CHAPTER 14 - 1953:
The bloody Korean War continued but was to end this year. Trouble
continued in Europe and Asia. Iran was a hot spot of trouble. The
Soviet Union continued its trickery and aggression. Television was
now becominga household word.
In our town, Arthur T. Elsberry continued as the presbyterian
Minister and Robert S. Andrews was the Methodist Minister. It is
not known if James C. Crist was still the Baptist Minister or if
the church was without a minister again.
There were 3 mercantile stores in our town. Alvin Tyson Lewis, Sr.
continued to operate his store at the foot of Depot Hill. William
Davis Carter continued to operate his store across from the Presby­
terian-Methodist Church. Wilma Vick was clerking in the Carter
store~ Coyt Herbert Jordan, Sr. was operating his store on High­
way 114 on the site to the Left of the present Yelverton store.
It is tnougnt that during this year, but perqaps earlier, Silas
Cleveland and Duttie Emerine (Emma) Clark Jones left our town for
the third time. There is great confusion concerning the three
periods this family lived in our town. After leaving here the
third time, they moved to, or eventually moved to Sumter, North
Carolina where Mr. Jones operated a store. It is thought that
during this year, Mrs. Jones came to Myrtlewood to visit her daughter
Mrs. John Lindsey (Chloe Jones) Blackwell, Sr. and while here the
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store in North Carolina burned. Later, exact time unknown, Silas
and Emma Jones returned to Myrtlewood and lived in the Blackwell
owned house (which had been built by Henderson Baker) on Highway
114, across the road from and SE of the present Yelverton store.
It is thought that during this year, Harry Floyd and Mittie Mae
Phillips Kratzer came to Myrtlewood from Magnolia, Marengo County,
Ala. They lived in the Aldridge house, which stood on the site
of the present Woodie Earl Vick house. The Kratzers were the
parents of Annie Rhie, Minnie Gray, Dora Ethel, John Carson,
Benjamin and Charles David. Their daughter Annie Rhie had married
James Morris BUllock and they were living in Myrtlewood. It is
not known at this time how many of the Kratzer children might have
come to our town with their parents. Dora Ethel Kratzer was re­
ceived by the Baptist Church by letter on 10 August 1953. Infor­
mation on the Bullock family has been denied me.
Early this year, or perhaps in late 1952, John Henry and Rubye Viola
Cook Supple moved from the Josie Lee Barney Adams house into the
~atson house which was now owned by Charles Poellnitz and Alice
Wontee Ulmer Woolf.
It is
1951,
nouse
house
.0
teought that after tee 1950-51 school term ended in May of
Charles and Alice Woolf and son left Myrtlewood and the Watson
was rented out. It is not known at this time who rented this
before the Supples moved into it •
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- Continued:
John and Rubye Bupple had moved into the Josie Adams house shortly
after her death in July of 1952 and must not have stayed there too
long. While living in the Watson house, it burned to the ground.
John and Rubye Supple then moved into the Myrtlewood Camp House for
a short time and then into the E. A. Poellnitz house.
In this year, Samuel Graham and Rubye Lou (Subie) . Squires Nelson
bought the property surrounding the site of the recently burned
Watson house and built a new home on the site.
It is thought that the Watson house was built ca 1909 by Senator
D. J. Meador. It was built for the L. E. Masters family. L.E.
Masters had come to our town around this time and with his brother­
in-law
Jones, built and operated a hickory mill that
made spokes for wagon and automobile wheels. It was supposedly the
first mill to come to our town. Time unknown, the Masters left
Myrtlewood. The next person known to live in this house, was Jewell
S. Watson and his family. They were known to be in our town as early
as 1921. Jewell Watson came to teach school in Myrtlewood. He bought
the Masters house and built an operated the "Green store" which stood
across the road in front of the present Woodie Earl Vick house. The
Watsons left our town ca 1927-28 and the house was sold to Marion
Greer Young. He did not live in Myrtlewood. It is not known who
lived here next. John and Margaret stevens possibly were the next
tenants, renting tne no~se from Greer Young. In 1936, Willie Greer •
Young, son of Marion Greer Young, and his bride of 2 weeks, Irene
Etheridge, moved into this house and shared it with the Stevens.
The Stevens then moved out and into the E. A. Poellnitz house. Willie
Greer and Irene Young and young son James Wayland left this house and
Myrtlewood in October 1941 and it was rented out, but to whom is not
known at this time. The Willie Greer Youngs returned to our town
and this house in March 1942 and lived here until January 1946 when
they moved to Half Acre. Marion Greer Young is thought to have
sold this house to William Clark Etheridge, brother of Irene Etheridge
Young. Later in 1946, William Clark Etheridge, Sr. sold this house
to his wife's nephew, Charles Poellnitz Woolf, and Charles, wife Alice
UlmerW'oolf and young son Taomas Ulmer Woolf moved back to Myrtlewood
and into this house. As stated, it is thought that Charles and Alice
Woolf left Myrtlewood again after May 1951 and it is not known who
rented this house until the Supple family moved into it in late 1952
or early 1953.
With the burning of the Masters-Watson house another part of old
Myrtlewood disappeared into the ashes of history.
As often stated, unless records have been kept, most people have
trouble remembering dates, and people's memories often conflict.
When others decline to add their family history to this history of
our town, large gaps are created and more confusion results.
Thurs. Jan. 1:
New Year's Day.
Tues. Jan. 20: Dwight David Eisenhower took office as the 33rd
President of the United States succeding Harry S. Truman, and
Richard Milhous ~ixon was sworn in as Vice-President.
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1953 - Continued:
Fri. March 6: The Red Czar, Premier Joseph Stalin of the Soviet
Union, died and was succeded by Georgi Malenkov.
Wed. April 1: Prsident Eisenhower set up a new department of
Government known as HEW (Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare).
Mon. April 13: While the Korean War raged on and armistice ne­
gotiations continued, the exchange of prisoners began (one side
handed over so many prisoners and the other side did the same).
At a POW Camp near the Yalu River, 600 captives, including 120
Americans, started out on a journey to the truce tents at Pan­
mumjom.American prisoners told of "Death Valley" in North Korea
where POWs were held in such frightful conditions they died by the
score. Malnutrition killed many.
May:
The 1952-53 School term ended at Myrtlewood.
In Mayor June, Martha Ann Lewis graduated from AUburn University.
Sun. May 17: On this Mother's Day, Charles Aubrey Williams, age
23, son of ~uintus Haywood Sr. and Rosa Lee Wiggins Williams, was
severely injured in an automobile accident. He was on his way
home to Myrtlewood from Tuscaloosa where he was attending The
University of Alabama, to attend the christening of his neice
Nancy Ann Williams. A car load of Blacks in a stolen:car tried
to pass him on a hill, coming from behind him. They saw a car
coming toward them and cut back benind Charles's car, catching
his bumper and throwing his car directly into the path of the
oncoming car. Charles was take to Druid City Hospital in Tusca­
loosa.
June: It was announced that a proposed Television station in
Meridian, Miss. with the call letters of WTOK had been secured.
This would mean a clear station to be picked up by those in our
town with television sets.
June: Horace Edgar Sr. and Maydelle Fann Malphurs came to our
town and made their home in a trailer underneath tne grove of
oak trees between the Baptist Church and the William Clark Eth­
eridge house. The land was owned by Clark Etheridge. Horace
Malphurs came to our town to replace John Lindsey Blackwell, Sr.
as the L&N and M&B Depot Agent. Horace Edgar Malphurs, Jr.
lived in Myrtlewood ~ith his parents for a time. Two other
children, Zeta and Claire were married and lived elsewnere.
Tues. June 2: Elizabeth, daughter of the late King George VI
of England, was officially crowned as Queen on this date.
Tues. June 30: John Lindsey Blackwell, Sr. retired at age 66
from his job as "double agent" (Depot Agent) for the L&:N and M&B
railroads waich met in Myrtlewood. Lindsey Blackwell, known to
some as "Blackie", came to 11yrtlewood as the L&N Depot agent
l222 -
Continued:
on 13 February 1913 at age 26. He had held the same job at Consul,
Ala. on the Myrtlewood-Selma L&N line. When the M&B Railroad came
into !'v1yrtlewood in November 1934 Lindsey became the "d oub Le agent. It
He had worked for the L&N Railroad for 40 years and 4 months.
Horace Edgar Malphurs, Sr. became the new agent.
John Lindsey Sr. and Chloe Jones Blackwell left our
town to make their home at Bon Secour, Alabama. As stated, Lindsey
nad first come to Myrtlewood 13 Feb. 1913, and Chloe had come to our
town with her parents ca March 19'1.9 from Stearnes, Ky. Lindsey
owned the Marengo Mercantile Store on Depot Hill. He and Chloe had
married 1 Jan. 1922 and lived on in our town until this time. John
Lindsey, Jr. was born 19 April 1923 and had left home to join the
Marine Corps during WW II. He returned home for a short stay, then
left home again, married his childhood sweetheart, Anna Clare Barr,
of Myr~lewood, and eventually settled in Montgomery, Ala. The
Blackwells were active members of the Baptist Church and Lindsey
was a Deacon. It was a sad day for Myrtlewood when they left our
town ... but they were to return. At this time, the Blackwells were
living in their former store on Depot Hill which had been converted
into a house.
July: During this month a Postwar Recession began which was to
last for some 13 months.
Wed. JUly 1: The Myrtlewood Post Office was upped to a 3rd Class
Office for the 2nd time. Mrs. Thomas Benjamin (Annie Pearl Carter)
McCoy and Mrs. Henry Stratford (Ada Gray Carter) Thomas became
assistants to Post Master Mrs. Willie Davis (Ruth Poellnitz) Carter.
Wickham Reginald (Pete) Carter, Sr. continued to deliver the mail
on the Rural Route.
Mon. July 27: THE KOREAN WAR ENDED. Lt. Julius LaVerne Bragg and
Dorias Z. Beverly, Jr. had served in this war. It is not known at
this time if other Myrtlewood men were. It was not a World War,
but like all wars it was deadly, causing untold death and destruction
and leaving men wounded and maimed for life in body and in mind.
Julius Bragg was still suffering from his severe war wounds and
fighting to save his leg. In Korea, thousands of prisoners were
being transported toward exchange points.
Tues. Aug. 4: Joan Annette Sansing, 1st child of William Thomas
and Annie Madge Jordan Sansing, was born in the hospital at York,
Ala. Her parents were living at Livingston wnere William Thomas
was attending State Teacner's College. Annie Madge was a native
of Myrtlewood, the daughter of Coyt Herbert Sr. and Annie Lee
Supple Jordan. Paternal grandparents were James Davis and Lennie
Englebert Sansing of Woodstock, Ala.
Wed. Aug. 26: Russel Vaughan Coats, 2nd and last child and son
of Judson Vaughan (Buddy) and Mildred Belle Jones Coats, was born
in the hospital at Demopolis, Ala. His parents were living at
Forkland, Ala. Paternal grandson of Thomas Leonard (Tommy) Jones
and tne late Nancy Lillian Parnell Jones and paternal grandson
of the late Pollock Judson and Nancy Lena Breeden Coats of Jeff­
erson, Ala.
S7
1953 - Continued:
Thurs. Sept. 3: American General
Korea, was released from a POW Camp.
Dean, hero of Taejon,
Thurs. Sept. 3: Coyt Herbert Jordan III, 1st child of Coyt Herbert
Jr. and Marilyn June French Jordan, was born in the hospital at York,
Ala. The parents were living in Livingston, Ala. where Coyt Jr. was
attending State Teacher's College. Cout, Jr. was a native of our
town, the son of Coyt Herbert Sr. and Annie Lee Supple Jordan, who
had become grandparents twice within a month's time. Maternal
grandparents were Rev. John Kenneth and Katherine Leeper French
of Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Tues. Sept. 8: Dorias Z. Beverly, Jr., son of Dorias Z. Sr. and
Gladys Norris Beverly of Myrtlewood, married Joan (Bebe) Glover,
daughter of
and
Glover of
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They w~re married at Meridian, Miss. and made their home in Linden.
Dorias, Jr. had lived in Myrtlewood since he was a young boy and
had recently been released from duty with the Army in Korea.
September: The 1953-54 School term began at Myrtlewood, 1st through
5th grades. Mrs. ~. R. (Mary Margaret Sayers) Carter, Sr. was the
teacher.
Wed. sept. 23: Tinnie Lorene Overstreet Smith, age 48, died at the
Hill Top store on Highway 69 North and was buried at Myrtlewood.
Sne was survived by her husband Chester Raymond Smith of Myrtlewood,
and two sisters, Mrs. Jessie Lavon (Reda Pearl Overstreet) Yelverton,
and Mrs. Beverly Edwin (Birdie)(Della Overstreet) DeLoach. Tinnie
Lorene Overstreet was born 19 January 1905, the daughter of James
Malone and Clara Beck Overstreet. She was first married to Lewis
Grady and they ran the Meador Dairy in Myrtlewood for Edwin Augustus
Meador. For a time, Tinnie and her Mother, Clara Beck Overstreet
lived in Myrtlewood in a house on Depot Hill. Tinnie later married
Chester Raymond Smith of Myrtlewood and they made their home in our
town. At the time of her death they were living at and operating
the Hill Top Store.
Sat. Sept. 26: At Noon, on this date, Television Station WTOK,
Channel 11, of Meridian, Miss. went on the air for the first time,
providing a clear station for the Hyrtlewood residents to pick up.
It is thought that taere were very few TV sets in our town at this
time. dhen WTOK went on the air they first showed a movie, followed
by a football game. This was a week before Baseball's World Series.
For today's generations, it is difficult to imagine a world without
TV. At this time, TV was still a strange new novelty for millions
in our country.
Thurs. Oct. 29: Cuarles Stepehn and Mary Lee Coats Bragg Ward,
journied to Mobile, Ala. to meet their son, Lt. Julius Laverne
Bragg and his wife Dorothy Faye, at Brookley Field. Julius and
Dot had been stationed at Ft. Clayton in the Panama Canal. Zone,
and were flown from there on an Army Hospital plane to Brookley
.I!'ield. Julius, suffering from Korean war wounds of 1950, was
placed in the Hospital at Brookley Field to be flown on to Walter
Reid hospital in ~ashington, D.C.
I
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1953 - Continued:
Sun. Dec. 6: Thomas Leonard Jones, age 78, died at the home of
nis daughter Mrs. JudSOn Vaughan (Mildred Belle Jones) Coats at
Forkland, Ala. Funeral services were held on Mon. Dec. 7th at
t ne :l1yrtlewood Methodi st Church with the Rev. Robert S •. Andrews,
lllJ:etnodi st Hini ster, offi ciating. Burial was in the :L-iyrtlewood
Cemetery. The widower of Nancy Lillian Parnell Jones, he~was
survived by one son, willie Coleman (Bill) Jones, and two daughters,
Mrs. Earl Washington (Oleta Mabel Jones) Anderson of San Diego,
Calif., and Mrs. JUdson Vaughan (Mildred Belle Jones) Coats of
Forkland, Ala. Thomas Leonard Jones was born 20 Feb. 1875 at
Half Chance, Marengo Co., Ala., the son of William Griffin and
Mary Frances Jordan Jones. He was married 29 Dec. 1912 at Aimwell to Nancy Lillian Parnell, daughter of John Andrew and Martha
Sue Flowers Parnell of Dixons Nills. In 1920 "Mr. Tommyll and "Miss
Nancy" "came to ou.r town from Half Acre with their daughters Oleta
Mabel and Mildred Belle, and her mother Martha Sue Flowers Parnell.
They first lived in the house built for William Rentz Nichols (owned
by J. S. Coats) on Depot Hill and ran a boarding house for single
men workers of the Henderson Baker Lumber Mill. Son, Willie Cole­
man was born there. Nancy Lillian Parnell Jones died 13 Aug. 1949
and after her death "Mr. Tommy" left Myrtlewood to live wi th his
daughter Mildred and her husband at Forkland, Ala. He had been a
farmer. He was a member of the Methodist Church but the rest of
nis family were Baptists.
Fri. Dec. 25:
Thurs. Dec. 31:
Christmas Day.
New Year's Eve.
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