Memories of Jim, My brother Paul and I grew up living just across the creek from Jim's home. Our family's and others from the neighborhood would meet on Saturday evenings during the summer for a potluck supper. The older folks would play cards later in the evening and visit. The kids played outside and enjoyed the evening. Jim had one of the earliest stereo record players in the neighborhood. The living room had bookshelves in opposite corners on the wall. Jim set up the stereo with speakers in each shelf corner and had a stereo demo record of a clock ticking that would bounce from one corner to the other side, back and forth, and also a ping pong game with sounds of the ball in the same fashion. Summer chores on the farm in the 1950's included baling hay around the neighborhood. Jim used to ride on the back side of the baler when they used wire tie bales and help feed the wire tie arms. It took 2 people to work the wires, one on each side of the bale slide feeding the wire. That had to be the worst job ever, with the hay dust and the hot summer heat and just sit there stuffing wires all afternoon, sometimes till suppertime, with only a lemonade break once or twice in the afternoon.Paul and I rode the rack wagon and stacked bales which was a far better job than eating the baler dust all afternoon as Jim did. It was interesting to see the turkeys in the haymow of the barn that Jim raised and the chicken and egg business he had for awhile. That was a lot different than the usual cattle and hogs seen in the neighborhood in the 1950's. Paul worked at the Bell phone co. the same time as Jim did. They worked in different departments but would see each other periodically. Both of us would see Jim out riding the mower during the summer. Sometimes Jim would be mowing on one side of the creek at his home place and Paul or I would be riding the mower at our home place across the creek on the other side. Jim was a very good friend and neighbor. Our condolences to the family.Roy and Paul GrovesNeighbors
