Tuesday, May 24

Drive Downtown Around The Loop

My Dad's Refrigeration Service and Sluder's Recapping Shop were directly across the street from the Methodist Church. I think the Methodist Church Parsonage was next door on the right. There were two brothers that lived there: Roland & Roger Combs. I assume their Dad was the Methodist preacher at that time.

The newspaper headlines announced the end of WWII. I would guess that was the Louisville Courier Journal, which was the dominant newspaper back then, especially the Sunday edition. Some people subscribed to the Lexington Herald and my buddy and I sold the Knoxville News Sentinel on the street downtown after 5:00 O'Clock during the week. All came in on the L&N passenger train every day.

I heard Bobby Rankin died at an early age. We went to Grammar school together. Bill Horn was a year older than me and worked for Sluder off and on. He was the last guy I shook hands with when I left Hazard. Next to Sluder's shop was a bowling alley. I used to go there at night and set pins the old hard way for 10 cents a game. Dad parked his 1938 Oldsmobile behind the building across from the rear of the Post Office. There was a large parking lot there, always empty. That's where I learned to drive, at an early age. Used to sneak it out and drive downtown around the loop. I had to sit very upright to see over the dashboard. Sometimes I would take Roland & Roger along. We thought that was a great adventure. Never got caught...

3 comments:

  1. I like his reference to the Loop. We sure can relate to that.

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  2. I love the memories of Mr. Watts. The photo of Roland Combs and Bill Horn brings back memories galore. I did not know the other one, Bob Rankin, but I went to school with Jo Rankin who must have been his sister.

    "Mr. Watts" Roland and Roger were the sons of Dr. Combs. Their mother as I recall was a nurse. Roland was a schoolmate of mine and at one time I had a crush on him but he never knew it. Roger I think still lives in Hazard. He married Eva Mae Campbell (Julius Lasso's sister-in-law) and I remember their small son, Jimmy, who I remember so well as we lived in the same apartment building as they did and I used to rock him. In fact I wrote a little poem about him and his mother, Eva Mae, so long ago."


    Now, Bill Horn, I have so many memories of him and years later of him and his precious wife, Pat".


    Good memories, great pictures of those gone....

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  3. Great story, Hats off to Roland

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