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James Harris McClurkan
I was born and raised on Cedar Creek, near the small town of Vanleer, TN. I was born at home, the old house is still standing, decent shape. As a kid, I was called “James Harris”. I don’t really kn...view moreI was born and raised on Cedar Creek, near the small town of Vanleer, TN. I was born at home, the old house is still standing, decent shape. As a kid, I was called “James Harris”. I don’t really know why everybody used my middle name. Growing up on a farm is not easy. You couldn’t call them chores, it was your job. Every morning my job was to feed the mules and chickens. Nothing like going to the corn crib to get corn and grab a chicken snake.
Dad always kept one in there to keep down the mouse population. One day Dad and I were at the hog pin, he caught a black racer, that thing wrapped around his arm so fast it would make your head spin. It started to tighten up on his arm cutting off circulation. He told me, get this thing off me. I started unwinding it and it popped like breaking dry twigs. Needless to say that was his last attempt.
Now on wash day that was another one of my jobs. I had to fill a big kettle with water, then set a fire under it. When it got hot I had to transfer to an old ringer washing machine. After that I had to tote rinse water. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I was carrying it from the spring branch. We didn’t have water in our house until I was grown and married. Took a wash pan bath all through school, Boo-Hoo.
For years I thought my name was “Get Wood”, cause that’s all I heard. About the age of 15, I went to town with Mom and Dad and everybody asked, who I was. They would go to town every Saturday, but I didn’t want to go.
Through all my working years I was known as “Preacher”, because I could mock my Dad’s sermon.
I hope you enjoy this book Dale and I put together. I wanted people to enjoy it and smile as they thought about their own childhood.view less