Poem "Reminiscing"

Submitted to the Clay County Website by Pat Harrington

Note from Pat: The poem "Reminiscing" has many names from the Walnut Grove community on RFD 1 Rector AR.  Its is about 2 miles south of Greenway on the gravel road.

The David in the 11th verse is probably a typo for Davis.

“REMINISCING”

Over the hills and thru the woods
To play with Frank and Minnie,
The older ones were also there
James, and Charles and Linnie.

Oft’ to neighbor Macks we’d go
To play with George and Vina,
Mattie, Mira, Charles and Bob
Lulu, Will and Anna.

We went to church at Walnut Grove
To be declared a sinner,
When the preacher had done his best,
He’d go with us to dinner.

The afternoons we’d slip away
To try to learn to swim,
Along with the two Georges
My brothers and big Jim.

Big Jim Mack would baptize me
By the name of Solie,
Then baptize my brother
By the name of Nolie.

We slid down the gravel mound
On cupped up Walnut boards,
In the laps of older boys
Great sport the mound affords.

The boys from town would come around
We’d play with many things,
Flying ginnies, roller coasters
Hide and seek, and swings.

We went to school at the cross roads
Up by Gus Matheny’s,
With a bucket filled with lunch
But never any weenies.

Upon the hill there lived the Smiths
The Winsteds, and the Waddles,
But boys and girls, from Greenway
Had to wade the puddles.

There were Walkers, Butlers, Trammels
Roberts, Lovelaces and Kitchells,
David, Hollis, Clippards, Browners
Meltons, Milburns and the Mitchells.

Carters, Overton, and the Hills
Jewels, Jowels, Lieths, Renfros,
Thompsons, Shelbys, and the Watsons
Mayfields, Hodges and Mayos.

Turners, Spicers, Frews, McClouds
Cockrans, Hubbards, and the Leighs,
Nulls, and Crowsons, Uhles and Potters,
Williams, Wheelers and Agees.

Tuckers, Shaffers, Smith and Langleys
Matheneys, Rolands, and the Paynes,
Selfs, Rices, Kutches, Markhams
Gordons, Adams and McCains.

These surnames of boys and girls
Of whom there were a-plenty,
Who went to school at the cross roads
In district number 20.

At recess we played many games
Town ball, skip the rope, and others,
And we had such happy times
Like sisters and big brothers.

On the final day of school
We thought it rather dandy,
To lock the teacher from the room
Till he treated us with candy.

Now we’re scattered far and wide
With many beneath the sod,
Their bodies to Mother Earth returned
Their souls to be with God.

Submitted by—

Solon Biffle Mitchell

504 N. Nevada Ave.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

This is from a newspaper clipping (probably from the Piggot Banner or The Clay Coundy Democrat) found in a photo album belonging to:

Mrs. Frank Golden (Ina Inez Watson)

Route #1

Rector AR