Mr. & Mrs. Crabtree & the Shanks's

Dear Shanks family,


A few of you in the family - mostly you older ones - will remember when Mom and Dad Shanks owned a ‘general merchandize store’ in Clear Springs, TN (often referred to as Jockey, TN) and our family lived in a little flat-topped house beside the store. There was a family that lived next door (about a 1/4 mile away) and their name was Crabtree (seriously!). There was Mr. and Mrs. Crabtree (I’ve forgotten their first names) and Lillian and Alice and Crawford. Crawford was about the age of Wayne and me and we hung out together through-out our teen-age years.

I recently heard from Crawford. He and his family now live in Greensboro, NC, about 20 miles from the Winston-Salem area where we now live. The ‘small-world’ saying lives on . . . . two kids from a dirt road intersection in the rolling hills of East Tennessee to Greensboro/Winston-Salem!

Here’s what I’m leading up to . . . . . Crawford, in his letter, mentioned that his son, Nathan, was a church choir director and a school teacher in Hickory, NC and that, last year, while attending a church choir conference in Montreat, NC, Nathan met Stephen Shanks and his daughter (not sure which one!). As you all know, Stephen is, unquestionably, the most musically-talented person in the Shanks family – IN ALL THE WORLD! Those talents came from his wonderful mother, Anna Marie. Stephen has, for many years, served as the choir director for the Watauga Presbyterian Church in Johnson City. Allow me to quote a part of Crawford’s letter: “Nathan was very impressed with Stephen and his daughter. He (Nathan) felt the daughter was highly intelligent and she spoke very well in all the small groups they attended at the church music camp in Montreat.”

Later in the letter, Crawford said, and again I quote, “I know your family has achieved great things and all of you are well educated. Your mom and dad were so kind and they were great parents and good friends. I will never forget your mom’s grand cornbread and pinto beans.”

Crawford, a childhood friend of mine and the family, from nearly 70 years ago (1940ish), still proclaiming today what we all know. . . . . that Stephen Shanks and his beautiful and talented daughters are very special people, that Mom and Dad Shanks were kind . . . and great parents. . . and Mom Shanks had the best cornbread and pinto beans in the county!

Crawford’s letter was a reminder of many great things of the past!

Don Shanks

P. S. One of these days one of us old folks needs to tell you about that store that Dad Shanks Your grandfather, great grandfather, etc) owned and operated. It was right out of a Norman Rockwell collections of pictures of old country grocery stores . . . . with a potbelly stove, rockin’ chairs, shelves lined with groceries, overalls, Sunday shirts, dresses, shoes, linens, knives and all the needs of a farm. On Saturday night, one of the neighbors gave haircuts in then back of the store for quarter.

More later. . . . . (Mike > Not sure how, but maybe..)