My Uncle Bill

He was the tallest person I had ever seen.  In my child's eye he was as tall as the house.  He did have to duck when he entered a room. I suppose because he was so tall he had long arms.  He could scoop me up in one quick swoop, throw me up to the ceiling and before I had gotten my breath, he gently placed me on the floor.

My Uncle Bill was a man of few words.  He smiled a lot and from that we knew he wasn't mad.  If anyone asked him why he was so quiet, he would say that he spoke when he had something of importance to say. Wouldn't that be a good practice for some people we know?

 I don't remember him ever telling a story but I can tell lots of stories about staying with him and his family in the hot Piedmont summers.  I was expected to go along with my cousins and "work" in the tobacco fields.  If I had been paid for the work accomplished, my check would have been very small. But my compensation was enjoying the company of my Uncle Bill and his family.

Some of the crops on their farm were probably on land that was later sold for part of Smith Mountain Lake. Even today some of the land is near the Lake and would bring a hefty price.


There was a time when my Uncle and his family left the farm for him to work in a textile mill in Roanoke, Virginia. The big city was fun to visit,, too.  There were no more hot tobacco fields, snakes to watch for, and animals to feed.  There were many things to do-- riding bikes on the sidewalk and playing hide and go seek with the kids on the street.  And the big thing I'll never forget is going to the Dairy Queen for an ice cream treat after supper.  With a twinkle in his eye my Uncle Bill would say, "I bet there's no one here who would like to go for ice cream." We were waiting at the car when he got thee.

My Uncle Bill was a gentle giant.  I never saw him spank one of his children.  He didn't need to, when he spoke, they listened. He was a fair man- -his word was as good as a contract.

His memory is special. A visit to his home was a wonderful experience , one that gave me a treasure trove of memoirs.

 Thank you, Uncle Bill.