| Notes : Don was my Dad's brother, so I have heard about this all my life. This story is pieced together from accounts of various people, my Granny, (Murle) My Grandaddy (Kermit) My Dad (Ronnie) and Lula Wallace (close family friend) to name a few. The story starts out like this. It was a rainy day, but not yet stormy. Don and Billy (his friend) were across the street in a tent, set up on an empty lot. My dad, Ronnie had been outside with them earlier, but his dad made him come in. (He was only 5.) It wasn't raining hard, but some dark clouds were heading in. No lightning so far, but those clouds looked ominous. My grandaddy went to the door and told the boys they should get ready to come in. Then he walked to the kitchen to unplug the new refridgerator. My dad was sitting in the floor with his back to the wall. There was a crash, and a scream, I don't know which was first. Thunder, and the first lightning of the day. My daddy told me that grandaddy ran out the front door, through the yard, across the street, and jerked the side of the tent up....and Don fell into his arms. Others have told me that he was burned so badly that his skin was black. Grandaddy used to tell me that every bone in his body was broken. My Granny was at work. They contacted her boss, Jasper Adcox, and he carried her to the hospital. Lula said my Granny was never the same after that. Grandaddy used to tell me about Don always having money in his pocket. He said that when Don died, he had 5 dollars in his pocket. |