Buster was the seventh child born to Norman A. and Julia Ann McVay Allday. He arrived on November 15, 1915 in Winn, Alabama, and was named Norman Troy Allday. In the beginning he was known by his middle name, Troy. Later in life he became, "Buster". His siblings included (in birth order) Nettie, a sister; Lee, a brother; Minnie(in photo), a sister; Vaughan, a brother; Alva, a
sister; and Valda, a sister.
sister; and Valda, a sister.
His was a farming family. His father came to Alabama from South Carolina
and homesteaded his first 40 acres. Today we know it as the old Murphy place. Then the young family purchased land (approximately 250 acres) in Winn, Alabama. At age 13 months his father broke his back in a logging accident and was a paraplegic until his death 19 years later.
Realizing the need for his family to be nearer a town, Norman A. sold the timber from the Winn
land. Then he sold the house and acreage. The family lived for a short time at the Lowery Place while making arrangements to purchased what was then known as the Sutt Wilson place which was in foreclosure and up for public auction at the courthouse in Grove Hill. The Sutt Wilson place consisted of a large house which was out near the big pear tree that was in the field behind
Mama's of today, a smaller house (Mama's house), a barn and over 700 acres. (I can remember the old foundation and limestone from the chimney's being in the field. I was five when we move to Mama's house. Aunt Valda said the big house burned. )
This farm was on the road between Coffeeville and Grove Hill at New Clarkesville. (Clarkesville at one time was the County Seat of Clarke County.) The old house where Grandma lives today was once a rest stop between the two towns.
I have heard Mama tell that Grandma Julie would say, "Norman sold the place in Winn so he could buy the planation". She did not say plantation.
Being unable to attend the auction, Grandpa Allday entrusted a well respected man in the community, a Mr. Charlie Baxley, to go bid on the property for him. After the purchase was completed, young Buster and his sister, Valda, were sent from the Lowery Place to the newly purchased house and land with a broom, mop and a bucket of water to clean up the new place so the family could move. Young Buster was approximately 7 years old at this time.
Prior to the move, he and his sisters were on their way to the Lowery School House. (His formal education consisted of completing no more than the seventh grade.) Buster stepped over a log and a "ground rattler", as he called it, bit him on the ankle. I can remember him telling how big his leg swelled, that he was treated with turpentine being poured on the wound and that the flesh rotted away. He always had an indention on that spot and he would ask, "Do you want to see where I got snake bit?" Mama told the story of how Grandma Julie sent for the local medicine woman, Georgie Todd. Georgie came and killed a chicken and put Daddy's foot inside the freshly killed chicken for the chicken to draw the poison from the snake bite. She said that Daddy would say, "That chicken liver turned green." Sounds kind-a-like Voodoo to me. But it worked.
The growing up years are vague. Mama has said many times Grandma Julie would tell her that she was so busy when Buster was growing that she would go for days without realizing he was around. ...Can you just imagine having a paralyzed husband, children, and over 700 acres to care for... no wonder Minnie called her crazy Julie. I do know that he told about getting into fights, being arrested. (Joe has told me that he would say, "Joe, just go look on those old books at the courthouse. My name is on some of them").
Realizing the need for his family to be nearer a town, Norman A. sold the timber from the Winn
land. Then he sold the house and acreage. The family lived for a short time at the Lowery Place while making arrangements to purchased what was then known as the Sutt Wilson place which was in foreclosure and up for public auction at the courthouse in Grove Hill. The Sutt Wilson place consisted of a large house which was out near the big pear tree that was in the field behind
Mama's of today, a smaller house (Mama's house), a barn and over 700 acres. (I can remember the old foundation and limestone from the chimney's being in the field. I was five when we move to Mama's house. Aunt Valda said the big house burned. )
This farm was on the road between Coffeeville and Grove Hill at New Clarkesville. (Clarkesville at one time was the County Seat of Clarke County.) The old house where Grandma lives today was once a rest stop between the two towns.
I have heard Mama tell that Grandma Julie would say, "Norman sold the place in Winn so he could buy the planation". She did not say plantation.
Being unable to attend the auction, Grandpa Allday entrusted a well respected man in the community, a Mr. Charlie Baxley, to go bid on the property for him. After the purchase was completed, young Buster and his sister, Valda, were sent from the Lowery Place to the newly purchased house and land with a broom, mop and a bucket of water to clean up the new place so the family could move. Young Buster was approximately 7 years old at this time.
Prior to the move, he and his sisters were on their way to the Lowery School House. (His formal education consisted of completing no more than the seventh grade.) Buster stepped over a log and a "ground rattler", as he called it, bit him on the ankle. I can remember him telling how big his leg swelled, that he was treated with turpentine being poured on the wound and that the flesh rotted away. He always had an indention on that spot and he would ask, "Do you want to see where I got snake bit?" Mama told the story of how Grandma Julie sent for the local medicine woman, Georgie Todd. Georgie came and killed a chicken and put Daddy's foot inside the freshly killed chicken for the chicken to draw the poison from the snake bite. She said that Daddy would say, "That chicken liver turned green." Sounds kind-a-like Voodoo to me. But it worked.
The growing up years are vague. Mama has said many times Grandma Julie would tell her that she was so busy when Buster was growing that she would go for days without realizing he was around. ...Can you just imagine having a paralyzed husband, children, and over 700 acres to care for... no wonder Minnie called her crazy Julie. I do know that he told about getting into fights, being arrested. (Joe has told me that he would say, "Joe, just go look on those old books at the courthouse. My name is on some of them").
This was the Roosevelt Era and a part of the New Deal was the development of a program called the CCC's. Buster joined up. (A move which probably kept him out of Kilby, the prison in Alabama at that time.) He was stationed at the CC Camp at Daleville, Alabama. There he learned to cook. ...remember the ribs!
After two years in the CCC's he went to Alberta, Alabama and lived with his sister, Nettie and her husband, Forest. Forest ran a garage and there Buster got his first experience mechanicing.
He was sitting there on a bench in front of the service station/garage on a hot sunny summer afternoon in 1940 when he met his future wife, Margaret. Margaret, her brother, JB and Dot Shumate, a cousin, were all going swimming at Laird's pond. Buster asked, "Where ya'll going".
JB said, "Swimming, wanta come along?" He got his swimming suit and went along. While
at the pond they were playing on inner tubes, Buster caught his swim suit on the valve stem of the inner tube tearing a hole in the seat of his swimming trunks....this was the beginning of a six year romance culminating in a 50 plus year marriage.
President Roosevelt wanted a trained army. All 19 and 20 years olds were to serve one year.
Buster was due to go for his year beginning on January 22, 1942. But....along comes Pearl Harbor. Mother said that on December 7, 1941, she and Daddy were sitting on the swing on the porch at their house in Safford, Alabama, planning their wedding for a time after he had completed his year of army training. Granddaddy Bridges came to the door and said, "Buster,
looks like you'll be gone more than a year....the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor."
He departed from Camden, Alabama on January 22, 1942 and traveled to Ft. McClellan, Alabama and then on to basic training at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.
Now that I have got him to the Army. Let Buster's War begin.
He was sitting there on a bench in front of the service station/garage on a hot sunny summer afternoon in 1940 when he met his future wife, Margaret. Margaret, her brother, JB and Dot Shumate, a cousin, were all going swimming at Laird's pond. Buster asked, "Where ya'll going".
JB said, "Swimming, wanta come along?" He got his swimming suit and went along. While
at the pond they were playing on inner tubes, Buster caught his swim suit on the valve stem of the inner tube tearing a hole in the seat of his swimming trunks....this was the beginning of a six year romance culminating in a 50 plus year marriage.
President Roosevelt wanted a trained army. All 19 and 20 years olds were to serve one year.
Buster was due to go for his year beginning on January 22, 1942. But....along comes Pearl Harbor. Mother said that on December 7, 1941, she and Daddy were sitting on the swing on the porch at their house in Safford, Alabama, planning their wedding for a time after he had completed his year of army training. Granddaddy Bridges came to the door and said, "Buster,
looks like you'll be gone more than a year....the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor."
He departed from Camden, Alabama on January 22, 1942 and traveled to Ft. McClellan, Alabama and then on to basic training at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.
Now that I have got him to the Army. Let Buster's War begin.
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