Monday, April 27, 2009

Testing your memory

Can anyone give me any information or memories of the following men.

A man named (Winfield) he lived east of Wauneta along the highway

Lon Barnes-he lived down by the water treatment plant-he had a wooden leg

Ira Miles- he lived just west of the county line. He always walked and carried a gunny sack

Ernie Edwards ?

12 comments:

Gary White said...

George Winfield I believe. Was he the man who had been shell shocked in WW I? I can remember a person, maybe him, who often walked along highway 166 in an overcoat (Government issue).

Anonymous said...

Yes Gary, that is him, I remember the trenchcoat and a cane. He would be wearing the coat even in July.

rick hollister said...

I did not mean to comment as anonymous.

Don Shaffer said...

I remember Lon Barnes, who lived near the water plant. His wooden leg was a result of a mowing machine accident, I believe. And, if memory serves me correctly, his mowing machine was pulled by horses! I also remember his carpentry shop, in back of his house, near the cellar. If it was made of wood, Lon could build it! He was also a carver of renown! He was a rather "salty" character and often had "tall tales to tell!" He had a wonderful and understanding wife!!!

P.S. In this day of modern prosthesis devices, if Lon had been given the choice, I'm sure he would have said, "Just give me WOOD!

DFCox said...

Yes I remember all of them Rick. As I recall Ernie Edwards and his wife lived on a neat little spread So. of CV. Cross Cedar Creek So. of the Woodruff/Steward place and go about 3 miles. Before coming to the Thompson farm take a county road that tees off to the west. The Edwards lived at the end of that road.
Don Shaffer told about Lon Barnes, but he left out one salient point. Lon was also one of the town bootleggers. People in need could pull up to his back porch and make the purchase.
George Winfield, who our parents described as "shellshocked" patrolled the highway and directed traffic. At those times I guess he thought he was back in France behind the lines. I was told that he was gassed (mustard gas) and that helped bring on his condition. I hope his country was taking care of him.
I remember Ira Miles very well. He lived in his old hermit house a mile north of the highway. Housekeeping and personal hygiene were not his priorities. I've been told that the Miles place was quite a nice place when his parents were still living.
So here are 4 more interesting old time citizens of CV. Rick you have a knack for remembering these folks. Keep it up

Pat Pate Molder said...

It was a frightening thing when George Winfield went into Hankins Drug, dressed in heavy, well worn army clothes. He would sit on a stool at the fountain, pound with his fist and scream "I want my dose of epsom salts". Don Hankins was always so good and patient with him and would fix what the man wanted. After drinking it, he would leave. I felt sorry for him, but always glad Don was there when Mr. Winfield came in......Albert Pate had Lon Barnes make a small secretary type desk for my sister and me. My daughter uses it in her home today. Ira Miles did carry a gunny sack and my memory is that he usually came to town late in the evening, even after dark. He went behind the stores and collected food scraps in the gunny sack. Maurice Smith would leave extra food out for Ira. Other grocers probably did, too. I felt sorry for Ira, too, but yet walked a little faster if I saw him around when I walked home after working evenings at Hankins Drug.

Gary White said...

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is what we would call George Winfield's condition today. My information indicates that the most recent manifestation of PTSD is vastly increased suicide rates among soldiers returning from Iraq. I join Don in hoping that our country will take care of all our returning service people.

Don Shaffer said...

Rick, I have another
"unforgettable character! This one lived in a card-board, tin-type shack, at the Cedar Vale City Dump! On a dare, I once looked into his shack. I looked so fast I can't remember what was there! I saw him a few times. Tall. Thin. And, everything about him was "earthy-brown, even his face!" This I do remember......
His name was Belgium! Anyone remember him?

Diane Bradbury said...

Ira Miles illness was unknown to the peoeple of Cedar Vale and I assume he never encountered such a thing as a mental health care. He preceeded the discovery of anti-psychotic drugs. But we all felt afraid of him. Too bad.

His sister, Demaris, married one of my mother's cousins, Neal Helmick. They lived in Salina and had three children, all deceased at this time. One son was a professor at the Missouri University (MSU?) in Columbia. The second son became an M.D. after his career in the Army, and worked as a pathologist in Florida. The youngest, a girl, may have had the genetic makeup of their CV uncle. I tell this with sincere sympathy and love for any of the family. We never heard references of her but I do know she was very intelligent and was instutionalized at some time.

Another reason is that I am the mother of a mentally ill son who is doing great at this time due to some new medication. Maybe some day...a cure. But without care be would have much in common with Ira Miles who was no bloodd relation but maybe from family heritage or other causes. We will never know.

Keep an open mind and God bless the people suffering from mental illness and their families.

Now I am carefully stepping down from my soap box. Submitted by Diane Archer Bradbury

Diane Bradbury said...

Also, I must commend those who wrote comments and Rick, who wrote the original post. I feel that you all handled the subject with respect and heartfelt caring for the lives of these men who may or may not have had mental issues.
Diane Archer Bradbury

Ola said...

Rick, I remember Ira Miles and Daddy always said he rode an old horse or mule to town and would leave it at the north end of town. He would ride it to town on the old rode behind the Breashear and Mills places. He walked with a slumped posture and swung his arms as he walked. Other characters I remember is Everett Cook and Billy Brease.

Ada "Ruth" Pendergraft said...

I had not c hecked on this site in a while, but can give some history on "George Winfield". He was a "shell-shocked" vetern that lived near Red and Martha Courtoy about 12 miles east of C.V. on 5 acres (on the hill) My mother was his care giver for several years. She fixed his 3 meals a day, washed his clothes, took him to town, to doctors, attended to his needs. He kept his own house and his personal care he could do also.He wore his overcoat awll the time, usually shaking his fist,and always talking to himself. He could carry on a limited convesation and answer questions accurately. He was very protec tive of my younger sister Kaye. The "little dolly" was the apple of his eye. He died in 1954. He is buried at Sedan. My folks bought the place after his death, remodled the house (houses) and continued to live ther until the moved to Aurora MO. in 1983. Many may remember Martha first w3orking at the Hilltop Cafe with "Pete Holt" and then in later years at the Hays Hospital for a long time. I worked at the hospital after becoming a R.N. then in 1966 went to Wesley Hospital to become a C.R.N.A. (anesthetist). My husband Wayne worked for Floyd's Garage3 while we lived in Cedar VAle. Both of our children, Kelley and David were born there. We lived in Winfield, Stillwater, Ok., then 1 year in Newport, AR. before finding a spot to stay. The Mo. Ozarks, Aurora, Mo. where we have been 35 years. Wayne passed away Jan. 3, 2008, C.V. will always be where I am from but Aurora is HOME. My mother is 88 and lives here and Kelley and her family live on 8 acres south of town. She is the radiology dept supervisor at the local hospital. David spent 20 years in the Coast Guard as helicoptor maintainance andnow works for a company that supports the National Forest Service in Fire Control, but usually is in Lousiana working for the same co. supporting the off shore oil rigs. He works 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. So much for your answer, got much more information than you asked for HUH??