Monday, January 31, 2011

Effing Awesome

It's less than a week until the Super Bowl. And that means less than a week to some awesome commercials. Granted, they're not as good as they used to be. But there's usually at least one or two that will really stand out for years to come. And those that do stand out? Well, we can usually thank Bud Light for those. In fact, some of the best Super Bowl commercials (in my never to be humble opinion) are the ones that never aired. But, thanks to the accessibility of the Innerwebs and the YouTube, now they are available every day, all the time! How great is that? Pretty great, that is correct. And allow me to demonstrate just how pretty great it is with probably what is my all time favorite, never aired on TV, Bud Light ad. They call it, humbly enough, The Swear Jar. Enjoy it, you effers.


RhoDeo 1105 Roots

Hello, more music from the 'dark'continent , though in this case light is undoubtely omni present south of the Sahara, Niger river. Malinese have a strong musicians culture but there are those that give a voice to it aswell, a wonderful female as is the case here, a modern assertive woman taking the lead in bringing her sisters a better respected place in society.

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Oumou Sangare (born February 25, 1968, in Bamako, Mali) is a Malian Wassoulou she's from a historic region south of the Niger River, and the music there is descended from traditional hunting songs. Wassoulou is a genre of West African popular music, named after the region of Wassoulou. It is performed mostly by women, using lyrics that address women's issues regarding childbearing, fertility and polygamy. Instrumentation includes soku (a traditional fiddle sometimes replaced with modern imported instruments), djembe drum, kamalen n'goni (a six-stringed harp), karinyan (metal tube percussion) and bolon (a four-stringed harp). The vocals are typically passionate, emphatic and in a call-and-response formatHer mother was the singer Aminata Diakité.

As a child, Oumou Sangaré sang in order to help her mother feed their family as her father had abandoned them. At the age of five, she was well known for her talents as a gifted singer. After making it to the finals of a contest for the nursery schools of Bamako, she performed in front of a crowd of 6,000 at the Omnisport Stadium. At 16, she went on tour with the percussion group Djoliba.She then worked with Amadou Ba Guindo, a great maestro of Malian music with whom she recorded her first album Moussoulou ("Women"), which was very successful in Africa with more than 200,000 copies sold.

With the help of Ali Farka Touré, Oumou Sangaré signed with the English label World Circuit. At the age of 21, she was already a star. Oumou Sangaré is considered an ambassador of Wassoulou; her music has been inspired by the music and traditional dances of the region. She writes and composes her songs, which often include social criticism, especially concerning the place of women and their low position in society.

Many of Sangaré's songs concern love and marriage, especially freedom of choice in marriage. Her 1989 album Moussoulou was an unprecedented West African hit. In 1995, she toured with Baaba Maal, Femi Kuti and Boukman Eksperyans. Other albums include Ko Sira (1993), Worotan (1996), and a 2-CD compilation Oumou (2004), all released on World Circuit Records. Oumou Sangaré supports the cause of women throughout the world. She was named an ambassador of the FAO in 2003 and won the UNESCO Prize in 2001 and a commander of the Arts and Letters of the Republic of France in 1998.

Sangaré is featured prominently in "Throw Down Your Heart," a documentary by world-renowned banjo player Bela Fleck. She contributed vocals to "Imagine" for the 2010 Herbie Hancock album, The Imagine Project along with Seal, P!nk, India.Arie, Jeff Beck, Konono N°1 and others. Since 1990, she has performed at some of the most important venues in the world: the Melbourne Opera, Roskilde festival, festival d'Essaouira, Opéra de la monnaie of Brussels.

Oumou Sangaré is also involved in the world of business, hotels, agriculture and the sale of cars: Oumou created an initiative in 2006 to import cars from China. "I make the most of my fame. My name sells things. With Oum Sang, I launched my own brand of car. She is the owner of the 30-room Hotel Wassoulou in Mali's capital, Bamako, a haven for musicians and her own regular performing space. "I helped build the hotel myself. I did it to show women that you can make your life better by working. And many more are working these days, forming co-operatives to make soap or clothes."

Although she also has been a goodwill ambassador for FAO she still says she does not want to be a politician: "While you're an artist, you're free to say what you think; when you're a politician, you follow instructions from higher up." (wise words indeed)

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Oumou Sangare helped modernize the acoustic-native mix of hunters' songs and sogoninkun dance music she grew up with. Finding her way to the city of Abidjan in 1989, Sangare cut a cassette that would eventually sell close to a quarter of a million copies, no mean feat considering the speed and number of bootlegs would have been sold. And while she would go on to cut albums with a mix of traditional and tastefully chosen Western elements, Moussoulou captures Sangare in all her sensual acoustic glory. Undulating atop a musical base featuring violin, the djembe goblet drum, a call-and-response choir, and the kamalengoni harp, Sangare daringly speaks out against such traditional practices as polygamy and arranged marriages. She fleshes out these modern views -- for Mali and many other African countries, at least -- with songs that both encourage her countrymen to recognize women as individuals and focus on a girl's struggle to reconcile old values with modern needs.



Oumou Sangare - Moussolou (91 84mb)

1. Djama Kaissoumou (6:46)
2. Diarraby Nene (5:18)
3. Woula Bara Diagna (5:19)
4. Moussolou (5:14)
5. Diya Gneba (4:53)
6. Ah Ndiya (4:29)

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Lawrence Alexander Huneycutt

Ambrose Ervin Huneycutt married Jane Elizabeth Hinson and they had a son named,
...William Eli Huneycutt (my direct ancestor), but they also had another son named Alvin S. Huneycutt aka "Alvie" who married Mary Ellen Stafford and they had a son named,
.........Lawrence Alexander Huneycutt who married Daisy McSwain and they had a son named,
............. Elbert Neal Huneycutt

This story is about Lawrence Alexander Huneycutt. He and his son, Elbert, were killed in a coal mine explosion. But we will get to that momentarily.
Lawrence Alexander Huneycutt was born 1/31/1890 or 1/31/1889 in Stanly County, NC or Iredell County, NC to Alvin Huneycutt "Alvie" (DOB: 11/11/1861 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 11/22/1907 in Wadesboro, Anson County, NC when his wagon was struck by a train) and Mary Ellen Stafford (DOB: 9/16/1871 in South Carolina; DOD: 12/26/1954 in Stanly County, NC). He is aka Larnce A. Honeycutt, Larnce A. Hunnicut, Launce A. Hunycutt, Lawrence A. Honeycutt, and Lawrence Alex Honeycutt, L.A. Huneycutt, Lawrence A. Hunnicutt

1900 U.S. Census of Tyson,  Stanly County,  North Carolina; Roll:  T623_ 1218; Page:  10A; Enumeration District:  128, Lines 38-45, "Alden Honeycutt" (sic, should be Alvie Huneycutt but Ancestry.com has him indexed as Alden Honeycutt)
Alden Honeycutt, Head, W(hite), M(ale), Born Sept, 1861, 38 yrs old, Married 12 yrs, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer, rents farm, Can read and write
Mary E. Honeycutt, Wife, W, F, Born Sept, 1871, 28 yrs old, Married 12 yrs, 10 children with 6 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Larnce A. Honeycutt (sic), Son, W, M, Born Jan, 1890, 10 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farm Laborer
Vance A. Honeycutt, Son, W, M, Born Sept, 1891, 8 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Mannie Honeycutt (sic, should be Minnie Huneycutt), Daughter, W, F, Born Jan, 1893, 7 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Iler P. Honeycutt, Daughter, W, F, Born Dec, 1894, 5 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Olley L. Honeycutt, Daughter, W, F, Born Feb, 1896, 4 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Marshel R. Honeycutt (sic), Son, W, M, Born Dec, 1898, 2 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC

Lawrence A. Huneycutt first married Daisy McSwain (DOB: 4/21/1887 in Stanly County, NC to William A. McSwain and Lucy Lee; DOD: 7/12/1922 in Montgomery County, NC). She is aka Darcey Hunycutt, Daisey Huneycutt, Daisy Honeycutt.

1910 U.S. Census of Winfield Rd., Tyson,  Stanly County,  North Carolina; Roll:  T624_1125; Page:  4A; Enumeration District:  0125; Image:  531; FHL Number:  1375138, Lines 12-18, "Hunley Cuntwill E." (sic, should be Huneycutt, Will E. but because of the way the census taker wrote Huney cutt with a space between the first and second syllables and his messy handwriting)
Cuntwill E. Hunley, Head, M(ale), W(hite), 33 yrs old (DOB 1876), First marriage, Married 12 yrs (DOM 1898), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer of home farm
Lendy Hunley (sic, should be Malinda), Wife, F, W, 33 yrs old (DOB 1876), First marriage, Married 12 yrs, 6 children with 5 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer on home farm
Oscar A. Hunley, Son, M, W, 11 yrs old (DOB 1899), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer on home farm
Allie Hunley, Daughter, F, W, 6 yrs old (DOB 1904), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Dellie Hunley (sic, should be Dallie), Daughter, F, W, 6 yrs old (DOB 1904), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Grover Hunley, Son, M, W, 4 yrs old (DOB 1906), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Emmia Hunley (sic, should be Vernia), Daughter, F, W, 1 yrs 7/12 mos old (DOB 1908), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Bud and Bessy Floyd
Felt J. and Fannie Linger
Harry and Mary Crump
Crett Mary E. Hurrey (sic, should be Mary E. Huneycutt), Head, F, W, 38 yrs old (DOB 1872), Married 19 yrs now Widowed, 10 children with 9 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer on home farm (widow of Alexander McKinley Huneycutt, brother of William Eli Huneycutt)
Nance Hurrey (sic), Son, M, W, 18 yrs old (DOB 1892), Son, M, W, Single, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer on home farm
Minnie Hurrey, Daughter, F, W, 17 yrs old (DOB 1893), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
I. Loe Hurrey (sic), Daughter, F, W, 15 yrs old (DOB 1895), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Olla Hurrey (sic), Daughter, F, W, 14 yrs old (DOB 1896), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Marshall Hurrey, Son, M, W, 11 yrs old (DOB 1899), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Jenenia Hurrey (sic), Daughter, F, W, 7 yrs old (DOB 1903), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Johnnie Hurrey, Son, M, W, 6 yrs old (DOB 1904), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Leaured Hurrey, Son, M, W, 4 yrs old (DOB 1906), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Launce A. Hunycutt (sic, should be Lawrence A. Huneycutt), Head, M, W, 20 yrs old (DOB 1890), First marriage, Married 1 yr, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer of home farm (son of Alvin and Mary Huneycutt)
Daisey Hunycutt (sic), Wife, F, W, 22 yrs old (DOB 1888), First marriage, Married 1 yr, 1 child with 1 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Lucy Hunycutt, Daughter, F, W, 7/12 mos old (1909), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC


WWI Draft Registration
FHL Roll Number: 1765691, DraftBoard: 0, Handwritten at top #602, No. 21, Lawrence A. Honeycutt, 27 yrs old, DOB: 1/31/1890 in Iredell County, NC
Address: Capelsie, NC
Occupation: Laborer in cotton mill for Capelsie Cotton Mill, Capelsie, Montgomery County, NC
Dependents: Wife and 4 children
Married, Caucasian
"Wife and 4 children to support"
32-1-35-A
Medium Height, Stout Build, Brown Hair, Black Eyes
Signed by Lawrence A. Honeycutt on 6/5/1917 in Troy, Montgomery County, NC


1920 U.S. Census of Troy, Montgomery County, North Carolina; Roll: T625_1311; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 81; Image: 889, Lines 39-44, "Larnce Hunnicut" (sic)
Larnce Hunnicut, Head, Rents home, M(ale), W(hite), 32 yrs old (DOB 1888), Married, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer in cotton mill
Daisy Hunnicut, Wife, F, W, 33 yrs old (DOB 1887), Married, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer in cotton mill
Lucy Hunnicut, Daughter, F, W, 10 yrs old (DOB 1910), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Loise Hunnicut, Daughter, F, W, 8 yrs old (DOB 1912), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Elber Hunnicut (sic), Son, M, W, 5 yrs old (DOB 1915), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Ceacil Hunnicut (sic), Son, M, W, 3 yrs 4/12 mos old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC

Lawrence Alexander Huneycutt and Daisy McSwain had 6 children:
1) Lucy Huneycutt (DOB: 1909-1910 in Stanly County, NC)
2) Lois Huneycutt (DOB: 1912 in Stanly County, NC)
3) Elbert Neal Huneycutt (DOB: 1/26/1914 in NC; DOD: 3/28/1931 in Chatham County, NC)
4) Cecil W. Huneycutt (DOB: 1917 in NC)
5) Paul A. Huneycutt (DOB 1920 in NC)
6) Unnamed Boy Huneycutt (DOB: 6/21/1922 in Troy, Montgomery County, NC; DOD: 6/21/1922 in Troy, Montgomery County, NC)

Daisy accidentally fell and the baby died in utero. Unfortunately, she didn't give birth for a few days and by then she had peritonitis and she died 7/12/1922.


NC Death Certificate #142, Registration District #62-5830, Certificate #14, Darcey Hunycutt (sic), DOD: 7/12/1922 in Troy, Montgomery County, NC
Female, White, Married to L.A. Huneycutt, DOB: 4/21/1887 in Stanly County, NC, 34 yrs, 2 mos, 21 days old
Occupation: Domestic
Father: W.A. McSwain, born in Stanly County, NC
Mother: Lucy Lee, born in Anson County, NC
Informant: L.A. Huneycutt, Capelsie, NC
DOD: 7/12/1922 at 7pm
Cause of death: Peritonitis general due to injury during childbirth
Burial: 7/13/1922 at Cottonville, NC



NC Death Certificate #582, Registration District #62-5830, Certificate #7, Unnamed Huneycutt, DOD: 6/21/1922 in Troy, Montgomery County, NC
Male, White, DOB: 6/21/1922 in Montgomery County, NC, "Born dead"
Father: L.A. Huneycutt, born in Idle County, NC (sic)
Mother: Daisy McSwain, born in Stanly County, NC
Informant: L.A. Huneycutt, Cander, NC (sic)
DOD: 6/21/1922
Cause of death: "Born dead. Had been dead in utero for few days"
Contributory Cause: "Mother sustaining a fall"
Burial: Laurel Hill Cemetery, NC on 6/21/1922
No undertaker


Lawrence then married Daisy's sister, Bertha Emaline McSwain (DOB: 9/11/1896 in NC to William A. McSwain and Lucy Lee; DOD: 8/22/1971 in Onslow, Jackson County, NC).

Lawrence and Bertha Huneycutt had 3 known children:
1) Sam L. Huneycutt (DOB: 1923 in NC)
2) L.A. Huneycutt (DOB: 1926 in NC)
3) Frances G. Huneycutt (DOB: 1927 in NC)


1930 U.S. Census of New Hope, Chatham County, North Carolina; Roll: 1681; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 23; Image: 169.0, Lines 40-47, "Lawrence A. Hunnicutt"
Lawrence A. Hunnicutt, Head, Rents home $12/mos, No radio set, M(ale), W(hite), 40 yrs old (DOB 1890), Married at age 19 yrs old, Can read and write, Born in NC, Father born in NC, Mother born in SC, Miner at coal mines
Bertha Hunnicutt, Wife, F, W, 38 yrs old (DOB 1892), Married at age 18 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Cecil W. Hunnicutt, Son, M, W, 13 yrs old (DOB 1917), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Paul A. Hunnicutt, Son, M, W, 10 yrs old (DOB 1920), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Sam L. Hunnicutt, Son, M, W, 7 yrs old (DOB 1923), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
L. A. Hunnicutt, Son, M, W, 4 yrs old (DOB 1926), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Frances G. Hunnicutt, Daughter, F, W, 2 yrs old (DOB 1928), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Elma Thomas, Stepdaughter, F, W, 10 yrs old (DOB 1920), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC


Lawrence and Bertha moved to Oakland, Chatham County, NC where he worked in the coal mines. He and his son, Elbert, were killed in a mine explosion. There is a short summary history of the coal mines further down.

NC Death Certificate #176, Registration District #19-2243, Registrar's Certificate #5, Lawrence Alex Huneycutt, DOD: 3/28/1931 in Oakland, Chatham County, NC
Male, White, Married to Bertha Huneycutt, DOB: 1/31/1889 in NC, 40 yrs old
Occupation: Coal mines
Father: Alvin Huneycutt, born in "don't know"
Mother: Mary Stafford, born in "don't know"
Informant: Mrs. L.A. Huneycutt, Route 4, Sanford, NC
DOD: 3/28/1931
Burial: 3/31/1931 at Cottonville
If death was due to external causes (violence) fill in also the following:
Accident, Suicide, Homicide? "Accident", Date of Injury: 3/28/1931
Where did injury occur? "Chatham County, NC"
Specify whether injury occurred in industry, in home, in public place:
"In coal mines"
Manner of injury? "Killed from glass explosion" (sic, his son was killed at the same time and his death certificate says "killed from gas explosion")
Nature of injury? "Body burned"
Was disease or injury in any way related to occupation of deceased? "Yes"
If so, specify? "Was looking after pump in mine "
George Brooks, Coroner, Pittsboro, NC



NC Death Certificate #177, Regisrtation District #92-43, Certificate #6, Elbert Neal Huneycutt, DOD: 3/28/1931 in Oakland, Chatham County, NC
Male, White, Single, DOB: 1/26/1914 (sic) , in Stanly County, NC, 17 yrs old (sic)
Occupation: "Coal mines"
Father: Lawrence N. Huneycutt (sic), born in Stanly County, NC
Mother: Daisy McSwain, born in Stanly County, NC
Informant: Mrs. L.A. Huneycutt, RFD #4, Sanford, NC
DOD: 3/28/1931
Burial: 3/31/1931 in Cottonville
If death was due to external causes (violence) fill in also the following:
Accident, Suicide, Homicide? "Accident", Date of Injury: 3/28/1931
Where did injury occur? "Chatham County, NC"
Specify whether injury occurred in industry, in home, in public place:
"In coal mines"
Manner of injury? "Killed from gas explosion"
Nature of injury? "Body burned"
Was disease or injury in any way related to occupation of deceased? "Yes"
If so, specify? "Was looking after cump in m______ " (illegible, according to his father's death certificate this probably should have read "Was looking after pump in mine".)



The Coal Glen-Farmville Mine Disaster was the worst industrial accident in North Carolina history. Lawrence A. Honeycutt was killed in 1931, 6 years after the 1925 Coal Glen Mine Disaster. But according to the article below, he may have been hired just to watch the pumps that pumped the flood waters out and that pump may have exploded. He may not have been working the coal, per se.

The State Magazine
June 1987 Issue
The Coal Demon
Of Deep River
Tragedy and failure have plagued miners' efforts for 200 years, but men are ready once again to try their luck.
By MICHAEL HETZER
... In 1921 one of the most important events that ever occurred on the Deep River Coal Bed took place. The Carolina Coal Company was formed with the intention of developing a mine near Farmville across the river from the Egypt Mine. The mining town that would arise was to be called Coal Glen. The Carolina Mine is often called the Coal Glen Mine, or the Farmville Mine.
The Carolina Mine was the most ambitious mining operation ever begun on the Deep River Coal Bed. In 1923, its first year of full-scale operation, its output more than doubled the best of the Old Egypt Mine. Once again the future looked bright for a mine on the Deep River - Coal Bed. But the profits never came. In 1925 the demon dealt its most vicious blow ever.
At seven in the morning on May 25, the morning shift, numbering seventy-four miners, descended into the dark of the Carolina Mine. Two and a half hours later the first of three terrific explosions tore through the mine. Its vibrations were felt as far as a mile away. Families and company officials rushed to the mine entrance Poisonous, yellow gas billowed from the mine entrance, making rescue impossible. It took five days to pull all the bodies from the mine. The story made front page news all across the country.
Fifty-three men died that morning.
The Carolina Mine closed four years later.  Ironically, it was not a mine explosion that closed the mine, but water and human carelessness. Rains swelled the Deep River in 1929 and the mine began to flood through an air shaft.  The water was pumped free, but no precautions were taken against subsequent flooding. The mine flooded again in 1930 putting an end to the Carolina Mine, after less than mine years of operation. The flood waters, the prohibitive cost of transportation, the accidents, and the market crash of 1929 had conspired to bankrupt the Carolina Coal Company. Another Deep River mine had closed in failure.
The Carolina Mine was opened again between 1947 and 1951 but failed to turn a profit and was allowed to reflood. It has not been opened since...
Coal Glen Mining Disaster
History of Cumnock Coal Mine
Chatham County, NC


Bertha Emaline McSwain Huneycutt died in Jackson County, NC.
NC Death Certificate #28780, Registration District #6780, Local # , Bertha Emaline Honeycutt, DOD: 8/22/1971 in Onslow Memorial Hospital, Onslow, Jackson County, NC
Female, White, DOB: 9/11/1896 in NC, 74 yrs old
Usual Residence: Church St., Saxapahaw, Alamance County, NC
SS#: 241-09-5130
Occupation: Textile worker in textile mill
Father: William A. McSwain, Mother: Lucy Lee, Informant: Mrs. Crayton Hardin, Saxapahaw, NC
DOD: 8/22/1971 at 12:35pm
Cause of death: Cardio pulmonary due to cerebral infraction and cerebral vascular disease
Burial: 8/24/1971 at Moore's Chapel, Alamance County, NC

Amaneunsis Monday - Newspaper Articles About The Death of Alvin A. Huneycutt

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging prompt used by many genealogy bloggers to help them post content on their sites. An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some we never met - others we see a time in their life before we knew them.

Ambrose Ervin Huneycutt married Jane Elizabeth Hinson and they had a son named, William Eli Huneycutt (my direct ancestor). They had another son named,
... Alvin S. Huneycutt who married Mary Ellen Stafford.

William Eli Huneycutt and Alvin S. Huneycutt were brothers so Alvie would be my Great Great Uncle. This story is about Alvie Huneycutt.


Alvin S. Huneycutt was born on 11/11/1861 in Stanly County, NC to Ambrose Ervin Huneycutt (DOB: 9/1836 in Montgomery County, NC; DOD: 5/20/1914 in Stanly County, NC) and Elizabeth Jane Hinson (DOB: 1838-1843 in NC; DOD: 1912 in Stanly County, NC).

1870 U.S. Census of Big Lick, Stanly County, North Carolina; Roll: M593_1160; Page: 34A; Image:  77; Family History Library Film: 552659, Lines 2-5, "A. E. Huneycutt"
A.E. Huneycutt, 33 yrs old (DOB 1837), M(ale), W(hite), Farming, $0 Real Estate Value, $0 Personal Estate Value, Born in NC
Elizabeth Huneycutt, 27 yrs old (DOB 1843), F, W, Housekeeping, Born in NC
Alia J. Huneycutt (sic, it looks like Alvie S. Huneycutt to me but Ancestry.com has him indexed as Alia J. Huneycutt), 8 yrs old (DOB 1862), Born in NC
Alexander Huneycutt, 10/12 mos old (DOB 1869), Born in NC

1880 U.S. Census of Big Lick, Stanly County, North Carolina; Roll: 982; Family History Film 1254982; Page 320A; Enumeration District: 206; Image: 0314, Lines 2-9, "A. Esaw Hunycutt" (sic)
A. Esaw Hunycutt, W(hite), M(ale), 46 yrs old (DOB 1834), Head, Married, Farmer, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
J. Elizabeth Hunycutt, W, F, 42 yrs old (DOB 1836), Wife, Married, Keeping House, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Alvay Hunycutt (sic, should be Alvie Huneycutt), W, M, 19 yrs old (DOB 1861), Son, Single, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farm Laborer
Alexander Hunycutt, W, M, 10 yrs old (DOB 1870), Son, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Joeaner Hunycutt (sic, should be Sarah Joanna Huneycutt), W, F, 8 yrs old (DOB 1872), Daughter, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
William Hunycutt, W, M, 4 yrs old (DOB 1876), Son, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Montgomery Hunycutt, W, M, 2 yrs old (DOB 1878), Son, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Elizabeth Hunycutt, W, F, 18 yrs old (DOB 1862), Daughter, Keeping house, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC (Alvie Hunycutt's first wife)

Alvie was married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth McIntyre, aka Sis McIntyre. She was 17 yrs old when they got married on 2/26/1880 in Stanly County, NC. She was the daughter of George Emery McIntyre and Caroline Carpenter. Her brother, Henry Watson McIntyre, was the father of Roy Frank McIntyre who married Dallie Honeycutt (a niece of Alvie's, his brother, William Eli Huneycutt's, daughter).

Alvie and Elizabeth had one child, Adolphus Franklin Huneycutt (aka Tink McIntyre, Tink Huneycutt, Dolph McIntyre and Dolph Huneycutt). Alvie and Elizabeth divorced between 1881-1889.

Alvie then married Mary Ellen Stafford (DOB: 9/15/1871, in SC; DOD: 12/26/1954 in Stanly County, NC) on 4/26/1889 in Cheraw, SC.

Mary Ellen Stafford Huneycutt


Alvie and Mary Huneycutt had 9 children:
1) Lawrence Alexander Huneycutt (DOB: 1/31/1890 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 3/28/1931 in Stanly County, NC) who married sisters, Daisy McSwain and, then, Bertha Emaline McSwain.
2) Vance Alexander Huneycutt (DOB: 9/18/1891 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 9/5/1954) married Minnie Lee Wallace, Dorothy Floyd, and Clara Gallimore.
3) Minnie Estell Huneycutt (DOB: 1/25/1893 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 10/20/1962) married Toll Cline Tucker.
4) Iler Pearl Huneycutt (DOB: 12/13/1894 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 6/3/1987) married Jape C. Burleson.
5) Ollie Lee Huneycutt (DOB: 2/22/1896 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 2/15/1975) married Jessie William Russell.
6) Marshall Ray Huneycutt (DOB: 12/25/1898 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 3/4/1981) married Maude Wilma Shuping.
7) Sarah Jane Huneycutt (DOB: 8/23/1902 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 5/2/1999) married John Waldo Kendall.
8) John Ervin Huneycutt (DOB: 3/19/1904 in Stanly County, NC; DOD: 11/21/1974) married Minnie Lou Aldridge.
9) Leonard Huneycutt (DOB: 3/29/1906; DOD: ) married ?


1900 U.S. Census of Tyson, Stanly County, North Carolina; Roll: T623_ 1218; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 128, Lines 38-45, "Alden Honeycutt" (sic, should be Alvie Huneycutt)
Alden Honeycutt, Head, W(hite), M(ale), Born Sept, 1861, 38 yrs old, Married 12 yrs, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer, rents farm, Can read and write
Mary E. Honeycutt, Wife, W, F, Born Sept, 1871, 28 yrs old, Married 12 yrs, 10 children with 6 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Larnce A. Honeycutt (sic), Son, W, M, Born Jan, 1890, 10 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farm Laborer
Vance A. Honeycutt, Son, W, M, Born Sept, 1891, 8 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Mannie Honeycutt (sic, should be Minnie Huneycutt), Daughter, W, F, Born Jan, 1893, 7 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Iler P. Honeycutt, Daughter, W, F, Born Dec, 1894, 5 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Olley L. Honeycutt, Daughter, W, F, Born Feb, 1896, 4 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Marshel R. Honeycutt (sic), Son, W, M, Born Dec, 1898, 2 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC



The Ansonian, Nov 26, 1907
Alvin Honeycutt Killed
Thrown From Wagon By S.A.L. Passenger Train Friday – Wife and Child Wounded.

Friday afternoon as Alvin S. Honeycutt of Burnsville township was returning to his home from some point in South Carolina, where he had been to visit relatives of his wife, his wagon was struck at the Concord road crossing one and a half miles from here, killing him instantly and seriously wounding his wife. Besides the husband and wife, one son about 16 years of age and another two years of age were in the wagon. The older son escaped without any injury and the little child is only slightly wounded. The mules were unhurt, but the wagon completely demolished, every wheel being broken. The accident occurred about 1 o’clock and the train figuring in it was an extra passenger which had been run in the morning to Hamlet from Monroe, being on the return trip.

After the train had passed the crossing about 200 yards, it backed to the scene and took aboard the dead man and his family, carrying them to Polkton, a station seven miles farther on the road. There the body of the father and his two children were left, the mother being taken to Monroe for hospital treatment.

Coroner Fenton was notified from Polkton and went there at once to hold an inquest. He found the body neatly dressed at the request of the railroad and in a coffin bought by the road. The only witness to examine was Vance Honeycutt, the son who was driving the wagon at the time. Vance is about 16 years of age and very intelligent. He stated, in addition to the following evidence, that he did not know what had struck the wagon until he saw the train up the road after it had passed, not having heard the least noise at the time. Honeycutt’s skull was crushed from a point near the right eye to the center of the neck behind and also at the forehead. Besides this, bruises were found on different parts of the body, some probably due to the fall. Blood was found on the ground where his body lay. Following is the report of the Coroner’s inquest with the evidence of the only witness examined:
Coroner’s Report

Vance Honeycutt being sworn says: “We were in a two-horse No. 21 Nissen wagon going from Wadesboro home on the Brown Creek church road on Friday, the 22nd of November, 1907. We were going on the Wadesboro road in a slow trot. One mule dashed off just as we got on railroad. I pulled her down and deceased said, 'Let her go.' I slacked the reins and she went on. Just as the hind wheel got on the railroad, the wagon turned over by being struck by train. The wagon was covered. My father, mother,baby and myself, were in the wagon. I was thrown about ten feet. My father was thrown about sixty feet and was dead when I got to him. I got to my father before the train backed to the place where he was lying. I heard no whistle,but think that I could have heard one if it had blown. The train passed the scene, the hind car being two hundred yards from where my father lay. The train backed back and the train crew placed the body of my father on the train. My mother was also placed on the train there. My father was not drinking. This was about 1 o’clock, November 22nd. The scene of the accident was at Concord crossing. “ Vance Honeycutt.

“We the jury, duly empanelled by Coroner E.F. Fenton to try the cause of death of A.S.Honeycutt, find that deceased came to his death on Friday afternoon. November 22nd, 1907, by wounds on head and other parts of the body. Said wounds being caused by a blow from a passing train at above named date and hour.”  Thomas Smith, W.G. Huntley, D.A.Carter, G.T. Boyette, J.C. Goodman, W.R.A. Hanna.

Alvin Honeycutt lived near Wightman church in Burnsville township and was a well-to-do farmer.He was an unusually sober and industrious man and while he had not accumulated much property, he lived at home, paid his debts and conducted himself, he and his family, as to justly merit the high esteem with which they are held in the community. He was a member of the Cottonville Baptist church in Stanly county,near his home four years ago when he lived in that county. He was devoted to his church and tried as best he could to live the Christian life. Not having been endowed with an enviable ancestry, he was endeavoring to do better by his progeny.

The burial was at Cottonville. Seven small children survive the father who was about 45 years of age.

Mrs. Honeycutt has apparently lost the sight of her eyes and is at the point of death at Monroe where she was carried.


The Messenger and Intelligencer (Wadesboro, NC), Nov 27, 1907
Terrible Tragedy
Man Killed; Wife Dangerously Injured

A covered wagon, in which was riding Mr. and Mrs. Alvin S. Honeycutt and two of their children, struck by a S.A.L. train, Friday afternoon, at the Concord Road Crossing - Mr. Honeycutt instantly killed and Mrs. Honeycutt dangerously wounded.

Wednesday of last week Mr. and Mrs. Alvin S. Honeycutt, of Burnsville Township, and two of their children, Vance, aged 16, and a 2-year old infant, passed through Wadesboro on their way to a point near Cheraw to visit the father of Mrs. Honeycutt, who is a Mr. Stafford. Friday morning they returned to Wadesboro and fed their mules and did some shopping. About 1 o'clock in the afternoon they left town for their home traveling in a covered wagon. The boy Vance was driving and Mr. and Mrs. Honeycutt and the baby were in the back part of the wagon.

A short time after this news was brought here that the wagon had been struck by a Seaboard Air Line passenger train at the Concord Road crossing, two miles north of town and both Mr. and Mrs. Honeycutt killed. This report turned out to be true as to Mr. Honeycutt. He was knocked some 60 feet by the impact of the engine and his skull crushed and neck broken. Mrs. Honeycutt recieved dangerous internal injuries but the latest news from her bedside is to the effect that she will probably recover.

The train, after running more than 200 yards past the crossing, stopped and backed to the scene of the tragedy. Mrs. Honeycutt and the children (neither of whom were hurt) and the remains of Mr. Honeycutt, were taken on board, after which the train proceeded on it's way. At Polkton the two children and the dead body of the father were taken from the train. The wife and mother was carried on to Monroe and placed in a hospital, where she still is.

The Scene of the Accident
The railroad, in the direction from which the train was coming, approaches the Concord Road crossing through a shallow cut and trains are not clearly visible from the dirt road at any distance from the rail road. This fact, together with further facts that it was a dark rainy day and the Honeycutts were traveling in a covered wagon, is probably responsible for the accident.

So far as known the only persons who witnessed the accident were two colored men, who were working in a nearby field. These men say that the engineer on the train failed to blow for the crossing as he appraoched it.

The Dead Man
Mr. Honeycutt, who was about 45 years of age, moved to Anson four years ago from Cottonville, Stanly County, and settled on the Shep Lee old place, in Burnsville township. He was a good citizen in every way and made many friends in his new home. At the time of his death he was superintendent of the Sunday school at Rocky River church. The interment was at Cottonville Saturday afternoon.

The Coroner's Inquest
Coroner Fenton went to Polkton Friday afternoon and held an inquest over the dead body of Mr. Honeycutt. The only witnesses examined was the son, Vance Honeycutt, who testified as follows:

"We were in a two-horse No. 21 Nissen (?) wagon going from Wadesboro home on Brown Creek church road on Friday, the 22nd of November, 1907. We were going on the Wadesboro Road in a slow trot. One mule dashed off just as we got on railroad. I pulled her down and deceased said, 'Let her go.' I slacked the reins and she went on. Just as the hind wheel got on the railroad, the wagon turned over by being struck by the train. The wagon was covered. My father, mother, baby and myself were in the wagon. I was thrown some distance and the baby was thrown about ten feet. My father was thrown about sixty feet and was dead when I got to him. I got to my father before the train backed up to the place where he was lying. I heard no whistle, but think that I could have heard one if it had blown. The train passed the scene, the hind car being two hundred yards from where my father lay. The train backed back and the train crew placed the body of my father on the train. My mother was also placed on the train there. My father was not drinking. This was about 1 o'clock, November 22nd. The scene of the accident was at Concord crossing."

After hearing this testimony the coroner's jury, consisting of Messrs. Thos. Smith, W.G. Huntley, D.A. Carter, G.T. Boyette, J.C. Goodman and W.R. A. Hanna, returned the following verdict:

"We, jury duly empanelled by Coroner E.F. Fenton to try the cause of the death of A.S. Huneycutt, find that deceased came to his death on Friday afternoon, November 22nd 1907, by wounds on head and other parts of the body. Said wounds being caused by a blow from a passing train at above named date and hour."


The mules spooked and ran onto the railroad track and it's a wonder that they all weren't killed!  Leonard, Alvie and Mary's youngest son was the 2 year old child mentioned in the article. Lawrence Alexander Huneycutt (Alvie's eldest son) and William McSwain went to Polkton, NC to bring Alvie's body back in a wagon. They had to cross the Rocky River and it was high. They crossed on a ferry. Mary Ellen Stafford Huneycutt survived and married the above mentioned William McSwain. She and William had 2 children: Curtis and Lena McSwain. Mary died at 83 yrs old on 12/26/1954 in Stanly County, NC.

1910 U.S. Census of Winfield Rd., Tyson,  Stanly,  North Carolina; Roll:  T624_1125; Page:  4A; Enumeration District:  0125; Image:  531; FHL Number:  1375138, Lines 12-18, "Hunley Cuntwill E." (sic, because of the way the census taker wrote Huney cutt with a space between the first and second syllables and his messy handwriting),
Cuntwill E. Hunley, Head, M(ale), W(hite), 33 yrs old (DOB 1876), First marriage, Married 12 yrs (DOM 1898), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer of home farm
Lendy Hunley (sic, should be Malinda), Wife, F, W, 33 yrs old (DOB 1876), First marriage, Married 12 yrs, 6 children with 5 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer on home farm
Oscar A. Hunley, Son, M, W, 11 yrs old (DOB 1899), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer on home farm
Allie Hunley, Daughter, F, W, 6 yrs old (DOB 1904), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Dellie Hunley (sic, should be Dallie), Daughter, F, W, 6 yrs old (DOB 1904), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Grover Hunley, Son, M, W, 4 yrs old (DOB 1906), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Emmia Hunley (sic, should be Vernia), Daughter, F, W, 1 yrs 7/12 mos old (DOB 1908), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Bud and Bessy Floyd
Felt J. and Fannie Linger
Harry and Mary Crump
Crett Mary E. Hurrey (sic, should be Mary E. Huneycutt), Head, F, W, 38 yrs old (DOB 1872), Married 19 yrs now Widowed, 10 children with 9 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer on home farm (widow of Alexander McKinley Huneycutt, brother of William Eli Huneycutt)
Nance Hurrey (sic), Son, M, W, 18 yrs old (DOB 1892), Son, M, W, Single, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Laborer on home farm
Minnie Hurrey, Daughter, F, W, 17 yrs old (DOB 1893), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
I. Loe Hurrey (sic), Daughter, F, W, 15 yrs old (DOB 1895), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Olla Hurrey (sic), Daughter, F, W, 14 yrs old (DOB 1896), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Marshall Hurrey, Son, M, W, 11 yrs old (DOB 1899), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Jenenia Hurrey (sic), Daughter, F, W, 7 yrs old (DOB 1903), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Johnnie Hurrey, Son, M, W, 6 yrs old (DOB 1904), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Leaured Hurrey, Son, M, W, 4 yrs old (DOB 1906), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Launce A. Hunycutt (sic, should be Lawrence A. Huneycutt), Head, M, W, 20 yrs old (DOB 1890), First marriage, Married 1 yr, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer of home farm (Brother of William Eli and Alexander McKinley Huneycutt)
Margarret Hunycutt (sic), Wife, F, W, 22 yrs old (DOB 1888), First marriage, Married 1 yr, 1 child with 1 still living, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Lucy Hunycutt, Daughter, F, W, 7/12 mos old (1909), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC


NC Death Certificate #30432, Registration District #84-80, Registrar's Certificate #150, Mary Ellen Stafford Huneycutt McSwain, DOD: 12/26/1954 at 1491 White Oak Ave., Albemarle, Stanly County, NC (home)
White, Married, Widow, DOB: 9/16/1871 in SC, 83 yrs old, 3 mos, 10 days old
Occupation: Domestic
Father: John Stafford, Mother: Sarah Polson, Informant: J.C. McSwain, 1491 White Oak Ave., Albemarle, NC
DOD: 12/26/1954 at 4:00am
Cause of death: Acute coronary thrombosis (sudden) due to arteriosclerosis and hypertension
Burial: 12/29/1954 at Cottonville



Special thanks to William "Bill" Lee Honeycutt who wrote Hunnicutt-Honeycutt-Huneycutt, Virginia to NC, Descendents of George Honeycutt, Sr. of Stanly County, NC, copyright 1992
-AND-
Hunnacott-Hunnicutt, Honeycutt-Huneycutt, England to Virginia and Beyond, 1587-2009, Augustine and John Hunnicutt's Family History Lines, copyright 2009, ISBN 0-9632664-1-1. His is my cousin and has done years of research.

Riot Like An Egyptian


Well. It's going DOWN in Egypt. The proverbial poo has hit the proverbial fan and it is chaos over yonder in Cairo. And while I don't want to oversimplify the whole ordeal, I do want to point a couple of things out.

First, I'm not pro-dictatorship. Dictators are really bossy. I don't like it when someone thinks that they're the boss of me, so I have to imagine that the Egyptians aren't all that keen on it either. But we're talking about one of the Sand Lands. So, you know what could be the alternative to the current government? That's right. A government that is based on Islamic Fundamentalism. That would not be good for our relations with Egypt. It certainly wouldn't bode well for Israel. They're already worried that Iran is going to get all froggy and do something. I can't imagine that they'd be real thrilled about having to watch their backs for the same sort of behavior from the Egyptians. Just remember, different doesn't always mean better. While getting rid of a dictator sounds like a good idea, it's not like they're going to end up with a democracy that is identical to that of the United States'.

That brings me to my second point. If you think that this is going to happen overnight, you're wrong. Please remember that after the uprising in Tunisia, they had three different presidents in ONE DAY! (Imagine their State of the Union addresses! "Are you better off than you were at lunchtime?") Even if the current government is overthrown, it will likely be YEARS before there is anything overly functional over there. Again, it certainly isn't going to end up looking like the United States. I totally get that all of those folks who think that the United States is so freaking great could not possibly understand why other countries would not want to mold their government in an exact mirror image of what we have going on over here. I get that. I just don't know how to explain to them that it's not true. A lot of those Sand Lands are ruled by religion (and not always in a good way). Have we learned nothing from what went down in Iraq? Apparently not. Morons.

And finally, while I'm all in favor of a nice revolution, you know what I'm not in favor of? I'm not so much in favor of the asshats that look at a time of political unrest as a justification to start looting stuff. People who are out there stealing stuff don't seem to have as much of an interest in overthrowing the government as much as they do getting a new TV for free. Same goes with looting the museums and ripping the heads off of the mummies. No one wants to see that and it perplexes me as to why someone would do that. The merchants of Egypt have little to do with the dictatorship. And I'm pretty sure that the mummies are completely blameless. So stop breaking their windows and stealing their stuff. And leave the dead guy's dome in tact, would you? You folks want to rain down your disgruntledness (it's a word) on the palaces and things like that? Have at it. Burn them to the ground if you want to (just don't tell anyone that I said it was OK). But try and stay focused, rebels. You've got a job to do. You can't carry out a thorough and effective ousting if you're running through the streets of Cairo with a flat screen TV that you just swiped from the Kwik-E-Mart. Focus, people. Focus!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

RhoDeo 1105 Earthsearch

Hello, been noticing a slight decline in the interest for this series, well just 3 more episodes to go, including this one. ....Meanwhile the Challenger Gang had gotten themselves into a hole, luckily it wasn't as black as it seemed..It did however further degrade our Challenger 'angels' thus their hold on the crew...

The Setting

Some years before the story opens, the huge Earth starship Challenger, on a mission to find Earth-like planets for colonization, encountered a meteoroid shower that killed all of the adult crew and seriously damaged the ship. The only human survivors were four babies - two boys, Telson and Darv, and two girls, Sharna and Astra.The four have been raised from childhood by androids and tutored by two disembodied voices called Angel One and Angel Two.

At the end of Earthsearch, the crew of the starship Challenger settled on the Paradise planet, having never seen their original home planet that they called Earth. They left the Challenger's control computers, Angel One and Angel Two, in charge of the ship to continue the search for Earth. Four years later, the crew have settled into their life on Paradise, despite many hardships they are suffering. Then suddenly, one of their children is killed by a 'monster' that appeared from the sea.

It transpires that this 'monster' is actually an android from the Challenger, which has returned. When the sea level begins to rise, the crew are suspicious of the Angels. They notice a large amount of radiation coming from the southern horizon, and they fly to Antarctica in their shuttlecraft. There they find hundreds of towers embedded in the ice. The Angels are using terraforming equipment from the Challenger to melt the ice and thus raise the sea level in an attempt to get the crew to rejoin them on the ship.The crew are adamant that they will not leave Paradise. The flood gets worse and worse, and will clearly soon submerge all the land. They load breeding pairs of animals into the shuttle cargo bay, and when the water level gets high enough, the shuttle floats. The crew are surviving, barely, and have beaten the Angels for the time being.However, their situation deteriorates to the point where they have no more water to drink, so they eventually surrender to the Angels. First, however, they demand that the flood is reversed, so they can release the animals. Then they fly their shuttle up to the Challenger.
The crew are gassed by an android, and they become unconscious, to wake up again with a big surprise awaiting them.. When they come round, they discover that they have been in suspended animation for sixteen years. But the children, who were very young when they came on board, have been awake the whole time, and are now about twenty years old. Telson and Sharna's son, Bran, is now the commander. The Challenger crew have land on an artificial sun called "Solaria D", controlled by a computer who appears to be friendly. From the artificial to the real deal, that is, what's left of it exponentially increases Challengers troubles even the The 'Guardian Angels' cannot change its course and the crew are also powerless. Fortunately things are not as black holed as it seemed ...there's a switch to it..go figure. Android Surgeon General Kraken, designed by the Challenger's giant computer, has suffered severe logic failure, those angels sure don't make em anymore...



EarthSearch II - 18 Megalomania (11mb)


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52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Week #5 - Favorite Food

Geneabloggers - 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Week #5 - Favorite Food, by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2011) that invite genealogists and others to record memories and insights about their own lives for future descendants. Week 5: Favorite Food. What was your favorite food from childhood? If it was homemade, who made it? What was in this dish, and why was it your favorite? What is your favorite dish now?

My Grandfather started his career as a Baptist minister. But in his middle age, he began losing his voice and this was before churches had "sound systems". The doctor told him he would have to give up preaching or lose his voice entirely. At his age, he didn't know what to do next.

One of his daughters, my Aunt Judy, was working at a local swimming lake and the man who had the concession stand at the lake also owned a diner in town. Aunt Judy told her father that Mr. Zimmerman needed someone to run his diner. So my Granddaddy got the job and he and Grandmother worked at Zimmerman's Diner. He learned how to make donuts at Zimmerman's. They had a small round fryer so they could do about a dozen or two at a time. Those homemade donuts were a hit with the customers.

Grandmother and Granddaddy making donuts at Zimmerman's Diner.



Within a couple of years a man who had purchased a Krispy Kreme Donut franchise for Spartanburg died. His wife wanted to sell it. My Granddaddy asked Mr. Zimmerman if he would be interested in going into partnership and buying the Krispy Kreme franchise but Mr. Zimmerman declined because he already had enough on his plate. So my Grandfather bought the franchise and opened up in a little brick building a block from Spartanburg General Hospital (now known as Spartanburg Regional Medical Center). He and Grandmother worked there and they hired their son-in-law and Judy's husband, Cecil Bradley. The rest of the family also pitched in when needed. I remember taking naps in the back room on bags of donut mix and sugar while Mom worked.





My Grandparents in the back room of the original KK building.


They had a machine that rolled out the dough and cut it. But people still had to pick up the donuts and place them on racks to rise before frying and coating them with sugar. As kids we would stand next to the ones picking up the donuts and we would pick out the holes. I remember when I was old enough to reach and was able to pick up 7 donuts at a time and put them on the rack.

Rolling out the dough and putting the cut donuts in the wooden boxes on the right to rise. Then the racks are pulled out of the wooden boxes and fried. Lastly they are sugared and the freshly sugared donuts are racked in the racks on the left.




Before my parents and our family moved to Spartanburg, we never got snacks. A bag of potato chips and a Coke were rare and mostly brought by my grandparents. Once we moved to Spartanburg, we got to have all the donuts we wanted and drinks. I loved Orange Crush. I have fond memories of bottles of Orange Crush and donuts and potato chips. I was 8 1/2 yrs old when we moved to Spartanburg and got to have snacks like that!

My Grandfather at a meeting at the KK headquarters in Winston-Salem, NC



Uncle Glenn and Uncle James helping out at the original KK building



When I was 9 yrs old (1968), my grandparents had done so well that they were able to build a new donut store closer to downtown on N. Church St. The new store had the most modern machinery for making donuts. You mixed the dough and put it in one side and the donuts came out, fried and coated on the other side. It was such a marvel to us.













Notice how she's having to jot up the prices for a total?



When I was 11 yrs old, I began to work a couple of afternoons a week at Krispy Kreme. My 2 younger sisters were interested in learning how to ride horses. To take horse back riding lessons, they needed some money. Elaine and I started working at KK and my paycheck went to pay for our youngest sister's lessons because she was too little to work at KK yet. Elaine paid for her own. My first year's paycheck went to Melinda's lessons but then she started working herself and paid for her own lessons. I worked at KK until I was 19 yrs old.







We had to add up the prices of donuts in our head because we didn't have the fancy computerized cash registers! We had to "make change" and Granddaddy insisted that we count it all back to the customer.

We had to wear white uniform dresses with stockings, white tennis shoes, hairnet and a cardboard crown with a little apron. The little aprons were soon replaced by full white aprons. But it was high school before we were allowed to wear white uniform pants instead of dresses. I think Granddaddy's granddaughters, being ogled by old men, changed his mind on that. Pants were much easier to wear when working and you weren't showing so much leg!

I've processed donuts (doing things like dipping them in chocolate, pumping them with jelly, etc), cleaned, sold, cleaned, processed, cleaned, sold, made coffee, cleaned, did I say "cleaned"? There is always a lot of cleaning involved in a service business like a restaurant!

My Grandfather died and my Grandmother gave her oldest son controlling interest. After her death, he bought out the other sibling's shares.

Uncle Glenn is standing in the parking lot of the old KK and behind him is the old tire store. That old tire store was torn down and the newest KK store is now there.

He's raised his family and made a nice living with KK. About 5 years ago, he built a new store across the street from the old one. The old store built in 1969 is still there. He keeps it up and uses it for storage. Once again, the new store has the latest technology for making donuts and it's a marvel once again!



Nearing the end of construction on the new store.









My favorite donuts: hot, fresh plain cake donuts, vanilla iced cake donuts, plain glazed donuts especially hot and fresh! Somtimes I get a hankering for a raspberry or chocolate custard filled. I used to be able to eat anything and not gain an ounce but not any more, so I have to ration my donut intake. I get a few each year. Yummmm!

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History Week #4 – Home

GeneaBloggers has a special prompt for every week of this year. Week 4: Home. Describe the house in which you grew up. Was it big or small? What made it unique? Is it still there today? Here is my submission:


My father got a job as the City Engineer for Spartanburg, SC in 1967. We moved to Spartanburg in February 1967. My parents bought this brand new split level home in a new neighborhood called Beverly Woods. My mother's parents had bought a brick ranch in the same neighborhood and their backyard adjoined our backyard.






The same house about 1975.


Here is my rendition of the floorplan.


This brand new house didn't have air conditioning. It was a couple of years before we got a large window unit. Dad would store it down in the basement during the winter and then have to struggle up the stairs carrying that heavy window unit. That was all the air conditioning we had. We used the attic fan a lot. Dad had planted a plum tree under my window and I really loved being in my room when it was in bloom. The windows were open and I would lay on the floor with a good book and smelling that plum tree in bloom.

Dad had half our 1 acre lot planted with a garden and fruit trees. He always thought trees should do double duty - shade and fruit/nut. So almost every tree was a fruit or nut tree. We had a couple of crabapple trees on the front and he had a peach in the backyard. Then he had his tiny orchard. He also had a small chicken coop. The yard was divided from the garden with a row of grapes.

Mom and Dad had an organic garden. Dad planted strawberries down the side of the driveway. He loved working in his yard and garden but we kids hated it!

In the winter we used the fireplace a lot. I remember Dad trying to make popcorn over the fire. For heat they had electric wires in the ceilings. I always wondered how that worked since heat rises and the wires were in the ceiling. But it did work. We had a nice home for the time. My parents sold it in 1977, the year I got married. The house is still there but it and the neighborhood have deteriorated badly.