Thursday, September 3, 2015

Elijah Huston Gaddy 1895-1979

When Elijah Huston Gaddy (my Grandpa) was born on September 2, 1895, in Carroll County, Arkansas, his father, William Solon, was 46 and his mother, Martha Jane, was 32. He married Irene Ilo Thomas on October 17, 1919, in Boone County, Arkansas. They had three children in 15 years. He died on March 16, 1979, in Harrison, Arkansas, at the age of 83, and was buried in Arkansas.  Yesterday was Grandpa's birthday.  He would have been 120 years old.  I think at one time he spelled his name Eligah and later Elijah.  His mother, Martha Jane Carpenter, married his father, William Solon Gaddy, when she was only 13.  The first picture I am sure was ours as it has pencil marks on it and Grandma Gaddy's pictures would not have had those!
Grandpa Gaddy with Irene Thomas and her sister, Leona and his brother, Ben.
Back says March 24, 1918
Day Leona and Ben married
They went to Virgie and Garland Synders






 Grandpa or his brother Ben 




 Grandpa E. H. Gaddy

Irene Ilo Thomas Gaddy

Hazel Cauline Gaddy Powell

March 15, 1923




 Back says February 2,1919

 Back has French Writing for Post Card
Grandpa was in France.  He is the one with a hat.
 Grandpa and Grandma 
1945

Irene,Huston and Helen.



1963 in California

Here is Grandpa's WW I Registration
Says he is tall, has blue eyes and red hair!


Here is what he says in 1945



Huston and Irene Gaddy at Ridgeway store.

Patsy tells about Grandpa Gaddy!
Huston Gaddy 1895-1979
My grandfather on my mothers side was a store keeper. He made a very good living for my Grandmother Irene Gaddy. He was drafted into the army and fought in World War I in France. He was a tall red headed man. Always on the heavy side. He managed to squeeze every dime he made and provided Grandma with a nice home with nice furniture and good cloths.he worked on cars , fixed flats, and sold food in his store at Denver, Ar.He had electricity before 1940. He took a model t engine and installed it in his basement, ,with a bank of batteries and they had electric lights and a refrigerator and an electric radio. This was long before his peers had such luxuries.

My sister says he never did anything for us and this is true. He always did do what ever Grandma wanted. They sold the store in Denver and moved to Ridgeway AR. Because that was what grandma wanted. There he continued his store along highway 65.he paid in social security on grandma and himself in a day when most people his age thought it was a waste of money.He bought a television when they first began to appear in our area. You had to have a long pole with an antenna at the top to get a picture.Grandpa took a pair of old metal bed springs and climbed to the top of a large oak tree in his yard. He tied the springs in the tree and wired his TV to that and was able to get a good picture.

When he was 62 years old (I Betty Renfroe think is was quite a bit older than 62 when they retired to Harrison) they sold the house and store and moved to Harrison AR. Again because this was what grandma wanted.There he lived until one day when he went to his bank and had a stroke. He was unable to walk and had trouble speaking.They placed him in a nursing home . One day I told my husband I should go see grandpa, we did. Here he was in a wheel chair, a shell of his former robust self. I didn't know if he would know me but he did and he began to cry, the tears rolled down his cheeks and I was lost for words.He cried and cried. An aid came by and spotted him and went to get the nurse. She came in and ask "Mr Gaddy what is wrong, why are you crying?"then she looked at me as if I was to blame. I told her that I was grandpa's oldest grand daughter. She went out side and told the aid, who was still standing by the door, it ok, Mr. Gaddy is emotionally involved with his visitor. I thought it was strange that grandpa was emotional involved with me. He never showed my brothers and sisters any love or concern in our lives. Mother went bare foot and thread bare for years and he never offered her any help.

His other two daughters never had children so we were his only grandchildren.I didn't know what to say to him, finally I told him, "grandpa I am sorry that you are in this condition and I know that there is a better place in heaven for you." I will pray that soon you can go there and have a new body and a new life.My grandmother told my mother that when she would go see grandpa he would tell her he was going to heaven.I suppose grandpa heard what I said that day.So in the end what can you say about Huston Gaddy, He did his duty as he saw it.If he never learned to show us his affection it was his loss not ours.My father showered us with love and we never lacked for his affection.That was the greatest gift he could give us.  Patsy Powell Poor

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