Interview with Charles and Ann Johnson

Charles Johnson borm May 15 1931  Parents were Mary Pitt and CC Pitt Johnson.

Talks about his mother and father parents.

We have a paper that shows all of the dates of his parents and grandparents.

Parents were living in Chuckatuck when he was born.  House was built by his grandfather.  Grandfather moved up to chuckatuck so his kids could go to school in Chuckatuck.  His father was in WW ! and not sure how he met his mother.  Lived in Norfolk first then back to Chuckatuck.

Ann Johnson born march 11, 1931.  Her mother and father lived in Suffolk at the time.Father was Willie Alonzo Stayler born in 1907.  Mother was born aug 27 1908.  Talks about her grandparents.

Her grandfather was one of the first plumbers in Suffolk.

Her father got a job at lone star when he was 17. Had the most years with lone Star of anyone.

He laid the track, did the concrete work for the washer plant.  When Ann was 3 years old she moved into a house on route 10.  Went to Chuckatuck for Church and School.

He was laid off for a few short months when Mr. Woodward was the Superintendent.  They lived in the house from 1934-1951.  In 1951 he became supertindent and remained so until he built the home behind Meadowlot lane at in 1964.  Mr. Staylor passed away in 1995 at 85.

When he retired Frank gave him a 1972 Chevrolet Truck.  Ann still has the truck.

Ann and Charles were married in 1952.

Mr. Johnson lost an eye circa 1951 when a ball hit him in the eye.

Charlie talks about coming home when his dad lost his eye.

Charlie was in the Airforce for 44 months.  Then he went back to school to finish his senior year at Elon.

While in school that year he worked for a French teacher who wired the lab and for that he got a C on the course.

He was interviewed by Mr. Johnson to be the Principal at Kings Fork elementary for $3000 per year.  Both of them got jobs at Deep Creek

24:00 talks about their teaching days.

Lipton was opening up their business in Suffolk and he ran the lab for them.  In 1959 came back to Everets and lived over Lew Morris.  They had to move when Josh Pretlow needed to move in as his house was being moved due to the lake being formed.

27:00  Talks about building their home on the Pitt lots.

28:30  talks about how the Cabin figured into their lots etc.

32:00  Charlie talks about his time in chuckatuck.  He remembers the fire at the saw mill and members of the community holding up rugs to keep the house  from burning.  Liked the outdoors and fished and hunted a lot.  Had a pony.  Walked to school and home for lunch.  Byron Wolford was in chemistry class and Mr. Christopher was the teacher.  If Mr. Christopher did not show up for 15 minutes they would jump out of the window and go home for a nice long lunch.

Cafeteria was in the basement of the school next to the furnace room.

Best teacher was Virginia Betts and Francis Smith.

Ann taught school at Chuckatuck for a short period in 1959 but stayed on until the school closed in 196x

39:30  talks about building the cabin with Leroy Howell.  Loaded the lumber in a boat and carried it to the cabin.  Cabin is still in being but has been renovated.

41:00 talks about the Mill Pond.  How they got the wood to the cabin.  The only way to get to the cabin was the water. This was the Chuckatuck Creek at one time and it was dammed up.  Talks about the property line and how it was flooded when the dam was built.  Dam was built to provide water for the grist mill and a way across the creek.

If you had your life to do over what would you do differently.  He enjoyed coaching rather than teaching and if he had it to do over he would be a coach.  Would have enjoyed being a pilot but that was not in the cards.

Fondest memory of Chuckatuck was fishing and the outdoor life.

Ann’s fondest memory of Chuckatuck working in the garden and yard and going to Church at Oakland.

59:00 talks about the dam and how it got its water.

1:04  talks about the basement in the store and the possibility of it being a NIP Joint at one time.

1:09  Talks about the Pitt and Brock farms.

1;10  talks about trading pigs etc regarding Christopher Pittins for rent.  Rent to live on the Pitt farm was then about $3.00 a year but was tough to come by.

1:13  Ann talks about her mother making clothes for them.

1:14  Talks about Frank and how much milk he drank.  So much they had to buy a cow which Mrs. Staylor refused to milk.  Very good story.

1:17 talks about going to Suffolk every Saturday.