Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Eclectic: A Peek Into The Past

Wayne's dear sweet Mother lived, with her family, for several years, in Elmore County, Alabama. As a matter of fact, she graduated from high school there.  Neither of us had ever visited Eclectic, so we made a day of it today, armed with what little information we'd gathered about the family's time in the area.
Eclectic appears to be "lost in time"...
A visit to the local library proved to be a very good idea as we met a most impressive library staff who eagerly helped us by locating an Eclectic "old timer" for assistance in finding the information we wanted. 

Betty, an unknown volunteer and Andy, the town historian.
  A tall, straight, spry, nice looking gentleman arrived in a few minutes to help. He was nearly 90 years old but certainly didn't seem so.  Did he remember Barbara? Of course he remembered her! She was his first serious girlfriend! His name is Monroe and he is a charming man with a very sharp mind and a steel-trap memory. He knew her whole family, including aunts and uncles.

Monroe doesn't really use that walking stick. 
It just drops all over the place and I found myself picking it up all the time.


Betty, Monroe and Wayne
Monroe told us his romance with Barbara wained when he left for military service. He was several years older than Barbara and had met H.M. too but didn't know him well.  Monroe did not know Barbara had passed away. 

The pale yellow single story building just behind the traffic lights
 is the bank building where Granddaddy worked.

The first Eclectic home.



The Methodist Church
 

Elmore County High School


Where Barbara and H.M. married
180 Main Street


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