Where are they now? Herb Edwards

For this edition of “Where are they now?” we travel to Black Mountain, North Carolina to reconnect with a man whom “old timers” will remember for his athletic prowess. Herbert A. “Herb” Edwards was born in Tryon on May 20, 1931. He was the middle son, having four brothers. Herb notes that his first job was doing janitorial work at Advant Electric Company where his father worked. Later as a young boy, Herb delivered the “Tryon Daily Bulletin,” was a “soda jerk” at Owens Drug Store, and caddied at the Tryon Country Club. During the summer he worked at the peach shed in Inman, and was a life guard at Lake Lanier. Later in life, Herb worked as a clerk at Ballenger’s Department Store. As for this myriad of jobs that Herb had, he notes that the large number of job opportunities resulted in him having many excellent mentors who instilled an important work ethic in him.

Herbert Edwards loved all sports but his passion was football. He recalls that during World War II, there were not enough men left in the high school to field a football team. Later as a six year old, Herb became the team’s water boy and even practiced with the depleted team as a defensive player. After the war ended, the veterans returned to school. Herbert remembers the 1947 team at Tryon High School that went undefeated. In 1949, he was selected on an all star team to play in the Optimist Bowl in Asheville. Herb continued to star in football after high school. He played while in the Marine Corps and at Appalachian State Teacher’s College (now Appalachian State University). Herbert certainly joins the ranks of great local football stars such as Austin Chapman (who played at the United States Naval Academy), and others.

For the past 28 years, Herbert Edwards has lived in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He is a retired Human Resources Manager. Herb is married to Lorraine Oakley Edwards, his wife of 50 years. He has four children, Randy, Mark, Jeff, and Diane; four grandsons, Derek, Brian, Lane, and Beary; and two great grandsons, Collin and Henry.
Herbert proudly remembers Polk County as a community that provided him guidance with a Boys’ Club, an active Boy Scout troop, and many church related youth programs. He continues to be grateful for being brought up in a healthy, nurturing environment such as Tryon. He credits the community for helping him to later assume leadership roles in the work force. I am certain the community was also blessed by Herbert Edwards’ presence. This writer is proud to salute Herbert Edwards in this column and hope to hear from his friends. s.hefner@comcast.net.

A fifty year-old cross country reunion

Where are they now?

Nothing pleases me more than to have one of my columns serve to reunite old friends who once called Tryon, home. This week I received a wonderful email from Anders (Andy) Andersson who lives in Salem, Oregon. He had read my "Where are they now?" column featuring David Hall. Andy and David had been close friends in Tryon in the 50s and he asked me for David's email address.

Several days later I received a heartwarming email from Andy which read as follows:
Hi Stephen,

First of all, thanks for your assistance in helping me find my old pal, David Hall. Dave and I had a wonderful telephone conversation yesterday, in which we tried to fill in some of the main events of our lives since we last saw each other 50 years ago. I recognized his voice immediately, and in some funny way, it was as time had not passed at all. It really seems that friendships made during our early life, are in fact everlasting. We spoke of our families, classmates, and our times together, wondering if the cash we buried on an island in Lake Lanier was ever found. It was a great experience.

As I mentioned, Dave and I were on the Tryon High School football team in the 1950s, and after I left Tryon to join my parents in Massachusetts in late 1957, I had not returned to Tryon until a couple of years ago, when we stopped by on a cross-country trip. As we stopped for coffee in town, I related to the owner that I had at one time lived there, and after mentioning some names of old friends, she called Jim Jackson (a family friend) who joined us for a cup of coffee.

After finishing high school in Massachusetts, I attended the University of Mass. for a couple of years, and then four years in the Air Force, where I was fortunate to have a career in the Veterinary Service. By this time I had married Ruth Kellogg of Great Barrington, Mass. (no relation to Kelloggs of corn flake fame), and a son, Erik was born in 1964 at West Point, New York. He is now in the Oregon Governor's Office in their Economic Development Unit.

After Air Force, I spent a thirty year career in New York State Government in the Department of Agriculture and Markets, retiring as Director of Human Resources in 1996. During this time we lived in Saratoga Springs, and Newtonville, New York, just outside of Albany.

Since my retirement, my wife and I have lived in the Northwest, having followed our son to Washington and Oregon. We are currently in Salem, Oregon, and enjoy traveling and photography.

I consider my time in the Tryon area, some of the most memorable time of my life. Not only is it a beautiful place to live, but the people there made us feel welcome.
I was fortunate to play both basketball and football on the Tryon High School teams, and those days are forever etched in my mind.

Folks like Jim Jackson and his family as well as the entire Hall family made our time in Tryon a time I'll never forget.

Thank you again for your article, and for getting me together with my good friend.
Best wishes,

Anders (Andy) Andersson

Andy's words speak for themselves; so, I'll go for now. Keep those emails coming in.

Mail to: s.hefner@comcast.net.

Where are they now? Billie and William Begg

For this week’s segment, we go up the mountain a few miles to visit Billie Spivey Begg, the daughter of my second grade teacher at Tryon Elementary School, Mrs. Katherine Spivey. Billie graduated from Tryon High School in 1963. She was a member of the Future Teachers Club and played guard on the girl’s basketball team. Today, she and her husband, William, live in Brevard, North Carolina. Billie followed in her mother’s footsteps going into the teaching profession. She retired several years ago.

Billie enjoys reading the Tryon Daily Bulletin on the internet. She first read my column that mentioned her mother on May 23, 2006. Ironically, that date would have been her mother’s 94th birthday.

Billie has many fond memories of her days in Tryon. A favorite event of hers was the annual Halloween Carnival sponsored by Tryon Schools. She particularly remembers one year when the carnival was held in front of the present post office. After the carnival was over, Trade Street was closed off for street dancing.

It was great to hear from Billie Spivey. The Spivey’s, both mother and daughter, devoted their lives to the noble profession of teaching. I congratulate Billie and hope her friends and classmates who attended Tryon High School enjoy finding out where she is now.

Where are they now? Fred Eargle

For this edition of “Where Are They Now?” we travel 275 miles northeast of Tryon to Fuquary-Varina, North Carolina, a small town near Raleigh. There we meet Fred Eargle and his wife, Glenna. Fred was the son of Curt Eargle who owned the old Home Ice Plant in Tryon below my old home site on highway 176. He left Tryon in 1948 to join the U.S. Navy. After retiring from the Navy, Fred attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh receiving a degree in Engineering. He later became a distinguished Professor of Engineering in the College of Engineering at N.C.S.U. Fred and Glenna have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Fred Eargle fondly remembers working for his father at the ice plant. He especially enjoyed making and selling ice cream at the plant on Sunday afternoons. He charged five cents for two large dips of the banana flavored homemade delicacy. Fred recalls that it was a favorite of Grover Whitmire’s older brother. Fred also remembers school dances in the old gym and the times he spent as a youth with my grandfather, Horace Porter. My grandfather was handicapped and restricted to a wheelchair. Fred remembers sitting on our front porch with Mr. Porter and watching him tie pieces of cord that he would sell to a mill to make rugs.

I salute Fred Eargle for his service to this country, and for his successful career at North Carolina State University. I would like to hear from people who remember Fred Eargle.

s.hefner@comcast.net.

Where are they now? David Hall

For the fourth installment of "Where are they now?" we travel to Georgia to meet ex-Tryonite, David Hall.

David amazed me several months ago when he e-mailed me about witnessing an accident that I was involved in over 50 years ago. I was totally unaware that anyone had witnessed the accident.

David spent his childhood on Erskine Road in Tryon and graduated from Tryon High School in 1958. He now lives in Suwanee, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. David is a real estate broker in that area of the state. He is married to Mary Hall, and they have three adult daughters. David also proudly proclaims that he has four beautiful grandchildren.

David Hall has many fond memories of Tryon. He was a classmate of Austin Chapman, one of Tryon's all-time great football players who later played at the Naval Academy. David remembers Chapman and expresses his thanks for Chapman's service to our country. David also remembers going to the Willows restaurant after school events to hang out with friends from school.

I wish David Hall and his family the best and thank him for "staying in touch".

s.hefner@comcast.net

Where are they now? Barry White

For the third edition of “Where are they now?” we travel to Melbourne, Florida, a beautiful city on the Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles south of Jacksonville. There, we meet former Polk County resident Barry White who left the county in 1965 to join the United States Air Force. As noted in an earlier column, Barry was a member of the first graduating class at Polk Central High School.

After leaving the Air Force in the late sixties, Barry landed in Melbourne where he resides today. He is married to Karen White and has two sons. His oldest son, Brad, has been accepted into law school at Florida State University, and his second son attends the University of Central Florida.

Barry owns a successful commercial construction company that builds banks, churches, and other manufacturing facilities. He was also elected Chairman of the Palm Bay, Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Barry remembers being in the first senior class at Polk Central, graduating in a class of eighty-eight students. It was the largest class ever in the county at that time. He also remembers being the first lifeguard at the Valley Courts swimming pool, the first public pool in Polk County. He was also the lifeguard at Gibson Park Pool in Columbus for several summers.

Barry often thinks about his old buddies such as Marvin Pack, Johnny Biedler, Smitty Bruce, and Butch Graig who lived inTryon and Columbus. I hope to hear from people who remember Barry, and I will pass along your memories to him.

Footnote: Thanks to those of you who sent compliments on the “Where are they now?” editions. Look for more editions wedged between regular columns. — s.hefner@comcast.net

Where are they now? Barbara Hayes Cochran

This year marks the fortieth year since I left Tryon to start my career in Savannah, Georgia. Though I dearly love Savannah with its sandy beaches, beautiful barrier islands, coastal waterways, and urban lifestyle, part of my heart and soul still remains in the rural recesses of the little valley in the foothills of western North Carolina called Tryon.

So, I was not surprised to find others who left the area but enjoy mentally wandering back to the times they lived there. I am gratified that this column seems to have given many of these former residents an avenue on which to travel back in time.

One such ex-Tryonite is Barbara Hayes Cochran. Barbara left Tryon in 1965 and today, lives in Black Creek, Wisconsin located about 40 miles from Green Bay.

She is married to Thomas Cochran. They have one son, Christopher Martin Cochran. Barbara was a Trainer/Department Manager for a major retail store, but has since retired. She spends much of her time now being the Historian for the DAR chapter in Green Bay. Barbara has also gained statewide recognition as the State American History Chair for the State of Wisconsin.
Barbara’s memories of Tryon and Polk County include: Hot dogs at Tollie Ross’ restaurant; The Willows restaurant; and Owens Drugstore.

Most of all she misses living in a town where she knew practically everyone, especially the people with whom she went to church and school.

She did not say so, but one would think that living in the frigid north, Barbara probably misses the tepid weather in the thermal belt also. I thank her for contributing to this article and want to hear from those of you who remember Barbara Hayes. You know where she is now.
s.hefner@comcast.net