*Fred Allen Barfoot remembers that his two older brothers Jack and John began their school years at New Ireland School, which was located near his Barfoot grandparents’ farm. When Fred Allen began school at Union, his family lived on the NW corner of Decatur and Willow Streets. He walked down the side road by his house, crossed Long Street to walk alongside the J.D. Leake home, followed a fence along a well-worn path (where maypops grew in season), eased across a rickety wooden bridge over a creek, and finished his walk alongside the football field to the original two-story school building. He took a “sack lunch.” The basketball court was outside behind the school, before the school acquired the army surplus building that became the lunchroom. Mrs. Mahaffey was the “head cook” and later Mrs. Lamar Windham joined her. Ah! His memories of Union…
Fred Allen further reflects on the time when he was in school. It was a ‘big deal’ when a young, single lady came to Union to teach. She sometimes ‘boarded’ in someone’s home and would end up marrying one of Union’s eligible bachelors. Two of his teachers were excellent examples: Dixie Howell married Dr. L.B. Adkins, and Billie Eakes married Bobby Freeman.
His mother Blanche Lewis Barfoot was a good basketball player, graduating in 1928. Her brother C.S. (Spurgeon) Lewis also was a good player who later played at East Central, graduating from there in 1933.
Fred Allen’s sister Dot Barfoot Ledlow sent me a picture of her mother’s 1926 basketball team and her 1928 graduating class. A number of early pictures are missing from the senior composites hung in the UHS hall. This was one of those classes that can now be added to the group.
*Jane Hollingsworth Space felt sadness when she saw the razing of the Ogletree Grocery building. She recalls walking from school to climb the tiny steps on the west side up to Nancy Ogletree’s apartment for her piano lessons. Then after her lesson, she would walk to Dr. Warnick’s dentist office to ride home with her mother Dot. Also, when Jane was in high school, she worked for Judge L.B. Porter, a man for whom she had great admiration.
*Ralph Germany remembers the beginning of the Union Riding Club in the early 1950s. Original members were Tal Hataway, Bill Germany, O’Cona Driskell, Joe Brunson, L.D. Sharp, Thurman Sharp, Roy Sessums, Dallas Sessums, Carlton Sessums, Jack Russell, Shine Reeves, Thomas Reeves, and Bobby Reeves, with some of these men coming from Decatur.
It was formed as a Christian family organization, which allowed no cursing or drinking. The arena was located below the airport around the area that is today the home to the Distribution Center, formerly Choctaw Glove, on Kate Thomas Drive. The arena around an oval race track where rodeos were held included bucking chutes for bulldogging and calf roping. Ralph identified the riders in a picture in the October 23, 2019, Appeal issue as Joe Brunson and Bill Germany leading the wagon train down North Street for an overnight stay at House Lake.
*Barbara Roebuck recalls a story of Ogletree Grocery told by her friend Dwayne Adams. Before World War II, he was a part of a band that played for various events. One day in 1941 before they went to the Army, the band was playing at Ogletree Grocery. A car came racing down North Street, ran into the curb which was higher in that day, and turned over onto its side. The driver, obviously not injured, jumped out of the car and ran down Hwy. 492.
Barbara’s grandpa Chamblee rode his horse every morning from his home in the Pinckney community to work at the Buckwalter Lumber Yard.
*Lois McMullan remembers being in the Post Office one day when she was a little girl. A customer came in and asked the clerk to please weigh her baby on the postal scales. Eager to please, the clerk, of course, weighed the baby for one of his Union friends. Oh, the perks that come from living in a small town!
*Andy Gardner remembers when the steeple was being installed on the new Methodist Church. A large crowd gathered for the occasion. Mr. May from the Miss. Power Co. rode the Headache Ball of the tall crane with the steeple and mounted it to the top of the church. It seemed quite a large task to a little Andy at that time.
*Allen Carlson recalls how the young people entertained themselves in the 1940s. Saturday afternoons were spent at the movie theater where they first saw a cartoon film, Tom and Jerry or Bugs Bunny, etc. followed by a “Western” with Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hop-a-long Cassidy, or the Durango Kid. Next, on Saturday night they listened to the Meridian radio station, which featured Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, Fibber McGee and Molly, and the Hit Parade. They consumed stacks of comic books such as Dick Tracy, Superman, Captain Marvel, the Green Hornet, and various Disney products. The family subscribed to Look magazine, the Saturday Evening Post, and Life magazine.
*John Bailey remembers that his mother Irene began her ladies’ apparel business in the living room of their home on Decatur Street. She opened with two dozen dresses and one dozen hats. Then in the early 1950s, Herschel and Irene went into Cleveland’s Grocery Store at 204 Main Street and bought the store for Irene to move her dress shop Irene’s to town. John, who was a youngster at the time, recalls that Cleveland’s Grocery had a parrot sitting on a perch just inside the front door.
John also remembers when his grandfather Mr. John Mott owned a small grocery store on the northeast corner of Jackson Road and Decatur Street. Mr. Mott did not have much in his store. However, believing that he kept money in it, vandals broke into it several times. He eventually spent nights in the store but went home every morning in time for breakfast. Each day when he arrived home, his wife would call out, “Good morning, Mr. John,” and he would reply, “Good morning, Mrs. Sallie.”
My heartfelt thanks go to each person who has contributed memories to this column.
