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- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), Just Plain Talk - Mr. Sandman, bring me some rocks, 9 Jun 2008.
Mr. Sandman, bring me some rocks
(c)2008 NPT PHOTO BY DAVID POPIEL John Keller is accustomed to heavy equipment, having started driving trucks when he was 12 years old in Newport. He helps oversee Junior Hommel's rock and sand business off Knoxville Hwy.
Published: 11:18 PM, 06/08/2008
Author: David Popiel
Source: The Newport Plain Talk
Construction projects are well underway and some finished such as Arby's in our hometown with plenty of long days and sunshine left for working and loafing.
It's the rock pile for John Keller. But that doesn't bother him because he is acquainted with work and as he approaches 65 in June, he still keeps active by helping Junior Hommel out as a volunteer. Hommel owns and operates the rock and sand stockpiles off Knoxville Hwy. John's job is to weigh trucks coming and going and operating a large frontloader. One of the folks I saw recently getting a load of gravel was retired city fire fighter Carroll Cureton. He is another hard working fellow that operates his own dump-truck.
Among the Keller family there were a bunch of children, mostly brothers and one sister. During our discussion, I found out that one of the siblings is a man I got to know years ago when he was a county deputy. John's parents were Cecil and Maggie Shelton Keller. She came from Parrottsville and they lived near City Park in the 1950s where Cecil farmed. He also later worked for the city's utility dept. Yes, many of you recall growing up without indoor plumbing and the only paved road north of the French Broad was Greeneville Hwy. The other children are Billy Shelton, who is the oldest and a preacher in White Pine. Fred "Kent" Keller works for Sonoco Products; Nancy Shults is retired from Detroit Gasket; William Ray, also known as "Clyde" is a railroad worker; Steve Keller is a carpenter. The former deputy is Cecil "Spanky" Keller, who John said is now totally disabled. You recall I bumped into him a couple of weeks ago relaxing on a bench near the downtown banks.
John is the oldest of the Keller children and has four children. His first wife was the former Frances Evans. Their children are J. W. Keller, Tammy Cashen, Yvonne Cameron, and Michelle Keller. As I mentioned some columns back, John began driving a truck when he was about 12 years old and hauled sand for Milo Hurst. From about 1960 to 1973, John was in Ohio in the steel mills and then returned to Newport. For a time he helped Mike Johnson and also worked at Enka. When he mentioned a short stint he had hewing logs for Hearthstone Builders, I asked if he knew the Munseys. He knew both the late James Munsey, who founded the log home company, and his father, the preacher, Howard Munsey. Most of the time John has been in maintenance and worked with the City of Newport for Ed Jenkins and then Newport Housing Authority, where he hurt his knee and became disabled. He also had a blood clot, which he said was caused by the injury. "A man's got to work," said John, who lives in the trailer park next to Hommel's rock and sand storage area. He likes a friendly chat and to tinker when he can. Junior Hommel told me the public is welcome to buy sand and gravel from him and he expects to add to the stockpiles. John said that brown river gravel is $23 per ton; river sand is $15 per ton; and at $12.50 per ton, gray rock sand is the cheapest. The most expensive are the large boulders at $40 per ton. It probably only takes a couple to make a ton. I asked where the limestone gravel sand came from, as it makes a good packing surface for brick and cobblestones. He said it came from deep inside mines in Jefferson County.
Most of us have seen coyotes roaming the countryside, usually at night or dusk and dawn. You can hear them yipping in the middle of the night but they are usually hidden during the day. That's why I was surprised to hear of an attack shortly before noon of a family's pet dog by a large coyote.
To check out the story and get the details for you, I went to Wright's Pool Company and talked with co-owner Lora Wright, who is married to Carson Wright. They have two children, Cody, 8, and Lexi, 6. The incident took place about April 22 during spring break at the Wrights' home at Hartford. It is just up the road from Lora's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Wayne Moore.
The Wrights' four dogs, two Westies, a Bischon, and Bischon mix were outside playing and the children were with them around 11 a.m. The family had already been aware that a fox had been making visits. So, Lora wasn't too upset, when Cody came to tell her that "The fox is out there fighting with our dogs." Lora went outside and realized it wasn't a fox and screamed to frighten the coyote, which dropped the Bischon, Candy. All the dogs were barking in panic, but the coyote did not run away frightened. It did back away and continued looking at Lora. She called the children inside and set off the house alarm hoping to frighten the predator off. It finally left. Later, in May, her father-in-law, Jimmy Wright, was doing some work around the property and saw the coyote, perhaps the same one. Lora said the coyote bit Candy in the hindquarters and also around her neck. Dr. Daniel Parks, veterinarian who has the mobile vet service, went to pickup and treat the injured dog. She is Ok now but fearful to leave her doghouse. You may have read an article in mid-May concerning children near Los Angeles being bitten by coyotes. The animals have become more bold as development intrudes into what was once their territory. A small girl was grabbed by the head and dragged away by a coyote until the child's mother scared it off.
On a recent trip to Wal-Mart, a woman motioned me over and said, "Hi." She was Polly (Forrester) Ledford, who wanted me to know and announced that she and husband, Dorsey, of Cosby, were celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary on June 7. They live off Hooper Highway. It was in 1958 that office holder McKinley Breeden married the couple. Dorsey is retired from Stokely's can shop and the Cocke County Highway Dept.
In plain talk, just look around you and there's always something good to celebrate in Cocke County.
- [S144] Phone Record.
Name: Jack Lee Keller
Also Known As: John W Keller
2nd Also Known As Name: John Wayne Keller
Residence Date: 25 Feb 2004-19 Jun 2008
Residence Place: Newport, Tennessee, United States
Birth Date: 15 Jun 1943
Phone Number: (423) 623-3365
Phone Number Recorded Date: 19 Jun 2008
Address: 112 Greystone Way
Address Continued: Newport, Tennessee 37821
Address Date: 25 Feb 2004-19 Jun 2008
2nd Address: 131 PO Box
2nd Address Continued: Dandridge, Tennessee 37725
2nd Address Date: 31 Dec 1996
3rd Address: 164 PO Box
3rd Address Continued: Parrottsville, Tennessee 37843
3rd Address Date: 01 Oct 1994
4th Address: 910 Nease
4th Address Continued: Dandridge, Tennessee 37725
4th Address Date: 01 Jul 1993
Possible Relatives: Jo G Keller, Mary D Keller, Michelle R Keller
Record Number: 70691667
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Cecil Keller
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 12 Feb 1943
Event Place: Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Age:
Birth Year (Estimated):
Father's Name:
Father's Titles and Terms:
Mother's Name:
Mother's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Name: Maggie Shelton
Spouse's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Age:
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated):
Spouse's Father's Name:
Spouse's Father's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Mother's Name:
Spouse's Mother's Titles and Terms:
Reference ID: 6
GS Film number: 1928651
Digital Folder Number: 004485966
Image Number: 00411
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Frances Louise Evans
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 26 May 1963
Event Place: Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Female
Spouse's Name: John Wyne Keller
Page: 84
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1943 - (80 years)
, d. 27 Mar 1986, Cocke County, Tennessee 
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