Edwards is grand marshal of this year's parade

Sparta resident Eldon Edwards, escorted by Laurine, his wife of 30 years, will be serving as the grand marshal in the upcoming July 4 parade, themed "Celebrating our Patriotism."

The parade is scheduled to begin July 4 at 2 p.m. and run its annual course from its staging site at Sparta Elementary School to Trojan Village Shopping Center. As of presstime, members of the Sparta Revitalization Committee—event organizers—continue to seek entrants for the parade. To learn more, contact Barbara Lucier, Main Street coordinator of the revitalization committee at 372-7238 or 372-6135.

In addition, participants are reminded should they wish to give candy out during the parade, it should be handed out versus thrown from a vehicle, citing insurance concerns.

Eldon Edwards

Robert "Eldon" Edwards, the son of Allen and Lena Edwards was raised in the Chestnut Grove community, along with brother Paul, three years his senior.

Edwards said, "We were a poor family, but we didn't know any better; everybody else was in the same category. At that time, life was good as far as we knew. We had good parents, they treated us well; we didn't have a lot of the good things…but we made it fine. We had to work, as we got older, we were expected to go to the fields and do whatever needs to be done. We had an enjoyable time. We went to the river down here, played in the river and all that sort of thing like kids like to do. Looking back on it, like I said, that was during the Depression time, we had very little money. I wouldn't trade those days for anything I see today because neighbors were neighbors. When you had work done on your farm, you had to depend on your neighbors and they were always ready; you helped your neighbor and they helped you."

Recollecting on his younger years, Edwards stated the home he was born and raised in, once located across the road from his present Sparta home, is now gone.

"Growing up here was a good thing," Edwards stated. "We had bad times and good times, but we had good parents and they looked after our welfare. It wasn't always easy. We had to work and of course…but it was necessary."

Tales of Young Eldon

During the recent interview, Edwards also told tales of his younger years, including regular ventures to a local store and a trip to Traphill with his father.

Of his trips to the grocer, "My mother would want something from the store and she would give me a dozen eggs and write a list down; she knew what that dozen eggs would buy." At the age of 6, Edwards would wait patiently as the grocer would fill his mother's order and join him as he filled a container for kerosene.

"He knew what to do, so I'd wait until he filled it and then go out to the oil tank and pick up my gallon jug. The jug had a screw cap and somehow, it got missing. Anyway, he'd fill it up and he said, ‘Eldon, you've got to be careful you don't spill this.'"

The grocer put a gumdrop in the spout to seal the container. As the youngster starred at the scarcely seen store-bought candy, he said, "I thought, ‘Well, gosh almighty, he's wasting a good piece of candy.' I carried it out of the store, start carrying it back this way as quick as I could and I'd get out of the sight of the store and I'd pull that piece of candy off and nibble on it until I could taste the kerosene and stick it back on there. It was commodity we didn't see very often. It was part of growing up here."

That same year, he took his first—and last—trip down the mountain to Traphill with his father.

One Saturday morning, the two left home about 4 a.m. Remembering what is now Oklahoma Road, Edwards said, "It was a dirt road, rocky, something fierce with big rocks in the road. We got down there (Traphill) about 11 o'clock. He was trading with a storeowner. I was looking around. He had a little box…my dad asked me if I wanted a bottle of pop." Edwards examined the selection that included Coca-Cola, Orange Crush and Grapette. He said he had never had a soda before and he made a careful selection, opting for the Grapette.

"That was the best drink I had ever had," he said with a big grin. His father then allowed him to choose a candy bar as well. "The selection wasn't very great…at the time, Three Musketeers had three in one wrapper, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Anyway I got me a Three Musketeers bar and a Grapette and I was in high heaven."

The father and son left Traphill about 2 p.m. and made their way to climb the mountain with a team of horses.

"We got out and walked and pushed the wagon to help get back up the mountain," Edwards remembers. "We made home between 11 and 12 o'clock that night. Talk about a little fella wore out. He said, ‘We made it. Are you ok?' I said, ‘Yeah.' I made up my mind never again would I make that trip. That was something that stayed with me."

School Years

Between the ages of 6 and 16, Edwards attended school, going to Chestnut Grove School until fifth grade, when schools in that area of the county were consolidated into one school, Sparta.

While at Chestnut Grove, teachers included Garnett Edwards Cora Gambill and Vada Duncan. While in first grade, Edwards walked home for lunch, as was typical in those days. He kicked rocks as he made his way back to the schoolhouse.