Povthewaltons

POV 8/10/15

On Hallmark Channel on weekdays 5p.m. on Comcast Cable system

A few days ago the home and family show on the Hallmark channel did a Walton’s family reunion talking about the old show with three of the ladies that played the daughters and Richard Thomas. The one actor that played John Boy. I don’t know about you, but I agree with one of the viewer’s who wrote in and said when they were asking questions on Facebook and the stars were answering, This viewer said she felt safe at least for that hour of watching T.V. while the Walton’s program was on. That’s one thing I can really agree with. Even though my childhood memories weren’t exactly like that. Some of my memories were pretty close to the story lines you saw on the program. The Carter family at least from my end of it, came from Reddick, FL. Between Ocala and Gainesville on old Highway 441. I can remember our little township that popped up between the horse farms. That’s beautiful country down in that area.

Approximately two hours from Jacksonville. Even though my family did move away for a few years, when we moved back my Grandma decided to kind of retire and come home. My aunt bought a plot of land half a city block right around the corner from our original house. We built my grandmother a home to retire in, and after that my aunt could not afford to move. When my Grandma passed away so she took her savings account and added two or three rooms to the two car garage she had and turned it into an apartment for herself. My family used it as a rendezvous point fro special occasions such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. It even had a bedroom and a extra large bathroom with a roll in shower on the left and bathtub on the right for me with toilet and sink in the middle. So I had a place to stay when I came down without having to bring a lot of extra gear. I sure do wish we could afford to buy the place back because I sure do miss it. I have a lot of childhood memories some good and bad about the township of

POV 8/10/15 Reddick as well. Even though it is a small township it has thirteen churches with different denominations represented. At least five or six of those are African American, I believe if I remember correctly. Also at least a third of my family has taken underground residence at the cemetery at Reddick. My Grandma has her name on a plaque on the piano, since our family bought it for the church when she passed away. Also my Aunt Byrlene Hooker who is not blood related, but I grew up thinking of her family as part of mine since her our families kinda adopted each other. I also shared my Grandparents with the Hooker kids. One time my cousins Lance and Hans were asked to go out and pick figs from the Hooker’s back yard . But we wound up putting more figs in our mouth than the pot that day. I don’t think I ate too much dinner that night. Besides being on the city council, my aunt Byrlene also ran the town beauty shop and my Grandmother at one time was in charge of the polls. When it came time to vote in November.

We used to go visit my Aunt in the beauty shop and listen to all the old ladies gossip. My aunt would let us steal a moonpie or two from her display of snacks next to the shampoo display in the shop. Reddick also has local character, I can remember the old German artist who was at least in His 80’s. He was blind and he had the same wiener dog for about ten or fifteen years. So the dog would forget some of His duties sometimes and go after a squirrel. One day when my Aunt and I were walking down to the church we had to stop and pull Mr. Timmy outta the bushes because he was still holding onto the dog, and the dog had forgot what he was doing and took off after a squirrel and Mr. Timmy had to keep up with Him. It took us a minute or two to get Mr. Timmy reoriented after we got Him out of the bushes. I hate to say it but there was also some bad things that happened back in those days too. At the age of 7 my cousin Beth (Elizabeth Thompson) was playing ball in front of the house. The house that she and my grandmother shared in Reddick. She was chasing a ball that had rolled across the highway, and she was watching for the cars because there were a few hills right in front of the house, and it was hard for some of the driver’s to see pedestrians. One car passed her by okay but the next was going a little faster and could not stop in time and hit my cousin Beth. After a year or two of Rehab, which was a long hard process for everyone. She came out about 30 to 40 percent less than what she was and hasn’t been normal since. They put a steel plate in her head to cover the hole which was about a half dollar size. I think the whole affected my Aunt Jo her mom more than any of us. From then on their lives were kinda topsy turvy and my Aunt wound up having a few issues of her own caused by this family tragedy. Since my Father and his sister have passed away, my family has kind of fallen apart. My mom and myself and brother and sister, are all that’s left of the Carter family in the Jacksonville area. I talk to some of my cousins now and then by e-mail. But when I hear the trumpet opening to the Walton’s family program and the voice of producer Earl Hamner. I am reminded of the better days when I was a littlle country kid in Reddick Florida. With our small Methodist church and a small sized town. Where every neighbor knows what everybody else is up to. Thanks for reading and as they used to say on the T.V. show Goodnight Grandma. Toppy Carter