Cherokee Lost
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Mom and Dad had departed after Sunday dinner at Grandpa Will and Grandma Ida’s place in Dallas Hollow. Grandpa’s place was located about twenty miles north of Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the base of Soddy Mountain, also known as Walden Ridge. My brother Jack and I were both excited about the decision that we would live full-time with our grandparents in early June, 1950. I had finished my first year of grade school. Grandpa Will was tall, tan, and well-built from all the hard work he’d done, his hands muscular and rough to the touch. His face bore the wrinkles of time. He wore denim overalls with cotton shirts in the summer and flannel in the winter. A colored handkerchief was always hanging from a back pocket of the overalls. He wore a fedora-style hat with a single feather year round. In cooler months, he wore a sport jacket over the overalls. When winter finally came, he added a union suit under his overalls. He walked with a slight limp he had developed from years of carrying heavy loads of ice. He took a walking stick with him now anytime he was outside the house.
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About the Book
When young brothers Gene and Jack moved in with their grandparents in 1950, they didn’t realize then the impact that Grandpa Will and Grandma Ida would have on their lives. Life in rural Dallas Hollow, Tennessee, was not always easy, but it was one filled with love, laughter, and life lessons learned. In this memoir, Cherokee Lost, author Gene Guthrie shares a glimpse of life with his elders.
While living with their grandparents, they learned of their grandfather’s Cherokee Indian heritage. He taught them to survive and to take care of Mother Earth. He introduced them to timber cutting, hunting, fishing, and the art of blacksmithing. Grandma Ida showed them how to garden, pick berries, can fruits and vegetables, and dry apples.
During the twelve years they lived with their grandparents, Gene and Jack learned much more than physical chores; they learned respect, pride, and how to laugh and enjoy life. They grew to appreciate Grandpa Will’s Indian heritage and spirit. Through the words and actions of Grandpa Will, Cherokee Lost provides a tribute to the rural life of the south and the Native American outlook on life.
About the Author
Gene Guthrie is retired after working thirty years in the telecommunications field. He became a professional blacksmith and toured the judged-art circuits of the Southwest. Guthrie is a member of the Springfield Writers Guild. He is married with grandchildren and lives in Missouri, close to the Trail of Tears.