Interview with Edith C. Hurff

Edith was born in the village of Chuckatuck January 27, 1926.  Best little village in the world.  Walked to school everyday with Bernard Godwin.

Talks about swimming in the Marl Holes.  Dottie Mae was 9 years older than Edith.

Talks about roomers and Boarders,  Katherine Godwin,  road workers,

One of the boarders had a son named Skeezicks.  He gave Edith her nick name of “Eddie Pie”.

Talks about grandparents  How the deceased were treated.

Mills Godwin moved to Chuckatuck when he was young from Holiday Point Farm.

Discusses some of the Godwin children and where they taught and who they married.

Discusses Nurses training

Married on November 18 but still talks about Chuckatuck School (9.00)

Middle of three children..Talks about parents and children.

Discussion about the stores at the intersection and who lived where.

Talked about Percy Pitt and how he danced (like a feather).

Talks about how the house was used during WW2.  House became a USO.  Estelle Livesay would bring some of the single girls from here office so they could dance. Also discussed how a man stayed with them in the room where the girls coats had been and how one lady went looking for her coat.

Gwaltney’s store used to have dances as well.

Edith talks about the Lone Star Homes.

Bernard Godwin owned the lumber mill and ice plant and grist mill.  Thomas Turner worked at the Ice Plant and allowed the kids to go into the cooler box to stay cool.  Bernard Godwin also owned a plant in NC and was killed when he hit an inbutment.

We are related to the Godwins through Mills’ mother.

Talks about the grade school.  Bernard Godwin’s son was in school with Edith.

Granddaddy worked for some of the stores, as a toll collector,

Edith tells a good story about Pres. Hoover and Mr. Smith (30.00)

Edith talks about Tent Shows across from the Moore House.  Right where Miss Kitty’s is now.

Lois Bond was Bernard Godwin’s secretary right between the Grist Mill and Ice Plant.

Edith talks about Dr. Eley’s practice in 1951 (36.00)

Dr. Eley practiced until he died.  He originally practiced in Eclipse before he came to Chuckatuck.

Edith and Frank came to Chuckatuck after they got married and lived in one of the Lone Star houses.  (39.00)  became a stay at home mother.  Went to Scott AFB in 1951.  They took the train.  Then to Elsworth AFB.   Linda was born in San Antonio.  Then off to Bitburg, Germany.  Then to Roswell, then to Lowering AFB.  Then to Albany, GA  Then to March AFB.

Mammy and Granddaddy moved to Chuckatuck right after Dorothy Mae was born.  She was born in small red house just past Whitehead’s Grove Baptist Church.  They moved to Wills’ Corner then to Chuckatuck to the old Willoughby house (across from the Spady house). No indoor plumbing ever.  (right next to Charlie Pitt’s old house which is where the 7/11 is now but closer to the road. (Paused at 51.00)

Emma Mae Kelly (Spady)  was about two years older than Eddie Pie.

Virginia Godwin lived back behind the Glasscock farm and worked for my grandmother.  She made the best rice pudding that you could ever eat.  I took Virginia home one day and backing out of her lane I got a krink in my neck and Momma got mad at Mammy for letting me drive.

Marain Willoughby bought the house next to Mr. Saunders for her mother.  Mr. Christopher moved into that house from a house up off Route 10.

Mr. Duff was the principal before Mr. Christopher and he married Mary Grice (a student) and when Mr. Duff died she came back and lived with her daddy.

Annie Lee Duff still lives in the real old house on Cherry Grove Road.

Mr. Christoper stayed for years and went to Franklin.  Bill Rippey was the AG teacher and Lew Morris was the principal.  Ames is dead and Hudnell lives in Winston Salem.  Mr. Brooks was also a principal (before/after Mr. Christopher) possibly Tabb Gillette.  Tabb went to Courtland.

When you look at Chuckatuck (61.00)  what is the fondest memory.  Walking down to the Marl hole and stay in the water all day long.  Walking to school with her best friends, dances in gym at Chuckatuck, during the war had to pool gas stamps to drive to the ball games.  Did not learn to drive until after they were married.

First car that granddaddy had (she remembers) was a Model A, then an Essex, (Mills Godwin) loved to drive that car.  Bud slammed on the brakes and put some cuts on Eddie Pie’s head.  Told the tale of this when he was elected Gov.  Frank Spady said he remembered both the Model A and the Essex.  He ask granddaddy what would be his next car and he said a Cadillac.  Frank said you will never be able to afford it.

Mr. Crumpler owned the Spady house at one time. Did not drive a car but he did own one.  Every Sunday the driver would take Eddie Pie and Emma Mae to Suffolk to the Cavalier Theater.  Mr. Crumpler loved Carole Willoughby.

Eddie Pie talks about going out on the ice in their Gusloshers (no ice skates) down at the mill pond.  Use to be a house right on the road (Mr. Doyle), across from the grist mill.  Also a meat packing plant just behind this house.

(74.00) talks about the Godwin’s house and who lived there when Granddaddy moved into his house.  Capt. Charlie Godwin put the copula on the Godwin’s house.  House was sold to Uncle Mills who lived on the farm.  Always had a jig saw puzzle going in one of the outer buildings.  Charlie B. Godwin was the most influential person in the area.

Talks about who lived in the big house next to the Meadowlot lane.

Granddaddy died in 1970 and Mammy in 1974.  Betty Glasscock and her father, Mr. Staples, passed granddaddy who had stopped to get some sand to repair a small depression in his yard.  Mammy was in the hospital when she died.  Had been in there for a month.

Clyde and Jimmy Brock lived next door to Mammy and Granddaddy.  Bobby Jones was the first to open the Drug store.

Talks about the Virginia Hospital in Suffolk.

Talks about Momma and the Gun.  (89.00)   Momma would take Eddie Pie down to Roy Webb’s so they could go off with the Sailor Boys.  Momma and Jessie missed the milk wagon once and Mammy and Grandaddy found out and went down to get them and found out about the Sailor Boys.  Momma would tell Jessie if she would come over and help her clean she could spend the night.

Talked about Daddy trying to quite school.  He got a job driving the school bus.

Talked about Momma always treating daddy Right.  (93.00)  Talked about momma getting out of the car and walking along

Dr. I.W. Johnson married momma and daddy and the address she gave him was (over the rail road track)  No such address. They ran away and got married.

When they moved to Texas Frankie wrote home to his granddaddy and told him there was no shaddy out here.

Told Granddaddy about getting his ass end over   Looking for a shortcut to Illinios.  Talked about getting stuck and going to a service station and the attendant said I am sure glad you are not going to ask me to wash that car.  Granddaddy said that is exactly what I am going to ask you.

Discussed Frank’s Death.  (101.00)  Cancer was service related as to Nuclear Weapons.  Lots of peers died at about the same age of the same cancer.

Joe was born in 1953 in Portsmouth Naval Hospital.  Frank brought one of the first VW’s back from Germany.  That volks wagon had the turn signals that flew out of door.  Frank went down to Foots Spady to take Edith to the hospital when Joe was born.  All children had to be turned around.  Joe says all about that heavy parting.

Talks about being in Italy with me.