Hill’s 50th Anniversary was an event for the entire community. Grandpa set up his cassette recorder and microphone near the space occupied by the office in today’s store. It was just past the pop cooler, and close to where we had set up free fountain drink station as part of the celebration. You could see the gas pumps through the large plate glass windows. Funny enough, you occasionally hear the bell that would ring when a car pulled up for gas. It’s a bit loud because the bell was right by Grandpa’s recording station.
Grandpa did most of the talking (you couldn’t stop him…he was a Primitive Baptist preacher who loved to talk), but he always tried to get our customer’s names, ages, when they first started trading at the store. Sometimes he would ask them the first thing they bought. In one case, he even pulls out the original ledgers and tells them what they bought (which happened to be on their wedding day). There’s bits of local color and history throughout each of these recordings. We hope you enjoy!
*note: Recordings are alphabetical by last name of first person in interview. Other interviewees are cross referenced to the first person listed
Clyde Ashburn (“Clyde, the Barber”):
Bill and Zeta Berrier:
Ralph, Renee, Ralph Jr., and Ricky Berrier:
Ellis and Dossie Bowman:
Freeman and Larry Bowman:
Ed and Phillip Chappell and Erna Leonard:
Goldie Chappell:
Mamie Combs, Barbara Jarrell, and Pamela Jarrell
Rufus Crotts and his wife:
Vergil and Ruth Crotts:
Otto and Viola Dawson (Barbara’s parents) and Timmy Hill:
Jerry (Barbara’s Brother) and Rachel Dawson:
Will Dawson, Eddie Jones, and Ricky Surratt:
Joe Dixon:
Roger and Paulene Dowell:
Claude and Margie Easter, Hurley and Dot Vernon:
Nettie Edwards and Dorsie Palmer:
Theresa, Duane, and Ricky Edwards:
Joe Felts:
Rev. Jesse E. Fleming:
Ellie Flinchem:
Clisba Gates and Robert Nunn:
Lacy Gates:
Lucille Gray:
Moody and Veona Gunnell:
Charlie and Retha Hawks:
Gladys Hawks, Stephen and Keith Mabe:
Herman and Wilma Hawks:
Joe Hawks & James King & Terry Hawks & Dwight Combs:
Stanley Hawks:
Shade and Victor Hawks:
Harvey Haynes:
Wayne and Stacy Hayes:
Ed, Linda, Jason Hill, and Joey Sechrist:
Olin and Opalene Hill:
Oscar, Barbara, Todd, Osler (W.O.), and Edith Hill:
Todd Hill and his cousin Jason Hill (W.C.’s grandsons):
Willie, Shirley, and Gina Hill & Greg Johnson & Grandma Hill (W.C.’s wife):
Henry and Colleen Jones:
Vestal and Anna Jones & Ethel Farmer:
Arnold Leftwich:
Arnold, Elma, and Regina Leftwich:
Arnold Leftwich and Olin Hill:
Fred and Ella Leonard:
Junior, Orene (W.C.’s youngest daughter), Scott, Mickey Leonard, Opal King (W.C.’s oldest daughter), Sandra and Neil Newman:
Earl and Arlene Lowe & Joy and Barry Combs:
Rufus Marion:
Ken Marsh:
Eldred Marshall, the Sealtest Milk delivery man:
Garland McCraw:
Troy McCraw:
Sam McKinney:
Raymond and Frannie McMillan:
Troy and Virginia McMillan & Jeff and Pam Quesenberry:
Bo Mundy:
Merle and Sandra Newman (W.C.’s granddaughter):
Columbus Payne, Jr. and William Payne:
Marcus Payne:
Houston Richardson:
John Richardson:
Patsy, Marvin, Marvin Jr., and Mitchell Robertson:
Dave and Lena Sechrist:
Roby and Ann Sechrist:
Tim Smith:
Carl Towe:
Harley and Nonnie Towe:
Kermit and Mamie Sue Towe:
Morgan Towe:
Claude and Emma Utt:
Vernon and Frances Utt:
Harvey and Myrtle Vaughan & Robert Mayes:
Joe Vaughan:
Hazel, Sheila, Jason, and Marvin Woods:
Kenneth Woods:
Sandra and Audrey Woods:
- Dwight Combs (see Joe Hawks)
- Joy and Barry Combs (see Earl and Arlene Lowe)
- Ethel Farmer (see Vestal Jones)
- Terry Hawks (see Joe Hawks)
- Jason Hill (see Todd Hill)
- Olin Hill (see Arnold Leftwich)
- Sarah “Grandma” Hill (see Willie Hill)
- Timmy Hill (see Otto Dawson)
- Barbara Jarrell (see Mamie Combs)
- Pamela Jarrell (see Mamie Combs)
- Eddie Jones (see Will Dawson)
- Greg Johnson (see Willie Hill)
- James King (see Joe Hawks)
- Opal King (see Junior Leonard)
- Erna Leonard (see Ed and Phillip Chappell)
- Stephen and Keith Mabe (see Gladys Hawks)
- Robert Mayes (see Harvey and Myrtle Vaughan)
- Sandra and Neil Newman (see Junior Leonard)
- Robert Nunn (see Clisba Gates)
- Dorsie Palmer (see Nettie Edwards)
- Jeff and Pam Quesenberry (see Troy McMillan)
- Joey Sechrist (see Ed Hill)
- Ricky Surratt (See Will Dawson)
- Hurley and Dot Vernon (see Claude Easter)