Grandpa driving (told by aunt Moz.)

Dad went to work on a hay baler for Mr. Ballard and one day Mr. Ballard said "Thead .I have to go home early - you can go home in the truck." Well Dad wouldn't tell him that he didn't drive so when it was time to quit he walked about a mile to Uncle Elmer & Aunt Ruths house and got Uncle Elmer to go get the truck started & when he got it in the right gear for dad -he jumped off of the running board & Dad herded the truck home--next morning Mom did the same thing and he got back to the hay baler and I don't guess that Mr. Ballard ever knew that Dad couldn't drive.
Dad had a beautiful deep bass voice and enjoyed singing. He put nick names on all of his children Marie was -Reecie--Mozelle-Shockie--Lavoice--Peepsie--E.L.-boodie--Foster-Tot--and he called Jan-Janie. When Jan was born and was down syndrone the Dr. told them that her life span would be 8--10 years and that he suggested putting her in a State home ( many did ) Dad sat there a few minutes then said "Thank you Dr. but Jan will live at home and be loved and treated just like our other five." and thats the way it was with him--family and his love for family came first. Jan lived to be 38 yrs.old and had a quality life- could oil paint beautifully- play the organ and was a loyal Steer football fan-she went to all pep rallies and football games. the team honored her one year by presenting her a football jacket. She was such a blessing to everyone1

Grandpa & his dogs

Aunt Mozelle continues with her memories--dad loved all animals and always had several dogs--mostly Coon hunting dogs. Late in the afternoon I can still hear him say " Blanche you got time to cook my dogs some corn bread?"she always did and his dogs got sweet milk and corn bread for supper.Dad had a remedy for whatever ailed his dogs,cows,or horses. There wasn't a veterinarian in any of the small towns and rural areas so Dad used remedies that grandpa and granny Miller passed down. I remember him sending me to the Fletchers to borrow some sulphur. He used lots of kerosene,linament,grease from fat meat and sulphur. All of the neighboring men would come by and ask him what he would do for certain illness's. Every week he would go coon hunting with some of his friends- they would come pick him & his dogs up & they would stay out real late sometimes if the dogs was finding coons to tree. He could tell which dog had the coon treed by the sound of its voice. When it was time to call the dogs back & go to the house- he had a horn--made from a cows horn -that he would blow and his dogs would know it was their master & come but the other mans dogs wouldn't as it wasn't the right sound for them. He traded and sold dogs like some do horses.

Grandpa 2

Aunt Moz. continues--One of Dad's favorite memories was when he was breaking a team of horses to pull a plow or wagon.He hitched them to a wagon and Marie (my Mom) wanted to go with him. She was about 2 yrs.old. She was sitting beside Dad and something spooked the horses. They jumped & began to run (its called a runaway) . It threw Marie backwards and she rolled nearly to the back of the wagon. Dad finally got the horses stopped and Marie jumped up & said "Shoot'em
again Daddy shoot'em again". Every farmer around wanted him to stack their bundle feed in the fall because he could put up a neat -tight & strong stack that had staying power.Another memory is that one summer Dad did some fencing for Cecil Ray Epleys dad. Cecil Ray took up with him right away.Cecil had a pony that he rode bareback. One day Cecil came where he was working and he had been running the horse & it had rubbed a sore on his bottom. He wanted Dad to look & see what was hurting ( Cecil was just a little kid) when dad told him it had rubbed a sore & the skin was off - Cecil wanted to know where the skin went. Dad said " Oh it just slid down your leg. He looked around & Cecil was coming out of his pants- dad asked him what he was doing & Cecil said 'I'm hunting that piece of skin so that they could paste it back on"

Grandpa

I asked Aunt Mozelle a few years ago if she would write down some memories she had of Grandpa and Ma Blanche--she did Grandpa but never got to write Ma Blanche's as her health declined.I want to share with you what she wrote about her Dad (our grandpa).My Dad was a outdoorsman. He knew more about bird tracks and nests and rabbits and even snakes. He watched their tracks -knew habits like where they went for water and what they fed on--and where they lived. He walked most everywhere he went and as he walked he studied the outdoor creatures.He never learned to drive a car & didn't want to. Mom drove wherever we went.My Dad was a prankster & it was his delight to tell one of his tales and the visiting children always believed it. One such was about a night that he was walking home & he heard something coming up behind, getting closer & closer. He saw that it was a big ole ugly black bear & it was gaining on him fast so he stopped and stuck his arm & hand out & when the bear got up there he ran his hand down the ole bears throat, caught him by the tail- turned him wrong side out & headed him back the other way!!