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Congratulations to Gail Osborne, Lexington, KY
Could this be Rip Stevens who used to live in Walkertown? You refer to him as being a died in the wool Republican. Rip has passed away, but he was a house painter and did construction work, he was a died in the wool Republican and when he passed he was still working on his house. His son, Chester, finally finished it and still lives there. Rip was married to Maude Napier a lady from Lotts Creek. He had a machine shop at his home, but I think Rip was in the Air Force. You wouldn't throw a curve by implying he is still alive, nah you know you wouldn't. He was a brother to Chester Stevens, the sign painter. He named his son after him. I remember Rip used to have a monkey that he kept with him a lot and it would let you get close and then scream at you and scare hell out of us when we was small. Rip used to get a big kick out of this. Bob Byrge, Hazard, KY In my Glee Club I see, Ray Henry, Wilgus Collins, Kay Greer, Bill Church, and a feller that his name started with an H from Hardburly. I swear sometimes when I try to think it fails me and like that Chester Stevens the other day it just spouted out, but it was something like Helfenberger. I might have his name entirely wrong. Ida Lee Hansel, Spartanburg, SC George Stacy from the Goose House? James Brashear, Lothair, KY Could this be the person that was called The Singing Miner? I do not remember what his name was. Karen Parsons, Hazard, KY Could it be Rip Stevens? Dexter Gabbard, Newton, NJ I would have bet a farm in Georgia that it was Pappy. Oh well, I just can't figure this out. Please gives us more clues. Love this thread, keep 'em coming. Robin Amburgey, Sunny Arizona Strong Republican! Working on a house for a long time! Could be Bill Morton. anonymous, Hazard, KY I left Hazard in 1967 so I wouldn't know about his construction work on his house, but I can't wait for a clue to fall that will lead me to him, but, in the alternative, I might not even know the gentleman. There are not many left that I can recall that would have been a young boy in the '50s because that was when I think the movies was about 45 cents to go to the Virginia. I have also zoomed in on his ability to sing because he was in the Glee Club. He might be in the choir in one of the local churches today. I got my thinker going but I gotta have another clue. Come on now, give us some more red!!!! Ida Lee Hansel, Spartanburg, SC I never know any of these people, but its a great game! Maybe one of these days I'll be able to guess one. lol Eric Eversole, Hazard, KY This mystery person has to be Ed Adams. Elizabeth S. Duncan, Hazard, KY Is it Ernest Sparkman? Bob I know several old painters but none that were educated or I don't think went to the armed services. I love seeing the people guessing. This is a good bio to start us out on but my thinking apparatus is out of order me thinks. Ida Lee Hansel, Spartanburg, SC This sounds like it may be Pappy Edwards. Larry Knight, Hazard, KY This could be Pappy Edwards, but I used to know a old fellow who lived on Maple street by the name of Ed Adams and he at one time was a artist for the Saturday Evening Post. He drew cartoons and things like that. He was in WWII and then he came back to Hazard after the war. He may have been injured or something in battle. When I worked for the police department I got to know Ed. He was a good guy, but all he wanted to do was paint houses. I think that Ed married a local girl who would not leave Hazard so he would not go back to New York. He told me one time that he used to work in corn fields for people when he was small. He said that he had worked in every corn patch from Big Bottom to Lothair. He also said he used to be a pretty good singer. Ed worked with Pappy in painting houses. Bob Byrge, Hazard, KY Could it be Pappy Edwards, I used to see him at Sherwin Williams paint store a lot.!!! Darlene Watts, Richmond, KY |
Gail
Osborne of Lexington, Kentucky was the first to identify Mystery Person #34
as Roscoe Shackelford. When asked what clues tipped her
off she said, "That he was a Republican
and my husband knew his family was from Breathitt County. Also when
your article mentioned Roscoe's mentor changing the course of his life.
I did not know it was Homer Osborne. Dr. Osborne was my father in
law. Also, I got to noticing that Carlene wasn't guessing. I
am so excited that I finally made a correct guess."
Roscoe Shackelford was born in
Breathitt County where his grandfather operated a coal
mine. When he was a boy, Roscoe worked in the
cornfields at Barwick, Kentucky for a dollar a day. He spent his early
years in Winding Gulf, West Virginia. He was in the high
school Glee Club and made all state chorus although he couldn't
attend because it was on the same day he had another obligation.
Roscoe was a
housepainter. When it cost 47 cents to go to the
Virginia Theatre, he would stand on Main Street in Hazard and
ask people for their 3 cents change until he got enough to go
see the movie. He played for a
successful softball team that was sponsored by Dawahares. His
teammates included Moscow Blackburn, Hugh Beeler, Talmon Barker, Tommy Whisman, Joe Walker, Price Maloney, and many others.
Shackelford led the Hazard Bulldogs basketball team to the State Tournament in 1953. For his four-year high school career, he averaged 17.3
points per game. As a multi-sports star, he earned 14 varsity letters at
Hazard in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He also earned
All-State honors in football and basketball. Roscoe's
first car was a l948 Oldsmobile.
He bought it before he had a license and drove it on the back roads from
Dayton, Ohio to Hazard, Kentucky. During the summers he worked at
Delmonte in Mendota, Illinois and at a machine shop in Dayton, Ohio.
In traveling back and forth to those jobs he became an accomplished
hitchhiker. After
high school he was on his way to join the Navy when his mentor,
Dr. Homer Osborne, showed up with news that changed the course of his life.
Dr. Osborne had just finished dental school at the
University of Louisville and had talked to U of L's Coach Bernard
"Peck" Hickman about Roscoe. Shackelford then reported
to the gym and soon was awarded a scholarship at
the University of Louisville. After a successful college
career in both basketball and baseball at Louisville, Roscoe began his round ball coaching career at Dilce Combs before taking over
as head coach at Hazard High School in 1962-63.
In his 11 years at Hazard, he guided the "Bulldogs" to four trips to the state
tournament, where his teams advanced to the semifinals in 1964 and 1965.
At Hazard he recorded a 324-66 record. He served as Hazard's Athletic
Director from 1964-82 and later spent five years as superintendent of Hazard
City Schools. He is a member of the KHSAA Hall of Fame. Roscoe
taught school in the Perry County and Hazard City School Systems.
Roscoe married Carlene Willoughby, a Hazard girl who would not live anywhere else.
He is a died in the wool Republican but he changed his
registration in 2003 to vote for someone he thought would do the
best job, his son, John Carl Shackelford. Roscoe later changed his
registration back to Republican because he was afraid his grandpa would
come back to haunt him. Roscoe is quite an
entrepreneur and an avid do yourselfer. His house has been a 38 year
construction project. 
