Live & Kern

I liked school. This is likely not a surprise. The third grade school was just a couple of blocks from our house. Fourth grade, though, was a little farther away. Walking took about the same time as riding the bus, so on nice, sunny days my neighbor Carrie and I would walk to and/or from school.

The only trouble we encountered was a group of bullies — four or five boys about our age or a little older. Most of the time we could avoid them. They called us names and yelled at us and once threw rocks, which broke the colored pencils I had in my backpack. I don’t remember walking home from the fourth-grade school very often after that.

My journalism degree qualifies me to write all of the family obituaries. That’s something they forget to tell you in j-school.

Woodford Grimes Spillman died Jan. 29, 2013. He was 86.

Spillman was born Jan. 17, 1927, in Lawson, Mo. He lived most of his life in Jamesport, Mo., where he was president and CEO of Home Exchange Bank. He held offices in banking organizations and at one time served as regional vice president of the Missouri Bankers Association.

Spillman was a licensed insurance agent and broker, and real estate broker. He was active in several Jamesport businesses, including a lumber yard, Laundromat, property management and Western Auto store, as well as community affairs. He retired in 1977, and moved to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in 1983. There, Spillman worked for a short time at the First National Bank of South Padre Island, and served as executive director of the Rio Grande Valley Subcontractors Association. He owned and managed the Oakridge Apartment Complex in Harlingen, Texas, from 1995 until his death.

Spillman enlisted in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II, serving overseas with the U.S. Merchant Marines. He received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1946.

Spillman is survived by two daughters, Barbara Smith of Blackwater, Mo., and Sherry and K.D. Whitt of Princeton, Mo.; one son, Terry and Cindy Spillman of Trenton, Mo.; eight grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert V. and Estelle Spillman of Jamesport, Mo.; and one brother, Albert V. Spillman Jr. of California.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 23, 2013, at Buck Ashcraft Funeral Home in Harlingen, Texas, and at 10:30 a.m. March 9, 2013, at United Methodist Church in Jamesport, Mo.

Five years ago, I wrote my grandmother’s obituary, too.

At Saturday’s auction, in addition to the records, I also ended up with several books. I only wanted a few, but the auctioneer thought I needed them all. There’s a small collection of White House related biographies and autobiographies — Henry Kissinger, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Harry S Truman. I’m most interested in those that are more than 50 years old.

“Paul and Virginia” by Bernardin St. Pierre, 1890: There’s no publication date in the book, which is labeled the “Arlington Edition” on the front cover. There are 12 pages of ads in the back, all for other books.

“One Thousand Pointers for Machinists and Engineers” by Chas. McShane, 1897. Original price: $1.50. It’s all about locomotives!

“Burt’s French-English Dictionary” by J.E. Wessely, 1900: It might’ve been written by Wessely, but the title page is quick to point out it was “rewritten, improved, and greatly enlarged by L. Tolhausen and George Payn in collaboration with M. Eug. Heyman.” The original price was $1; the yard sale sticker on the front cover is for 50 cents.

“The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan, 1903.

“The Vicar of Wakefield and Poems” by Oliver Goldsmith, 1908. Written on the inside cover in pencil: A man, a moon; A main, a boat; All afloat.

“Out of the Primitive” by Robert Ames Bennet, 1911. Written in pencil on the first page: Myrtle Adams Scott, from Mrs. John O. Wolfe, High School Class 14.

“Their Yesterdays” by Harold Bell Wright, 1912: The first few pages are loose. The chapters go through the “13 truly great things of life”: Dreams, occupation, knowledge, ignorance, religion, tradition, temptation, life, death, failure, success, love and memories.

“Starr, of the Desert” by B.M. Bower, 1917.

“That Human Being: Leonard Wood” by Hermann Hagedorn, 1920. Someone used the inside covers as a coloring book.

“The World’s One Hundred Best Short Stories; Volume Two: Romance,” 1927: Where are the other nine volumes?

“Short Stories,” 1934: This book was edited by H.C. Schweikert, Central High School, St. Louis.

“Delilah” by Marcus Goodrich, 1941: The fictional story of the USS Delilah is stamped on the sides “USS Barnwell.” The very real Barnwell was built and used in World War II.

“Code of a Champion” by Frederic Nelson Litten, 1950. An Arkansas Library Commission book, it has been stamped “discard” — perhaps because the first page has been ripped out.

“The Man from Missouri: The Life and Times of Harry S Truman” by Alfred Steinberg, 1962: This also was at some point a library book — the Murrell Library at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., to be specific.

“The American Woman’s Cook Book,” 1967: I love old cookbooks, so I’ll probably keep this one. They’re a unique look into life at the time of publication. Where else can you find a Corn Pudding recipe that makes a sauce out of 2 tablespoons of fat, flour, milk and seasonings?

You can learn a lot about a person by the records he auctions.

On Saturday, I went to an auction and ended up with a 1940 Underwood typewriter and a collection of records. It was an all-or-nothing deal, and only $2 for all. All are singles, most are 45s, and none have covers.

The 78s:

• Harry Adams: “Arkansas Traveler” / “Milk Bucket Boogie”
• Ben Light and the Steinway: “I’ll See You in My Dreams” (there’s a chip on the edge of this side) / “My Blue Heaven”
• Claude Thornhill and his Orchestra: “A Sunday Kind of Love” / “Sonata”
• Frankie Carle and his Orchestra: “What’ve You Got to Lose (But Your Heart)” / “Easy Pickin’s”
• Frankie Carle and his Orchestra: “I Had a Little Talk With the Lord” / “A Little of the Lonely Side”
• Jo Stafford: “Once to Every Heart” / “Keep it a Secret”

The 45s:

• Air Supply: “Lost in Love” / “I Don’t Want to Lose You”
• Herb Alpert: “Aranjuez” / “Rise”
• Ambrosia: “Biggest Part of Me” / “Livin’ on My Own”
• America: “A Horse with No Name” / “I Need You”
• Paul Anka: “I Don’t Like to Sleep Alone” / “How Can Anything Be Beautiful — After You”
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive: “Free Wheelin’” / “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive: “Tramp” / “Let it Ride”
• Bay City Rollers: “You Made Me Believe in Magic” / “Dance Dance Dance”
• The Beach Boys: “The T M Song” / “Rock and Roll Music”
• Bee Gees: “Stayin’ Alive” / “If I Can’t Have You”
• Bee Gees: “Edge of the Universe” / “Nights on Broadway”
• The Bee Gees: “Country Woman” / “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”
• Debby Boone: “You Light Up My Life” / “He’s a Rebel”
• Glen Campbell: “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” / “You’ve Still Got a Place in My Heart”
• Glen Campbell: “Lonely My Lonely Friend” / “Try a Little Kindness”
• Glen Campbell: “Wichita Lineman” / “Fate of Man”
• Carpenters: “Road Ode” / “Yesterday Once More”
• Carpenters: “Saturday” / “Rainy Days and Mondays”
• Carpenters: “Superstar” / “Bless the Beasts and Children”
• Carpenters: “I Kept on Loving You” / “(They Long to Be) Close to You”
• Cher: “Mama (When My Dollies Have Babies)” / “You Better Sit Down Kids”
• Cher: “The Way of Love” / “Don’t Put it on Me”
• Chicago: “Just You ‘N’ Me” / “Critic’s Choice”
• Chicago: “If You Leave Me Now” / “Together Again”
• Chicago: “Colour My World” / “I’m a Man”
• Commodores: “Still” / “Such a Woman”
• Perry Como: “It’s Impossible” / “Long Life, Lots of Happiness”
• John Conlee: “Rose Colored Glasses” / “I’ll Be Easy”
• The Cowsills: “What is Happy?” / “Hair”
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: “Our House” / “Deja Vu”
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: “Carry On” / “Teach Your Children”
• Christopher Cross: “Never Be the Same” / “The Light is On”
• Cymarron: “Rings” / “Like Children”
• John Denver: “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” / “My Sweet Lady”
• John Denver: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” / “Poems, Prayers and Promises”
• Diana Ross and the Supremes: “Love Child” / “Will This Be the Day”
• Dire Straits: “One World” / “Walk of Life”
• The Doobie Brothers: “Without You” / “Long Train Runnin’”
• Doors: “Wild Child” / “Touch Me”
• Big Al Downing: “The Story Behind the Story” (mono) / “The Story Behind the Story” (stero) (Promotion copy)
• Robbie Dupree: “Steal Away” / “I’m No Stranger”
• Yvonne Elliman: “Love Me” / “(I Don’t Know Why) I Keep Hangin’ On”
• Emotion: “Samantha Sang” / “When Love is Gone”
• Exile: “You Thrill Me (Edit)” / “Kiss You All Over (Edit)”
• Freddy Fender: “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” / “Waiting for Your Love”
• Englebert Humperdinck: “Release Me (And Let Me Love Again” / “There Goes My Everything”
• Fleetwood Mac: “Sara” / “That’s Enough for Me”
• Four Seasons: “Who Loves You” / “Who Loves You (Disco Version)”
• Gordon Lightfoot: “Sundown” / “Too Late for Prayin’”
• Gordon Lightfoot: “If You Could Read My Mind” / “Me and Bobby McGee”
• Grand Funk: “Destitute & Losin’” / “The Loco-Motion”
• Grand Funk: “Some Kind of Wonderful” / “Wild”
• Grand Funk Railroad: “I Come Tumblin’” / “Footstompin’ Music”
• Grant Grieves and the Flashbacks: “I’ve Got You” / “Good Time Girl”
• Al Green: “Let’s Stay Together” / “Tomorrow’s Dream”
• Al Green: “School Days” / “Sha-la-la (Make Me Happy)”
• Andy Gibb: “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” / “Words and Music”
• Hot Chocolate: “A Love Like Yours” / “Emma”
• Hugo Montenegro and His Orchestra: “For a Few Dollars More” / “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
• The Jackson 5: “I’ll Be There” / “One More Chance”
• Jethro Tull: “Bungle in the Jungle” / “Back-Door Angels”
• Elton John: “Conquer the Sun” / “Little Jeannie”
• George Jones: “He Stopped Loving Her Today” / “A Hard Act to Follow”
• K.C. and the Sunshine Band: “I Betcha Didn’t Know That” / “Please Don’t Go”
• Kris Kristofferson: “Why Me” / “Jesus Was a Capricorn (Owed to John Prine)”
• Kris Kristofferson: “Help Me” / “Why Me”
• Led Zeppelin: “D’yer Mak’er” / “The Crunge”
• The Lemon Pipers: “No Help From Me” / “Green Tambourine”
• The Lettermen: “I Believe” / “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”
• Melissa Manchester: “I Got Eyes” / “Midnight Blue”
• Barry Manilow: “I Write The Songs” / “A Nice Boy Like Me”
• Bobbi Martin: “For the Love of Him” / “I Fall to Pieces”
• Meat Loaf: “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” / “For Crying Out Loud”
• Anne Murray: “Another Sleepless Night” / “It Should Have Been Easy”
• Anne Murray: “Why Don’t You Stick Around” / “Broken Hearted Me”
• Anne Murray: “Somebody’s Waiting” / “Could I Have This Dance”
• Anne Murray: “I Still Wish the Very Best for You” / “You Needed Me”
• David Naughton: “Makin’ It” / “Still Makin’ It”
• The New Seekers: “Look What They’ve Done to my Song Ma” / “It’s a Beautiful Day” — This one has a yard sale price sticker on it: “25 cents or 5 for $1.”
• Randy Newman: “Short People” / “Baltimore (Edit)”
• Olivia Newton-John: “I Honestly Love You” / “Home Ain’t Home Anymore”
• Orleans: “Dance With Me” / “Ending of a Song”
• Donny Osmond: “The Wild Rover (Time to Ride)” / “Go Away Little Girl”
• Donny and Marie Osmond: “I’m Leaving it (All) Up to You” / “The Umbrella Song”
• Ozark Mountain Daredevils: “If You Wanna Get to Heaven” / “Spaceship Orion”
• The Partridge Family: “I’ll Meet You Halfway” / “Morning Rider on the Road”
• Peaches & Herb: “We’ve Got to Love One Another” / “Two Little Kids”
• Ray Price: “For the Good Times” / “I Won’t Mention it Again”
• Prince: “I Wanna Be Your Lover” / “My Love is Forever”
• Raspberries: “Hard to Get Over a Heartbreak” / “Tonight”
• Raspberries: “Let’s Pretend” / “Every Way I Can”
• Jim Reeves: “I’ve Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand” / “Don’t Let Me Cross Over”
• Charlie Rich: “The Most Beautiful Girl” / “I Feel Like Going Home”
• Johnny Rivers: “Outside Help” / “Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancin’)”
• Kenny Rogers: “You Decorated My Life” / “One Man’s Woman”
• Kenny Rogers: “Love the World Away” / “Sayin’ Goodbye/Requiem: Goin’ Home to the Rock”
• Neil Sedaka: “Laughter in the Rain” / “Endlessly”
• T.G. Sheppard: “You Feel Good All Over” / “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again”
• Bobby Sherman: “One Too Many Mornings” / “Little Woman”
• Barbra Streisand: “Woman in Love” / “Run Wild”
• Edwin Starr: “War” / “He Who Picks a Rose”
• Styx: “Lady” / “Children of the Land (Short Version)”
• Sugarloaf/Jerry Corbetta: “Texas Two-Lane” / “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You”
• Donna Summer: “There Will Always Be a You” / “On the Radio”
• James Taylor: “Steamroller” / “You’ve Got a Friend”
• Joe Tex: “I Gotcha” / “A Mother’s Prayer”
• B.J. Thomas: “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” / “Never Had it So Good”
• Hank Thompson: “Point of No Return” / “Tony’s Tank-Up, Drive-In Cafe” (Promotion copy)
• Conway Twitty: “She Thinks I Still Care” / “I’d Just Love to Lay You Down”
• Frankie Valli: “My Eyes Adored You” / “Watch Where You Walk”
• Randy Vanwarmer: “Just When I Needed You Most” / “Your Light”
• Roger Voudouris: “Get Used to It” / “The Next Time Around”
• Willie Nelson: “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” / “Remember Me (When the Candle Lights are Gleaming)”

This is the newspaper story about my great-grandparents’ wedding:

A Sad Honeymoon

Friends have just learned of the marriage of Miss Bessie Hazel Hoskins to Mr Clarence Samual Fulerson on the twenty-fifth of January. Both are young people of near Trenton and the ceremony was performed by Justice F.S Olyer of Brimson.

A great deal of romance is interwoven with this wedding. The bridegroom procured the license on January 13, and during the days intervening (and long before) the bride was being carefully watched by the members of her family to prevent the wedding Finally on the 25th a sister of the groom succeeded in getting the two young couple together long enough to have the ceremony performed. But again the parents of the bride interfered and although the couple were married they have not been allowed to see each other since the day of the wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Fulkrson are both of age and have been sweethearts for a number of years.

The announcement was published a week after they married. (The typos are original — not my doing.) I’m not sure when the couple was allowed to see each other again, but I’d guess it was soon after the paper hit the front porch.

This is the newspaper story about my grandparents’ wedding :

Fulkerson-Spillman wedding announced

Announcements are being received this week of the marriage of Miss Celia Fulkerson, Jamesport, Mo., to Mr. Grimes Spillman, Jamesport, Mo., on Dec. 13, 1948, at the Methodist Parsonage, Ridgeway, Mo., by the Rev. W.H. Ezell.

Miss Fulkerson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Fulkerson is a graduate of the Trenton High School and Platt-Gard Business University, St. Joseph, Mo., and for the past six years has been employed by the Prudential Insurance Co. in Chillicothe, Mo.

Mr. Spillman is a son of Mr. and Mrs. A.V. Spillman of Jamesport and is a graduate of Jamesport High School. He attended William Jewell College until he entered the Merchant Marines, in which he served two years. He is now in the insurance business in Jamesport.

The couple spent a week’s honeymoon in Phoenix, Ariz.

The announcement was published in April, four months after the wedding. Evidently my family likes secrets.