Daddy was born in Perry County, Tennessee. His family lived along the Tennessee River in the Mousetail/Spring Creek area. By the time he was thirteen and his younger brother, Clyde Lee was eight death had claimed their mother, father and siblings.

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Dad, Brenda, Bonnie, Joe Dell & Mom

When Daddy married Mom they were poor as church mice but Daddy was determined to give his wife and children all he could. He worked cutting firewood during the winter. Mom told stories of Daddy and the other men dragging the Tennessee River for Mussel in the summer. Mom said the women would set up camps along the river. The men would drag for mussel and bring it to shore. The women if I remember correctly boiled the mussel  over an outdoor fire to open the shells.

Front: Brenda, Bonnie, Joe Dell & Odell

Back: Bertha and Raymond Parrish

Me! Well this is just a few months before I arrived.

Barges traveled the river several times a week. Some bought the shells, others bought the meat and still others bought any pearls found. It gave at least two incomes and three if you were lucky and found a pearl.

Later Daddy began contracting timber. Daddy and Mom moved to Henderson, Chester County where I was born. Daddy worked in weather that I can't even imagine. He was awake by 3 or 4 am so he could reach the job site by day break and he left when the sun became to low to fell the tree's safely. He came home to his family covered with sawdust.

I would sit under the giant tree by the dusty road and watch for dust in the distance. If someone came down our road, it was Daddy or someone lost. Daddy would park his truck between the two trees, get out and pick me up. He always had something for me...a moon pie or chocolate milk and potato chips. I didn't care one bit he was covered in sawdust.

Brenda, Barbara, Daddy and Bonnie

Every year when the fair came to Jackson, Tennessee we couldn't wait for Saturday night. We would lay in bed with our windows open watching the beam of light flashing over several counties alerting everyone the fair had arrived. On Saturday we would get ready and load up in the car as a family and head for Jackson. It always seemed like we drove a hundred miles.

Christmas always came with a big tree and gifts from Santa Clause. There would be homemade cakes, nuts and fruit. I don't know about my siblings but I had no idea we were not rich. We were warm and fed and loved. How much more could you ask for.

I can remember going for rides on the weekend. Sometimes to Mousetail to just sit and watch the barges go by. Other times riding to Mississippi to ride the ferry. We went on picnic's to Pickwik Dam. Our picnic dinner would consist of bologna and bread, potato chips and an orange crush cola. And man it was good:)

In about 1988 or 89 Daddy had to have surgery. The weekend after he came home my daughter Amanda and I went down to stay with him for the weekend. It rained all that weekend. On Sunday we were in a conversation about the days of picking cotton and my daughter said she wish she had a stalk of cotton to take home with her. Well that was all it took. Daddy was ready for riding. He said he saw a field that the crop was never gathered a few weeks before if he could remember which road he saw it on.

So out in the pouring rain we went with his truck easing up and down back roads looking for unpicked cotton fields. We rode all evening with the rain running like rivers. Amanda sat in between Daddy and me chattering with her granddad all the way. It was late evening when we found the field. Daddy and Amanda traveled through the mud and brought back her prize. On the way home I was looking through the rain streaming down the window thinking of how I always loved just riding around with Daddy. Then Daddy's voice cut through my thoughts, " Mandy, Honey your just like my baby. She would crawl in my old truck when she was little and ride to the end of the earth with me." I didn't turn around because happy tears were washing my face knowing Daddy remembered how I loved our rides.

Daddy you will always be with us and I want to make sure your future grandchildren have a chance to know you.