KILGOROUND

“He's just ornery,” said Bobbie Smith. And she was speaking about her husband of 60 years, Eugene “Snuffy” Smith. “He got the name of ‘Snuffy’ after going off to the river bed to do some fishing with his dad and uncle,” she said. “He slipped off with the uncle and talked him out of some snuff. It made him deathly sick and after that he was known as Snuffy, or so that's the story they continue to tell. But, do you remember the cartoon character, Snuffy? That's him through and through - just plain ornery.

“One time, Snuffy and his brother crawled out the hayloft window of the barn and onto the roof. The roof was made out of tin and it was so hot it was burning their feet. Snuffy ran and jumped into a pine tree nearby. His brother tried to get him to come back and help him down but instead Snuffy told him if he would just take a deep breath and jump, he would float down. Well, there's his poor brother bouncing around on a hot tin roof with his feet burning so he did just that held his breath and jumped but he didn't just float down…”

Snuffy was raised in Kilgore and attended Huey School, a small, frame building with sliding partitions inside to divide the classrooms. Bobbie's father, Bob Kirby, was an old wildcatter who at one time partnered with T.J. Taylor, Lady Bird Johnson's father.

The couple met when she was 13 and he was 15, but Snuffy went off to fight in World War II. Upon his return the couple married and Snuffy secured a job with Halliburton. Much of their time with the company was spent overseas, living in Indonesia eleven years, Libya three years, and Australia one year.

“We only got to come home once a year to shop,” said Bobbie. “So, it took us quite awhile to gather up all we needed to take back with us. Snuffy never did like to shop and usually he would just stand over to one side and watch. We were in Sears in Wichita Falls and evidently he got tired of the whole ordeal. He went to the clerk and told her I was a kleptomaniac. He assured her he would pay for anything I took but he needed her help in keeping an eye on me. She did exactly what he thought she would do — kept an eye on everything I touched. I couldn't touch a thing without her breathing right down my neck. In five minutes, I got so mad I left and Snuffy got out of the shopping!

“Another time he told a stewardess on a plane that I was deaf. So, she leaned over and screamed in my ear. After she realized the difference she kept serving me orange juice and it wasn't even breakfast time.

“Yet, we were married sixty years in December and I have put up with him all this time,” she laughed. “Two of our youngest daughters graduated from Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya where oil company kids were allowed to attend their schools. We were also there when Kadaffi took over,” she said.

Through the seriousness of raising their children abroad in some trying times, this couple found humor could get them through anything.

They retired with Halliburton and built a home north of Kilgore, nestled on a few acres of land. In the mornings, you can find him eating breakfast at Big T's and at lunchtime she will join him there. And when she tells me they are currently raising six donkeys, four grandsons and six great grandkids, that means Snuffy can not be the only one in this family that is a little bit ornery.

+++

Due to the high price of gas, I must share with you a bit of wisdom my father, the late Frank Kuykendall, an old DX/Sunray/Sun oilfield hand told me: Set your cruise control to prevent constant accelerating and leave the air conditioner alone. I had better mind.

+++

BLOWING OUT CANDLES today are: Marcy Sims, Kelli Dawning, Michael Clements Jr., Jo Ann Colbert, R. Mills Griffin, John Barnett, Rhonda Taylor, Diane Lambert, Bill Linn, Philip Couch, Paul Winningham, A.V. Adams, Jan Holt, Tom Boudreau, Kelly Powers, John Jackson, Libby Lane, Chuck Turner, Wesley Causly, Raymond Caldwell, Rocky Vincent, J.F. Burnett, Susan Warren, Chad Gorman, A.V. Adams, Blane Sinclair, Mia Wheat, Jaden Roberson, Greg Pool, Fred Kappen.

CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARIES today are:Mr. and Mrs. Tim Anderson, Wesley and Shara Jobe.