Monday, April 22, 2013

A VISIT BACK TO UNIONVILLE


My daughter, Lynne, and I made a day trip back to the Unionville area this last week.  The purpose of the trip was to visit several of the cemeteries in the area where our Colvin ancestors are buried and get record photos of tombstones for our research.  Lynne has become addicted to family history research just like her mother and father.  We are so thankful.  Now my wife and I will know that there will be someone to take care of all of our research and it will not be thrown out as happens so many times.

We visited four cemeteries: Old Colvin Cemetery, Thomas R. Colvin Cemetery, Colvin-Barmore Cemetery and Unionville Cemetery.  The first four were small cemeteries and we got photographs of all of the tombstones in these.  The Unionville Cemetery is quite large and I have many photos that I have taken there before, so we just tried to fill in the missing ones.  Only one more cemetery that we need to visit, the Katy Cemetery.  We will have to make that another day.  This cemetery is off the main road and quite a hike for an old man.

We went by our old Colvin and Jones store for a visit.  The above picture is the way it looks now - many memories in that place.  Mr brother Richard has cleaned around and inside the store and opens it up on most Saturday mornings in the summer for the eldery men that grew up around Unionville to gather, drink coffee, and reminisce about the good ole days.  I made a trip over one Saturday last year and really enjoyed visiting and talking with people that I went to school with and knew when I was growing up.

Whenever I visit Unionville, I get nostalgic and begin to think how different life was back in that time.  Many of the things that we experienced our children will never get to enjoy.  Later, we stopped at a service station in Dubach to get some nurishment to keep up our strength.  As I browsed the shelf looking for something to snack on, I ran across a "Stage Plank".  How many remember "Stage Planks" and "ROC Royal Crown Colas".
As we were getting back in the vehicle, my daughter asked me what I got to snack on.  When I replied a stage plank, she had no idea what I was talking about.  Our young people today are missing out on some of the better things of life.  By the way, they did not have a "Power House Candy Bar" so I had to settle for a Snickers.

Family History Research is Fun!!!!

Happy Ancestor Hunting.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

COLVIN AND JONES STORE

This is a picture of the inside of my family's country grocery store/service station in the late 1950s.  The store name was "Colvin & Jones" and was a successful business venture that provided a living for the Jones and Colvin families for many years.  It was a ten hour six and one half day a week operation with only a part of the day off on Sunday to attend Sunday School and Church.  During the summer months we would usually close on Wednesday afternoon and take time off for some family time.

The individuals in the picture are my father,James Garland Jones, Sr; my mother Ruth Colvin Jones and the super cool young man in the center which happens to be me.  Notice that I was dressed in what would be considered very hip in those days.  With my FFA jacket, white tee shirt, rolled up blue jeans, white socks and black loafers, I was a real lady killer.  Probably hidden under the jacket was a thin white belt which was a mainstay of my wardrobe.  The store was a family project and we all chipped in to help to make the store a success.

Some of the interesting things that can be noted about the store in this picture are:  All of the electricity comes from drop cords and plenty of extension cords; By this time we had gone modern and had shopping carts; Grey Crickets for sale in the back room; We gave Delta Trading stamps with purchases (sign behind my father); the large amount of lard in buckets - we must have had a sale on lard that week.

I have so many interesting stories and memories to share about the store and will be doing so in the next coming weeks, so keep checking back.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

SHOWTIME IN UNIONVILLE





How many people remember the movie theater in their home town during their younger days?  The photo above is a picture of the movie theater in Dubach taken in 2010.  Some of the old movie billboards from the 1960's were still on display at that time.  During the time that I was in High School and College the theater was owned and operated by the Fontenot family.

Dubach was about two miles from Unionville and on Saturday afternoons I would catch a ride to Dubach in front of my family's store for the Saturday afternoon matinees.  Yes, I did say "catch a ride" as in hitchhiking.  It was actually safe in those days to do this.  The movie was usually an old style western with Roy and Dale, Gene Autrey, Gabby Hayes, Tom Mix, Lone Ranger, Rex Allen or Smiley Burnette, followed by a short serial that was continued from week to week.  I usually was able to talk my father out of a little more than the movie admission price so that I could enjoy a coke along with a Snicker's candy bar or a peanut patty along with the movie.

One of the biggest events to come to the Unionville/Dubach area was a visit to the Gem Theater by the movie cowboy Lash LaRue and his famous bullwhip.  The theater was packed that Saturday afternoon as he showed his skills with the bullwhip.  The most impressive trick to me was using his whip to put out a burning match that someone was holding in their hand.  Lash LaRue grew up in Shreveport and was a born-again Christian who was baptized at Shreveport Baptist Tabernacle by pastor Jimmy G. Tharpe.

Later on in my youth I enjoyed many Friday and Saturday night dates with my wife to be, Esther, at the Gem theater in Dubach.

Until next time - have a great day.