Monday, August 24, 2009

Itawamba tree planters

Left to right, in this undated photograph: unknown (maybe county agent?), Floyd Wilemon, Cotton Dulaney, Albert Sartin, Melvin Dulaney, Lemois Johnson, Graden Byram, unknown, Hershel Senter, and Jack Chilcoat.

Looks to me as if these men were getting ready to plant trees or maybe posing for an Arbor Day picture for the newspaper?

Cotton and Melvin were sons of James Henry "Jim" Henry while Floyd Wilemon was married to their sister, Vida. Graden Byram was married Sammie Lane Dulaney, daughter of Wylie and Anna Moore Dulaney. Sammie worked for many years at the county's ASCS office so perhaps she was behind the tree planting! Hershel Senter was the son of Nervia Mae Dulaney and her husband Jesse Alvin Senter. Lemois Johnson is connected to our family from the 'other side' as the grandson of Jack Norman Johnson and Amanda Bowen.

Don Dulaney turned up this photo during a scavenger hunt, but real thanks goes out to "Cousin Rita" who restored the photograph by digitally removing some stains. Also, Royce Robinson helped to identify the men. Truly a group effort by fellow Itawambians! If anyone knows who the two unknown men are in the photo, please let me know.

4 comments:

Rita said...

I called them the kudzu planters.

Anonymous said...

Rita, if these men were "the kudzu planters", please know that they certainily were successful! Trouble is - they didn't know when they reached the MS/AL stateline boundaries 'cause there is as much of that stuff in AL as in MS!! LOL I've told this story many times and to many people; a young school friend of my baby brother turned 16 (in the early '50's) and his widowed mother purchased him a '46 Ford. On his "first night out to show off", he had the car loaded with as many buddies as could pile in (thankfully, my brother wasn't riding, but he thinks he would have saved the inexperienced driver and friend's lives had he been). They were heading back from Carbon Hill toward Winfield (AL) when the driver suddenly decided to pass a Greyhound bus and drove into the path of an 18 wheeler. The 4-door car was cut in half and all kids thrown out onto the kudzu covering this huge ravine - they spent the rest of the night untangling body pieces from the kudzu. This has been so traumatic all these years that I can't read the word "kudzu" without recalling this night of horror for the citizens of Winfield, AL.

Nothing has changed. . . .we were returning from the Dr. this morning and driving along the lake road (in sw Ft. Worth) when a young girl whipped up behind, and ignoring the double yellow line was scooting around us like we were parked. It is posted 40 mph, but Ron estimated she was driving at least 65. bettye

Don Dulaney said...

Who would have THunk it! Kudzu!!!

Cathy Byram Neaves said...

I am Cathy Byram Neaves, the daughter of Gradon and Sammie Dulaney Byram. I do not recognize my father in this photo, however, I do recognize my Uncle Reggie Wood, who was married to my father's sister, Burton Byram Wood. Reggie Wood is on the front row to the left of Lemois Johnson.Thanks!