Faith, Folklore, and Friends

One part of the Christmas From the Past celebration was an hour-long presentation called Stories From the Past.   This part was sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Historical Society, and several members talked about their memories.  This year, one of the panel members was Herbert Clabo.  Y'all remember Herb  from last year. Herb Clabo was born on April  3, 1911, and is looking forward to his 104th birthday.  He has two pieces of advice for living a long life: watch what goes down the red lane (what you eat) and stay away from doctors. He said he doesn't smoke, cuss, or chew, and accepted the Lord when he was fifteen, and all that helps, too. His memory was amazing, although he got a little confused with some of the questions (who doesn't?).  He told about killing a bear that had killed a calf they were raising for their winter beef.  He said they had to have something to eat, and he shot that bear right below the eye with a shotgun. He was...

While we were at Sugarlands last Saturday, we had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Herbert Clabo. He is an interesting man, to say the least.   Mr. Clabo was born in 1911, and early next year, he will be 103 years old.  We wondered if he had a secret of longevity, and he was happy to talk to us about it. I think it depends on how you live.  I went to Sunday School 35 years without missing a Sunday. I think that probably helped.  I've always tried to be a purty good fellow.  I've always been poor and skinny; that might have helped, too. Watch what goes down the red lane (throat?); it's your body, take care of it. Choose turnips over pudding. There are too many fat people in the world today. I'm doing purty good right now. I never went to the doctor until I was ninety, and he just starting pouring them pills down me.  I hiked in the mountains until I was ninety-nine. Mr. Clabo was born and raised in the area where Roaring Fork trail is now. He ...