NOTE: Since this page was built, I have returned to placing the "s" on the end. The other felt wrong since I had always written Owens since age four.
I was born January 5th, 1957 to LONNIE Verne OWENS and Glenda SUE GRANTLAND Owens at Baugh, Smith & Wiley Hospital in Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama. I was
fortunate to have my mother with me for thirty-nine years for she nearly died after my birth due to complications arising from the fact that the doctor
failed to properly complete his duties.
I attended school at Union Hill High School (elementary section) in Union Hill (Somerville), Morgan County, Alabama; F.E.Burleson Elementary in
Hartselle, Morgan County, Alabama; Evergreen City School, Evergreen High School and Marshall Middle School in Evergreen, Conecuh County, Alabama; Tate
High School, Gonzales, Escambia County, Florida; Albert P. Brewer in Cotaco, Morgan County, Alabama and Pensacola Junior College in Pensacola, Escambia
County, Florida.
My parents divorced when I was four; Vonnie, my sister was less than one year old then. My mother carried my sister with her to live in Hartselle, while I
remained with my father. We lived in my great grandparents' home with them (Theodore & Fannie Flack), my grandparents' (Lester & Dimple Owens) and
my uncle, Bobby. My great grandparents were bedridden from crippling arthritis due to hard work on such a large farm (thousands of acres--those hard working souls--but they had 8 sharecrop houses for Grandpa Flack was a music and school teacher). They, as were the rest of us, were lovingly cared for by Mama Dimp, my grandmother.
I had a wonderful life; except for my nerves, at age four, were shot due to the arguing and the divorce. It seemed that I lived at the doctor's office! The
doctor, at first, diagnosed that I had leukemia, but it was my nerves fouling up the tests...thank God!
Daddy was such a great, and fun, father. After the divorce and Mama's remarriage, we had our MOST fun once we got away from Mama for it was just the three of us....the three musketeers.....Lonnie, Vonnie and Phyllis!! *smiles while remembering*
My fun-filled and being-very-much-loved memories carry me back to fishing anywhere and everywhere in that area of the country; eating caramel, orange (gummy) slices and orange peanut penny candy that Daddy
would buy by the carton; clinging to Daddy's neck and back as he would swing on the rope before we plunged into the Tennessee River near home; watching him
build wood items and model cars; riding and feeling the freedom of the wind in one of his convertables or on the back of his fully dressed Harley (he was not
the kind of biker that you see on television - he just liked the freedom of the wind) and oh, so many more wonderful times together.
I lived my wonderful country life until age six, when Mama remarried. Mama Dimp registered me in school (she had taught me to read and write at age four) and I had attended only one day, when Mama came for me to go live in Hartselle with her and my (I don't like to use this word) stepfather, Billy Elliott McCutcheon. I had a wonderful life there, too. Dad, the name that I call
Billy Elliott McCutcheon., was (and STILL IS--*smiles and hugs to Dad*) a great father and provider
of neccesities, love and attention. Daddy would come to pick us up to go back out on "the mountain" (as we called home) to visit with our family
every weekend and holiday. Dad would welcome Daddy to our home just like they were great friends. I've always thought of this as a very civilized manner on
both men's part.... especially compared to the manner in which I have seen other people's parents and step parents react and treat one another. I feel blessed
that they conducted themselves in such a gentlemanly fashion.
Dad owned his own company in Hartselle. I do not remember, and I've never thought to ask, the name of it....but I will. (NOTE: I did ask, and it was McCutcheon Ditching Service.) He owned trucks, tractors, front end loaders...heavy equipment. Dad was stricken with appendicitis, whereby his appendix burst, setting up gangrene and started growing onto
his intestines. He worked through all of this not knowing anything to be wrong with him, until he passed out in the shower one evening. He was hospitalized for three months, and a lot of the people who owed him
money in Hartselle and that area would not pay the money that he was owed for his work before ailing. This was the only time in my life I ever heard Mama and Dad discuss money, and I only heard it via
eavesdropping. The doctor instructed Dad that he could never work in the sun, nor as strenuously as before, ever again. He took a job as a truck driver at Poole
Truck Line in Evergreen, Alabama, and we later relocated there. We had moved five hours (then) drive away from our home.
Daddy no longer could pick us up every weekend, but he did on many of them, and all holidays.
Daddy died in 1972, five hours after he
sustained injuries when his log truck
careened off of the side of Yellow Bluff
Mountain. At fifteen, my life was
changed forever due to this tremendous
loss of my Daddy.
I married my childhood sweetheart,James
Allen Faulkner of Evergreen. In the
earlier years of our marriage, I
attended school and cared for our home
while he worked. We lived in Evergreen,
Somerville, Huntsville and Gurley,
Alabama; Houston, Texas; Sulphur,
Louisiana and Pensacola, Florida. We
traveled and worked together, and
enjoyed our young lives together for
nine years - good and not so good. After
which time, we divorced. No children
came of this union. We remain
friends.
For several years, I did nothing
constructive, but nothing destructive
either, with my life. I just lived and
enjoyed my life - again, good and not so
good.
Mama was diagnosed with lymphoma and
bone cancer in 1989 and given the
prognosis of six to twelve months of
life remaining. She and everyone in our
immediate family did everything possible
to save her, or at least make her as
comfortable as possible. She and I even got brave and
ventured to Athens, Greece for a month of
cancer treatments (which did more good for
her than anything that the American doctors
ever did or offered to do). She valiantly
fought for seven years...subsequently,
we lost her four days before her
fifty-eighth birthday and two weeks
before Christmas. She was granted her
wish though...she only wanted to see
Kris, my adopted brother, graduate from
high school. She stated that the time
after his graduation and until her death
was bonus that the Lord allowed her. She
was a trooper through it all; trying not
to let on to anyone about how really ill
she was; and continuing to work and to
be a great wife, mother, grandmother,
sister, daughter and friend to us all..I
admire her strength, her courage and her
independence. I will eternally miss the
grandest gem in any person's crown--Mama!
Now, I live in Enterprise, Coffee
County, Alabama. I own K-O Corral
Billiard Club and K-O Cues and Repairs,
the latter having been established in
1989. You can visit my business website
at K-O Billiards
I enjoy life, gardening, people,
billiards, genealogy, Everquest, and the computer. I just love to be around people. I like to be happy and have everyone around me happy also. Mind you though, that when crossed, I can show the darkside of myself.
I have always been interested in my
family's roots...since, at least age
four. I feel that my great grandmother,
Fannie Flack, was, unbeknownst to me,
preparing me to remember names, how to
spell them, and their kinship to me of
older family members with the help of
pictures. At age four, she would have me to hold up each of her pictures (for she could not hold them due to her crippling arthritis which had her hands and feet drawn inward due to hard work) and tell her each person's name, how to spell it, how they were akin t her, Grandpa Flack, Mama Dimp, Papa, Daddy and me. And all this at AGE FOUR!!! Smart woman.
I met all of my grandparents and six of
my eight great grandparents! I feel
very, very blessed by this. Several of
them on both sides of my family have
contributed much to the information that
I do have recorded. I am only glad that
I paid attention when they were speaking
to me about their memories...unlike the young folks of today.
And, in turn, hopefully, someone in my
family is currently paying attention to
my words here of memories....I guess
time will tell...however, right now none
of the younger generations show any
interest whatsoever. I guess it is just
my pride in my family.
BLOODLINE TO ME:
My great great grandfather is *Richard J. OWEN. I have scant information on him. His nickname was "BOB DICK". He owned a store (several of his siblings did , also). I do not know his parents' names. He married Mary E. GRANTLAND (daughter of John R. Grantland and Harriet C. or J. LOONEY Grantland). They resided in Oleander, Marshall County, Alabama. They had several children to include BROWN, JEFF, ED and *Richard EMMET OWEN.
My great grandfather, *Richard EMMET OWEN married *NORAH GOODSON. They resided in West Point (Somerville), Morgan County, Alabama. They had several children to include James Roan "JIMMY", WILDA, MARTHA, RUTH, MILDRED, LEONARD R., Melvin J.P."BUSTER", "R.E." Edwin, and *LESTER Bert OWENS.
My grandfather, *LESTER Bert OWENS was born July 28th, 1916 in Morgan County, Alabama, and died April 6th, 1995 in Hunstville, Madison County, Alabama and is buried in West Point Cemetery, Somerville, Morgan County, Alabama. He married *Dorothy DIMPLE FLACK in Morgan County, Alabama on March 4th, 1936. They resided in West Point Community (Somerville), Morgan County, Alabama. They had three children to include BOBBY Delano, PATSY Gayle, and *LONNIE Verne OWENS.
My father, *LONNIE Verne OWENS was born in Morgan County, Alabama on January 26th, 1938, and died November 13th, 1972 in Arab, Marshall County, Alabama and is buried West Point Cemetery, Somerville, Morgan County, Alabama. He first married *Glenda SUE GRANTLAND in Corinth (Iuka), Tishomingo County, Mississippi on April 24th, 1956. They resided in West Point, Morgan County, Alabama and Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, and, subsequently, divorced. They had two children to include *PHYLLIS Jeannae Kwanja and VONNIE Valeria OWENS. He second married LORENE Victoria "LODI" CRYER. They had children to include Timothy Wayne "TIM", TRACY JOE and TABITHA Gail OWENS. There exists a son, SHANNON JOHNSON, who was born of JIMMY LOU JOHNSON of Somerville and out of wedlock. My father, his parents, my siblings, all of my family and I accept and love him as blood kin and a part of our family. However, he will have nothing to do with us...other than friendship. Still, we love him. (And, he looks just like Daddy.)
This is the end of this direct bloodline to me.
