Readers, you have your assignment, send me stories

I recently visited one of the local cemeteries with a friend.  It might sound a little morbid, but that is one of the most fascinating things to do.  The old headstones are so interesting. One grave was that of a mother with a small child on each side.  One of the children only lived one day in 1950 and the other lived four days.  I wonder if she had other children or just what her story was.  There were many veteran headstones as far back as the Civil War.  One stone had a long list of valor for a Vietnam veteran, including that he was the first Navy seal killed by hostile fire during the Vietnam War.  All of this is real life history.

All of this got me to thinking about the history of Camp County and Pittsburg.  I have lived in Cookville most of my life and have family ties to Titus County.  I have heard local stories from my parents, aunts and uncles.  My uncle always told stories about his youth.  He told of him and his friends going to church revivals and playing pranks.  He claimed that the services would last sometimes for days because everyone traveled by horse and wagon.  The babies would get tired and fussy so the mothers would get them to sleep and put them in the back of the wagons.  While the preacher was preaching fire and brimstone, they would be outside switching the babies around in different wagons.  It sounds funny, but I bet there were some really mad mothers when they realized they had the wrong baby.  “Hell hath no fury” like a mama that someone has messed with her baby.  He never said if they ever got caught doing it.

All of this to say, I would like to hear your stories.  Every county has a dead man’s curve or a hanging tree story. Do you have a family member that told interesting or funny stories?  Write the stories and send them to me.  Don’t worry if you are not a great writer, I will help you edit it.  I think readers would be interested in reading them.  Please try to stick to the truth as much as you can, but everyone knows yarns grows with each telling.  I have no plans to try to verify the stories; I just want to be entertained by them. Please include your name and telephone number in case I have any questions.  If you have any pictures that would go along with the story, that would be great.  I can scan the pictures so they can be used in the paper.

Ok readers, you have your assignment.  Get these stories to me.  I can hardly wait to read them. Bring them by the office or e-mail them to jlogan@campcountynow.com.