Character Collection

These three photos are the first of the "Character Collection". All of the individuals have character, and some of them are real "characters" in other senses of the word. All of these were photographed in December 1970, while I was home for Christmas from my first year at RIT. It was good to get some real grits from my mother's table, get away from the frozen north, and to visit with homefolks.

Kennon Peebles was cutting meat at Red's IGA, located at the present site of Crow-Mart. Kennon is younger than me, but both of us worked for Uncle Red when the hours were long and wages were small. Kennon was good in the market and he could do everything in the store, including maintaining the coolers and freezers. Red's was the first grocery store in Soperton with air conditioning.

Elise Ricks Dorsey Cullens was on the way to the Post Office, toting the mail for the Bank of Soperton, when she good naturedly struck a pose for camera. She was a real cut-up and added much comic relief to the serious job of banking.

John McLendon was quieter than his brother Bruce, but he was interesting, too. He always wore overalls and a hat, and he was never without his pipe and can of PA (Prince Albert smoking tobacco). He was relaxing in the car outside of Red's.