My oldest brother C.W. was called to go to the service of our country. I didn't understand much of that except that he was having to leave home and I didn't like that. The first time that I was ever out of the state of Arkansas was to go with the family to take him to Memphis to leave for Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas. That was 7,000 miles from Herman Junction I thought and I really felt bad about his going there. You see, C.W. was a fine big brother. When he would be away from home working at the cotton gin at night, he would walk home when he got off the next morning and you could hear him singing when he came around the curve about a quarter of a mile from the house. Or, if he came in during the night and you happened to still be awake you could hear him coming home and singing at the top of his voice.
After he got in the service for some time and had saved up some money he bought the most beautiful car that I had ever seen and he left it at home for Dad to take care of for him. It was a beautiful chevrolet with a black top and burgundy body. It was really was a beautiful car. I wanted us to drive it everywhere we went but we took Dad's old car and left C.W.'s car at home.
When I began preaching full time in Michigan City, Indiana guess who the song leader was? Yep, it was C.W. Knight and he could really lead singing. He not only was a great singer but he could motivate others to sing as well and in that little concrete block building with a concrete floor, the singing just bounced everywhere and it was wonderful. C.W. was a hard working man. He got me a job working with him in a factory when I got out of high school and before I went to Harding. He worked at several different kinds of jobs and was appreciated by his superiors at every one of them.
In 1953 he got out of the Army and married Emma Ishamel and they moved to Michigan City, Indiana where they lived for 16 years. They brought two red headed boys into the world, Charles, Jr. and Robert. Mom always wanted a red headed child but didn't have one. Those two boys were both red headed. At least they were until they lost it!
One never forgets older brothers like him. Herman Junction never turned out a nicer man and great song leader. I will always carry those memories with me as long as I live. I wish that every person could have a brother as fine as C.W. is. He is one of the reasons that all is well at Herman Junction.
(C. W. paseed away on November 3, 2009 in Hensley, Arkansas. He was buried in the National cemetery at Sherwood, Arkansas. It was my privilege to speak at his funeral service and remember many, many, good things about him and share them with our family and friends. The world is not as good a place as it was before we lost him.)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
HELLO FROM HERMAN JUNCTION: POST #5
I am back in Herman Junction today, at least in my mind. I come here quite often and the older that I get the more often I visit. In my heart I even have some good visits with the ghosts of the family and friends that I have carried with me through the years.
Herman Junction was a place where there were many children to grow up with. Of course, there were the eight Knight kids and then there were the Norwoods, the Woods, and many others. In addition to those who lived there, there were many others who came there to visit often. If you tried to drive down the old highway you would find the road full of roller skaters or kids just walking, running, batting rocks off the railroad with a stick, or playing king of the hill on top of the storm celler. At times you could get right in the middle of a wet corn cob fight or mud ball fight. If you have never been hit in the head with a corn cob that had laid in the barn yard for days and soaked up all of what was in that barn yard, you have never really felt pain. You might see a bunch of guys with an old car that they had built out of the remains of an old wagon. It had four wheels, one seat, and a rope to guide it with. It had no motor with horse power but it had plenty of man power with several guys pushing it and one trying to pull the rope to guide the thing down the road. It has been the experience of more than one guy to run the thing into the ditch in spite of doing all that he could to keep it on the road. There may have been a basketball game going on. Of course we didn't have a basket ball but we had a wadded up toe sack tied into a basketball like thing and we would bounce it in our hand instead of bouncing it on the ground and it worked about the same. Our goal was a post with a big, round, TEXACO sign that my Dad had picked up when he replaced the old sign with a new one and we nailed it to the post with a hoop from a keg on it. Kobe Bryant and some of his friends would have had thier hands full with the Knight boys.
I learned to roller skate on the old highway. If I had a dollar for every mile that I have skated I would be in pretty good shape. I have no idea how many pairs of roller skates that we wore out there. I have fallen hundreds of times but never broke a bone. My Barbara even learned to skate on my skates.
Not long ago we visited with one of the kids that had grown up in Herman Junction and she told about my Mom inviting all the kids into the warm house while they waited for the school bus to come pick us up. What a great bunch of young people. We never thought about shooting each other except with a rubber gun, BB gun, or a sling shot. We never thought about stealing anything because we all had the same things and there wasn't any need to steal something that you already had.
Well, it's been nice to visit Herman Junction to begin this day but now I must rush on. My busy day beckons with things that must be done NOW, but all is well in Herman Junction.
Herman Junction was a place where there were many children to grow up with. Of course, there were the eight Knight kids and then there were the Norwoods, the Woods, and many others. In addition to those who lived there, there were many others who came there to visit often. If you tried to drive down the old highway you would find the road full of roller skaters or kids just walking, running, batting rocks off the railroad with a stick, or playing king of the hill on top of the storm celler. At times you could get right in the middle of a wet corn cob fight or mud ball fight. If you have never been hit in the head with a corn cob that had laid in the barn yard for days and soaked up all of what was in that barn yard, you have never really felt pain. You might see a bunch of guys with an old car that they had built out of the remains of an old wagon. It had four wheels, one seat, and a rope to guide it with. It had no motor with horse power but it had plenty of man power with several guys pushing it and one trying to pull the rope to guide the thing down the road. It has been the experience of more than one guy to run the thing into the ditch in spite of doing all that he could to keep it on the road. There may have been a basketball game going on. Of course we didn't have a basket ball but we had a wadded up toe sack tied into a basketball like thing and we would bounce it in our hand instead of bouncing it on the ground and it worked about the same. Our goal was a post with a big, round, TEXACO sign that my Dad had picked up when he replaced the old sign with a new one and we nailed it to the post with a hoop from a keg on it. Kobe Bryant and some of his friends would have had thier hands full with the Knight boys.
I learned to roller skate on the old highway. If I had a dollar for every mile that I have skated I would be in pretty good shape. I have no idea how many pairs of roller skates that we wore out there. I have fallen hundreds of times but never broke a bone. My Barbara even learned to skate on my skates.
Not long ago we visited with one of the kids that had grown up in Herman Junction and she told about my Mom inviting all the kids into the warm house while they waited for the school bus to come pick us up. What a great bunch of young people. We never thought about shooting each other except with a rubber gun, BB gun, or a sling shot. We never thought about stealing anything because we all had the same things and there wasn't any need to steal something that you already had.
Well, it's been nice to visit Herman Junction to begin this day but now I must rush on. My busy day beckons with things that must be done NOW, but all is well in Herman Junction.
Monday, October 27, 2008
DERICK MARTIN HARLESS:POST #4
I have often thought about how far reaching the influence is of those who grew up at Herman Junction like I did. There were several families that lived there and many children in those families. We are all now scattered all over the United States and some of us have traveled all over the world. Not long ago a good friend of ours was talking to some other people about how she and her brothers and sisters as well as some of the other kids in the neighborhood would all walk out to the highway to our house to catch the school bus each morning. There was quite a brood of them and we had some fun together waiting for the bus and then when we got off the bus in the afternoon.
Today is October 26, 2008 and My Lady and I have just come home from the hospital where our first Great-Grandson was born a few hours ago. His name is DERICK MARTIN HARLESS and he is a healthy and big young man. I have mentioned before that we moved to Herman Junction when I was just a small fellow whose middle name is Martin. Today, our son whose first name is Martin has become a Grandfather to this strapping young man whose middle name is also Martin. His mother and father are Daniel and Brittany Harless and we are so thankful for them.
I wonder how many people there are whose roots go back to Herman Junction to the time when we lived there? Of course, there were many people there before us when the community was called by some other name. But, it was Herman Junction when I was there and still is to the people who grew up there during those years. I wonder where they all live and how much they have contributed to the world today? I am convinced that there is indeed a lot of good that came from Herman Junction through the families that made that their home in years gone by. I wish that all of our descendants could have lived there for some time like we did and I think that their lives would have been richer.
Yes, I believe that all is well at Herman Junction and may those who have come from its' citizens of long ago be a compliment to their heritage.
Today is October 26, 2008 and My Lady and I have just come home from the hospital where our first Great-Grandson was born a few hours ago. His name is DERICK MARTIN HARLESS and he is a healthy and big young man. I have mentioned before that we moved to Herman Junction when I was just a small fellow whose middle name is Martin. Today, our son whose first name is Martin has become a Grandfather to this strapping young man whose middle name is also Martin. His mother and father are Daniel and Brittany Harless and we are so thankful for them.
I wonder how many people there are whose roots go back to Herman Junction to the time when we lived there? Of course, there were many people there before us when the community was called by some other name. But, it was Herman Junction when I was there and still is to the people who grew up there during those years. I wonder where they all live and how much they have contributed to the world today? I am convinced that there is indeed a lot of good that came from Herman Junction through the families that made that their home in years gone by. I wish that all of our descendants could have lived there for some time like we did and I think that their lives would have been richer.
Yes, I believe that all is well at Herman Junction and may those who have come from its' citizens of long ago be a compliment to their heritage.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
NEWS FROM HERMAN JUNCTION: POST #1
You do not have a clue where Herman Junction is. There are not many people who are still living that even remember that there ever was a “Herman Junction.” But, I remember it well.
There was indeed "news" in Herman Junction in the days when it was alive. There was never a dull moment to me at least. I suppose that when you have five brothers and two sisters there are not many boring days anywhere.
Herman Junction was a community exactly three miles south of Bay, Arkansas on "old" highway 63. It was called the "old" highway because a new one had been built that ran about one mile across the fields from where we lived. So, we had a "new" highway and an "old" highway. Now there is even a newer four lane highway a little further across some more fields, so I guess maybe my "old" highway would be called the "oldest" highway.
We moved to Herman Junction when I was about seven years of age. My Dad had bought three acres there and had spent several months buying the materials and building what my Mama would always call the "Big House" until the day that she died at the age of 92. Our house had a living room, kitchen, and 3 bedrooms with a front and back porch. That was it! Dad, Mom, and eight kids lived in that house and part of the time Grandma Halfacre lived with us, too. It did really seem like a big house, but according to 21st century standards it was very small. It was a grand place and stands to this day with James and Ann Ritchie being the only owners of the property except the Knight family.
I will tell you more of the news from Herman Junction as soon as I get my new "Blog" going where I can write all that I want to. If someone had mentioned a "Blog" at Herman Junction we would have all thought that it was a swamp somewhere or something of that kind. But, we know what a Blog is and I am supposed to have one soon and I’ll come blogging into your computer with the news from Herman Junction. There is no set time because you see the news came in spurts from Herman Junction, so it will not be like your newspaper and come every day to your front porch.
I sure have a lot to tell and I may even have a guest editor or two now and then as one of the other Knight kids wants to share a thing or two. Just be ready and enjoy the News From Herman Junction.
There was indeed "news" in Herman Junction in the days when it was alive. There was never a dull moment to me at least. I suppose that when you have five brothers and two sisters there are not many boring days anywhere.
Herman Junction was a community exactly three miles south of Bay, Arkansas on "old" highway 63. It was called the "old" highway because a new one had been built that ran about one mile across the fields from where we lived. So, we had a "new" highway and an "old" highway. Now there is even a newer four lane highway a little further across some more fields, so I guess maybe my "old" highway would be called the "oldest" highway.
We moved to Herman Junction when I was about seven years of age. My Dad had bought three acres there and had spent several months buying the materials and building what my Mama would always call the "Big House" until the day that she died at the age of 92. Our house had a living room, kitchen, and 3 bedrooms with a front and back porch. That was it! Dad, Mom, and eight kids lived in that house and part of the time Grandma Halfacre lived with us, too. It did really seem like a big house, but according to 21st century standards it was very small. It was a grand place and stands to this day with James and Ann Ritchie being the only owners of the property except the Knight family.
I will tell you more of the news from Herman Junction as soon as I get my new "Blog" going where I can write all that I want to. If someone had mentioned a "Blog" at Herman Junction we would have all thought that it was a swamp somewhere or something of that kind. But, we know what a Blog is and I am supposed to have one soon and I’ll come blogging into your computer with the news from Herman Junction. There is no set time because you see the news came in spurts from Herman Junction, so it will not be like your newspaper and come every day to your front porch.
I sure have a lot to tell and I may even have a guest editor or two now and then as one of the other Knight kids wants to share a thing or two. Just be ready and enjoy the News From Herman Junction.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
