usadeepsouth.com
~a memoir~
by Billy Tom (Bubba) Lusk
Folks I remember in Steiner were the Frankels, the Hughes, the Coopers, and the MacGregors.
I went from first grade to eleventh grade in Linn, Mississippi. My schooling there started with Supt. Hutcherson and ended with G. C. Horton in eleventh grade.
Linn folks who influenced me were: the R.L.Roberts, G.C. Hortons, Usserys, Sullivans, Ringolds, Kirks, Lindseys, Youngs, and the Burrells. Because of his back injury, Tom Givens (father of USADEEPSOUTH writer “Young” Tom Givens) saved me from football 'cause Mother used that as the reason I couldn't go out. My cousin Grace and Tom were once sweethearts. I'm still having Claudine search for a school book in which Grace had written about Tom, as I've said before he was a movie star looking fellow and always seemed to have a smile. I don't know how much older he was than me but it could have been about eight years. I was born in 1925.
Mama's family were the Rays. Daddy's family included the Lusks, the James, and the Ringolds.
In Cleveland, where I attended 12th grade, I also knew some good people: the Bergers (Rut married Mary Ann Horton), the Rushings (Dutch married Amelia Horton), Charles Elmo East (a senior classmate), Mary Williford (to whom I was once engaged), and many others of the '43 CHS Senior class. And I should mention Mrs. Effie Glassco, who asked me if I was going to pledge a fraternity, upon which I asked what a fraternity was.
Many of the CHS State men were SAE’s at that time, as was Mary's brother, “Snake” Williford. So that's where I went after I had asked Daddy if we could possibly afford it. Many of those men influenced me. Rut Berger (who achieved a doctor's degree and taught at several universities) and Buster were SPE's at State. Nott Wheeler was my little brother when he pledged SAE. His brother Moon was an SAE also.
When we went back to State following WWII, my roommate for several years was Miles Dale McCaleb (Mike) from Cleveland (his wife Donna still lives there). Mike served in the Navy. His service is very interesting. He had 20/200 vision and was told that he would only have limited service on a seagoing tug which also had "limited" service. The next thing he knew they were in the Mediterranean, then in the Pacific, and I think I'm correct that he said they pulled alongside the battleship Pennsylvania beside a hole in the side of the ship which their tug could almost go into -- and finally in the giant typhoon at Okinawa, their tug was washed ashore dragging a number of anchors. Mike was (now deceased) a most wonderful person and a great roommate.
Oh, my SAE frat house roommate was T. Luster of Clarksdale. Together we went to leadership school in Evanston, Illinois. He was president of the frat (Miss Theta) the year before I was president -- the title is Eminent Archon. Bro. T. and I still weekly exchange email. He is married to Betty Bramlett of Clarksdale. They dropped by to see us several years ago on their return trip from Alaska in their motorhome. I hold him in highest regard.
A letter home to Cleveland:
Dear Claudine and Cherry:
Tommy tells me some rice organization is putting together a publication and will use some people pictures, especially maybe those who were among the early Mississippi rice growers. Tommy has asked Claude to get a picture of me and Barbara.
The main reason for this memo is that we wouldn't have even been a rice grower if it hadn't been for Mr. Felts, and that's the reason I'm sending this to Cherry Wheeler, who will know about the publication and is also in contact with Mary Ann Lindsey [daughter of Mr. Felts]. Mr. Felts supervised our first rice crop and then supervised the bag drying of the first crop and then went down in Cajun country to sell the first crop. He also dried a crop in the Ringold grain bins, sleeping in his vehicle some nights.
If we should get mentioned in whatever is being put together, we'd certainly want Mary Ann's daddy to be included along with his activity. He financed the preparation for the first crop and the production thereof.What I'm about to say is factual but probably not believed by most, but . . . the night before Mr. Felts phoned me with the thought, I had a dream in which the farm was covered in water. Now everyone else can think what they want, but I believe God prepared me for the phone call and I told Mr. Felts about the dream.
Another part of Delta rice history is that I had bought a rice combine in preparation for rice and also to use to harvest four hundred acres of my soybeans (which burned to a pulp in the drought), and Nott made it possible for me to make my equipment payment by letting me custom harvest some of their rice. Thanks, Nott.
I wonder if he recalls the day the drive of a new combine got stuck and busted the transmission housing by popping the clutch, and either that combine or a different one had its rear wheels torn out by a crawler attempting to pull it.
I have no idea just where the first Mississippi rice was grown – maybe around Choctaw. I know Dockery had some; anyway, guess the experts will do the proper research.
Love to All Y'all,
Bubba T.
Billy Tom’s memoirs are full of Mississippi Delta history:
Part I: Early memories
Part II: Stories from my youth
Part III: Influences on my life
Part IV: College days and WWII enlistment
Part V: Thoughts on religion
Part VI: On fishing
BIO: A Mississippi Delta native, Billy Tom "Bubba" Lusk has resided in Texas since 1961. He's a graduate of Mississippi State University ('49), and has worked in agriculture and insurance. During WWII, he served with the 541st Parachute Infantry Regiment, but saw no combat. He and his wife, Barbara, have 4 children and 7 grandchildren.
Read many more great stories listed on our USADS memoir pages.
__________________________
Want to leave a comment on Billy Tom’s stories?
Please visit our Message Board
or write Ye Editor at bethjacks@hotmail.com.
Thanks!
Back to USADEEPSOUTH - II index page