The Four Little Ones

By Phillip McAbee

During the Civil Rights era in Louisville, Kentucky raising children in the West End of Louisville presented a challenge to Eula and James McAbee. The Four Little Ones is a collection of memories of growing up during one of the most important periods in American history. With a mix of humor, pathos, clarity Phillip McAbee welcomes you to experience the McAbee family's daily life through the stories of The Four Little Ones.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phillip McAbee
• Release date: Mar 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781610615587

Phillip McAbee

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Phil McAbee left his childhood home on a dance scholarship and since then has been a dancer, choreographer, student, teacher, computer programmer, aerospace consultant, and serial entrepreneur. A graduate of UCLA, he has taught dance in Osaka Japan, trained Boeing Space Shuttle engineers in Risk Management, and biked the south of France. While living in New York, he founded the McAbee Dance Company. And years later, after reading Jon Krakauer’s, Into Thin Air, he decided to trek the Himalayas and party with the Sherpas at Base Camp Mount Everest. But wherever he has lived, he was always remembering and returning to these stories of his family that have formed his life. With The Four Little Ones, Phil provides a front row experience of growing up in the West End of Louisville, Kentucky, during one of the most dynamic periods in modern American history, the Civil Rights era. He chronicles how the siblings' search for entertainment led to a world of their own creation where quirky situations formed who and what they would become.

Book preview

The Four Little Ones

by Phillip McAbee

Published by Phillip McAbee at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Phillip McAbee. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-61061-558-7

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Letter to Sisters and Brothers

Introduction

A Brief History of Louisville Kentucky

Chapter 1 Family

Section 1 – Carla

Section 2 – Ronnie

Section 3 – Bruce

Section 4 – Joyce

Section 5 – Jimmy

Section 6 – Patricia

Section 7 – John Tom

Section 8 – Bezul

Section 9 – Bezul’s Bourbon

Section 10 – The Story of Bourbon

Section 11 – Mint Julep Recipe

Section 12 – Uncle James

Chapter 2 The Law

Section 1 – Family Night

Section 2 – Curse Words In A Purse

Section 3 – Whitman’s Chocolate Samplers

Section 4 – E=mc2

Section 5 – Westside Players

Chapter 3 The Four Little Ones

Section 1 – Coffee Table

Section 2 – Route 66

Section 3 – St. James

Section 4 – Robert F. Kennedy

Section 5 – Dart Game

Section 6 – 4238 North Western Parkway

Section 7 – Unsafe At Any Speed

Section 8 – Road Trip

Section 9 – Easter Photo

Section 10 – Lyndon B. Johnson

Chapter 4 People

Section 1 – Flaget High School

Section 2 – Gotta Dance

Section 3 – The Hawkins

Section 4 – Fontaine Ferry Park

Section 5 – University of Illinois

Section 6 – Rev. Gib

Section 7 – Beer Man

Chapter 5 Eula Lee Cochran

Section 1 – Eula Lee

Section 2 – Snow Day

Section 3 – 45 r.p.m.

Section 4 – Connie Lee’s Brunch

Section 5 – Wig Roach

Section 7 – Little League Baseball

Section 8 – Eula Bee

Chapter 6 James McAbee

Section 1 – James McAbee Xmas

Section 2 – Games

Section 3 – Phyllis

Section 4 – Chopper

Section 5 – I don’t know.

Section 6 – Communion

Chapter 7 More Please

Section 1 – Redeemer Lutheran

Section 2 – Bruce and Peter Cox

Section 3 – Fish Friday

Section 4 – Triple Triangle

Section 5 – Kathy

Chapter 8 Summer Heat

Section 1 – Wohlebs Bakery

Section 2 – 37th Street

Section 3 – The Hurds

Section 4 – Walking Carla To School

Section 4 – The Kaufmans

Section 4 – Easter Egg Hunt

Chapter 9 Street Games

Section 1 – Looking for Garden Snakes

Section 2 – Catering Lady

Section 3 – Richard Nixon

Section 4 – The Scott Family

Section 5 – Welcome

Section 6 – Letter

Section 7 – Martin Luther King

Section 8 – About The Author

Acknowledgements

TOC

I stand and applaud the many people who have contributed their time and talents to this book. Special thanks to Justine Cogan who read and edited the initial version of the The Four Little Ones. She gave me support and encouragement when I most needed it. The copy review and advice by Sojin Kim helped me to clarify the book. Thank you Sojin for your eagle eye, support, and friendship for over twenty years. Thanks to Donna Eshelman, my Bruin Colleague, thesis writing buddy and friend. Your final additions to the book pushed me over the top. Mike and Jean Franks reviewed the initial iPad version of The Four Little Ones. Thanks Mike and Jean for your recommendations and your time. Special thanks to Sarah Crow of Stray Poodle Media who made the editing process a joy. She is intelligent and creative and has a great sense of humor. I’ll miss our chats!

Logo use of the Mr. Softee mascot was provided by Mr. Softee, Inc. Thank you Mr. Softee, Inc. The vintage Hollywood advertisement images were provided by See’s Candies owners of Whitman Chocolate Sampler’s. Thank you Whitman Chocolate Sampler’s Incorporated for the use of the images they added greatly to the book.

The video editing advice provided by Lynne Kuemmel was of great help when I was clueless. Thanks Lynne for your advice and time. Photographs of Shawnee Park were provided by Thomas Lyon of Louisville, Kentucky. Thank you Thomas for the use of your wonderful photographs. Old family photographs where brought back to life by Megan Resig. Thank you Megan for your work retouching those old family photos. Special thanks to my long time friend Gregory Keith Mason for his photographic skills and support during this process. Thanks Greg.

Finally, special thanks to Carla, Kathy, and Phyliss who made the experience of growing up in the West End of Louisville nothing short of hilarious! I hope reading this book will inspire you to capture the stories of your family.

—Phillip McAbee

Dedication

TOC

To my Mother and my Father, and my Family for their love through the years.

Letter to Sisters and Brothers

TOC

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

I have written this book for four reasons. First, it is an attempt to capture our experiences growing up in the McAbee household in the West End neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky during the 1960s. As you are well aware we were raised in a unique time in American History. Similar to actors of a theatrical ensemble we lived and performed in the epic play of the Civil Rights struggle. Although we lived the Civil Rights experience its negatives did not define who we were and who we became, we owe this to our parents, Eula and James McAbee. Secondly, I’ve written this book to capture memories of family for family. Third, this book honors all African American parents who raised their families during this period of social change. Lastly, I see this as an effort to tell a story about a unique period in American History through the everyday experiences of the McAbee family living in the West End of Louisville, Kentucky.

I love you all.

Phil

Introduction

TOC

Entertain yourselves and cut off that TV!

I can still hear Momma’s voice. Our search for entertainment led to a world of our own creation where quirky situations formed who and what we would become. We are, Kathy, age 8, Carla, age 4, my twin, Phyllis, and I, Phil, age 6. Collectively, we are known in the McAbee family as The Four Little Ones.

The entire McAbee clan was composed of Momma, Daddy, Grandpa (Bezul), five girls, four boys and a rotating cast of pets. Oldest to youngest, the nine children are Jimmy, Patricia, Joyce, Ronnie, Bruce, and The Four Little Ones.

The Four Little Ones make their home in the West End of Louisville, Kentucky. Among those residing in the East End, the West had a reputation for bad people residing in bad neighborhoods. Despite the local conventions of certain East Enders, we West Enders lived a very rich, joyful and often hilarious existence. Resting on the Ohio River, the streets of downtown Louisville are dotted with historical placards. Some describe accounts of slavery: Louisville’s streets hold memories of chained human chattel being marched up Main Street from the cobbled stone riverbank to the auction blocks of Market Street. Hundred year old homes line the neighborhoods of Portland and Germantown. These homes hold undisclosed stories beneath newly painted white cedar latticework. The latticework speaks to me quietly; it resembles Aunt Elizabeth’s lace placemats and