I have received more emails from readers recalling outstanding events in the famous store that was in business for so many years.

Edith Perle (Simpson) Johnson sent me the following email:

Bouncer,
Bless your heart and mind...you made my day. I cannot tell you how proud I was to get my paper from the news room of Aubrey, Texas. Especially since there was such a good write-up about my family. I hope some of my friends of long ago – got a laugh about my parents....and that just must know how much I love each one of them...and still think of my classmates. In the picture– so many have gone on to Glory – at least I hope they made it to Glory – but I am sure they did...maybe they are smiling now at your precious writings...

I was so happy to hear from Edith Perle and to know that she is sending a photo of the old Drug store. That photo too, will make my day, and I am sure that the photo will stimulate memories about the store. Because if you lived in Aubrey during that period, you not only have one story but you have numerous stories from that time.

One story that comes to me is from M.L. Melton about the time when the new highway came through town from Denton. It was located over to the north of the old road that has been closed in places as it was going straight toward the railroad track and then by where Pud and Billie Wilson live today. The curve was made larger as it was moved closer to the old Baptist church.

The story goes that someone was involved in an accident by the old church. No ambulances were available for calling, the next best thing was for them to take the seriously injured passenger to the Drug Store so that the druggist, Clyde Simpson, could render aid.

At one time there was a medical doctor officed in the Drug Store, but at the time of this serious accident, no doctor was available, so they all did what they could for this seriously bleeding accident victim.

As the story was told, the first person they called was Grandma Annie Johnson, who lived to the west of town on the Catlett place. It was known that she could read a certain passage in the Bible, say a prayer, and then touch the injured location and the blood would stop bleeding.

This was done and the blood immediately stopped, then with the local medication from the Drug Store, the injured person was well on the road to a slow recovery.

Another story I heard this past week about the Drug Store, was told by Gene Ray Green. He said that when he was a small child, just before he started school, he was watching a baseball that was on the well-stocked shelves at the Drug Store.

Gene says that he had been watching the ball for numerous days, and then one day he had the courage to ask his Daddy, Allen Green, if he had a dollar so he could buy the ball. He says he was so disappointed when his Daddy didn’t have a dollar.

One day, while Gene Ray knew his Daddy was working at the Gilbert Rosson Filling Station, he ran home and found his Daddy’s billfold and slipped out what he thought was a dollar bill.

He ran back to the store and bought the ball and gave Mr. Simpson what he thought was a dollar bill. The druggist took the money and told him to wait for the change. Gene Ray says that he held out his hand for the change, and the Druggist started counting dollars back to him. He kept holding his hand for the change and the big wad of green bills started piling up. When he took the dollars back to place them in his Daddy’s billfold, they wouldn’t fit like the dollar bill that he took out.

Gene kept it a secret until Allen came home and found his billfold bulging with the change from the supposed dollar bill. Gene says that Allen looked at the billfold and then at the new ball, and the secret was no longer a secret, and neither was his sitting place. Allen took the biggest limb off the peach tree and wore the limb out on his behind. And then his seat was obviously no longer as cool as it was before Allen got home.

On a serious matter, M.L. Melton called me while I was writing for this week, and told me that his brother O.D. (Whacker) Melton was in a Dallas hospital for emergency surgery. He asked that everyone remember his brother in their prayers.

Whacker is one of our Cherokee brothers that was born and raised in Aubrey. M.L. and Whacker were born to J.D. and Sudie Melton, and they were a part of the Onega Cherokees. The family recognizes its heritage and honorably recognize their family as Onega Cherokees.

These Cherokee brothers have contributed much information to me while writing this column.

The photo from Edith Perle of the Drug Store has not arrived. I will share it at a later date.

The photo for this week is of Oleta Melton, O.D.’s deceased wife, as she handed ma a check when I was Mayor of Aubrey back in the early 1960's. Other council members were Howard Irick, Gilbert Tribble, and Homer Pulliam. Bill Reding was also on the council and a part of the organizational group that accepted the funds from Mrs. Melton’s Ladies Auxiliary that was raised to pay for the first fire engine that was purchased in 1962.