From puzzled to precise to piano man.....Searcy Arkansas native Bill Fuller makes it!

Just as you are no longer Harold Gene, except to me, Billy is really just plain Bill and Bobby Scott is Bob.  We just called him Billy on the blog, but I think he signed himself Billy Fuller.  Buess we'll have o ask her what he prefers.  I'm SURE his "stage name" is Bill

Ludean, I knew you'd come thourh with the flour sack website.

Here's the answer to the "Billy" vs. "Bill"  question from Harold Gene.  My wife, Cheryl, has always called me Bill.  When I left Searcy to go to Hendrix, Mother suggested I drop the "Y" and become Bill.  I followed her suggestion,  Only problem, there were already several people at Hendrix who knew me as Billy (people from Searcy, people from the Methodist Church from all over the conference, etc.)  Others at Hendrix caught on to the "Billy" and started using it.  And it's been that way the rest of my life.  I actually tried to change it to John (full name: John William).  People could not understand why I went by a nickname from my middle name.  That didn't work, so I went back to Bill/Billy.  Bottom line....I only let those whom I am fondest of call me Billy....LOL.  I think it's probably the same way with "Bob"....my sister, Ruthann, and I just call him "Bobby".  now,  Harold Gene, let's get Bob's take on it.

Billy Boy, Billy Boy........My friend from 1st thru 12th grade and still friends.

My first car date was with Billy.  His Mother and Daddy drove us to Helen Cowan's house for my first dress-up dinner party.  Helen's niece, Anne Rodgers, was also in our class so Helen and Anne invitied several couples to the dinner. We had chocolate milk from a carton......soo good.  That first dinner date was the highlight of my elementary days.

I wish we had pictures of all the "Good ol' Days".  We could always count on Billy for the best nature and laughs in the group. Yes, he was mischevious.  In our graduating class of 1962 we always depend on Billy to play "Everythings Coming Up Roses".  It was the theme song for our Junior Revue with different words that described our class.  He played it and other songs for us at our 40th reunion. 

Hope we can get a group together soon and surprise him in Memphis.

I didn't mean for my offhand comment "How come it is still Billy Fuller and not Bobby Scott Fuller now?" to stir up such a discussion.  If I had better writing skills it would come across as the more humorous, nostalgic comment that I meant it to be. 

I, too, have had adventures with the name.  My family has always called me Gene.  When I got into the business world, it was hard to not fit the first name, middle initial model.  I tries for awhile but finally gave up and started signing my name Harold G. Sullivan and was usually called Hal.  It did have a advantage, if someone asked for me, if they used Hal I know it was business oriented and if they asked for Gene I knew it was personal.  There are several people who still call me Harold Gene, hence the reason I use it here.

Anita, got me pegged, huh?

Barbara, thanks for trying to fix my spelling.  I was probably thinking of a flowered flour sack.

Well, I wrote earlier today but I don't see it on here so trying again.  Billy and I have been friends most of our lives but not in primary school as I was a late comer to Searcy, I was 10 when my Dad moved us here when Birds Eye decided to have a year round plant in this area. It was in an old fair grounds building across the street from Lion Stadium until he built the plant that was later bought by Land O' Frost.  Every time a big wind came up, it would blow the roof off.  But I digress, back to Billy.  I could tell lots of stories about him but I won't because he knows too much and would get me back.  I will say that he and I had a great time in Aunt Ruth's classes.  We were sort of lab partners when no one was looking.  Why anyone would let us near chemicals together I don't know.  My biggest problem was John and Ruth (our chemisty and biology teacher) Fuller (Billy's aunt and uncle) were friends of my parents so didn't get by with much.  Back in those days Searcy was really small and the wires burned up between Moms so all our friends were in trouble almost before we had finished committing the offense.  Remember the Jr./Sr. Banquet when we had to perform and do all the work.  Of course, that event was nothing compared to the Jr. Revue.  That was a riot.  You know, Billy, I always wanted to play a duet with you.  Just because I  couldn't play piano worth a darn should not have been an issue.  If you had really cared about your partner in crime, you would have let me hit just one key.  So Ann played beautifully and looked like an angel, big deal.  She wouldn't let me play one with her either and we were practically sisters.   I think it would be a great idea for a bunch of us to show up for one of Billy's performances.  It would probably scare the heck out of him to see all his kind and loving friends in the audience.  He'd have to continue to entertain while wondering what we were going to do to embarrass him.  I'm just kidding.  We wouldn't do that now that we are more mature. 

Billy, I have pictures.

Barbara, thanks for the memories.

Love to my buddy, Bill.

Carolyn Pegelow Wolfe

Ann is Ann Sowell.  She was one of my life-long buddies.  Curly dark hair, big dimples and a heck of a lot of fun.  She was a majorettej and Billy's favorite duet partner.  She died a few years ago after a long, long battle with MS.  After I moved back to Searcy, when she'd come to visit her Mom (Elizabeth Darden) from Katy, Texas, I'd go get her and we'd throw the wheelchair in the trunk and off we'd go to dinner, a movie, my house to drink wine and catch up whatever we could think of.   Her Mom said it brought back old memories us sneaking in after the folks had gone to bed.  Said she'd lay there listening to us talk and giggle just like when we were kids.   Bill and I actually managed to be here at the same time once when she was home and we went to see her together.  I'm not sure that wasn't when one of her parents died.  I think it was her Dad; but I can't remember if Ann died before or after her Mom.  I think it was after.  Billy will know.  Annie was 10 days older than me Sept. 17 to Sept. 27 and she thought that was a riot because she was little and I'm 5'11" and she had great fun constantly giving me orders because she was the oldest.  Annie was a treasure. 

Sorry, Bill, I meant to tell Bill stories but ended up talking about Annie but you should be used to sharing the limelight with her after all those recitals.

Barbara, hope that gives you some insight into the gal Ann was.

Barbara, you are correct.  The house still sits on the corner of W. Center and Apple.  Our area is one of the few original Searcy neighborhoods where the old homes are being bought and renovated or restored.  Actually Lynn and her husband, Gary Aska, now live in the house we grew up in and I live in the white house next to them (where they used to live - another story).  Our houses are the only two on that side of the 502 to 508 W. Center block.  Speaking of the back of the homestead, my Dad turned the whole back yard into a covered patio (less yard to mow).  He also put stairs on one side so Lynn (my sister) and I could climb up there and sun bathe.  The problem was he put the steps so far apart that you had to be tall like me or take your life in your hands to climb up there; however, the main obstacle to sunning up there was, and still is, the roof or floor, depending on if you climbed the stairs or not,  tar.  I'm not sure Dad ever really understood why we didn't want to sun bathe up there.  The actual patio has seen many parties, cook outs and general fun.  It still does.  Lynn and Gary have just spent a lot of hours sprucing everything up and getting ready for the Summer. 

Another memory is of one Christmas Eve  when Lynn and I were in our late 20's and early 30's respectively. We were both home for the holidays, and we decided that after Midnight Mass and the folks had gone to bed, we would go out and climb up on the roof and run across it ringing sleigh bells and hollering Merry Christmas in as good a Santa impression as we could.  Keep in mind most of our neighbors  Mr. and Mrs. Deener Dobbins Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Randall, Mrs. Wayne Sanford, Ms. Irene Allison, etc., etc., etc. (Ms. Rebecca Randall and Ms. Martha Sanford were two of the Lightle sisters) except for Mr. and Mrs. K. B. Rand, were old enough to be our grandparents.  Well, we did it.  Went out the back door - up the steps to the flat roof - over the actual peaked roof - back down and in the front door where my mother was standing just like in the good old days.  For a while, I didn't think Santa was going to come see us that year.  Bert was not impressed.  She had a pet name for us that she called us when we had done something she considered idiotic and/or unneccessary but I won't share it.  By the way, we are still looking for those sleigh bells and I'm now 65.  I must say though that our fans,  those wonderful and missed ladies and gentlemen of the neighborhood, thought it was a great way to start Christmas once they got past thinking we were being invaded that is.  Lots of fun on that corner a lot of which was aided and abetted by the ladies of the neighborhood .  We had the run of all the neighbors houses.  Talk about tales to tell.  Lynn and I were very blessed as we had the real Searcy matriarchs who loved us and spent hours sharing their lives and memories with us. 

Barbara, as you can see, I tend to wax on and on once I get started (as all my buds know) so please forgive the ramblings and again thanks for jogging all these wonderful memories.

I see no one else answered your question.  Ann Sowell was the younger sister of Marvin Lee.  Their father was killed in the WWII.  Their mother eventually remarried, to Elsa Darden.  I don't think there was any connection to the furniture store Sowells but there may have been.

Sorry, I did get sidetracked and failed to answer your questions regarding Ann.  Thanks to Harold Gene Sullivan for filling you in.  Barbara, not surprising your memories of Mom and Dad are getting dim.  Dad has been gone since 1983 and Mom since 2000.  I told a friend not long ago that it is rather sad to think that it won't be long and there will be very few folks who even remember they lived in Searcy much less all they did to help this town grow.  When their friends and our friends are gone won't be anyone to remember a lot of the folks who helped get Searcy started towards the town it is today. 

Do go by Lynn and Gary's and see the stairs and patio that covers the whole back yard.

Take care.

Carolyn