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June 30, 1999 John Martin and my dad (Howard A. Kemp) hoboed around the country in the early 1930's, and they went into Mexico for a while. John lived with us for a while after they returned to Tennessee, and he and my dad often worked together. In 1932 or 1933 John decided that things would be better in Ohio, so he left and we heard nothing directly from him until some time in the 1950's. As for my grandma (Mollie) and grandpa (Eddie), I have very fond memories of them, especially grandpa. They lived in a two room house (the rooms were quite large) on a 3 acre farm at Crump. After I was about four years old, I would spend a week with them at the farm every summer. Grandpa grew mainly cotton and some corn, and when he plowed or worked those fields, I walked every step he and the mule took, following along behind him. I stuck so close to him, that at times when he wasn't working, he would slip off from me and go down to the general store and loaf and talk with some of his older friends. When I became a teenager, I didn't visit them as regularly, because I developed other interests, or worked in the summer time. It was in the early 1940's that grandpa was getting feeble and wanted to retire. It was about this time that the state was developing a new road to Shiloh National Park, and it was to pass in front of grandpa's farm. A doctor from some other place bought grandpa's farm and developed a worm ranch to provide bait for fishermen on the Tennessee River. I have not been back to Crump since then. Grandpa and grandma moved to Adamsville and bought a small three room house right next door to the Adamsville High School. I don't remember the name of the street, but Buford Pusser's (Walking Tall) grandparents lived across the street from my grandparent's house. It was in this house that Grandpa got sick and passed away. Shortly after that grandma sold the house and went to Jackson where she lived in a private home that cared for elderly people. That is about all I can remember about Eddie and Mollie, except they were poor. Even though they didn't have a lot, grandma would sometimes send a bucket of home made sausage to us after hog killing time or maybe a new quilt that she had made. I will be in touch later. Uncle Tom |
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