Driving With Mr. Huddleston 

Daddy could handle a team of mules or horses and a wagon like nobody’s business. Born in 1886,  a team and wagon were his main mode of transportation for most of his life. He plowed fields with mules, skidded logs with a horse, and hauled countless kids to church in a wagon.  Unfortunately, when he switched to driving a vehicle, he also drove it like a team of mules. 

Daddy was a terrible driver. He usually kept it under 30 miles an hour, drove in whatever direction he was looking, and the middle of the road or the ditch was his lane. Going to Doniphan from Grandin was an all-day trip. Thinking back, daddy’s driving may be why I always got carsick.

Uncle Clarence lived at Alton and on trips to his house the kid-filled car was particularly quiet. Taking the middle of the road on all the curves was terrifying and we were all wondering when we were going to die. 

Of course, our old cars were junk, held together with baling wire and a prayer. Daddy could shoe a horse but he was definitely no mechanic. Thank goodness he was friends with Bob Gunter, who owned a garage and gas station at Grandin. 

Daddy never could get the whole shifting thing down. We went to church at Good Hope, so the big hill right after the Macedonia turn-off was a problem. Since his top speed was 30 miles an hour, and he didn’t know how to shift, we usually didn’t make it to the top in one try, with the car rolling back to the bottom multiple times. He’d make us all rock to get up the hill and by the time we made it to Sunday School half the kids were crying. 

The younger batch of five kids still at home were relieved when Margrette turned 16 and got her license. When daddy nearly ran someone off the Grandin hill, mom shut him down and Margrette assumed the driving duties. Daddy would always make Margrette slow down anytime she went over 40 mph.