Scot Family Of Kentucky (Chapter 1)

Chapter (1)
"Scot Family Of Kentucky".
(From 1944 to 1950)
In rural Kentucky in a little town named Riverdale. Which sit a longside of a mighty river. It had 200 residents and 1 main road. With no grocery store or school there lived Lottie Scott and her 5 five children. She lived with her Mom, and Dad while her husband Gene was serving in the Army in world war 11 in Germany. In the same house lived Lottie's 2 neeces and 1 nephew, Georgia, Billie, and Charles.

         Times were hard most all the food was rationed because of the war, sugar, flour, coffee, and gasoline etc. The residents would trade their rations with each other. Each family was allotted according to its size, the bigger the family the more rations they received.

         Dolores age 9 was the oldest of the Scott children then Norma 7, Ronnie 5, Jerry 3, and Paul 1. The three oldest ones would play together a lot. The 2 girls had a girl friend who lived in a house on the hill nearby. She was 8, and very pretty her name was Irma. Ronnie had a secret crush on her, even though he was only 5.

         Oneday while Charles, and Ronnie were playing. Charles had found some 45 caliber bullets somewhere. They decided to build a fire, and throw the bullets in it to hear them explode. After they threw them in the fire nothing happened for awhile. Then suddenly they exploded scaring them both to death. They were only 5 years old thank goodness no one got hurt.

         Gene sent a violin, and a pistol home to Lottie from Germany. For safe keeping till he came home. Lottie put them under her bed for safety purposes. Charles found them oneday while her, and grandma were gone. Ronnie, and Charles played with them till they broke the violin into several pieces. When Lottie, and their grandma came home they really got scolded.

         Lottie bought a Model A Ford Roadster it was yellow with red spoked wheels. It had a rumble seat in the back. When Lottie would go for a ride or somewhere in particular. Some of her kids would go with her. Oneday Ronnie, and Norma got in the rumble seat to ride. After going a distance the rumble seat closed with them in it. They yelled, and streamed, but no one heard them. It was hot in there and dark too. They were terrorized they must have been in there for 10 moments or so, finally Lottie told the driver to stop the car and heard their cries from the rumble seat. Their Aunt Bessie raise it and let them out, they were both scared to death.

         Charles and Ronnie always played together sometimes with friends. A boy named Jimmy lived across the road from Grandma's house. They all 3 were about the same age of 5. Jimmy was a little hot headed and so was Charles. Ronnie was not he was very shy, and did not say much. Before long Charles put jimmy and Ronnie up to fighting each other. Jimmy swung at Ronnie, but did not hit him. Ronnie swung back at Jimmy, and hit him on top of his head real hard with his fist. It liked to have broke Ronnie's hand. I think it hurt Ronnie more than Jimmy. The fight was over they both started crying, Ronnie went to Grandma's, the boys never fought again.

         While Lottie, and her 5 children lived with her Mom, and Dad. The big river flooded Their house. It almost covered the whole house the river was close to Grandma house. They had to move all their furniture out of the house to higher ground. Grandma moved into a house across the road and on a hill. It was hard with all of the children to care for, they were 8 children, and 3 adults living together. The rationing of the food did not help things either.

         In 1945 the war was over, and gene came home to his family. He had bought a house before he went in the Army. It was in Versailles about 6 miles up the highway. The old house was a Post Office at one time. So Gene had to convert it into a house. Versailles was a little town about 100 residents. It had a Elementary school, a grocery store, and 2 bars. It also had 2 main railroad tracks that ran in front of the Scot's home. Most of its residents were poor hard working people. Only a few families on the outskirts of town had any money. Very few of the families had running water or even electricity.

         The first year living there Ronnie started the first grade. He was very shy, and on his first day at school. He needed to use the restroom to urinate, but he did not tell his teacher Mrs. Mann. Before long he wet his overalls all over the front. Mrs. Mann saw what he had done, and scolded him real good. He started crying so she sent him home. It is a good thing it was not cold outside he would have frozen to death walking home, but the school was only a block away from his home. Dolores was in the 4th grade, and Norma was in the 2nd grade, they walked to and from school together.

         Gene Scott was well respected in town. He had lived there in Versailles with his Mom, and Dad before he was drafted in the Army. Gene spent all his money on his family. He did not drank alcohol, gamble, and he was a honest man, living only to love and take good care of his family.

         Gracy a hard working lady lived in Versailles. She worked at the Country club down the road maintaining the golf course. Naturally she worked with men that lived in Versailles. They often would drank beer together, and even get drunk. One Sunday morning Ronnie was standing at the window in the Scott's home. He seen a big black hurst come around the street. He ask Gene what was it for. Gene told him that Gracy had fallen in the river last night and drowned. Ronnie knew who she was this upset him a lot. About a half a hour later the hurst came back around the road with Gracy in it. Ronnie remembered that black hurst for a long time to come.

         The children liked there new home, and school. The girls had friends who would stay overnight with them sometimes. Ronnie had a lot of friends to play with too. The Hensley boys, Paul, and Jimmy lived across from the Scott family. Ronnie, and them would play with toy cars and trucks. They had a special place where they played near the driveway on a bank. They would let Ronnie play with some of their toys he did not have many. The boy's would play there all day sometimes. Paul was 9, Ronnie was 8, and Jimmy was 7 years old. Their Mother Mrs. Hensley was a very nice lady. She had 12 kids. Their family were much older than the Scott family. She was a great cook too. Sometimes Ronnie would eat her sweet biscuits they were good he said. They had a younger sister Gloria she was about 3 years old. Their baby sister who was named Bonnie died around the age of 3. It really saddened Ronnie She was a beautiful child. Ronnie spent a lot of his time at the Hensley's. He would sometimes help the boys wash the supper dishes. Mr. Hensley was a good man he worked in Ohio at a lock company, they lived in a real big house.

         Mr. Hensley had a full basement in his house, he used part of it as a car garage. He had several power tools that Paul, Jimmy, and Ronnie used when he was at work. They built Go carts to ride on the hills of the roads. They would get fruit crates from the little store in town that they threw away. After finding their wheels and axels to use they could build one. Paul done most of the sawing on the band saw. Ronnie and Jimmy would nail the carts together. After it was finished they would take it to the school house hill and ride down it. This was a lot of fun to them, but it was dangerous. Oneday Ronnie was riding the Go cart down the hill he did not know a car was coming up the intersect road. By the time he seen the car he could not stop the Go cart. The car hit his left foot, but thank God it did not kill him. His foot was swollen and hurting, but was not broken. He went home to Lottie crying and scared to death.

         When Ronnie was 9 he found a stray dog who he named Pepper. He was constantly playing with Pepper. He loved him very much, and the dog loved him too. Pepper was white with a little black, and brown around his neck, and feet. Ronnie had found a friend he could talk to about his problems. Ronnie was very insecure, and reserved. Oneday Ronnie came home from school for lunch. As he walked down the tracks to his house he could see something laying on the railroad tracks. When he got closer he could see it was Pepper. He was not moving he knew Pepper was dead, hit by a train. It liked to have broke his heart he ran in the house crying to his Mom Lottie.

         Lottie was a real good mother to all her children. The old house had no electicity. They had to burn a kerosene lamp or candles at night to see. It made things hard when it came to doing the wash. Lottie would have to heat her wash water outside in a big wash tub. She had to draw water from the old well to fill the tub. The water was bad she only used it to do her wash. They got their drinking water from a spring down the road. After the water was hot in the tub it had to be carried in the kitchen. Dolores usually helped her do this. Lottie had an old scrub board to wash her clothes on. It had metal grooves on it for getting the clothes clean. She would use a bar of strong soap to help clean them. After awhile her hands would get so red, and irritated from using the harsh soap and board. She wash right on and never said a word.

         She never had a refrigerator either, but she did have an Ice Box. Every 2 or 3 days the Ice man would deliver ice. It would only keep for a day or 2 before it melted. It came in big blocks about the size of a concrete block. You had to have a pair of ice tongs to move it from place to place. It did not keep her food in the Ice Box real cold, but it was better than nothing.

         Lottie had to cook on a old wood stove. A fire would have to be built, and maintained while she cooked. In the summer months the old stove got really hot to be around. Every day she cooked the supper meal on it. She would have to put the beans on in the morning for them to be done when Gene came home from work. She cooked mostly beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread for supper. Things they raised in their garden. Meat was a luxury, sometimes Gene would help a neighbor kill a hog. Maybe go in halves with them on one. Other wise bacon was the only meat they ate. Gene would by milk from a neighbor down the road. With all those boys it took a lot of food to feed them. Lottie would can some of the vegetables from the garden for the witer months to eat.

         Gene worked far away in Cincinnati as did most of the other neighbors. He worked in an old dirty foundry each day as a molder. He would ride to work with a neighbor. he worked as much overtime as he could to have a little extra money. What money he had he spent on his family. He did not drink alcohol or gamble away his money. He was respected as a father, and husband. His word was good, and he was a very proud man, and wanted his kids to be the same.

         In 1950 Gene, and Lottie had 8 children, 6 boys, and 2 girls. Wayne was born in 1946, Terry was born in 1948, and Wendell in 1950. Things got a little over crowded in the house. Especially at night in bed, all the boys slept together in the same bed. Ronnie the oldest boy would tell his brothers scary stories in bed to keep them quiet. So they would not wake up Gene or Lottie. He told them stories about an imaginary fox named Harry. After he told them a few stories of harry Fox they wanted to hear a story every night. Even though the boys got frightened from the stories they still wanted to hear them. Ronnie told them Harry Fox lived in their attic, and would get them if they were not good. Ronnie told them they would draw straws to see who slept next to him. Naturally the boys thought Ronnie was brave so they wanted to draw the short straw, and sleep next to him. The straws came from Lottie's house broom. Ronnie always had a wild imagination as a kid.

         In 1950 Gene bought a 1936 olsmobile. It was an old car, but it ran good. The car needed a paint job badly. It was all faded out in some places it had little paint on it. Gene bought him some fire engine red paint, and a paint brush. He brushed the paint on it the car looked like a fire engine. Everywhere he went in it the people looked, and laughed. Especially the people in the neighborhood.

         He bought the car so he could go places and take the family along. Lottie liked going to Riverdale to see her Mom, and Dad, Bertha, and Hiram. Both of them were deeply religous people. They had built a church near their home to go too. When Gene, and lottie went down to see them they often went to church. It was a Holy Roller Church where they shout, and jump around all over the floor. At first the children did not understand it, and were afraid of all the noise. After awhile they got used to it though.

         When Ronnie was 11 years old his Uncle Gene's older brother Clearance died. Irene his wife had him layed out for viewing and last respects in their home. Gene went to see him taking Ronnie along, he had never seen a deceased person before it frightened him to see his uncle laying there in a coffin. Irene's little house was packed full of people that night. Clearance had a lot of friends there in Postville. They owned, and ran a little carry out store next to their house. This memory would haunt Ronnie for a long time.


         Dolores, and norma had decent clothes to wear to school. Ronnie did not have a waist line if he put a pair of jeans on they would fall off when he ran. So Gene and Lottie decided to buy him bibbed overalls to wear. Ronnie always felt uncomfortable wearing them no one else wore them to school. Ronnie was so insecure any way. He wore the bibbs all the way through to the 6th grade.

         Their old house got cold in the winter months. The Scott's used a coal stove to heat with. It kept the upper part of their body warm, but the lower part would be cold. The old house was not insulated well the wind would blow through it. At night Gene usually let the fire go out to save on the coal. He always got up the next morning in a cold house, and started a new fire in the stove. He told lottie to stay in bed till the house became warm. She would then get up to get the kids off to school. She did not fix a breakfast except, sometimes she would cook oatmeal on top of the coal stove. The kids usually had rolls, cookies, or cereal for breakfast.

         When Ronnie was 11, Jerry 9, and Paul 7. Gene started taking them down the railroad tracks to pick up coal that had fallen off passing freight trains. They each carried a feed sack to put the coal in. Usually it was very cold outside they had no gloves to wear or caps. Sometimes they would walk 6 miles gathering the coal. If they seen any big pieces laying around they would pick them up on their way back. To keep from carrying them both ways. Gene was a strong man he was about 6 foot 2 inches and maybe 2 hundred pounds. The boys were nowhere near as strong, they could barely carry their heavy sacks of coal on their shoulders. By the time they got home they would be frozen and exhausted. Before Gene made the boys pick up coal he would walk down the tracks and pick it up hiself. He sometimes did not have the money to buy coal.

         Lottie was a worry wart when it came to her kids. She would have her kids walk up the side tracks that ran a short distance along the 2 main tracks. The side tracks were never used by the trains. She could not see them all the way to, and from school if they walked the road. The school was maybe a block or so from the Scot's house. Dolores, and Norma went to a high school. They would catch a bus at the Elementary school, and ride 8 miles to the high school. Norma was in the 7th, and Dolores was in the 9th grade.

         The little school in Versailles was from the 1st to the 6th grade. While Ronnie went to Elementary grade school he had a few friends there. He was so shy, and insecure he did not make friends easily. At the little school if you was in the first grade with fellow students. The chances were you would be in the 6th grade with the same ones. The little school only had 1 class for each grade per year. Most of the kids at school knew how Ronnie was, and only talked to him when he wanted to talk. His grades were never really good in school. One reason for this was he never ask the teacher to explain something he did not understand. He felt to embarrased to ask them. His inferiority complex did not allow him to be more aggressive. He always liked the girls in school more than the boys. Ronnie always was so nice to any of the school girls. He felt they were beautiful angels here on earth. At the same time felt not worthy enough to talk to them. Even though he had a few secret crushes on some. The bibbed overalls he wore to school did not help matters either. The teachers seemed to know how shy he was, and seldom made him speak or read before the class. Ronnie was an excellent speller in grade school. Often the teacher Mrs. Steinhauser would make the class stand around the room and spell till they missed a word. Then they would have to sit down at their desk. It usually came down to Ronnie, Judy, Bessie, and Mary Alice the last 4. Ronnie did not want to beat them usually after a couple of rounds he would miss a word on purpose to keep from winning. He did not mind spelling, but he did not like reading before the class at all. There were a few boys he liked at school. He would play softball games with them. This was one thing he could do well he loved to play ball.

         He became Paronoid when he was attending the school in the 4th grade. He had an inner fear and always felt the other students were watching or talking about him. This enterferred with his grades, and attendance. He just did not take any interest in the school classes. By the time he was in the 6th grade the Paronoia became worse. He knew the next year of school he would have to go to the high school. He dreaded the thought of this.

End Capter (1)
BY: Kings Chapter (2) "Scot Family Of Kentucky (Chapter 2)"