I have a habit of talking about families and histories when I am out in public.  My favorite conversation took place at Pizza Hut one Friday afternoon.  While talking to a couple sitting at a table next to us, another person joined us and before we left, everyone was into the conversation and giving stories of the topic that changed to the Shelton Gang.

In all that I read about them, nothing good was ever mentioned, until now.  I will not use any names due to  privacy.

In all my listening of stories, I find it hard to believe the Shelton Brothers were mean and bad.  I know they loved children and often talked with them and, once Carl played baseball with some kids at the park on NW 7th street.

Here are two of my favorite stories (for now).

Smiles!

Dianna
Coordinator

#1 told by a lady, when she was about 6 yrs. old

I was jumping on the cracks in the sidewalk when I fell.  I skinned my right knee and it was bleeding.  As I sat down to hold my leg and cried, a man walked up and started talking to me with a soft voice.  He took a hanky out of his back pocket, spit on it, and wiped the blood off my knee saying, "Let's see how bad this is.".

Then he picked me up and put me on a near by bench, said he was going to the hole to wet his hanky.  (Note, the hole was a water bin where people watered their horses that had a pump on the side for people to get water.  It was always cold).  He wet the hanky and wiped my knee and leg.  Then, he wiped the tears off my face.  He asked if I felt better and as I sniffed to stop crying, I nodded yes.

Then he leaned over putting his ear to my knee and whispered to it.  "Yes!  I agree!", he said and picked me up.  He told me what my knee needed was an ice cream cone.  With that, he carried me to the drug store and ordered 2 ice cream cones, had a man following us carry them as we walked back to the bench to eat them.

We had a nice talk and laughed as we ate our cones.  Then my mom came and he stood up to let her sit down and told mom, "She got a boo-boo on her knees but we fixed it with ice cream cones" and they laughed.  The man gave this other man some money and told him to get my mom a cone.  She said no but she got one all the same.

While mom ate her cone, he said, "Why don't yall jump the crack to make sure your knee is ok now.  But let me wrap my hanky around your knee, ok?".  After he wrapped my knee I started jumping again and he talked to my mom.

After time went by mom said we had to leave.  I gave him one big hug, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "Thank you!".  He reached in his pocket and took out a shiny quarter and gave it to me.  Oh I was so thrilled!

As this lady told us this story, she reached into her purse, over 70 years later, she still has that quarter!

My Pa died when I was little and my Ma had no money.  There were 4 of us kids and Ma started selling land.  One day a black car pulled up and the man got out to talk to Ma.  We did not have to sell any more land cause he had brought in hired help to farm on what we had (160 acres).  Then notion goods started coming to the house and Ma started quilting.  Every month someone picked up the quilts she made, brought some food and clothes as needed, and gave her money for her quilts.

One day when I was about 16, I went to the fields to help farm.  The next day I started to go when the man came back and talked to Ma and me.  Then he took me for a walk and we talked more.  He asked why I did not want to go to school and I told him the kids laughed at my pants and shirt cause they were too small.  Plus, I need a book that cost 50 cents and did not want to ask Ma for it knowing times were rough.

He took me to a store in Fairfield and bought me clothes and shoes.  The next week I went back to school wearing my new clothes and carrying my new book.

After I graduated, he told Ma I was going to go to college and it was all paid for.  I graduated from college and work as a pharmatist. I owe it all to Carl Shelton.