| In the little town of Dizney Kentucky in the early and middle 50's there were two general stores. The Pace family had a store and the Jones brothers had a general store. The Jones store also housed the US Post Office. There were two churches. Locust Grove Baptist Church and the Church of God Pentacostal Church. There was a bus that ran every day. The community revolved around the two churches. My family belonged to the Baptist Church. Every Sunday morning found my family except for Dad, at church. There would be songs, offerings, and Sunday School would begin. The men would teach the classes for the boys and men and the women would teach the girls and women classes. My favorite teacher was my Mamow Cloud. She could make the people in the bible so real to me. I don't ever remember anyone whether teacher or preacher telling us to hate the Jews because they killed Jesus. I never heard a prejudice word spoken against a black person. When I moved to Louisville when I turned 13, I could not believe the prejudice and hate in that city. We were pretty isolated in the hills of Kentucky. There were a few things that came as natural to the citizens of Dizney and neighboring towns as drinking water. Those things were illegal moonshine, beer and other hard liquor. Guns were carried by the male population. I have heard the story of my Papow Cloud's half sisters who never left the house without their pistols. My mom knew how to shoot pistols and shotguns. Gambling was very popular too. There were numerous times daddy would be out somewhere gambling and when he woke up the next morning his pockets would be slightly lighter, but he never knew the difference. On July 4th there would not be any fireworks or rockets shot into the sky, but the mountains would shake, rattle and roll after dark when daddy and his friends would be chucking dinamite sticks from the top of the surrounding mountains. This was the best holiday of the year. Lots of relatives would come home for a visit and there would be lots of food and ice cream, at least at Tilman and Leona Cloud's house. Halloween did not mean much in my childhood, but mischief night sure did. I remember one mischief night after church service was over and we began walking up the road towards the big bridge a flashlight spotted hugh bolders across the road. The mischief makers would also overturn a select few outside toilets and others they would set afire. Each year after Thanksgiving the participants in the christmas play would start the weekly practice on a week night at the church. The play was always great and the choir was great. On the Sunday before Christmas, everyone in Dizney would be at the church house for Sunday School and morning services. Afterward the children would line up and walk up to the alter and be handed a large paperbag with fruit, nuts, candy and gum. Then every adult would line up and receive their bag also. For many of the adults and children this would be the only time they would get such treats. I know that was the only time I got an orange and candy and gum. The only time I got a peach was if a peach farmer happened to drive though Dizney selling their fruit. There was never a shortage of apples or pears. The Dizney grade school building was in the shape of a horse shoe. The building faced the county road. The school bus would stop in font of the building to let us get off. There was a porch that ran the entire length of the inside of the building. On rainy days or if the sun was too hot to play outside, we sould sit on the porch and eat our lunch. My brothers and I usually took bologna sandwiches or peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches. I am sure that some of the children went home to have pinto beans and corn bread. The poor families, there were actually some middle class families, received free food once a month. The food would be peanut butter, rice, cheese, powdered milk, spam and somekind of hash and potatoes. Most families did not have running water, toilets or central heat. There was electricity. At the bottom of Stretch Neck holler there was a fairly empty area for cars to park and turn around or at one time mules and wagons to park or turn around. My older brothers and I would come out of the holler in the summer after all chores were done and the kids would play baseball or other games. Since I couldn't run good I didn't get picked for some of the games. We would play marbles, which I liked a lot, or hide and seek. If daddy was around we were stuck at home in stretch neck holler. Daddy did not allow us to go down to the main road and hang out. He made sure that there were plenty of chores for the boys to do. Daddy's sister Pauline and her children would come up the holler to visit their mother (my Mamow Cloud) and we would play with each other. |
 |
| The one and only paved road in Dizney, Kentucky in the 50's & early 60's |