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- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 27 Feb 2006.
Daniel Thomas McGaha obituary
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 27 Mar 2006.
Spring skies above Newport turned into an unseemly gray mist with a swirl of snow pear blossom petals that you may have seen traveling while through the mountains of our hometown last week.
Often when driving along the side street by Movie Time Video and Stanbery Machine Shop, I've seen a slim fellow in a wheelchair helping people out with repairs at the machine shop. Perhaps you've seen him and wondered who he is and why he spends some time in a wheelchair. It was cool on Wednesday afternoon and "Tex" was kneeling in front of a small Case loader assisting business operator William Lancaster. Tex-that's whatever body calls him-works more as a hobby when he feels like it. You may call him disabled, but that's not the right word to use to describe him, not when you see him work. The welding and repair work gives him something to do rather than sit at home. Yet, he can drive his truck thanks to ingenious modifications he and William made to the vehicle. Many people who stop from out of the area seeking their help-usually in an emergency-send back cards and food thanking them. Tex said that's all the pay he needs. At 27, it doesn't seem right for a young man to be in a wheelchair, particularly when he wasn't born that way. From Ft. Hood, Texas, hence "Tex," he migrated to East Tennessee about 1991 and attended Jefferson Co. High School. His real passion was bull riding, something he had done since he was nine. Tex loved the rodeo circuit as a bull rider-a dangerous but exciting ride. In Sevierville in 1998 he had already ridden three bulls when one tossed him to the ground so hard it twisted and snapped his spinal cord. That was the end of the ride. While some would have sulked at the unfairness of life and accepted their disability, Tex figured out how to keep moving. Those working with the disabled to demonstrate what can be done often call upon his tenacity. William said that hunting associations call him to give demonstrations how the handicapped can ride and hunt. His life is a real story and he's been there just across the street from our office. Speaking of bulls, William told me that it was a bull calf that got him into his current profession. While attending Cocke Co. High School before graduating in 1979, he raised a calf, sold it, and bought his first welder. From there he learned welding and metal trades. I saw some interesting gates in the back of his shop and he explained they were wrought iron and made for a customer. It took him 96 hours for both the large gates. The work is so intricate and masterfully done I am sure others will be calling to get William and Tex welding for them. Although I've seen William and his wife, Barbara (McGaha) Lancaster at the business, I really didn't know much about them She grew up off Cave Church Road, her parents being Daniel, who died some days ago, and Agnes. He had retired from Quaker Oats plant in Newport. William, wearing a wool pullover cap on a cold spring day, said he had started working for Guy Hawk at Stanbery before taking over the business about 10 years ago. While standing in the dim shop crowded with machine tools, steel, and a thousand parts, I couldn't help think about my late friend Guy-especially after we ran the story about the Greenville teacher killed by a bull last week. Guy had a pet bull that knocked him into a wall breaking many of his ribs. I'm sure there are many stories lurking in the shadows of the shop. I was surprised to learn that William's mother, Marie (Huff), who had married Clarence, now deceased, lives at the historic O'Dell house by the French Broad River off Hwy. 321. He showed me some old photos of the house when it was younger and glimpses of workers using a rock crusher not far from where the Old Town bridge used to be. The family had acquired the house about 1850. Marie is the only one of the 10 children living. William is one of nine children. I hope to share some of the old photos in a future edition of our popular A Place Called Home. (Incidentally, Tracy Miller and Duay O'Neil at our office have finished up most of the work on an amazing collection of historic articles and family histories to be published in June by the Plain Talk. It will be a hardbound, premier edition.) I left Stanbery's in better spirits then when our chat started and hope to return soon. Some days ago while wandering around the courthouse annex, and chatting with my old friend Chief Detective Robert Caldwell, I bumped into Allison (Stokely) Barnett, who is married to Ruble Barnett. I recall he used to be a city alderman and church pastor. You would never know that Allison suffers from lupus and recovered from a stroke five years ago. Likewise, Rubble is also doing well after heart surgery years ago. He drives a truck. Allison's daughter, Trish Barnet, has been promoted to manager of Security Finance in the Five Rivers shopping center. I had chatted with her last year. Her assistant is Lisa Black. Security Finance is one of our many fine sponsors of our schools'Newspaper in Education program. Like Tex, Allison hasn't let her physical problems diminish her spirit. She had been working at Mariner when she suffered the stroke and was paralyzed. She thanks Dr. Thomas Conway for helping with her remarkable recovery. From her experiences she wrote a song of praise, "If You Want to See a Miracle, Look at Me." Ruble has resigned from Gregg's Chapel Free Will Baptist Church but still does some preaching. He is on the road for Landair company. Last Thursday morning I bumped into a limping Bill Buda at the gas utility meeting. Just about two weeks ago he had hip replacement surgery for his right hip. Although stiff and sore he has less pain and is glad to be up walking. In plain talk, there may be many obstacles in our way-some of our own doing and others purely accidentally-but not everyone chooses to accept the lonely road of disability.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 22 Jun 2008.
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After leaving and heading back to Newport, I decided to swing by the new business location for the fellow who used to work out of the old Stanbery Machine Shop just behind Movie Time Video. I had not seen any traffic or people around the shop and assumed they were on vacation. When, I walked to the front door, a sheet of paper gave directions to Warford Road and how to find William Lancaster. He does fabulous custom ironwork. The new shop can't be seen until you pull off into a drive up a hill. It's not far from Jimtown Road. William, his wife, Barbara, and several men were working to open a metal mold. William bought large molds to make poured concrete lawn ornaments. It was interesting to watch, so I will return and tell you more about the new venture.
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Just Plain Talk - Metal man doing just fine
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 18 Jan 2009.
Just Plain Talk - Cold days don't phase castings
With all the hoar frost and ice-cold the landscape around our hometown turned blue as mid-January seized what little heat and enthusiasm we had saved from December.
You recall that last week we had wandered out to Custom Iron off Warford Road and started a conversation with William and Barbara (McGaha) Lancaster. The McGahas Lived in the Houston Valley area and then moved to New Cave Church Rd. Barbara's Mom was the late Agnes Watts, who was raised in the City Park area. She was a twin and many people did not know that her real name was Louise Faye. Her twin's name is Beatrice Rhea, who at 82 lives in Monroe, NC. She married Herbert Clevenger. There are four McGaha children. Barbara's sisters are Sheryl Clevenger, married to Gordon "Skip" Clevenger, and Mary Naillon, married to contractor Bill Naillon. Their brother is David McGaha, who is married to the former Crystal Cureton. Barbara told me that she met William at Burger Chef, but not over a milkshake and hamburger. They both worked there when Ed Rose, who owns Newport Arby's, was manager. This must have been in the later 1970s, when fellow employees at Burger Chef included Wendell LaFollette, Tammy McCoig, Nancy Powers, Tommy Ledford, and Barbara Turner. So I'm wondering if there was anybody from that time of high school age who did not work there? Tammy and Nancy went on to be teachers. After a stint at the grill, William went to work at Burnett Produce, which was run by its founder, Bud Burnett. I recall interviewing him about the chicken growing business for our Profitable Farming editions of the 1970s. There were more chickens than you and I could possibly eat being raised in narrow houses across the county. About the same time Jim Teague opened a feed mill west of Newport to capitalize on this trend. Those who met the Lancasters, know that William is the son of Clarence Lancaster and the former Marie Huff. They had a large family of eight. The oldest child is Evelyn Long. Only one is deceased, and she is Linda Sue Lancaster, who was 29 when she died of kidney failure. The other siblings are Reva Buckner, Janie Lou Valentine, Marilyn Sentel, Nancy Powers, Clarence Norman, and David Allen.
Barbara and William married in Oct. 1980. It was at Burnett's that William began learning repairs, and metal-working skills. Later he went to Sonoco Products, as a security guard and met co-worker John Newsome. John was a close friend of Guy Hawk, who for all the years I knew him ran Stanberry's. So that's how William ended up at Stanberry's about 1987 and worked with Guy until he died in 1997. The Stanberry building is empty, as William opened his own metal working machine and welding shop in April 2008. He has a 4,000 square foot metal building with at least a 20-foot tall ceiling. An array of milling machines, lathes, and metal cutters populate the floor in a neat way. I also noticed some antique chainsaws and learned he repairs small engines, too. Two projects on the floor were a large wheeled machine that carried a giant cylinder with teeth to mulch trees. I met the fellow from Del Rio who owns the business but forget his name. The other was a small block of steel to fix a county jail lock. Because the Lancasters have no children, they spend a lot of time at the shop, which is in walking distance to their house next door. When she runs out of bookkeeping at Custom Iron she works spare time at the high school cafeteria as a cook and has for about nine years.
William, 47, is obviously a self-taught and self-made man but he is quick to say that his abilities are "a God-given gift." He picked up machining skills "like they were given to me." Before I left, I wanted to know the prices on the concrete sculptures. The giant Eagle goes for $250, while the whimsical hound barking at a raccoon in tree goes for $225, but small items start at $8. In case you wondered, the molds for statues are metal and divided into two halves, held together by bolts. A rubber liner keeps the concrete from sticking to it, provided you spray on the correct oily substance. Once the mold is poured full of a Portland cement mix, after 24 hours you can extract the concrete item. These can be painted and William suggested a flat black oil-based paint as primer.
Before leaving that day, William mentioned that there is a woman who can weld, do iron work, and operate machines working for him. This sounded interesting and an excuse for a return visit. I also met other interesting fellows that you will hear about next week.
I've been drinking more hot tea and coffee this week and paid a visit to East Tenn. Coffee Company where business is brisker for Cheryl Querry. One tall old timer who was keeping warm introduced himself as Paul White. He said the family moved here from Waynesville because his father got a job at the Tannery. But by 1958, Paul was in Chicago and began a career as a steelworker and also overland truck driver. He finally retired after 40 years. Next door to this shop, I chatted with a woman I've not seen in years. Imogene Turner runs the Ace Antiques and Things. Many years ago she and others had shops in the Heritage Boulevard mini-mall. I plan to return to update you on her business and background.
Before leaving that day, William mentioned that there is a woman who can weld, do iron work, and operate machines working for him. This sounded interesting and an excuse for a return visit. I also met other interesting fellows that you will hear about next week.
- [S84] E-Mail, Nancy Powers [wowpowers1@yahoo.com], 3 Jan 2010.
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1961 - (63 years)
(Age 59 years) 
