I Remember...
Mo
The old Christmas coat
I was married to Alfred Burton on Jan. 6, 1955. Alfred gave me this Mouton coat on Dec. 25, 1955 for Christmas. The more recent photo shows me just before going to church on Jan. 29, 2012. Everybody said it was almost unbelievable that I had had the coat that long.
Betty Jo Burton, Elkin, Surry Yadkin EMC
The Strip Down Drawing water from the well While growing up on a farm in Catawba County in the 1940s and 1950s, we had a well located about 50 feet from our front porch. Suspended on a pulley above a wooden well house was a chain with a metal bucket fastened on each end. When an empty bucket was lowered into the water, a full bucket of water was pulled up. As I grew tall enough to reach the top bucket, I was expected to do my share of drawing water. We drew many buckets of water on wash days, bath days and canning days. It was hard work, and I always dreaded it, especially when my hands got stuck on the ice-coated chain. I learned the hard way to wear gloves on freezing winter days. On summer days, my hands burned on the hot chain. Sometimes the chain would break, causing the full bucket to drop back into the water. Also, with kids around, other objects were “accidentally” dropped into the open well and had to be removed. Armed with “grabber” hooks, and a mirror for reflection, dad patiently worked until the bucket or object was brought up from the water. How I envied the neighbors who had hand pumps to pump water from their wells. As much as I disliked drawing all that water, I would very much like to stand before that defunct well today and draw up just one more bucket. Joyce Keever, Statesville, EnergyUnited
Memories
Se nd Us Yo ur
We’ll pay $50 for those we publish in the maga zine. We can put even more on our Internet sites, but can’t pay for them . (If you don’t want them on the Internet, let us know.) Guidelines: 1. Approximately 200 words. 2. Digital photos must be at least 600kb or 1200 by 800 pixels. 3. No deadline, but only one entry per househ old per month. 4. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want yours returned.
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I moved from Orlando, Fla., to Moore County in June 1952. My husband was from here and graduated from Elise High School in 1948. He enlisted in the Army for three years. The Korean War broke out, and he had to stay an extra year in service. The last six months of his service was spent at the Army base in Orlando. That is where we met and fell in love. I was a junior in high school. My mom made me promise to get married in my church and finish high school, which I did. I graduated from Elise High School in 1953. The world I came to in Moore County was so different from the one I left. I had never seen snow, knew nothing about killing hogs, making homemade sausage, planting a garden, canning, planting tobacco, or chicken houses. The Strip Down was the vehicle we used to haul drums of water from the spring for the chickens. (We did not use water from the well for fear it might go dry.) My sister-in-law and I Down. rned to drive on the Strip learned to drive on the I lea Strip Down. She and I were the same age. Her birthday was May 19 and mine was May 29. I am sure my new family felt like they had another daughter. They are all gone now. My husband passed away eight years ago. Had he lived we would have been married 60 years this past April 10. Today I live on 31½ acres. I have 175 grape vines that I take care of and 10 acres that I mow and many, many memories. Betty Hooker, Carthage, Randolph EMC
22 January 2013 Carolina Country
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