I Remember
Memories and photos from our readers Summers Spent with Grandpa Oliver
Childhood Days with Alice Some of my fondest memories are of my cousin Alice and me. We grew up in the 1940s and 1950s on farms in Sampson County, near Kitty Fork. There was a special bond between us from the beginning, but we did not always agree on everything. When we got mad, our parents would make us hug each other. We were soon happy playmates again. We enjoyed getting in her daddy’s fishing pond on hot summer days. Alice’s mama made our bathing suits. We played with rag dolls and doll clothes Mama sewed for us. We also played with paper dolls and some storebought dolls too. It was not all play for us though. When we were old enough, we worked at our daddy’s tobacco barns on tobacco barning days. Sometimes Daddy would take us to White Lake. That was a treat. He would also take us to the drive-in theater at Kitty Fork. We loved the Betty Grable movies and westerns. Many years have passed, and though in later years we lived two hours apart, Alice was only a phone call away. In April 2019, Alice went to her heavenly home. She will always be in my heart and I remember her every day. Fannie Williams, Clinton, a member of Four County Electric
While swimming at night, the smell of cedar and the sound of water gently lapping the timbers that held the pier are one of many fond memories I have of growing up at White Lake. During the day, there were other adventures to discover. Every weekend before Easter, my grandfather, Perry Oliver, would take me to the lake to prepare the go-carts for operation that upcoming summer. My earliest memory was using a paint brush and can of gas to clean the oil and grime away from the engines. Afterwards, I was allowed to paint a cart red, blue or yellow — all the while being warned by Grandpa of those “cowlicks”! (That was the name he had given the many Velvet ants crawling around enjoying the spring weather.) During the season, I loved sitting in the ticket booth with Grandpa Oliver sipping on 10-ounce Pepsi or Mountain Dews watching the riders go round and round the track. Among many adventures, I was with him at Spell Burger, the glass bottom boat, or just riding around the lake, or helping him around the cottage. It was a kid’s dream. If only it would have lasted forever. Now as an adult, every time I smell cedar, I become emotional as all those memories come flooding back. Oh, how I miss my youth and those Perry Oliver White Lake days. Ray Spell, Hope Mills, a member of South River EMC
Send Us Your Memories We love sharing photos and memories dear to our readers. Submit your photo, plus roughly 200 words that describe it, online or by mail with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want it returned (only one entry per household, per month). Include your name, mailing address, phone number or email address, and the name of your electric co-op. We retain reprint rights, and we’ll pay $50 for those we publish. Online: carolinacountry.com/contact U.S. Mail: I Remember, Carolina Country, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616
26 | carolinacountry.com
CC08-tv.indd 26
7/9/20 12:28 PM
