Memory Writers
Editor ’s Note: Elaine Overcash, a member of the
Mooresville Senior Citizens Writing Group, sends
memory writings from her group that meets at
the South Iredell Senior Citizens Center in
Mooresville. The writings can cover recent
events that concern the writers, or harken back
1 things of the past.
Elaine Overcash, a member of the
Mooresville memory writers' group
shared her memories of “Papa
Builds a Well House. ”
I don’t remember learning to
read. I don’t remember moving to
granmaw’s and I don’t remember
discovering all the glories to be
found in dirt. At about three years
of age, my earliest memory was
the time Papa built a well house.
It was from trees grown, dried and
cut just the same as the main house.
There were plenty of trees and
rocks, two natural resources we
never seemed to run short of. Papa
rented a sawmill to cut the logs into
planking for this building.
This saw mill was a marvelous piece
of equipment run with belts, wheels
and assorted saws, bands, and
guides. All of these things melded
into a crucial belt that went around
the wheel of our old T model Ford.
The back of the car was jacked up,
a tire removed and the belt put in
place of the tire. Removing the
tire was no problem. It happened
almost every time we rode for
more than a few miles. When you
cranked the vehicle, off went the
saws, waiting for some one to load
and cut lumber. I remember getting
yelled at quite a few times when my
curiosity got the best of me. I saw
no reason to worry about safety, it
was only whirling saws and flying
slabs; not to mention saw dust,
splinters, fumes and occasionally
saw mill pieces hurled through the
air in all random directions.
When the lumber was cut and the
house was built, it was a grand
thing to see. For an out building
it was fairly large. In my eyes it
was enormous. Designed for use,
there was one big room with lots
of shelves on two walls. Granmaw
could put lots and lots of home
canned goods and dried foods on
all those shelves. There was a room
BBQ Chicken
Dinner Planned
Monticello Baptist Church will hold
its annual barbecue chicken difiner
on Friday, April 11, beginning at
11 a.m. Plates include a one-half
chicken, slaw, baked beans, roll
and dessert. Plates are $7.
The church is located at 3603
Taylorsville Hwy., Statesville, NC
28625.
All proceeds will go toward
outreach missions. For information
call 704-872-5838.
Foxx Hosts Telephone Town Hall
Washington, D.C.- On Tuesday,
April 15, Congresswoman Virginia
Foxx will host a telephone town
hall on federal taxes and spending
for Fifth District constituents.
Constituents can call into the town
hall meeting by dialing 1-877-850
4133 at 7 p.m. and entering the
password FOXX (3699).
Constituents will be connected to
a live conference call with Rep.
Foxx and other constituents in the
Fifth District when they call. After
joining the call, participants can
ask Rep. Foxx questions about the
federal budget, taxes and spending.
The telephone town hall is open
to constituents in North Carolina’s
Fifth District.
for animal feed, tools, plowing
equipment and harness gear. There
was even a cat hole in the door. The
roof extended on the end closest to
the house. Held up with two 4x4’s
it covered a hand dug and cement
lined well. From the top of the roof
hung a winch with a rope to pull
and wind. On the end of the rope
was tied a large metal bucket. The
bucket had a hole in it with a leather
flap over the hole.
When the bucket went into the water
it was filled through the hole, when
raised the flap would close. All this
raising and lowering was done with
a heavy metal bar bent into a crank.
With some serious turning the big
bucket would come to the top with
fresh, sparkling water to be used
inside the house.
I assumed the building was
complete. What else could be
done? I was awestruck when Papa
opened some big cans. He dipped
in a wide brush and began to spread
beautiful stuff on the well house.
White and shiny, it was a glorious
transformation. When the summer
sun got to be too much for Papa he
went inside for a water break.
I remembered the mornings when
Papa would shave his whiskers.
White stuff was white stuff. I decided
to shave. When Papa came back out
I was standing over a bucket of oil
based white outdoor paint, holding
the brush in both hands, gleefully
swabbing my face and hair with
the wonderful stuff. The next thing
I knew I was sitting on the kitchen
counter, my granmaw muttering to
herself as she anointed my face,
hands and hair with turpentine. The
main problem was removing the
paint without removing the skin.
I walked around for several days
with a rosy glow from turpentine
and shampoo. I almost got my first
haircut but Granmaw’s persistence
spirit prevailed. The head full
of blond curls finally got back
to normal. I learned a lot about
chemistry that day. For instance,
I will never again try oil paint for
shaving lather, nor will I try to wash
with turpentine instead of soap.
I also set about learning to take my
own bath.
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115 S. Center Street in
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704-872-9992
The Celeste Henkel #2, third and fourth grade girls team jusi
completed two years in a row as season tournament and Iredel
County Champions. The team went undefeated and finishec
the 2008 season as the SIYAA regular and tournament seasor
champions. They also competed against Ebenezer in the ICYAA vs
SIYAA tournament to become the 2008 Iredell County Toumamenl
Champions. Front row from left: Alexis Ross, Summer Brown anc
Tatum Boggs. Back row: Sydney Holland, Logan Hoffman, Lydia
Sharpe and Tatiana Potter. Coaches, (not pictured) were Carmer
Boggs, Mandy Swierad, Tammie Holland and Stephanie Hoffman.
Gardening Program Set
Basic Vegetable Gardening
will be featured in a meeting
presentation and outdoor learning
program Monday, April 14, 1
- 3 p.m. at the Iredell County
Agriculture Resource Center at 444
Bristol Drive, in Statesville. Soil
preparation, variety selections, pest
management and water efficiency
will be discussed.
The program features volunteei
master gardeners and Dor
Breedlove Cooperative Extension
Service Horticulture agent. Persons
interested in the public event shoulc
call the Cooperative Extensior
office at 704-873-0507 to register.
Sign Up For The F,un !!!
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• Crafts
Ages 3 & Up
Tile/s Dance Academy
401N. Center Street -Statesville
Call now to register or 7A A Q7A CylQQ
for more Information: f U4"0f£"04OO
FALL DANCE REGISTRATION •JULY 23 & 24