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Clemson Icon [27019]
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My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 2:59 PM
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He died from emphysema in 1989. I had just turned 26.
He was born in 1925 and raised in rural South Georgia. They were basically sharecroppers. He lived through the Depression but never talked about it because it probably had very little effect on the way they lived since they pretty much lived off the land. One story was that he must have been a pretty good bare knuckles boxer when he was a teenager and young adult. Supposedly when guys came across the state line from northern FL looking for the best fighter in the area, my Dad was the guy they sent them too. Kinda funny because he was very non- confrontational when I knew him.
He only went to school through the 11th grade and served in the Navy and the Coast Guard. He once told me Guantanamo Bay Cuba was the most beautiful place he had ever seen when he was there probably in the late 1940s. Then he worked at the Navy Yard in Charleston for 30 years.
He could grow ANYTHING. We had a garden that was somewhere between a half acre and 3/4 acre. We picked and ate fresh vegetables every summer and Mom canned a lot of them for later. We raised cows, chickens, and rabbits for meat, eggs and milk. Never concerned about where the next meal was coming from because we were responsible for providing it.
He also loved to grow azaleas and camellias. Before I was born they lived on the Boone Hall property in Mt. Pleasant and he was a caretaker there. This was before it was open to the public for tours. After I was born and we lived on Johns Island we would go visit the lady that owned it then (maybe Mrs McRay?) and I remember playing in the old run down slave quarters while the adults talked. He planted azaleas along the avenue of oaks leading up to the plantation house. When they opened the plantation up for tours they removed all those beautiful azaleas because the original plantation did not have any azaleas on that avenue of oaks.
He loved to fish and we spent a lot of time fishing in the creeks and rivers around Johns Island in his old 13 foot Renken with a 25 JP Johnson outboard motor.
He taught us respect and humility. Respect your elders. Hold the door open for others and say yes sir and yes ma’am. When we were kids he said we’d get a whipping if we threw the first punch or if we ran away from a fight if someone else threw the first punch.
Hard to believe he’s been gone more than half my life. Today’s world would drive him crazy with all the division and bickering. But the world would be a better place if he were here.
If you smoke, please stop. If not for your sake, for those who love you.
Happy birthday Dad! Miss you every day.
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Solid Orange [1340]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 3:10 PM
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Thanks for sharing. My dad would have been 100 in July of 2023. He went home in
2000 to be with The Lord.
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110%er [3739]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 5:03 PM
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Well, my dad's son just turned 94!!
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Clemson Icon [27019]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 5:35 PM
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Congratulations. Hope to get there one day.
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Clemson Sports Icon [57743]
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Clemson Sports Icon [56240]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 3:25 PM
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It is our responsibility as dads to be the best we can be... not perfect because no one is, but the best we can be. Thanks for sharing brother. And happy birthday!!!
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Tiger Spirit [9406]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 3:29 PM
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What a great history and family story! There are quite a few similarities between your dad and mine, so your post really resonated with me. My dad would have been 97, joined the navy at 17 years old to fight in WW2, boxed while in the navy and he loved to garden and grow things. More than that he loved sharing his harvest with friends, neighbors and anyone in need. I lived for 10 years on John’s Island and it was one of my favorite places to live. Thanks again for sharing!!
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Clemson Icon [27019]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 3:37 PM
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Thanks. When did you live on the Island? We lived on River Road about halfway between Maybank and the airport. Only house I ever lived in prior to attending Clemson.
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Tiger Spirit [9406]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 4:26 PM
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Recently. From 2013 - 2023. We lived off of Betsy Kerrison Pkwy on Bohicket Creek. My dad lived with us in his later years until he passed in 2017.
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Clemson Icon [27019]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 5:42 PM
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Sounds nice. Those homes probably didn’t even exist when I lived there. When I was a small kid, there was only one house on Kiawah and the entire island was owned by one family. Totally different place now.
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Game Changer [2090]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 8:16 PM
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Your Dad and my grandfather were at the Navy yard together. My Grandpa was there from 1940-1972.
I know you know Sidi if you lived on John’s Island, he and my Dad were high school friends and roommates at Clemson. He was SC farmer of the year a few years back.
My other grandfather built sailboats and would take the family on boat trips every weekend. They would stop at Kiawah often to see Charlie the caretaker and his Mule, also named Charlie. My grandfather would bring him groceries and magazines. My mother has great pictures from those days. My grandfather knew the family that owned Kiawah and in 1940, they offered him the island for $42,000. Man I wish he would have jumped on that deal but that was whole lot of money coming out of the depression.
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Clemson Icon [27019]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 9:46 PM
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Dad was in the woodworking shop at the shipyard. I think it was shop 64. He retired in 1983 or 84 so he probably started there in the early 50s.
I know Sidi’s name but don’t know him personally. My brother and sister still live on the island and they know him. I haven’t lived there since I attended Clemson in the early 80s.
Too bad your grandfather didn’t buy Kiawah. It was sold to a development company from Kuwait around 1970 and just blew up from there.
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Hall of Famer [8838]
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Wow someone needs a journal
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Feb 13, 2024, 3:33 PM
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🤦🏻♂️ what you see on this site.
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110%er [4075]
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?
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Feb 13, 2024, 5:20 PM
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One of the things I like best about this site. Love to hear old stories from growing up in SC and even other areas.
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Heisman Winner [78873]
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Did someone force your eyelids open, and make you keep reading once you
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Feb 14, 2024, 9:37 AM
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realized it was a story, and not a five second mindless internet blurb? I, and I suspect many others on the site find these kinds of posts interesting. If you didn't, you could have just breezed on by it, instead of taking the time to put out a totally useless, snarky reply.
Enjoy your well earned TD, and Have a Nice Day.
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Ultimate Tiger [35940]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 3:39 PM
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Beautiful tribute in memory of your dad. Thanks for sharing.
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Top TigerNet [31083]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 3:46 PM
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Your Dad sounds like a wonderful person! Thank you for sharing those great memories of a loving father and person!
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Dynasty Maker [3299]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 4:13 PM
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Thanks for sharing RhettFla. My dad passed 22 years ago and still miss him everyday. Would give anything to pick up the phone and give him a call.
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Orange Immortal [65930]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 4:59 PM
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Sounds a lot like my family and the country folks who lived around us. My dad would have been 98 2 weeks ago but I was fortunate to have him around until I was in my 60s
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110%er [6938]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 5:28 PM
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Thanks for sharing your lovely memories. I'm so sorry that you've missed so many years with what sounds like a wonderful man. It's hard to express all that you've missed but you gained a lot in the few years you had.
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TigerNet Icon [155381]
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Great read!! Thanks for sharing!!***
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Feb 13, 2024, 6:46 PM
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Orange Phenom [14987]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 7:40 PM
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Thanks for sharing. FWIW, I believe it was Mrs. McRae.
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Clemson Icon [27019]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 13, 2024, 8:12 PM
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Thanks. I thought that was the name I remembered.
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Varsity [134]
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Re: my Dad is 94 and still alive
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Feb 13, 2024, 10:01 PM
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I thank God for every day. He is in pretty good health.
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Clemson Icon [27019]
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Re: my Dad is 94 and still alive
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Feb 13, 2024, 10:07 PM
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That is great. Enjoy the time with him.
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Clemson Conqueror [11815]
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Enjoyed reading about your Dad, my Dad was the same age
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Feb 13, 2024, 11:30 PM
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And they sound so much alike I was dumbfounded. Check your t-mail.
I left out the part where my Dad was a WW2 vet.
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Clemson Icon [26528]
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A moving tribute indeed! Thank you.***
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Feb 14, 2024, 4:22 AM
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Paw Warrior [4883]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 14, 2024, 4:36 AM
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My Dad would have been 83 back in January. He passed away at a fairly young age of 54 back in 1995 from pancreatic cancer. I'm now 58, so I am 4 years older than he was when he died and that thought crosses my mind regularly, especially when I have dreams he shows up in, like one where I dreamed he faked his death (not clear why) and one recently where he simply hadn't died and we were just fishing together.
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Clemson Icon [27019]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
Feb 14, 2024, 7:06 AM
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I understand and share those thoughts. My Dad was a month shy of 64 when he died and my brother just turned 64 in December. He seemed a little surprised when I reminded him that he has outlived Dad. I’m 61 so I have a few years to go. I mentioned he died from emphysema caused by smoking so his life was shortened by that awful habit. His brother, my uncle, died just over a year ago at 92 and he was not a smoker. I’m hoping to follow his lead on that.
I don’t have very many dreams about my Dad but I’ve always believe I can feel his presence especially when I’m in the woods alone hunting.
And I will admit I am sometimes jealous of folks that I know whose parents are still with them much later in life.
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Orange Immortal [67551]
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Campus Hero [13735]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
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Feb 14, 2024, 8:45 AM
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A great biography of a great man. Thank you for sharing your good memories!
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Clemson Sports Icon [59561]
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Re: My Dad would have been 99 today
Feb 14, 2024, 9:09 AM
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If mine hadn't died of a massive heart attack, he would have been 107 bc he was born in 1917...
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Heisman Winner [78873]
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Great memories, rhettfla. You brought back a memory of my dad with your post.
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Feb 14, 2024, 9:30 AM
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At first, when you were talking about growing things in the garden, I thought, we never had a garden. But then, I remembered that we DID, but in a way that was totally typical of my dad. Mom decided she wanted a garden, but the whole property around our house was full of junked cars, trucks, and farm machinery. What to do, mom had better be kept happy, if you know what I mean.
So, dad had a company out of Columbia at the time named Owens Steel come out to our place, and they bailed up 167 junk cars, which just happened to be right in the place mom wanted her garden to be. We made a little money on the deal, and the iron in that patch from the old cars rusting away made some great fertilizer for the squash, watermelons, snap beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and whatever else that I can't remember. It had to be over an acre some years, when sweet yellow and white corn was added. I used to prefer yellow corn, but over the years, I now actually prefer "Silver Queen" variety.
Now, the downside of that story is, the NEWEST of those cars that got bailed up in 1967 was a 1957 Chevy 2 door post Belaire. If I had those same 167 junkers right now, I would never be poor again. They were mostly early 1940's to mid 1950's, with a few from the mid to late 1930's thrown in. I remember playing around in a 1935 ford, 1934 Chevy Master, and a 1939 Plymouth as a young child. I also remember seeing snakeskins in several of the old cars, how I never came across a snake still in its skin is a miracle.
Thanks for bringing back those memories.
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