Copied with permission from the book, "McGovern from Ireland to Miss. & Texas", written by
Charlene (Smith) Crumby.  

Memories of Grandpa and Grandma McGovern (James Thomas & Susie).  The vivid stories of these two
as told by their over 70 year - old grandchildren leave a clear picture in one's mind as to
how they looked and behaved.

Grandpa was described as a short, dumpy, jolly, little Irishman who loved to tease his 
grandchildren.  In one instance, he took a young kid, placed its head across a chopping
block, and picked up an ax in pretense of killing the young goat.  The granchildren 
squealed and the kid bleated for dear life.  The goat was then freed.

Some of the grandchildren were sent to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa when Mama was
about to have a new baby.  It felt like once a year but wasn't.  One morning, Grandpa rose
with unusual haste, yanked up his overalls, and slipped bare feet into his brogans.  What a 
sight!  Overalls on backward and untied, run-over-sideways shoes clomping down the hall!  
Perhaps this was the morning after the goats escaped from the pen the night before!  Their
little hooves had gone clicking through the hall of the house during the black night
striking terror in the hearts of the grandchildren.

There are warm memories of the blacksmith shop and general store.  Occasionally, Grandpa would
give the "young'uns" a peppermint candy treat.  And there were games of hide-and-seak out in his
goat pasture.

Sure as Sunday rolled around, Bernice, Orville, and Mancle took the staves out of Grandpa's egg 
wagon and rotated the wheels.  Boys at play never stop to check for secureness.  Neither did
Grandpa when he set out to town to sell the eggs.  A few minutes later, raw scrambled eggs were
everywhere after the wheels fell off.  "Dang it, young'uns!  They've done changed my wheels again!"
Grandpa wasn't one to swear and "Dang it" was his worst word!

Besides running a store and a blacksmith business, Grandpa also taught penmanship class during
summer months.  As one granddaughter aptly stated, "Anything to make a living!"

A golden memory came from Mr. C.C. Cork of Cleveland, MS.  (His dad established Cork School in Choctaw
County around 1910 or earlier.)  The Corks had an overweight pony in bad need of being reshod.  Mr.
McGovern had a reputation of being the best blacksmith in "those parts."  So thirteen year old
C.C. set off with the husky pony.  He'd ride a while then walk a while.  This turned into a day
and a half journey with the night being spent in someone's barn.

When C.C. finally arrived, Granpa set about the task in his usual unhurried manner.  After the 
horseshoes were "tailor-made", C.C. remembered him patiently struggling.  Holding the heavy leg of
the pony while applying the shoe proved to be more than the dumpy little man in his 60's could handle.
At last, C.C. was asked to assist by holding up the pony's leg while Mr. McGovern put the  shoe on,
bent the nails over, then broke them off.

Grandpa had a pet racoon that came to him on the command, "Come on, Coonie."  Coonie would amble along
after Grandpa as he went to the store or blacksmith shop.  If the plum tree was bearing fruit, Coonie
never failed to stop here for some refreshment.  Once inside the general store, if the coon didn't 
settle down for a nap right away, then he bore watching, for Coonie loved to help himself to candy
in the candy jar up on the counter.  In the blacksmith shop, his favorite spot to curl up was on
Grandpa's workbench.

Coonie was a nuisance as well as a pet.  He enjoyed sneaking in the back door every chance he got.
One day he slipped in, climbed upon a chair, and took the cloth off the top of Grandma's milkchurn.
There he sat---scooping up handful after handful of cream from the top of the milk churn and eating
with relish!  The cream was nearly gone when Grandma caught him!

This may be the reason that Sam or Emmett had to take Coonie down to the creek and drop him offl.  Poor
Grandpa!  He looked and called for his coon for days.  "Come on Coonie, Come on."  Grandpa was so-o-o
sad about his pet's sudden disappearance.

One treasured memory was offered by his dauther-in-law Louise.  During a few moments of relaxation,
he'd whip out his french harp and play "Blackeye Susie" while keeping time with Both feet.

As noon time approached one day on the "Guy Moss place", Louise suddenly realized that she needed some 
sugar to complete her meal before Sam came in to eat.  Now having a father-in-law who owns a store just
a short walk away comes in mighty handy!  She dashed off for Mr. and Mrs. McGovern's.  Mr. McGovern and 
other kin were resting out on the veranda waiting to be summoned to eat.  Nearly breathless from haste,
Louise panted as she approached the poarch, "Oh, Mr. McGovern, I need some sugar quick!"  This brought
peals of laughter from the folks on the porch.  Both, with blushing faces, headed for the store as
Mr. McGovern let out an utterance about, "Them devils sittin' up there on that porch Would laugh!"

Is is said opposites attract and Grandma was indeed a horse of a different color!  She was described as 
about five two or three and of small to average size.  She was of Scottish ancestory which showed in traits
and habit.  Grandma was precise in thought and action.  She probably coined, "There's a place for everything
and everything in it's place!" Husband's and son's dirty work shoes left out of place on the veranda would 
soon be swept off.  Grandma had designated one particular spot on the porch and in the hall for work shoes!

"People judge your house by your yard."  Thus would commence the frequent sweeping of the yard and raking the
wood chip pile.  The well manicured yard was finished off with a rainbow of flowers in a near by fenced-off
garden.  She had peonies, roses, and dogwood bushes, just to name a few.

In spite of being a sickly person, she was in today's terms a workaholic.  More than once when Grandma was 
feeling poorly, she sat on an apple crate to hoe the garden.  Another time, when confined to bed, she lay
on her back and crocheted. Her body was sick but her hands were still busy!  Perhaps ill health accounted
for her usual straight face.

Grandma was a perfectionist too -- an admirable quality to possess in spirit but mighty demanding on the
body.  While sick in bed and still crocheting, a few of the half double or triple crochets didn't turn out
just so.  This was not at all pleasing to Grandma's sharp eye.  She proceeded to ravel out yards of work to
rectify this error.  Incidentally, her crochet thread was ravelings from the good parts of old gray socks
and flour sacks.

The grandchildren fondly remember the gaint of a black piano which seemed to sprall nearly the length of the
sitting room.  It was played by sons Estel and Sam.  Louise remembered that the piano was eventually sold to
Creston Brown.

Finally there is a memory of Grandma's molasses teacakes with a pinch-too-much of baking soda in them! It seems
they were eaten nevertheless at a homemade table.  The benches were also homemade and covered with braided
rugs made by Grandma to protect fanny from splinters.

These memories are dedicated to my mother, Versie McGovern Smith.  This was the last thing she proofread for
accuracy before she died August 23, 1988.