I received a surprise package in the mail today!It has no name on who sent me the package of 10 wonderful old photos of the beginning Pee Wee football players in Searcy AR from 1969 to 1972.  This one is of the Duncan's Roadrunners.  Look at the coaches in the back.  Aren't they handsome!!  The one on the right is of my husband Rodger Duncan and one on the left is Sidney Quattlebaum and they were instrumental in beginning the teams and the program. Okay, next you are seeing a group of 9 pictures.  Someone way back there saved them and knew I would like them.  The gift was mailed from Alabama.  I'd love to thank the person who sent them!  I love and will cherish them so         SPEAK UP!  Tell me who the wonderful gift-giver is so that I can say THANK YOU!!!        04/16/2025

We all loved Sears, Roebuck and Co.I stumbled upon this very old looking packet of sandpaper with the Sears name on it.  All 6 sheets of sandpaper were still in it.  I could find no price or date on it anywhere.  One of the sheets is shown below.  What is Aluminum Oxide?  Our beloved Sears has been gone for a long time so this is sort of a memory of Sears and how they sold everything!  From sandpaper to houses!As a matter of fact, we have at least one Sears house remaining in Searcy AR!  Wonder if they'd like this memory to hang on a wall? I did a blog about it back in 2011 and the blog can be pulled up here      https://activerain.com/droplet/4F9S    if you'd like to read it.  It no longer looks like this but the house is still there.  Should I stop by and offer them this little gift?L... 04/11/2025

WHAT A CREW!    WHAT A MEMORY!I know, I know!  Can't remember some of this crew?  Realize it was about 33 years ago and that helps with the reason and I have the same problem.  But it is a REALLY good memory.  I am on the bottom row right proudly wearing my new RE/MAX jacket and I guess we were holding fingers up because we aimed to be #1!RE/MAX was a brand new franchise in the country and the guy in the white shirt and tie, Robert Cargile, brought it to town.  Several agents joined him and I was one of them.  And I love this happy picture! I also love knowing that RE/MAX has been an asset to Searcy AR!! 04/08/2025

Wonderful MemoriesCheck your bookshelves.  As I did.  You may find this wonderful book of memories of Searcy AR.  As I did. It was written in 2012 by Patsy Pipkin, a Searcy lady, and Carolyn Boyles, who seems to go from place to place writing these memory books.  She chose Searcy for one and had Patsy Pipkin help her write it. Patsy  was an award-winning author and longtime resident of Searcy and White County.  She was a local newspaper columnist for over 15 years and she and Carolyn Boyles compiled a wonderful collection of photos contributed by many different groups and individuals from White County.  I have not looked it over since 2012 and decided to look at it again.  It is filled with old historic photos of downtown, community, commerce, personalities and folks of leadership.Patsy... 03/30/2025

Another "style" picture from 1970.Old yearbooks are a lot of fun to look through.  I was searching the 1970 one and saw this group picture of the Future Homemakers of America. Looks like all girls, doesn't it.  Then I noticed all those legs on the front row. Notice two girls with what we used to call "saddle oxfords" and they date way back to the 50's and were worn with socks, always with socks. Note there are no socks on these girls but all of the shoes look as if they need socks! A style change, I guess.And sadly, the reason I was checking the old yearbook was because one the girls, third from left on front row, was Vani Jo Quattlebaum Geroy who passed away this month.  She was lovely and always fashionable.  Notice the hairstyle in the picture below!  That style became so beloved so ... 03/22/2025

Moving Notice!  On handkerchief!  Unusual??  I stumbled across a large stack of old vintage handkerchiefs a few weeks ago. It startled me to find this one!  Someone had evidently used handkerchiefs to announce their move.  I'd never seen that before.  Here's a picture of the whole hanky.  It was Earl Bernard who was moving to 35 West 39 Street in New York, NY.  I wish it had a date.  The artist was, I guess, Gale.  That's the name at the corner.  03/10/2025

1950's typing class.Who remembers this?  Do they still have them?I found this old picture inside a 1950 Searcy Arkansas yearbook.  It was a free picture just inside the book with several other pictures, mostly football.  So I assume that it was from the 1950 school year. Searcy Sleuths may even recognize some of the students.  I definitely remember being in a classroom that looked like this and learning how to type.  Now I think that it was one of the best classes to take and learn typing.  Typing is still something I still do a lot of when using the computer. The knowledge has stayed with me all through the years.So.....do they still teach typing in school? If not, what took its place?  03/04/2025

 The Ultimate 1968 Fashion Photo Example!Hold it!!  I was not referring to the people in the photo even though being a hippy was popular back then.  I was talking about the wrought iron porch pillar posts.    Driving now through Searcy's first subdivisions with covenants, Lambert Terrace and Cloverdale, you can still see lots of wrought iron decor like these.  Some has been replaced with wood but lots remain. If curious, click the link below for my view of what happened regarding carports and garages in our area.  In 2007 I wrote a blog about the unofficial history of carports and garages in the south.  Read the blog by clicking the link below.  It tells an interesting story.               https://activerain.com/droplet/tnNBQuestion? Oh, the couple? That is my husband and me dressed to ... 02/24/2025

Pine cone roses?A long lasting gift.So many, many years ago these rose-shaped cones were given to me.  I sometimes think that if I were going through motherhood right now I'd end up in jail for giving my kids the freedom that I gave them when they were growing up.  We lived on the edge of town near pastures, streams, woods, etc., and I let them roam around at will.  They survived and had a great time.  I might receive gifts that they found and brought home.The picture above shows probably the best gift and the longest lasting.  They were off a tree that grew somewhere in the McRae Street, Searcy AR neighborhood.  They were beautiful then and they still are.  They had a small hole in the back and I glued stems in the holes  in lots of them for putting in vases.The tree died and we don't ... 02/21/2025

Norma Young and Kay WrightRemember 1971?  Searcy AR was home to a wonderful cook who may have invented Chicken Dipper's Nuggets and won a $10,000 award. (How much would that be today? Google says $77,927!) Norma Young is shown on the right above and her daughter, Kay Wright, on the left.  I cannot remember going to a restaurant and ordering chicken nuggets at that time so that is why I say she possibly began them.  I am showing her recipe below.  She entered a cooking contest and won!  I just rediscovered the cookbook, Kay's Kitchen, which was published in 1984, and written by Norma and Kay.  Kay was a great cook also.I seem to remember making them and serving them to the family.  The kids loved them!!  You had to cut the chicken yourself. One chicken breast made 12 nuggets! It is calle... 02/15/2025

     Handsome Hubby Always a great memory from 2008!  I have blogged this before but it is still one of my favorite Valentine's stories and so true.  Valentine's Day has rolled around again and this memory always pops back up! It is about my husband and a new side of him.  He has never been a romantic!  The club that we attend decided to delay Valentine's until Saturday night and charge an enormous amount for the dinner.Well, our buddies decided along with us that we'd boycott the dinner and celebrate Valentine's Day on the proper day.  We were sitting around the table at the club discussing what we'd do instead. Two of us left to go to the ladies' room and when we got back the rest of the table said, "We've got it planned.  ____ will buy the steaks, Rodger (my hubby) will cook the stea... 02/11/2025

Tour was so delightful and educational.This historic home is for sale right now and the REALTORS were invited to tour it.  I accepted the invitation and was delighted to see all the historic items still in and around the house.The windows in the house are original.  The tile on the roof  had to be special ordered to be the same type as the original when built in 1924 and designed by Charles Thompson, architect. The Edward Lightle family moved into the house in 1926.  Thus, the name Lightle House.  Notice the wonderful brick work that looks as if it could be around another 100 years!It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.  Go there to read more about the home and to see it.  Howell Realty Pros have the listing and it would be wonderful to have another owner che... 02/07/2025

Phyllis Alexander, Searcy artist, impresses me again!I have blogged (bragged) about this lady before.  She has been a successful Searcy AR artist for many years and here she has accomplished another successful venture.  She has illustrated two children's books!  Here she is in my kitchen (she is also my neighbor) and I asked her to let me picture her with the books!  One is written by Wesley Thompson and the other one is written by Stephen W. Smith.  She did wonderfully expressive illustrations on each page!!You would love going back to two of my blogs and see other examples of her art skills. Check these out!  You will be as impressed as I am!! Click on each one below.                      https://activerain.com/droplet/4Jst                       https://activerain.com/droplet/JjDXPhyl... 01/26/2025

This artistic bag, or sack as I call it, popped up in an upcoming estate sale.I do not remember its being done so tell me if you Sleuths remember. About 33 businesses evidently advertised on the outside of the bag.  I think you can see the names in the pictures of the bags.Notice in the picture above there is a "Free Kittens" ad.  Wonder who paid for it? In fact, the artwork is pretty creative and humorous.  But in the final picture it has a name and date but I can't tell what the name is.  So that is the reason I am yelling for help from the Sleuths!  HELP! 01/13/2025

Greetings, Barbara!!It is time to clean up, get rid of, look again, wonder where this stuff came from, drag out, sift through and be amazed at the pile of items.  That is what I was doing. Two bottom dresser drawers had not been touched in many years. Where did all these lovely ladies vintage hankerchiefs come from?  What about all these old scarves from the 50's, 60's, 70's and even further back?  Remember women's slips?  Back when we had to wear dresses.....Gloves?  Back when we had to wear gloves with the dresses.....Panty hose?  Back before ladies just quit wearing hose at all.... Here's a glimpse of the drawers.This is after I had dragged things out trying to organize for about an hour.  There was even an old hankerchief from China, nestled on a piece of paper and tied there with s... 01/03/2025

Hey!  Razorback fans!!This is a new one for me!  I had never seen one before! It is in a lovely house that is now listed and even though I have been in the house several times, I noticed it in the listing pictures on the internet.  All we know is that it had been specially ordered for the laundry room of this home by an ardent Razorback fan.  In case you are not from Arkansas and are not familar with "Hogs" it is the nickname for the football team at the University of Arkansas.  The Razorback Hogs are loved by so many fans.  The fans are hysterically infatuated with the "Hogs" and I am not that surprised that one spent money for a hog-shaped sink!!NOW!!In case you are one of those fans and are interested in a home, check this one out in River Oaks, Searcy AR.  Address is 118 Red Oak.  H... 12/31/2024

A Favorite SantaI have a small collection of Santa Clauses and this is one of my favorites.  It is called a 20th Century Claus and personifies the traditional American Santa.  I love his bobby socks and saddle shoes that were so popular in the 50's.  And be sure to see what he is gifting.  Television set, '57 Chevy, record, Cola, and a blonde possible Marilyn Monroe doll!I wish all of my activerain friends a happy holiday season!! 12/20/2024

  Example of Happy Times!Leon Person and his friend Toby Noble.I borrowed this wonderful picture from Sherry Quattlebaum Person, who married Leon Person many years later when they became adults.  Noble Motel, in Searcy AR, was a very popular spot. Click   https://activerain.com/droplet/4H4B to see the very beginning of the motel started by Toby Noble.  The picture you'll see there was given to me by his son.Back to the picture above.  The Christmas-looking tree in front makes me wonder if they picked up a Christmas tree on their way to the fishing hole and doubled their pleasure!  They evidently had a successful fishing trip.  I don't know what kind of fish they are and thinking of cleaning all those fish tires me.Clicking here   https://activerain.com/droplet/Hzr6   shows another blog ... 12/18/2024

Old Duncan's car lot bodyshop.This building is not historic except as being a part of a successful car lot for many years.  Folks may remember Duncan's Chrysler Plymouth Jeep Eagle located at 704 E. Race Street in Searcy AR.  They may chuckle as they remember V. W. Duncan, famous for the saying, "What Ole Po Dunk says it is, it is!"Po Dunk was a fantastic salesman and started the car business at 202 S. Main in 1946.  He moved to the Race Street location and in 1964 acquired the Chrysler-Plymouth line and added Jeep products in 1979. Duncan's had great repeat business due to good service by excellent family members and employees.The business closed in approximately 2008.The old bodyshop building was in disrepair and the family decided to remove it. In this picture you can see the surroun... 12/14/2024

 White County courthouse drawing.1986 is the date signed by the artist and must be the approximate date  of the drawing for this plan for the courthouse grounds.  I clipped this article by Tommy Jackson, editor of the Daily Searcy Citizen, but I did not keep the extension of the article on page 3A.  The article says there was a move afoot to enhance the beauty of the courthouse which was built in 1877.  The White County Quorum Court had agreed to match on a dollar-for dollar basis up to $3000 for contributions  made by the public to the Courthouse Grounds Beautification Committee for the purpose of professionally landscaping and maintaining the courthouse grounds, and dollar-for-dollar up to $100 per month for maintenance.I guess I liked the drawing and it looks like it is signed by She... 12/09/2024