Mr. Campbell....

One of my greatest regrets is not knowing either of my Grandfathers. I know them both through the stories of my parents and siblings, though. This is a story that my Dad told about my Mom's father...

"You'd have really liked Mr. Campbell. He was alwas kiddin'. I fished with him and enjoyed being around him. He was one of my favorite people. He didn't live many years after Betty and I was married. Hah! Mr. Campbell was a pistol ball.... Lord, I used to laugh at 'im. He'd aggravate Steve.... Steve wore... Betty's got pictures of him... he wore short pants and boots that come up to here.... Mr. Campbell would aggravate him, and Steve would take those boots and kick him on the shin... I'd see his face, but Steve would kick 'im and hit 'im and he'd just laugh and keep on and on. He was a neat guy.... I just thought the world of him.

I may have already told you this, but Mrs. Campbell didn't want him to trade cars. He got to wantin' a new car. He called me and asked me, "Reckon I could trade here in Decatur?" I said, "Mr. Campbell I don't know but... "....he wanted an Oldsmobile..."I know one of the guys that's a salesman out there. I grew up with him" Bobby Hamilton was his name. "Next time you come up here, we'll go out there, and you can talk to him." Well we went out there, and Mr. Campbell drove it. I could tell, boy, he was just on Cloud 9, and he wanted that car. So I told Bobby, "I would love to have the car Mr. Campbell is tradin' in"...cause man, I knew it was a good un, and me and Betty needed another car..."If we can work out a deal, that'd be great... But now I want Mr. Campbell to be happy. After we trade, I want to buy that car." He said, "Well we'll work something out.. We'll trade with him and then we'll sell it to you at wholesale." I said, "Ok, if that's OK with Mr. Campbell." Well, that suited Mr. Campbell fine. It was a two tone Chevrolet...man, just a fine care.. It didnt have many miles... So, Mr. Campbell, he traded.

Comin' on home, he knew when we got home that Nora Belle wasn't goin' to be happy... He said, "Now Stan, you're gonna have to help me with Nora Belle. She's gonna be mad..." And she was. "Tom, we didn't need no car!" I just bragged on the car, but she didn't want it...

He loved Betty and Sue ... Me and him would fish. I had a boat, and I'd take him and Mrs. Campbell both... As luck would have it, Mrs. Campbell caught more fish than he did... He said, "Nora Belle, you ain't goin no more.... " Well that just tickled Mrs. Campbell to death. Yeah, l hate that you didn't get to know him."