kate

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I was six years old when Calvin Hinson married into our family. I gave him a hard time until he figured out how to handle me. I was quite atached to Esther when I was young and I didn't want her going off and leaving me when she went out on a date with him. So when he came for her, I would stand on the front porch and cry for her as long as I could see them going down the road. Calvin started bringing me chewing gum, which was a rare treat as times were so hard during the depression years and gum was not easy to come by. It worked and I stopped crying for them.

But from the very first he was so good to me. He kinda adopted me and from that time he would have done anything he could for me if I had asked him. All through the years whatever happened he was my friend.

I remember one time in the winter and it was bitterly cold, we lived about six miles from Riesel and we had to ride the bus to school. We lived at the end of the bus route, and there were no heaters on the buses back then. So we would have frozen before we reached home. But Calvin came from Mart and picked us up at school and took us directly home.

He was always doing things to help our family in those hard times. If we needed anything, we'd call on Calvin and he was there for us.

He and Esther lived on a farm outside of Mart. He always provided well for his family and he was well respected in the community. Everyone liked him. He had four sons of whom he was so proud.

I lost my good friend on April 25th, 1995. And I still miss him.

Kate and Herschell Autrey on their 28th wedding
anniversary in May, 1969.

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