Page 2A
ROBINSON
From 1A
the plate or batting in the 280s.
But his wife says he was noted
for his hustle and his catching
arm and at one time or another
-he caught some of the greatest
pitchers of all times. His den in
his home off Cherryville Road
is filled with memorabilia,
signed baseballs of the greats of
the sporting world, and copies
of tributes paid him from all
over the country.
"Satchel was easy to catch, his
main pitch was his fast ball,"
said Robinson. He could get
anyone out with his fast ball so
that's what he would rely on.
He didn't like to throw too
many curve balls because
they're not too good on your
arm. Even when he died he had
a strong arm," recalled
Robinson. )
"If you hit him once you
wouldn't get that pitch to hit no
more. That's the way he was.
He wouldn't shake the catcher
off too often. If he didn't get to
throw too many curve balls, we
would say we would just pitch
in and out, high and low. He
would get you out anyway."
. His big break came in 1939
when Paige picked him for the
Satchel Paige All Star traveling
team. After two years with the
All Stars he later caught for
Satchel on the-Kansas City
Monarchs and Baltimore Elite
Giants teams. "Slow" was room-
mate with legendary Leon Day
when the team won the Negro . |
American Leagues final cham-
pionship in 1949.
After thee years of service in
World War II Robinson re-
turned to catch for the Elite
Giants from 1946-50. He broke
his ankle sliding into third base,
shortening his career in the big
leagues. Slow and his brother,
Norman, who also played base-
ball, spent a lot of their travel-
ing time singing and he has
tapes of some of those events
among his memorabilia.
Norman Robinson was the reg-
ular centerfielder for the
Birmingham Black Barons when
young Willie Mays joined the
team but it took a broken leg"
before Mays could replace him
in center.
"Satchel was good as any-
' body ever. pitched because he
couldipitch three or four days a
week. He could get the ball up
there about 98 miles an hour
and then he could throw it in
the strike zone," said Robinson.
"Now, Day had good control
too but Day was a pitcher that
would keep you honest. If you
hit him one time he might hit
you the next time you come up
there, this is his claim to success”
that he made those hitters beg
him not to hit him."
"Those were the days," said
Robinson.
"The Negro League was a
haven for players denied a
chance but I want later genera-
tions to remember us."
Frazier started playing base-
THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD 5
Catcher "Slow Hank"
Robinson in his heydey of
professional baseball.
ball in high school.
"After I started playing," he
said, "I fell in love with it. It
was something I had all inten-
tions of being good at."
‘Church to honor
- Pastor H. S. Scruggs
Rev. H. S. Scruggs will hon-
ored on Appreciation Day
Sunday at Capps Memorial
Missionary Methodist
Children's Church in
Cherryville.
The service will be held at the
11 a.m. worship hour. °
The public is invited.
Obituaries
ROSA B. CHURCH
NORTH WILKESBORO -
Rosa Billings Church, 94, for-
merly of Legion Drive, died
June 29, 1997 at Wilkes Senior
Village.
She was a native of Wilkes .
County, daughter of Dossie
Ann Smoot
Jackson Billings and was the
widow of A. M. Church who
. died in 1992. She was a member
of the North Wilkesboro First
Baptist Church, the North
Wilkesboro Woman's club and
North Wilkesboro Garden Club.
Surviving are one son and
daughter-in-law, Mike ‘and
Patricia Church of Kings
Mountain; one daughter. and
son-in-law, Ann and Ken
Barnes of Winston-Salem; five
grandchildren, Jeff Church of
Lincolnton, David Church of
Mocksville, Tammy G. Muckler
of North Wilkesboro and
Andrew Barnes and Gregory
Barnes, both of Charlotte; and
five great-grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted
June 30, 1997 at North
Wilkesboro First Baptist Church
by Rev. Rush Hylton. Burial
was in North Wilkesboro
Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to
North Wilkesboro First Baptist
Church, corner of 6th and D
Streets, North Wilkesboro,
28659.
Miller Funeral Service was in
charge of arrangements.
CATHERINE FIELDS
KINGS MOUNTAIN -
Catherine Harrill Fields, 79, of
1704 County Line Road, died
June 30, 1997 at Gaston
Memorial Hospital.
A native of Gaston County,
she was the daughter of the late
Radford and Clara Lewis
Harrill and widow of Roy C.
Fields. She was a retired textile
employee and a member of
Sunnyside Baptist Church in
Bessemer City.
Surviving are one daughter
and son-in-law, Shirley Ann
and Jackie Hall of Gastonia;
one granddaughter, Crystal
Rowland of Kings Mountain;
two nephews, George Harrill of
Kings Mountain and Eugene
Harrill of Gastonia; and one
niece, Nina H. Cope of Kings
Mountain.
The funeral will be conducted
July 3, 1997 at 2 p.m. at Sisk-
Butler Funeral Home Chapel in
Bessemer City by Rev. George
Willis. Burial will be in
Westview Gardens in Bessemer
City.
Sisk-Butler Funeral Home
was in charge of arrangements.
- EMMETT S. LEE
BLACKSBURG, SC - Emmett
Sheridan "Bud" Lee, 54, 322
Blackwell Road, died June 19,
1997 at his residence.
A native of Swain County,
NC, he was the son of the late
Gerald E. and Gaynell Day Lee.
He was a machinist at Eaton
Corporation, Kings Mountain,
and was Past President of the
Band and Booster Club of
Blacksubrg High School. He
was Past Scoutmaster of Troop
51, Cherokee County, was a
and Andrew
member of Church of Jesus
Christ Latter Day Saints, and
was a veteran of the U.S. Air
Force.
He is survived by his wife,
Kay Gore Lee of the home; sons,
Dale Lee of Blacksburg and
Jeffrey Lee of Gaffney; brother,
Max Lee of Greenville, SC; sis-
ter, Betty Carroll of Kings
Mountain; mother, Louise
Phillips Lee of Kings Mountain;
and five grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted
by Bishop Archie Fowler, Elders
Manfred Martin and Floyd
Martin, Dale Lee and Lynn
Lawhon at 2 p.m. Saturday at
Church of Jesus Christ Latter
Day Saints. Interment was in
Oak View Baptist Church ceme-
tery, Kings Mountain.
Pallbearers were Clay Fowler,
Doug Fowler, Reece Fowler,
Brook Fowler, Jason Fowler, .
Jeremy Martin, Chris Gore and -
Melvin Helms.
Memorials may be made to
Spartanburg Regional Medical
Center Outpatient Hospice, 120
Haywood Avenue,
Spartanburg, SC 29302.
Shuford Hatcher’ Funeral
Home was in charge of arrange-
ments.
MARY S. HARRISON
KINGS MOUNTAIN - Mary
Sigmon Harrison, 87, of 111 N.
Dilling St., died June 27, 1997 at
Cleveland Regional Medical
Center in Shelby.
She was a native of Lincoln
County, the daughter of the late
D. C. and Margaret Carpenter
Sigmon, a member of Boyce
Memorial ARP Church and a
retired employee of Lambeth
Rope Corporation.
Surviving are one son, Joe
Lee Harrison of Flushing, NY;
two daughters, Louise Dover of
Kings Mountain and Bernice
Cloninger of Mount Pleasant; 12
grandchildren; and nine great-
grandchildren.
The graveside service was
conducted June 28, 1997 at 4
p.m. at Mountain Rest
Cemetery by Rev. Doug
Petersen.
Memorials may be made to
Total Care of the Carolinas, 101
E. Marion St., Shelby, 28150.
Harris Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
LELA CLARK WALKER
KINGS MOUNTAIN - Lela
Clark Walker, 86, of 922 Church
St., died June 27, 1997 at
Cleveland Regional Medical
Center in Shelby.
She was a native of Cleveland
County, daughter of the late
John Henry and Mary Emma
Pearson Clark. She was a mem-
ber of Central United Methodist
Church and retired from
Margrace Mills in Kings
Mountain.
Surviving are her husband,’
Arthur Walker, and a number of
nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted
June 26, 1997 at Harris
Memorial Chapel by Rev. Hal
Schwantes. Interment was in
Mountain Rest Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to
Central United Methodist
Church, 113 S. Piedmont Ave.,
~~
Kings Mountain, 28086.
Harris Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
STANLEY WATERS
GASTONIA - Stanley Waters,
62, of 516 Steele Road, died
June 27, 1997 in the Kings
Mountain Hospital.
He was the son of Mary
Wright Waters of Kings
Mountain and the late Roland
Waters and was married to
Dorothy Waters. An employee
of Wix Filter, he was a member
of the National Guard.
The funeral was conducted
June 29, 1997 at 3 p.m. at First
Assembly of God in Gastonia
by Rev. David Scruggs and Rev.
Mitchell Pruitt. Interment was
in Westview Gardens.
Surviving, in addition to his
wife and mother. are his sons
and daughters-in-law, S. David
and Betty Waters of Dallas, Tim
and Melanie Waters and Rick
Waters, all of Bessemer City;
and three sisters, Pearl
Hullender and Nell Waters of
Kings Mountain and Charlene
Lutz of Bessemer City; four
grandchildren, Eric, Justin and
Jessica Waters and Becky
Hager; and one great-grand-
child, Brittany Hager.
Pallbearers were Hiram
Baucom Jr., Henry Taylor, Jason
Taylor and Mike Ray.
In lieu of flowers memorial
- may be made to First Assembly
of God, 1104 S. Myrtle School
Rd., Gastonia, 28052.
Greene Funeral Service Inc.
was in charge of arrangements.
JERRY WAYNE MILLER
GASTONIA - Jerry Wayne
"Miller, 46, of 900 First St., died
June 29, 1997 at home.
- The graveside service was
conducted July 1, 1997 at 3 p.m.
at Mountain Rest Cemetery in
Kings Mountain by Rev.
William B. James.
He is survived by his wife,’
Pamilia Gail Miller; two daugh-
ters, Kimberly Dawn Miller and
Pamilia Jane Miller; and his
mother, Geraldine Scruggs of
Lawndale. He was the grand-
son of the late Annie H. Foster.
Greene Funeral Service Inc.
was in charge of arrangements.
STEVEN D. WOOD
KINGS MOUNTAIN - Steven
Dwayne Wood, 21, of 115 Kevin
Dr., died June 29, 1997 at
Cleveland Regional Medical
Center in Shelby. !
He was a native of Cleveland
County, the son of Denise
Owens Blanton of Kings
Mountain and the stepson of
James Edward Blanton. He was
a machine shop employee.
Surviving, in addition to his
mother and stepfather, are one
brother, Shane Wood, and one
sister, Shondee Wood, both of
Kings Mountain.
The funeral was conducted
July. 2, 1997: at 3: p.m. at
Christian Fellowship Church in
Cherokee Falls, SC by Rev.
Willie Lanier and Rev. Junior
Wright. Burial was in Christian
Fellowship Church Cemetery.
Harris Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
July 3,1997
Shouldn't your next car come
With a Lifetime Guarantee!
vy 2 ar: Wy 4 J y 70d /
ll stereo cass w/6 speakers, A/C/,
§ 3.0L SMPI V-6 Engine,
| savE *3,135*
“97 Plymouth Neon Expresse
SAVE *2,968*
2.0L SOHC Engine, Automatic
Trans., Dual air bags, AM/FM
stereo, A/C/, 4 wheel
Independent Suspension, Fog
Lamps, rear decklid spoiler,
tachometer
#C2834
‘97 Crysler Cissus LX
SAVE *2,912*
2.5L SOHC, 24 Valve V-6
Engine, 4 spd. Automatic
Trans., Dual air bags, AM/FM
4 wheel anti lock brakes, speed
sensitive steering, 8-way
power drivers seat, power
windows, power door locks
"97 Plymouth Voyages
$750
Factory Rebate
#C2915
Automatic Trans., A/C,
Driver's Side Sliding Door,
Luggage Rack, AM/FM
Stereo Cass., Dual Air Bags,
Power windows & Door
Locks,
#C2907
“97 Plymouth Brose
f
2.0L SOHC Engine, = off. SEE
Automatic Trans., Dual Air :
Bags, A/C, AM/FM Stereo,
Cass., Power windows,
Power Locks, Dual Electric LB, OR Gi ; i —
Heated Power Mirrors, Tilt
Wheel, Cruise #C2820
‘97 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo
4.8% APR Up 4X4
To 48 Months
4.0L Powertech V-6 Engine,
Automatic Trans., Trailer Tow
Prep., Keyless Entry w/Anti-
Theft, A/C, Power Windows,
Power Door Locks, Tilt, Cruise,
AM/FM Stereo, Cass.,
Aluminum Wheels
"97 Chayslies Town &
$1,000 a
Factory Rebate :
3.8L SMPI Engine, Automatic
‘Trans., Dual Zone A/C, Dual Air
Bags, 4 Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes,
AM/FM Stereo/Cass w/CD & 10
Infiniti Speakers, Keyless entry &
Security Alarm, Driver's Side
Sliding Door, 16” Cast Aluminum
Wheels, Load Leveling
Suspension, Leather Int.
#J649
Country LXI
#C2905
Do 7 4 Offer Expires 7/7/97
}! 241 ZP 751 Zs g
— AP A - -/ PA “ -—\ 7
Chrysler ¢ Plymouth e Jeep e Eagle
Home of the Lifetime Gauvantee
Hwy 74 « Shelby * 484-0049
- (beside Taco Bell)
Mon. - Fri. 9-7 « Sat. 9-5
CHRYSLER
[Tul i}
RE
a
SA
Hei
CREE
ROE
SY
i HI
ee a ee
——
SS