My Uncle Harry

What can I say about my Uncle Harry? He is an accomplished writer, an avid golfer and just a great all around uncle. He has a sense of humor about him, something I like alot, because he is easy to talk too and he likes my attempt at humor as well.

Harry Forse, my mothers brother, along with my Aunt Arlene raised 2 daughters, and did a fine job with them. My cousins Patti and Nancy, when we were younger, used to push each other in a little pushcar I made on one of my visits back to Indiana in the early 60's. Nancy and I talked about that when she was here for mother's funeral.

Back to Uncle Harry. When his father, my grandfather passed away, he did alot of work to settle the estate, which I am thankful for. I only wished we lived closer to one another so we could visit more often. I enjoy talking to him when I can.

That side of my family gets together for reunions every summer, and this year will be different I am sure. The family has a good time at the beach and I am sure enjoyed by all.

Uncle Harry, Thanks for all you have done and being a part of my family....Just My Thoughts

"Chuckie" Morehead

There is rarely a father and son so much alike as Chuck and Chuckie Morehead were. Chuckie was the big brother I never had. I grew up with him, even though he was about 4 years older than me. He helped me get a paper route when I wasn't old enough to have one. He agreed to be responsible for the route long enough for the manager to see that even though I wasn't old enough, I could handle the route and the papers were delivered on time and everyone got theirs, with no exceptions.
As we both got older I guess our relationship became closer. I talked with him about things going on in my life and so forth. He gave me a lot of good thoughts to think about and several good ideas as to how to change the way I looked at things. He was a terrific person. He passed away in 2001 and I sure miss our conversations.
He and I were in scouts together. And if you don't know much about the boy scouts it is an organization based on Christian values. That is where a lot of the boys first learned about Christianity. I think it was a good thing..but not all agreed but I guess that is how life is in general. Not everyone agrees with everybody..so that is how life is. We had a lot of fun on camping trips, exploring new places and so forth. Things I will always treasure. Just talking with Chuckie made you feel good because of what he said and how he said it. He seemed to have good advice.
He was a teacher and a very good one too. His "kids" all adored him. He taught with fairness and with complete control of the classroom, and I guess that is because of who he was and the respect the kids had for him. He touched many more lives than just mine...even though he is gone..he left a lot of good behind and he touched alot of young people, leaving a mark not to be forgotten. Just like his father. Two of a kind, made from the same mold, just a few years apart. Just My thoughts

C.Y. "Chuck" Morehead

When we moved here to Albemarle, one of the first families we met was the Morehead family. They lived right behind us and the family consisted of Chuck(father) Jahala(mother) and the children, Chuckie, Melanie and Dale. We, as kids, did a lot together growing up. There were several kids in the neighborhood, and for some reason, our house and sometimes the Morehead house was the gathering place for the kids to play. We didn't sit inside watching TV..we were out playing something almost everyday. It was Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Football, army...something almost everyday.In the wintertime we had more snow that we get nowadays, and we would go sledding and so forth, and when we came in for the snow, Mom had hot chocolate and a warm fire in the basement for all the kids in the neighborhood who showed up. No one was turned away.

Anyway, about Chuck Morehead. Chuck was like a second father to me. When I was 10 and a half I joined the Boy Scouts, and Chuck was my scoutmaster at Troop 82. I learned a lot in the scouts and I became an Eagle Scout before I finished when I turned 18. Chuck taught probably half the boys in Albemarle how to be a man through scouting How to respect your elders, and how to cook, keep warm while in the woods, to stay dry....in other words how to survive. He also taught lessons from the Bible. He was a Christian man from the word go. One of the finest men I knew. My father traveled a lot and I could always talk to Chuck when my father wasn't around and I needed fatherly advice. At times,HE talked to me because he thought I need to change my attitude. I didn't always agree at the time..but looking back..it was some of the best advice I ever got from anyone. Chuck was very instrumental in building of the new Boy Scout Camp in 1966.

I worked for Chuck in the City Recreation Department. We got along great. I overheard him talking about me one day....he didn't know I heard him I am sure..but he said.."Now Greg....if you tell him what to do and leave him alone..it will get done..if you keep checking up on him....it will take forever. Greg likes to work on his own and not be told how to do it..just give him a job and let him take care of it himself".

Chuck taught me about life, about nature, about enjoying what GOD had built for us to see. Not to destroy what GOD had built but to enjoy it and use it and leave it better that when you found it. In other words...don't leave any trash behind...clean up before you leave and go the extra step..clean up what others left behind....cleaner than when you found it!

A lot of times, when I worked for Chuck, he would come and pick me up at work and say "come with me for a minute" and we would go up to the new park and take a walk in the woods and talk about things..things that were bothering him or things that were bothering me..whatever. No subject was taboo.....anything and everything was discussed in some form or fashion.

Chuck was a second father, a friend, a confidant, he never knew a stranger...and he was one of the most influential men in my life..Someone I will never forget. He was the kind of man that this world needs now. He changed the lives of several people through scouting and his work as hear of the recreation department. I have seen the changes to the department since he left....It is not the same...I am hoping the new director that took over last year will bring back what Chuck started....we sure need it. Love you Chuck and miss you!!! Just My Thoughts

My Grandparents

My grandparents( my mother's parents) were the only grandparents I knew. My father's parents were both gone before I was born.....We had different names for my grandparents than most...the story is that my sister named them, since she was the first grandchild. According to my mother, my grandmother said she was not going to be called grandmother, or grandma or anything like that. So she suggested that she and my grandfather would be called by there given names, Don and Edith. My mother said NO WAY. I don't call you that and neither will my children....so their names were Gago (grandmother) And Dandaddy(grandfather). I really don't know much about Gago's family except that she had a sister named Jane, whose husband was named Agustus (Uncle Gus). They had 3 Children, 2 girls and a boy. Aunt Jane died back in 1958 or 59, somewhere along there because it was before we moved to NC and that was in 1960.

My grandparents had 2 children, Mother the eldest and my Uncle Harry. I will talk about Uncle Harry a little later. Just My Thoughts

My grandfather designed and built laundry and dry cleaning equipment, Hence that is how my family (Hamiltons) got into the business as I mentioned earlier in another story. My Father owned a laundry/dry cleaning business when we lived in Indiana and then when we moved to NC he owned one from 1962 until 1972. Prior to us moving dad worked for Dandaddy, But I am not sure exactly what he did as I was too young to remember, BUT I do remember going to the factory with him several times and I remember him taking my tractor ( the pedal kind) and welding it after a "crash" while riding it and breaking it..That is what I remember about dad working for Dandaddy.

Anyway my grandfather traveled many places overseas for his business because he sold equipment anywhere he could. Had a great business for many years. My father did some installing and repairing work....that is how we ended up in NC...as told in an earlier story.

My Grandfather had nice things.....he had a yacht, and at one time, when I was 16 he bought something he always wanted a 1955 Rolls Royce....I remember that car...once when we went back to Indiana for a visit...Gago wanted Dandaddy to go to the store for something, Dandaddy asked me to go along......said we will take the Rolls...with a smile on my face...in that car we headed to the store. Before we got out of the driveway.....he stopped and said..you drive....I couldn't believe it! I actually got to drive that car....the hood was as long as a city block...but it didn't matter...I felt like a king driving that thing...I will never forget that. It was the only time I drove it.....I will always remember that.....

I only regret about my grandparents is that we lived so many miles away that I missed conversations we could have had. There are things I would have liked to talk about...with both of them..I know can't look back on what might have been....I just wonder sometimes..what if?

I remember shortly after I got married, Gago and Dandaddy were down for a visit. And I asked them to go for a drive.....we all climbed into 2 cars.....Mom, Dad, sisters brother brother in law, wife, the whole gang........as we pulled into the driveway of a house they hadn't seen Gago said "Greggie, what is this ( she always called me Greggie) I told her it was the house Connie ( wife) and I had just bought...with a tear in her eye she hugged us both and said how happy she was for us. That always brings a tear to my eye every time I tell that story.

What more can I say? My Grandparents were terrific people, I didn't get to see them as much as I wished I could have but I did my best to make up for the times we didn't get to share together. I am sure they missed us as much as we missed them....

Little tid bits about mother

Mother sat me down and told me that she didn't have any idea what either of her daughters were going to be when the grew up ( I was around 14 maybe) BUT she knew what Donnie (Don) was going to be and what I was going to be...Don was going to be a dentist and I was going to be a minister. Well my brother is Dr. Don Hamilton, DVM so she was close with him....I didn't become a minister.....yet..but you never know....I have thought about it....

Mother was smart is so many ways...Looking back...I wished I'd have paid more attention to what she and dad had to say. But you know how teenagers are.....no one is as smart as us and no one knows what we know...

I can remember once when I wanted to drag race. I got a car and fixed it up to run.....Both my parents were dead set against it.....I got mad and left...pulled my car to the race track and raced it. Did pretty good......because the next time I decided to race...Mom and Dad both went with me. So be it. All I can think of at the moment. Just My Thoughts

My Mother

My mother was born to two very nice people, my grandparents. My mother was something else. I can remember back when we lived in Indiana....I wanted to join the Cub Scouts. They seemed to have several boys wanting to join at the same time but needed a den mother...guess who came to the rescue? Yes. She was only a den mother one year, because the next year we moved to North Carolina. But I still remember my den...den 4......I don't recall the troop numbers.....

I also remember back when we lived in Indiana....it was a nice day for kite flying..so the four of us (my sisters and my brother) Talked mother to taking us to the drug store across from the school and buying all of us kites. We each got a kite....and me, being in a hurry and NOT listening..put my kite together and out into the field behind our house I went running to fly my kite.....NO TAIL..so guess what? It crashed and the paper was torn...I ran home crying "MOMMIE my kite broke"..I need a new one.....she said no BUT that we could fix the old one......still sniffing and tears running down my face....my mother got a plastic bag that dry cleaning comes in and made me a kite out of that....WITH A TAIL this time....That was the best kite I ever had....it would fly higher that any other kite I had then or later. In fact it was so good I would let all of the string out and still it flew like a bird.....a couple of days later she got me more string..just to see what would happen....that kite would fly with 2 complete rolls of string let all the way out...that kite was so far up in the sky..if one didn't know better..they would think I was just holding a piece of string. You couldn't even see the kite at all. Mom would yell at me to start bringing in my kite about 30 minutes before time to eat so I had time to retrieve it before we ate. My mother was a treasure....

When we moved to NC she still did things for me....besides just the "mother duties" Taking me places when I needed a ride...and when I had my paper route...on really rainy days sometimes she would drive me in the car so I wouldn't get so wet delivering my papers.....

When it came time to get my drivers permit, Mom took me out in the car and let me drive some..after I got my permit, she took me out in the "kids car" a 1959 English Ford that my father purchased for us to learn to drive on and use until we bought our own cars. That car was a straight drive and mother patiently taught me how to "hold the car" with the clutch...I choked it down through several "lights" before I made it through...once I did...that was it....I drove that little car until I wore it out....it is resting off highway 24/27 at the old shell service station...rolled down the bank and covered up. I thought several times about trying to retrieve that car and fix it up.....My mother...what a treasure....(to be continued)

My Dad

My dad was a very special person in my life. He and I were a lot a like. We had pretty much the same interests. I am not sure if I liked the same stuff to be like him or if it was just who I am. He and I both have mechanical skills. We like to take things apart to see how they work, then put the back together again. If it is broken..we would try to fix it if at all possible.

When I was in my teens, my dad would take me on trips with him, Saturdays during the school year and anytime in the summer. My parents owned a laundry and dry cleaning business from 1962 until 1972. I thought my life was all worked out, that I would be working in the laundry and dry cleaning business...but that was not to be. Permanent press clothing came out in the late 60's and a lot of business like my parents closed, as did theirs.

Anyway Dad serviced, repaired and installed laundry and dry cleaning equipment and he would take me along with him on jobs..At first I think it was just for us to spend time together. Later I helped in the work. He showed me how to do stuff and I picked up and worked right along with him. We had great times together because we both liked working with our hands. Afterwards he and I would go out to dinner if it was a job where we worked late. If it was a short job, that didn't take to long..we would eat lunch at a family type cafeteria.

Several times, we would be driving back home and my dad would take a detour, down some back road somewhere.....we would end up at a dirt track. We both enjoyed racing and dirt racing to me is the best there is. A driver has to be talented to drive on dirt. So I got to see several dirt tracks in NC growing up....most are gone now..but I still have my memories. And we we finally got home..Mom would have a big smile on her face as she had known all along were dad and I had been. I titled this MY DAD..but my mother was a great lady as well.....I will talk about her later.....Just My Thoughts

My childhood memories

I was born to some great parents. We lived in a house in Anderson Indiana that my father had built in 1952 I think. I remember in playing on the golf course down the street. Learning to ride a bike, which took some time because of my temper. But when I finally learned, look out world. I rode a bike in my neighborhood and put plenty of miles on that bike. I finally got a new bike I think it was called an english racer..made by JC Huffman sold by Sears. Three speed that the gears constantly slipped and would always come crashing down on the bar......I draw up now even thinking about it.

I never knew my grandparents on my father's side because they were both gone when I was born, but my mother's parents I knew quite well. I wish at times we hadn't moved to NC because i would have loved to have had more time with them. I always looked forward to going to their house for family get togethers and they player piano that all of the grand kids took time playing...I remember the rolls and rolls of tunes that were coming from that piano.............

Then in 1960 we moved to Albemarle NC where I guess my life really started..because this is where I learned most of what I know now. I was 9 and was the "new kid" in the 4th grade....was hard to be accepted because I was new and I had to win them over......you know....someone who talked "funny" to them as they sounded funny to me.....

I continued to ride a bike here...I think I rode a bike until I got into high school. Many happy hours were spent riding with the wind in my face and all alone with my thoughts. I guess those were the happiest days of my life...no cares and no problems..it seemed like life was super. I looked forward to every day...what new place or new thing would I discover today....Life could get no better. Just My Thoughts