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Terry Thomas was taken to Middle TN Medical Center ER Friday where he underwent an appendectomy. He is home and back to normal - ornery as ever!

Congratulations to Mackenzie Turney on placing first in the Regional Science and Engineering Fair held recently at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.

Thursday the 4th was not the best day for traveling but our bunch (Robbie Owen, Betty Thomas, P-pa and I) were determined to make a trip to Petersburg for the purpose of eating at Deb's Café. Of course, while there, we were "entertained" with Buford Patrick's tales as one of the co-owners is wife, Debbie. The other co-owner is also Debbie, hence, where the name came from. It was good food and good times.

Friday, Marvin and Ruth Davenport were off the Guntersville, AL, to attend the 60the wedding anniversary of Milan and Lib Davenport.

Saturday they were out to Centertown where Marvin officiated the wedding of grandson, James Paul Davenport to Kristen Winchester. The event took place at Centertown's Mud Bog run. The wedding party was taken to the center of the "bog" on a "mud-running" truck. Congratulations to the newly wedded couple.

The Lion's Club Easter Egg Hunt was held Saturday. Although, according to Mayor Turney, it was down a little bit in attendance, everyone enjoyed getting out on that beautiful day and hunting eggs. Donna Gaither took pictures and has all the winners.

Sunday was another birthday day at our house. This time it was celebrating Dustin Patrick's 23rd and Alayna Reed's 15th. All family members were present to enjoy their specialty desserts - Dustin's homemade banana ice cream and Alayna's Strawberry Crumb dessert and chocolate covered strawberries (her addiction!).

Doug Gaither of Aurora, CO, is in for a few days' visit with parents, Winfred and Sara Gaither. Sister, Donna and Eddie Nichols, provided a delicious Easter lunch at their home Tuesday the 9th.

The Auburntown Historical Society holds their next meeting this Thursday, April 18th at 7:00 P.M. in the Auburn Church of Christ Fellowship Hall. Joe Daniel Davenport is scheduled to speak on Brysonville.

Friday April 5th, Prosperity Baptist Church youth group performed at Calvary Baptist's Youth Crusade. There were 4 professions of faith!

This Juicy tale came from several sources but first from Jimmy Mingle. Seems that whatever the last commercial on the radio was playing before Juicy came to work, he made it a part of his "mechanicing". On one occasion, it was Duncan Hines cake mix. So when a vehicle pulled up for his "expert" advice on a problem, he raised the hood, looked all over, put the hood down and said as he was walking away, "'Pears to need some Duncan Hines."

Happy birthday wishes this week to Alma Stoner on the 17th, Charlene Lindsay, Connie Leyhew and James Robert Hackett on the 18th, Todd Harris, Anthony Griffith, Anthony Leach and Gavin Cooper on the 19th. Bobby Jack Armstrong hits the big 7-0 on the 20th the same day Cody Joyce turns 21 and Tammy O'Neal celebrates. Tim Baines, Haley Smith and Luke Jakes have their party the 22nd with Gene Harris (79) and Canyon Zimmer (4) finishing up the week. Happy days to all of you.

Thomas and Dottie Holder have an anniversary the 17th. It was 72 years ago on the 20th day of April when Mable Hawkins became Mrs. Hop Turney. Then on the 21st of April, 1943, Winfred Gaither and Sara Hamilton exchanged vows. Jimmy and Virginia McKnight celebrate the same Day. Happy anniversary to all couples. Bless you on you special day.


From Ward Odom....

Over the past few weeks there have been several interesting stories in the Auburntown News column of the Courier about the late Ross (Juicy) Leach a lifetime resident of the Auburntown community. I would like to add one more narrative that I hope your readers will enjoy.

In the early 1930s the community of Auburntown and its surrounding areas was overwhelmed by a "sound" that left many in fear and anxiety. It was a weird sound, much like the roar of a hideous beast, very loud, and seemed to come from several different directions. There was much speculation over the source of the sound but popular opinion favored an animal of some sort. Many thought it may be a lion or tiger that had escaped. Never mind that there hadn't been a circus in the area since circa 1922 when Haig Bros. Circus last came to town nor was there a zoo within a hundred miles (there was no zoo in Nashville at the time, in fact Nashville was once the largest city in the country that didn't have a zoo). Stories were rampant. No one ever saw the varmint but one citizen dwelling up on Marshall Creek reported that it ran his dogs under the house and that they were so terrified he could hardly get them back out to eat. At the time my uncle, Bob Overall, was courting this pretty little daughter of Charlie Bethel over on Kennedy Creek. He happened to be lounging around Palmer Davenport's Garage one afternoon (Palmer's garage was on the east side of the bridge in those days) when one of the mechanics warned him that he might want to think twice before he went over to Kennedy Creek for the next few nights for word is out that the creature is in that area. I remember Uncle Bob came home and gave it some serious thought.

Finally, after much excitement the noises ceased and eventually the truth came out. Well, sort of. First I must explain something. Kids had no money for toys during those depression years and they had to improvise and fabricate playthings such as tire swings, scooters made from roller skate wheels, hoops to roll on the ground directed by a straightened coat hanger, etc. One favorite was a cylindrical 3 -Minute oatmeal box with a long string attached by cutting a hole in the bottom of the cardboard box and tying one end to an object like a broken kitchen match to keep the string in the box. Then they would take beeswax and rub it onto the string. When they took their thumb and forefinger and rubbed it down the string it made an inordinately loud noise, audible for some distance. Now picture if you will an adult taking a bee gum instead of a 3-Minute oats box; a rope instead of a string; and large quantities of beeswax in lieu of a bit of beeswax and he has fabricated a contraption that can really produce many decibels of noise. It was my understanding that you could hear it for miles. That's exactly what a local prankster had done.

The identity of the culprit was eventually revealed. He never admitted to having a cohort in his shenanigans but it was always assumed that he was not working alone. So who was this prankster? None other than a popular, young mechanic that worked at Palmer Davenport's Garage and whose nickname has been mentioned several times in the Courier lately.

Ward L. Odom

43 Wayne Ave.

Martinsburg, WV 25404


If you have news for this column, please e-mail me at apatrick@dtccom.net, or call 464-4310 and leave a message if no answer.

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