David Patton, Palmer Historian
2009
Due to time constraints, Mr. Patton regrets that he cannot personally respond to every comment and inquiry. Like most small town historians, he is an unpaid community volunteer and makes no claim of “knowing everything” about local history. For a detailed account of Grundy County history, he recommends that you consult your copy of the Grundy County Heritage Book.
However, if you have information you would like to share, you may write him at
50 Dogwood St.; Palmer, TN 37365, and he will attempt to respond through this page as time and circumstances allow. Your courtesy and understanding will be appreciated. Ms. Susan Sissom and other volunteers will be assisting Mr. Patton in transmitting this material, but have no personal knowledge as to the veracity of its contents.
July 2009
Pretty Baby
This new memeber of our world is Andrew Reeves Scheel of Indiana, who was born on January 29, 2009. Known as "Drew" he's the great nephew of our website visitor Beverly Sissom Riley of Elkhart, IN. His great grandparents were the late Buford and Gladys Overturf Sissom who lived in Palmer before moving to Indiana in the early 1950's. Who knows? A big healthy lad like Drew may one day be playing football for Notre Dame or Purdue. Best wishes, Drew.
Old Sayings and Figures of Speech in Grundy County, TN
“The 4th”- As the great holiday approached, years ago, you would hear people start talking about plans for the “4th”. They didn’t have to say “the 4th of July”, you knew what they meant. It was the highlight of the summer.
“Gallon of Cream” – Years ago ice cream was the big treat on the 4th because for many it was the only time of the year they got it. Back in the 1940’s & ‘50’s you didn’t have the big roomy refrigerators of today, and a number of people didn’t have one at all. Here in Palmer Harvey Brown would take orders for “cream” several days before, then early in the morning on the “4th” he’d go to Chattanooga and pick it up. It came in round drum-like containers kept frozen with “hot ice” or some said “dry ice”. I believe the containers were about two-gallon size, and since many had a houseful of kids, they’d order a lot and eat ice cream all day.
“He got Houdinied”- Harry Houdini was the most famous magician of the 20th century and if someone in the community got tricked or crooked about something, they’d say he got “Houdinied”.
“They had a knock-down, drag-out fight.” – You heard this said most often about a man and wife who fussed and fought all the time. They didn’t literally knock-down and drag-out, it was mostly verbal abuse. The term probably originated in the old movie western and their saloon fights.
“He had a piece in the paper.” - We heard this the other day. It used to be said a lot and described a letter to the editor or an article in the Grundy County Herald.
“The guilty dog always barks.” – One person would ask another about something they had said or done, and if that person became defensive or angry, people would say he probably did it because the “guilty dog always barks.”
“He got off on the wrong foot.” – This meant got off to a bad beginning on whatever they had started. I’m sure it came from a description of dancing.
Palmer News
We hope all of you had a great July 4th. The weather in Palmer was dry and sunny so everyone got to get outside to use the BBQ grill and visit. This is the big holiday of the year in Gruetli-Laager and many from here went that night to enjoy their fireworks show.
Grundy County Herald columnist and musician Shan Worley performed with his band “Wild Ride” at the event. Many of you will remember his father Hansel Worley and late grandfather Raymond Worley of Palmer.
Happy 85th birthday to Mrs. Oma Boyd Lewis who celebrated July 5th. She’s the wife of Howard Lewis and the daughter of the late Clyde Boyd. The Lewises live in Mr. Boyd’s home on Tabernacle Curve across from the Palmer Clinic.
Our June rainfall in Palmer was 3.5”. We’re getting just enough rain on the gardens to have a good season. It always thrills us to see young people graduate from college and congratulations to Mike Edwards of Palmer and Rachel Cunningham of Tracy City. Mike got a B.S. Degree in computer science from UT- Chattanooga. He’s the son of Juanita Garner Edwards and grandson of the late Hobart Garner. Rachel’s grandmother is former Palmer resident Earlene Cunningham Bryant and she received a B.S. Degree in sociology from Tennessee State University.
James Henry McBee, son of the late John Henry McBee, suffered a heart attack in recent years and has since given up drinking, smoking and salt. He has such will power that he smokes one cigarette a year, and that on Father’s Day. As I told him, such a man could move a mountain.
Allen Dean “Dino” Meeks, son of the late Buford Meeks, smoked for years, but has given it up. He takes the money he spent on cigarettes, puts it in a jar each day, and plans to buy a car on cigarette savings. We saw a famous brand advertised the other day for $4.49 plus tax, so you can see what a tremendous saving that will be.
What’s for supper? Talk about making my day. I was sitting on the porch on July 4th evening when my good friend Michelle Campbell Travis drove up with a delicious supper consisting of BBQ ribs, baked beans, potato salad, corn-on-the-cob, and a strawberry type cake. Michelle is a very kind and caring person, and we thank her very much.
We enjoyed a visit with Ronnie and Lynn Lankford Finch at their Gruetli-Laager home the other day. He always has on of the best gardens in the area as did his dad, the late Burton Finch. Winford Finch of Ohio, Ronnie’s brother, is one of our website visitors, and we’re glad to have him.
Pastor Ronnie Partin and others from the House of the Lord Church on Palmer Mountain enjoyed a bowling trip June 16. Work is underway to install a roof on what will be a large fellowship hall for the church.
It was good to talk with Leonard and Troas Knowlan Layne recently. She was a cook at Palmer School for years. A lot of you will remember her dad, the late Fate Knowlan.
Larry Crabtree, son of the late Gordon Crabtree, has been hospitalized with kidney stones and still looked pale and weak when we visited July 21. “The pain was so severe tat it affected the heart condition I’ve had for years,” he said. “I was screaming with pain and told the doctor that I’d had open-heart surgery, but the pain from this was a lot worse.”
The Jack Benny and Joyce Worley Morrison family enjoyed a July 4th cookout. His dad, “Little Ben” Morrison worked at the Palmer Big Mine and Joyce is the daughter of the late Elton Worley. They live in the old P.T. Nunley place.
While out walking recently, we stopped at the home of Mrs. Gussie Magouirk Flynn and visited with her. She’s 92 now, but still alert and happy. Her husband, the late Doug Flynn, spent all his working life with Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company. “It was very simple when I filed for Social Security”, Doug once told us. “All my payroll records were with one company, TCC.”
The Sequatchie County Public Library in Dunlap will celebrate its 50th year in September. Betty Worley, director since 1962, is Tennessee’s longest serving library director. She’s a niece of the late Mrs. Stanley (Marie Worley) Nunley of Palmer.
On July 10 we spent the day at the Dunlap, TN home of Crandel and Ethleen Sitz McNabb, their daughter Janice McAnally and her husband David. Crandel is 96 and Ethleen turns 93 in September. The couple will celebrate their 73rd anniversary August 29.
What an enjoyable day it was. We shared old Palmer photos and stories, which brought back so many memories. The McNabbs are alert and happy and really make you feel welcome in their home. Janice and David are warm and caring people, and we feel like we’ve found a new friend in David. Over the years, the McNabbs have been an invaluable source of information on Palmer history, and we thank them so much.
Happy 40th anniversary to Mike and Mary Ruth Phillips Shadrick. Rev. M.C. “Bud” Hampton married them at his home on July 12, 1969. Mike’s a son of the late Barney and Estelle Brown Shadrick and Mary Ruth’s parents were the late David and Ruby Nell Davis Phillips.
We stopped and visited with Clayton and Joyce Roberts Hargis July 20 while out walking. Joyce has just had her 5h operation to repair a detached retina. Clayton had beautiful tomato plants until a blight destroyed them. It’s not been a good summer for this fine couple who also lost their daughter Drema recently, so please remember them in your prayers.
It’s always nice to make new friends, and we really enjoyed meeting and talking with Jeff and Patty Tate from the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Jeff was visiting with his parents, Leon “Gabby” and Willie Mae Flynn Tate. He will retire in just a few years and plans on coming back to Grundy County.
Rev. Lynn and Kathleen Casseday from Jasper Church of the Nazarene celebrated their 55th anniversary June 26. He’s a former pastor of Palmer Church of the Nazarene.
When we dropped by Palmer School July 21 principal Sadie Smartt and faithful assistant Pam Meeks were hard at work preparing for the first day of school August 10. Mrs. Smartt said she dad lunch recently with Margie Sanders Ramey. They taught together at Swiss Memorial and when Mrs. Smartt became Palmer Principal in 1996, Margie joined her staff as a teacher here until her retirement.
Tom and Freida Meeks Burnett took Oma McNabb to the Manchester Cracker Barrel to celebrate her 92nd birthday. She lives in Tracy City now and is the widow of Marion “Soap” McNabb. She’s the last of the William Eli “Jesse” James family, and many will remember her brothers Emmett and Little Red James and her sister Mrs. Henry “Oda” Roberts. Happy birthday to you, Oma.
Dr. R.T. Kendall of Nashville was the guest speaker at the June 28 Homecoming service at Palmer church of the Nazarene. He served as the Palmer pastor in the mid-1950’s and is the author of some 50 books, he served as senior pastor at Westminster Chapel in London, England, from 1977-2002.
Among those attending the service were Ann Creighton and her sister Joyce Conry, hazel Hornbuckle, Patsy Creighton Higgins, Angela Coffelt McBee, and Ray and Nelda Carol Savage Gomer.
It has been a hectic month, and we’re “worn out”, so from all of us here “where the good people live”, we say, “Goodbye, for now.”
We always welcome news from those with Palmer connections, so let us hear from you, and we’ll be back in the “red-hot” month of August.
