| Sources |
- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 135, 136.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 27 Jul 2008.
Alvin, lean as a tree
Storms continued to surge around the county, and an occasional fire, and a few strange happenings at our hometown, which is relinquishing its grip on July this week.
Two fire scenes caught my eye last week, but the number of trees that got blown over easily outnumbered the summer fires so far. I bumped into Joe Kyker at his Wal-Mart store in Newport and he told me of a tree fall. It seems the Plain Talk missed the thunder on June 23, when a 100-foot-tall old oak fell at Carson Springs. Joe explained that the tree is on their property across from the Kyker log cabin near the gates to the Baptist's center. The tree was so large, its girth had to be six-foot, it crushed many of his old Buicks and fell into the street-side yard of a neighbor. Tree cutters had to remove the clutter to open the road, but several Buicks are still crushed under the tons of oak. Joe noted the tree fell on the Kykers' wedding anniversary.
I'm going to take a break from Douglas Avenue talk, but report that I found a lot of old photos when visiting with Omega Jackson. There is also some more to share on the Holt family.
Rain finally cooled off a high-90s day on Monday, July 21. After leaving the Plain Talk, I stopped in Wal-Mart where strolling past the pharmacy I saw a tall, slim, elderly fellow seated waiting. Alvin Holt had visited the office days ago to renew his subscription and we chatted. Because I had been visiting with folks who live or had lived off Douglas Avenue, I asked if he were related to those Holts. He said he was not. Glancing off to the side, there were Joe and Sandy Burchett. Earlier that same day I happened to have talked with their son, Chad, who for more than 20 years has done lawn mowing and landscaping. Like you, he has been enduring the hot July days with less grass to mow because it is burning up. Sandy was using a walker and explained she had knee joint replacement surgery about three weeks ago. She is recovering well and slowly and told me, "It has crimped my style." As Newport Grammar School principal, she looks forward to hobbling back to her office.
As a young man, Alvin Holt was like a hickory sampling and eventually grew to about 6 foot 6 inches but weighed only 145 pounds. He was one of eight children of Roy Holt, who had married the former Bernice Reed. Alvin tells me that Bernice was related to the late county judge Emanuel Reed's father, Lawrence Reed. Her Dad was Joe Reed. The story is that when the creek was up, Roy Holt carried Bernice across the creek and married her. Alvin was born near Bybee in 1927. Of all the children the only others living are Roella Holt and Wanda Faye Holt. Holts who married Holts. I guess that's why there is a Holt town-so many Holts. As a young man, he farmed and was usually out plowing by dawn not far from where Joe Reed Road is today. "I got tired of looking at a mule's hind end," he said, when he joined the Army and was stationed at Ft. McClellan, Alabama. After an 18-month stint, Alvin returned home and married the former Willie Jean Smith, daughter of L. D. Smith. They have been married for about 59 years.
To make a life for himself and his future family, like many others, he left the county and ended up at Cleveland, Ohio. In 1951, he went to work for Alcoa Aluminum making about $1.25 per hour in the early years. His first job was using a jackhammer to knock packed sand off aircraft wheel castings. It was hot, hard work in an environment permeated by sulfur fumes. "I told the boss that I'd eat dead dogs if I had to do jackhammer work." There were many furnaces to heat and melt aluminum and certain areas of the plant might remind you of brimstone hell. "Two men showed up looking for a job and when they saw and smelled the furnace dept., they just left," he said. Alvin became a mold sprayer to keep the aluminum castings from sticking to the molds. One of those he remembered was Hobart Reed but many other Newport folks worked for Alcoa.
Alvin and Willie Jean have four children, all of whom still live in Ohio. They are Ronald; twins, Charlene and Darlene; and Alva Jean. After 31 years, Alvin had enough and retired at age 55. But he didn't draw Social Security checks for another seven years and lived on his pension. Thereafter he returned to Cocke County but took frequent trips to Ohio and with close friends around the south. As his wife's arthritis became more severe, they traveled less. Now it seems most trips are to the doctors. He likes his van for this. Alvin has had a good life and remains in excellent health for being 81 years old.
In plain talk, you just don't know when the next storm will brew and what might come blowing your way these hot summer days.
- [S113] Manes Funeral Home, (http://www.manesfuneralhome.com), 16 Sep 2010.
(April 29, 1927 - September 16, 2010)
U.S. Veteran Mr. Alvin J. Holt
Mr. Alvin J. Holt, age 83, of Bybee passed away Thursday, September 16, 2010, leaving his wife of 62 years, Willie Jean Smith Holt.
He was born April 29, 1927, a son of the late Roy Holt and Bernice Reed Holt. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Hoover, Glenn, Edwin and Byrl and his sister Lavora and has surviving sisters Roella and Wanda Faye Holt.
He is survived by his son Ronald Alvin Holt, wife Sharon and sons Kenneth and Dylan; daughters Alva Jean Meadows, husband Joe and daughter Kelly; Charlene Kay Jackson, husband Buddy, son Richard and daughter Crystal; and Darlene Mae Barnett and husband Kenny. He also leaves five great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Alvin wanted two dear friends mentioned, Arvin Ledford and Ricky Buckner.
He retired from Alcoa in Cleveland, Ohio where he worked for 32 years, after spending his youth working on the family farm and serving in the United States Army.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 pm Saturday, September 18, 2010 at Manes Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm Sunday, September 19, 2010 at Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church, with Rev. Robert Greene and Rev. Bobby Samples officiating. Burial will follow in Liberty Hill Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Richard Jackson, Kenny, Randy, Michael and Larry Holt, and Ricky Buckner.
Family and friends may sign the guest register on line at: www.manesfuneralhome.com
Manes Funeral Home in charge.
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1927 - 2010 (83 years)
