Renie from Golden Pond

Barbara Hillyard

Description

(from the Introduction) Renie from Golden Pond is the true life story of Lorene Turner Higgins. Her story begins with her birth, which was in a log cabin in the Fenton Community, located in Trigg County in what was known as "the land between the rivers." It continues to present time, where she now resides in Cadiz, Kentucky.
Lorene, whose pet name is "Renie", married at the young age of fifteen to Lawton Higgins, a seventeen year old moonshiner from the neighboring community of Oak Ridge. Needless to say, the continuing saga unfolds many humorous, heart warming and exciting events. The sweet innocence of the youthful lass depicts the overwhelming emotional trauma she experiences as she copes with being married to a moonshiner; living with her mother-in-law, Ma Annie; after a year of marriage, giving birth to her first child, Virgil, who is deaf; and while he is a baby, having her second child, Doris.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Trigg County, Kentucky
• Cadiz
• History
• Oak Ridge
• Cadix
• Kentucky

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 15 juin 1998
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781681625928
• Langue: English

Extrait

R ENIE from G OLDEN P OND

The Story of Lorene Turner Higgins
Copyright 1998 Lorene Higgins Publishing Rights: Turner Publishing Company This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced without the written consent of the author and publisher.
Turner Publishing Company Staff: Editor: Randy Baumgardner Designer: Shelley R. Davidson
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 98-60900
ISBN: 978-1-56311-422-9
Additional copies may be
purchased directly from the publisher. Limited Edition.
Introduction
Renie from Golden Pond is the true life story of Lorene Turner Higgins. Her story begins with her birth, which was in a log cabin in the Fenton Community, located in Trigg County in what was known as the land between the rivers. It continues to present time, where she now resides in Cadiz, Kentucky.
Lorene, whose pet name is Renie , married at the young age of fifteen to Lawton Higgins, a seventeen year old moonshiner from the neighboring community of Oak Ridge. Needless to say, the continuing saga unfolds many humorous, heart warming and exciting events. The sweet innocence of the youthful lass depicts the overwhelming emotional trauma she experience as she copes with being married to a moonshiner; living with her mother-in-law, Ma Annie; after a year of marriage, giving birth to her first child, Virgil, who is deaf; and while he is a baby, having her second child, Doris.
History, culture and vivid geographic descriptions characterize the special breed of inhabitants in the various communities of the land between the rivers . The lost art of moonshining, along with many other common practices for survival, as well as entertainment among the rural Western Kentuckians of the early 1900s, the great depression, and World War II era s are shared as Renie s story progresses.
Lorene and Lawton were married eight years before she finally persuaded him to buy a home of their own. This, her dream home, and the one place she still calls home, was a two story house on the outskirts of Golden Pond, a small town in Trigg County. Renie describes, vividly, yet another emotional trauma, as she unveils the events that occur when they are forced to leave what had been her dream home for almost 30 years.
The chain of events that take place throughout the years as they enroll Virgil in the Kentucky School for the Deaf at Danville, Kentucky, Lawton s continuing career in the liquor business, along with dealing with failing health and adjusting to living in a new community, constitute a very unusual story.
About The Author
Barbara Hillyard was born and still lives in the Briarfield Community of Caldwell County, Kentucky. She and her husband, Jerry, have four daughters, Gerri, Lynn, Lori and Betsy; and three grandchildren, Matthew, Lindsay and Leslie.
For the past eighteen years, Barbara has been employed by Farmers Bank Trust Company in Princeton, Kentucky. She is a Sunday School teacher at Donaldson Baptist Church, and her hobbies are spending time with her grandchildren, reading and writing. She is also known for her book, The Antics of Liza Jane , from which an excerpt, Pie Supper Excitement, was published in Back Home in Kentucky magazine.
Acknowledgements
My personal gratitude is extended to a number of individuals for making this venture possible: first, to my family, who have urged, prodded and spurned me for several years to start digging up bones and put them in story form; then, to my many friends, each of whom wants the first volume; and finally, to Barbara Hillyard, who was brave enough to tackle my story. After nine months and many sessions, much patience mingled with warm friendship, she brought my story to life in script.
Dedication
Dedicated to Virgil and Shirley, Doris and Kelsie, My five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, One sister still living, and Those of my family now gone on . . . especially Daddy.
Chapter One:
Lawton and Lorene
A chill, colder than the frigid February wind went over Lorene, leaving her frozen in her tracks! The dreaded sounds coming from the nearby woods penetrated the air, and echoed throughout the holler! Quickly, Lorene grabbed Dora May s arm to stop her incessant chatting! Dora May opened her mouth to speak, but catching the sounds at that moment, she became too paralyzed to move! Loud voices, along with the clanging of tin and the chop of axes rang through the early morning air as the two young women stared at each other, mouths open and eyes wide! They could hear Lawton s voice but other than an occasional oath, they could not make out what he was saying. They couldn t hear his cousin Jake uttering a sound, but muffled voices along with shouts and grunts were heard as the tools of the revenuers slashed away at the still. Yes, Lorene and Dora May knew exactly what was going on. Fact was, somebody had snitched on Lawton and the revenuers had come in and was, at this very moment, chopping up Lawton s still! This was the dreaded time all moonshiners were sure to face sooner or later if they stayed in the business long enough. Lorene certainly wasn t prepared for all this and the timing could not have been worse.
What are we a gonna do, Lorene? Lawton s older sister whispered.
Well, I don t know what you re a gonna do, but I m goin in there and give them infernal revenuers a piece of my mind!
Oh, no, Lorene, you can t do that, it d just make things worse for Lawton. Besides, you re not in any shape to get yourself all riled up. The best thing we can do is get outta here and the quicker the better. Why, they re liable to start a shootin . Common, let s go to the house, Dora May said in a low voice, tugging earnestly at Lorene s coat sleeve.
I m not goin to the house. I ve gotta help Lawton! Lorene yelled, jerking free of Dora May s grip.
Now, Lorene, you listen here to me, Dora May started, grabbing both of Lorene s arms and turning her right sharply to face her, there s not a thing you can do in there cept make matters worse. Now, I ve been round this kind of business a lot longer n you and I know how fixes like this turn out and I m tellin you, best thing we can do for Lawton is for us to turn around right now and get back to the house.
Dora May held her grip and her breath till the trembling Lorene sighed, let her shoulders slump and nodded her head. Big tears began to tumble down her cheeks as Dora May put her arm around Lorene s shoulders and started guiding her down the slope and back toward the creek, whose flat rocks the two of them had, only moments earlier, skipped so light heartily across.
Oh, Dora May, what are we gonna do? With this baby comin on anytime an now, thanks to them blasted revenuers, no money comin in, what ever are we gonna do? Lorene sobbed as they made their way across the back porch and into the kitchen of the Ma Annie s house.
Now, Lorene, there ll be a way, always is, Dora May answered, trying to be of some consolation to the distraught Lorene.
You know they ll search the house. You know they will and that back room is full. Oh, Lord a mercy, whatever are we gonna do? Lorene moaned as she slumped her swollen body onto one of the six chairs at the long kitchen table.
Now, Lorene, you gotta simmer down. You gettin all worked up won t help nothing. I ll go get Mammy! Dora May was saying, but she didn t have time to make the short trip across the yard to the little store Ma Annie owned and operated, for glancing out the back window she saw Lawton, Jake, three white men, none of whom she recognized, and two blacks coming across the back yard. Soon the three white men were ushering Lawton and Jake into the kitchen.
Now, Higgins, the older man and spokesman for the group was saying as they paraded single file into the room, you and you re partner stay put right here with Mr. Jessup, and me an Mr. Horning will do the search. He pulled a piece of paper from his coat pocket and continued. Here s the warrant an I ve gotta do my job, er , mornin, ladies, he nodded, looking rather startled at Lorene who was sobbing at the table and Dora May, standing at the window.
Lorene jumped up from the table and began wailing as she ran to Lawton, Oh, Lawton, what in the world are we gonna do? What are they gonna do with you? They can t put you in jail. You can t go away, th baby s likely to come anytime. You can t leave me here! We won t have any money! What are we gonna do?
Lawton did not say a word, but glared at the intruders, breathing hard, as his arm encircled his sobbing young wife, who was clinging desperately to him. The three revenue men were looking on, seemingly unable to muster the right words to fit the situation. Dora May moved from the window to Lorene and attempted to move her away from Lawton, but Lorene began to wail louder and cling faster.
The revenuers exchanged bewildered glances. Lawton looked mad enough to kill and swallowed hard, struggling with the rage inside him. Finally, the older revenuer spoke in a strained voice, All right, Higgins, we found your still and busted it up good. I d like to think we ve put you out of business for good. Fact is, looks t me like you re old enough to know this is no life for a family man. I d advise you to take heed to what I m tellin you here, my boy. Now, due to the condition that this little gal you re married to is in, me and these men are gonna take your word that there s nothin in the house and we won t use this warrant this time, but let me tell you something, my boy, if we make this trip out her one more time, I ll tear this place apart and bust ever dadblasted jug and keg I can get my hands on, an you ll wind up with your hind-end in jail for a good long stretch. You better listen to what I m sayin . I m tellin you for your own good, boy. We ve gotta take you in to file a report an you know you ll have to appear in Federal Court before this is over. We won t keep you in jail, but we ll send the papers in and then they ll get back to me and I ll have to serve em on you to go to