Remembering My Father's Friends

Remembering My Father's Friends

The recent death of Mrs. Ed Wayman brought back a lot of memories of people of Richmond in the 1930s and 1940's. People who were mainly my Father's friends, but who also became mine. Mr. and Mrs. Wayman came to Richmond about the same time as my parents (1928). They came from Cincinnati and Mr. Wayman was the manager of the United Department Store on the southeast corner of Main and Second streets. I remember the steps in the center of the store, leading to the basement; unusual for Richmond retail establishments. The Waymans lived in Wellington Court, near us and later lived next door to my wife and me in Mason Manor. Mr. Wayman was a magistrate when those officials tried driving infraction cases. United closed down and Mr. Wayman ran his own stores in Richmond and Berea. The Berea store did better, so he closed the one in Richmond and they moved to Berea. We missed these long time neighbors. The E. H. Muncys were our next door neighbors on South Third Street. I remember when Wade and Tull dug out their basement with a team of mules. In the summer when windows were open, we listened to Junior Muncy play all the favorites on the piano. Mr. Muncy operated a furniture store at different locations along Main Street. Junior and Gene Muncy were our neighbors in Mason Manor and again in Hickory Hills. They sold the store and moved back to town. Again, we miss these long time neighbors. Other friends of my Father were G.L. Borders and Virgil McMullin. Mr. Borders had an insurance agency and Mr. McMullin a jewelry store. As a child, I visited their places of business in the same block and listened to them discuss the First Baptist Church, the Tates Creek Association, and the local prohibition movement. The county was voted dry a number of times during this time. There were three doctors I remember as friends of my Father: H. G. Sandlin, Robert Sory, and Cook Pope. Sandlin and Sory were both active in the First Baptist Church, its deacon board and its Sunday School. Mostly my Father discussed church business with them. Cook Pope came from Whitley County and was a friend of my Mother's family there. My Father was from Knox County, but had lived in Whitley before coming to the Bluegrass. The Popes lived in an old brick house in the center of Kirksville. Dr. Pope had a barber's chair in his nearby office for patient examination. We visited them often. Later he, and his two sons, Mason and Russell, opened the Pope Hospital on North Second Street in Richmond. Mason stayed at our house while attending Eastern. The 10 miles was too far to commute in those days. Other friends who had connections with Whitley County were the Samuel Walkers, who lived across the street from us on South Third. In between discussions of the good old days in Corbin and Williamsburg, Dr. Walker was to be found listening to the radio news. He taught social studies at Model, before moving on to the college level. I believe the Green Durhams were also friends of my parents from those earlier days. Also as a child, I remember being taken to visit the J.B. Wilsons, first on Sunset, then on Westover. We also spent a great deal of time at the homes of the George Robbins' and the James Andersons'. Church, school and Wellington Court neighborhood were the main topics at these homes. In 1943-44, Mother went back to teaching, this time at Madison High. Beginning as the math teacher in high school when Mr. Moberly was called to the service, she later switched to the first grade. During the Second World War, my Father served on the local draft board, where he became very good friends with David Williams. Both had been on active duty during World War I. I didn't have to worry about their drafting me. I was only 15 when the war ended. My time came during the Korean War. At the Teachers College, where my Father was a professor for 35 years, I remember two special friends of his when I was young. I didn't remember him, but Father often spoke of Dean Homer Cooper. They and my parents socialized a lot both in Richmond and in Lexington. My Father even bought a tuxedo, worn later by me and by my son Allen. His office mate in the Coates Building was Noel B. Cuff. While waiting for a ride home, I often played with Dr. Cuffs early version of a grading machine for standardized tests. He was a specialist in educational psychology. My Father taught a lot of math (teacher's arithmetic, business math) before settling into educational administration.

Dr. Fred Engle

8/22/1992

Content may be freely copied for personal and educational purposes with appropriate citation. Permission is required to reprint.