John Van Walk

 My dad wrote this about his Granddad on his father's side: John Van Walk.

"YOU KNOW JOHN, WE COME FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS.  HERE'S A PHOTO OF MY GRANDADDY ON MY POP'S SIDE, JOHN VAN WALK.  HE HAD ONE HECK OF A ROUGH LIFE (WORKED IN THE WEST VIRGINIA COLE MINES).  WHEN THE PRESENT DAY MINORITIES WHINE, "YOU WHITE FOLKS HAVE ALWAYS HAD IT MADE." 

I'M NOT SURE ON THE DATE OF THIS PHOTO, BUT IT'S BACK THERE A FEW YEARS.  THIS WAS JOHN VAN'S SECOND WIFE AND LITTLE CHILD.  JOHN VAN, LOST BOTH OF THEM IN A TRAGIC MUD SLIDE THAT BURRIED THE SMALL HOUSE THEY LIVED IN.  THE RESQUE WORKERS WERE VERY SURPRISED WHEN THEY DUG HIM OUT STILL ALIVE...HE HAD SWALLOWED A LOT OF MUD AND NEVER REALLY GOT OVER THE HORRIFIC EVENT. 

UNFORTUNATELY, MY MOTHER WAS MOST ASHAMED OF MY DADDY'S FOLKS AND DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THEIR SITUATION AT ALL.  THEREFORE, SHE WAS RELUCTANT FOR DADDY TO SIT DOWN AND TELL US ABOUT HIS FAMILY AND THE EARLY DAYS. REMEMBER, MOM CONSIDERED HERSELF A "SOUTHERN LADY."  ONE DAY, WE'LL SEE ALL THESE FOLKS AGAIN AND ENJOY VISITING WITH THEM.  LOVE, POP"

I took the liberty of restoring the photo. Came out good I think! My dad would have gotten a kick out of this. But then again, he is most likely seeing them again in heaven. Just like he alluded to in the above email.

In a July 12, 2013 email dad wrote the following:

"Here's one that was right in my daddy's wheel house.   It's titled, A Tramp On The Street.  When I worked in the supply room at Tarleton State College, one summer, we shared a room.  I desperately wish I could recall more of our conversations.   Daddy and myself would listen to a local country station.  When they played a sad one like this little ditty...my daddy would tear up.   He experienced a lot of hard times during his life...but never seemed to dwell on it.  Once in Meridian, when we were living next door to Grandmom and Grandad Smith, in the old Butler house, Daddy got a telegram telling him that his daddy, wife and small child were all killed in a mud slide.  Daddy went out on the back porch and wept bitterly.  He didn't go to the funeral for various reasons...but the news hurt him.  Love, Pop"

He may be referring to the people in the above photo.