred was married , so they became family friends, and I believe he died young, he and my mother enjoyed each other. Believe his wife was Alice.

I believe we moved to Willett St. near the parkway and went to a kindergarten then Rozzell elementary

thru the 4th grade when we moved out of the city to White Station and went to school there! And Eudora Baptist Church, where I was baptized. I always liked alter call, there were sweet men waiting to hug and love me!

I find this photo sad in that there is no Joy, an intimidated Charles, 2 clueless kids and a suppressed frightened Mother, walking on egg shells, all our lives!

Our father was mentally ill, my shrink said he was a narcissist and socio path! I remember feeling sick when he drove into our driveway on Clover Dr.  in Whitestation.

PAINTING WHITE SIDEWALLS ON A 1950’ Crosley baby station wagon!

My Father had a huge 1950’s Pontiac wagon, painted white with his company name and all the great services He offered. A Big Red Apple of course!

These autos were after the years he had us gathering bright red Crab apples and tying them on the business cards and be dropped off in neighborhoods where he was doing his thing! “ my father is working in your neighborhood and he is interested in if you have any remodeling needs in your home.”

My father always said, ‘you will always be selling in life, something or yourself.’

The lady of the house would always say, ‘you boys are so young to be out here alone and we were told to say, “he drives by and checks on us!” We’re not smart enough to ask for a % of any jobs we brought home, like the pick pockets  of 1700’s old London Town. These home owners always gave us a treat, water or cool aide if lucky! They would also put the card in a drawer near the front door and amazingly would pull out when needed, having a shriveled old crab apple, and call, ‘William F. Apple’! Dad loved to spiel off those Words,   like one of import might from the White House !

Dale Carnige , the Werner Ehert of the 1950”s! “Think and Grow Rich”! ”We are what we think. No wonder I was an easy sell to the Forum!”

Now back to the Crosley and me painting white sides walls on it. My first car after my Whizzer motor bike, no starter motor, pedal and then release the clutch and the belt would engage with the motor and away I would go! I loved it, wheels!

But my Crosley had black tires and white paint was available to paint on white side walls. I have no idea how  long it would stay on through rain, snow, hitting curbs, It was like his wagon gave birth to my little wagon, signs and all! ,

Being the salesman he was, he convinced me that he would pay gas and insurance for the deal! It was not long before I had the experience of walking my new date out to get in a sign on wheels! All that was missing was the clowns jumping out, just like the circus, only I had a different ending in mind! And, I was the Clown!

[Photo to Come]

My entire family made the trip to Indianapolis to see family, whom, I did not know!  Aunt Bea Stewart Bessler was one I always remember, she sent money and cards on birthdays. My dad’s younger sister.

She and Bob had no children so she always doted on the three of us boys. She was  the wonderful Aunt that gave me Blackie, who I had until I was graduated from college, He was part Boston Bull and Rat terroir! My brothers dogs didn’t live long, cars I imagine, but Blackie was a survivor. He was always with me, in fields or when I was on horse back, panting with tongue out, but there. With my brothers dogs gone , they Ed soon decided Blackie was a family dog,  I did’t go along with.

When we moved into Memphis, we had been living in a suburb, White Station, lots of woods and a stone quarry that provided endless entertainment looking for impressions of ancient dinosaurs and fish!

Moving into Memphis in 1953, in a neighborhood with homes close together, was a different experience than the acre lots next to woods and trees. Ed and I were concerned about blackie who thought he could out run a car, heck he could keep up with a horse, all day!

We knew where the hardware store was about 10 blocks away We noticed some neighbors had their dogs on a wire ‘run’, and began to plan a way to get Us one. We didn’t have any money so the plan was for Ed to put on a large duck hunting coat with large pockets for ducks that were killed. We then move in to the second stage of the caper, he would go thru the isles an put chains, screw hooks, and wire in the pockets and I would be the ‘look out’! Signal to stop was a lot of winks of my eyes.

So we got to the Store and he went in first and started down an isle and I followed so he could see me. He was in luck, on the row with the hardware we needed, He began to load up our haul and then to my surprise, he dropped to the concrete floor a large wrench to tighten the bolts. Of course the owner showed up immediately! I was not close enough to the door to make a get away so tried to duck down.

I peeked over the tires for sale and heard the owner ask Ed what he was doing! “ Planning  a dog run !” 

‘We are afraid our dog is going to get run over”! the Owner then looked at me and said ‘who is that?’

‘My brother, Jack’! the owners walked over to me and said, do you know that boy over there, he said you are his brother! ‘I never saw him before in my life!!

We both looked up and the famous huge white Pontiac station wagon with a huge red apple and a huge William F. Apple, in person, was pulling up in front of the store!

[Photo to Come]

As an early Indiana snow moved into the area of Saint Peter St., Eileen began planning an outing that needed to happen with haste! She was feeling the quickening that she recognized from the birth of her son, Charles, four years ago.

She prepared to go out into the snow, leaving Charles alone for the first time. Putting on her large overcoat, gloves, hat, and boots, Charles watched intently. He was not getting dressed for the snow! Eileen picked him up and placed him by the front window, peering out, with an explanation of what he was to do. She moved outside and, as she reached the street, turned around and waved goodbye.

When she walked into the S&L, she was seated next to a desk and told that a loan officer would be with her shortly. When he arrived, he looked a little startled at the sight of a nine-month-pregnant woman sitting covered in snow waiting for him!

He nervously asked how he could assist her, and she proceeded to inform him that she needed a $50 loan to pay the doctor for the obvious impending delivery. He immediately pulled out the loan agreement, she signed it, and was on her way.

A smiling Charles was still at the window waiting for his mom; both had had a big adventure! She had her first passbook showing the $50 loan that she would religiously repay, diligently noted in the passbook. So now, this Capricornian child was coming into the world on borrowed money and was destined to depart the same way.

 [image: Eileen pregnant with Jack 1937] 

This photograph captures the return trip to Memphis from Indianapolis, where I got my dog, Blackie, from Aunt Bee Stewart, my father’s sister. Blackie was part Boston Bulldog and part Rat Terrier. He was my lifelong friend and companion. He followed me on every adventure: hiking, horseback riding, and lying on the floor listening to The Lone Ranger. My brother’s puppies did not last as long. Blackie moved to Memphis with me when I started attending Central High School and later, during my college years at Memphis State University, where we lived on Harbert Ave.

One late night, I came home and realized Blackie was not around. Normally, I wouldn't have thought much of it, but I had a feeling something was wrong, so I began walking up and down the neighborhood streets. I found Blackie a couple of streets over, lying there unable to walk. I assumed he had been hit by a car. Despite being over ten years old, he had remained very healthy—thanks to his active lifestyle, I guess.

I put him in my car and took him to a vet my father knew. I was informed that Blackie had a broken back and had to be put down. I had never gone looking for him in the past, so this experience gave credibility to the psychic connection we share with other beings here on Earth. I continue to miss the relationship I had with Blackie well into adulthood.

Since we’re discussing our family’s relationships with pets, I must mention the time Ed brought home a mule with a rope around its neck! As he approached our home, my mother, Eileen, came running out to find out where in the world Ed had gotten this animal. 

In response to her inquiry, Ed said, "He’s mine; I found him!" 

To that, my mother firmly replied, "Take him back to where you found him. Period."

Living on S. Willette St. was within walking distance to Rozelle Elementary School. That’s the street and home where the photo of the three boys and our dogs was taken. On the walk to school, we passed a small YMCA that had a kiddie pool. It was like a fish pond—not deep, just a cooling spot, I guess. One day, while I was in the water, I looked over and saw a turd floating by. My God, I almost flew out of that toilet. I don't think I’ve ever felt completely clean after that event.

That area seemed to bring bad luck. Why do I say that? Soon after, I was on the other side of the street at a small intersection on Willett St., talking to my brother Ed. I don't remember why, but as I started crossing the street toward Ed, a car hit me on my left thigh. The next thing I remember was feeling angry and walking home, while the lady driving the car tried to get me to get in. 

Right. (like I was going to jump in a stranger's car) No trust there. 

She followed me all the way home and, I guess, told my mother what had happened (in a school zone). I had a huge hematoma for weeks after that.

My mother rarely left town, so her sudden trip back to Indiana was nothing short of a mystery. While she was away, my grandmother, Ethel Owens, took charge, keeping me and my two brothers in line with her calm, no-nonsense presence. One of my favorite stories comes from a letter she sent to my mom, detailing the week’s culinary adventures and a rather memorable incident involving me, my little brother Ed, and an unfortunate bite. 

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

It all turned out all right in the end. Ed and I made peace :)

Whether by accident or design, my mother had an uncanny knack for casting her shadow in every photo she took of us, as if ensuring we’d always remember she was there, quietly watching over us.

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

Apparently, my father wasn’t a fan of my mom’s dress, which became yet another point of contention between them. But then again, with my dad, everything seemed to be an issue.

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

Cruising through northern Italy on a motorcycle felt like the adventure of a lifetime—until the temperatures plunged below freezing. What once seemed exhilarating quickly turned into a race to avoid frostbite. Thankfully, I managed to persuade a kind family to let me crash at their place, but not before...

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!

Juanita and Eileen were inseparable. They say that those who grow up as an only child form friendships as thick as blood. That was certainly the case for my mother and her dearest friend. From the moment they met, a bond was forged that would weather every storm life could throw their way. The ebb and flow of their lives, and even their deepest secrets, were shared in letters passed between them—correspondence that would continue for a lifetime, connecting their worlds no matter how far apart they were.

*Stay tuned for upcoming details!