R- Remember
I will never forget the first time I met
Mr. Moxley. He was standing at the
entrance of the old Jemison Gymnasium waiting on his sons Tony and Lane after
football practice. It is hard to imagine
that was fifty years ago. I noticed that
something was wrong with his right hand.
I knew that he worked at ABEX in Calera and thought he might have
injured his hand. I am remembering
asking Tony, “What happened to your dad’s hand?” Tony said that he burned it when he was a
little boy.
Years later Mr. Moxley, or Pawpaw as most
called him, would tell folks when they asked about his hand that he wore it out
on his son-in-law’s head. That being
me. That’s what I liked about being
around Pawpaw. We could make one another
laugh. And we could get into some great conversation about anything, especially
football. He was an avid Auburn
fan. When Auburn beat Alabama I would
tell him “War Eagle.” The first time I
said it he smiled. I said it meant “wait
to next year.” Then he frowned.
He loved to watch Tony, Lane, and me play
football. I remember our coaches asking
his advice about our team and how he thought we would play. Pawpaw was quick to give his opinion. It was always fun to share football memories
with him.
Years ago, I had a football game that
Pawpaw and I would play. It was a small
player that used small disc or records.
On one side was an offensive play that one player put in the player and
handed to his opponent. There were
several defensives on the reverse side.
When pawpaw was on defense he like to blitz me on third down. Knowing he would blitz I would run the
quarterback option and score a touchdown every time. I still can see us hold our ears to the small
record player and laughing.
O- Only Pawpaw
One time we went fishing on Bee
Branch. We boarded a plywood boat and
used wooden oars to make our way to his favorite fishing holes. He said, “There are four crappies under that
log. You cast first.” I casted two yellow jigs across the submerged
log and reeled it back to me. I caught
nothing. Pawpaw said, “You didn’t hold
your mouth right.” He cast two yellow
jigs just like I did. When he came
across the log he caught two nice crappies.
He gave me another chance. Again,
I caught nothing. Again, he caught two.
I remember one Christmas Eve that the menu
of choice was grilled steaks and baked potatoes. It rained all day. Pawpaw had the hickory wood ready. With a large umbrella, Pawpaw and I cooked
steaks. They were especially good that
year. I remember his saying that Granny
would complain about her steak not be done enough. He told her on an occasion or two that if she
did not get the biggest one, she could get one well done.
For years on the Fourth of July Pawpaw
would grill chicken halves. He was
always eager to take the halves off before they were done. I can hear him whistling when he was a little
disturbed and not getting his way when Tony told him that the chicken needed to
cook longer. He continued to boss the
chicken grilling until he passed it down to Tony and Lane. Pawpaw could not wait for the annual Moxley
Homecoming every Fourth. Horseshoes and
croquet were the most popular games. Croquet
would become “sonk” seeing how far we could send the leader into the
woods. Horseshoe tossing would become
very competitive. Each man had his own
style. Pawpaw is now pitching heavenly horseshoes
with his brother-in-law Bill and brother Carl.
I can hear all of them bragging and cutting up while pitching horseshoes.
I already miss trips to the garden. Pawpaw had a green thumb and was proud of his
garden. He would brag about all the
produce he carried to the widows at Providence.
Tony and I made fun of him for microwaving tomato seeds. He fooled us.
They made plants. He loved
raising “better boys” and “beef steak” tomatoes. All of them were big. Big cores that is.
Pawpaw spent his life as a machinist. The family worried about him going to his
shed after his health failed and lost his coordination. I went down one day and watched him on his
lathe. He was using the nub and his left
hand operating two different controls as he created a handle for a miner’s axe
for somebody at church. I have the video
of him running the lathe that day. I
told his daughter Sharon that Pawpaw was in his element when in front of a
lathe.
He never let his disability keep him from
providing for his family. He once told
me that a man can do anything once he understands it. I used that advice since that time. He once asked why I went to school so
much. I said, “Pawpaw, the more I go to
school, the dumber I get.” I know that
he was proud of me. One of the greatest
things he did for me in his sickness and declining health was travel to Linden
Alabama to attend my retirement party. I
will cherish that moment and keep a picture with him and keep that memory.
Y -yeah, he did it
Pawpaw had a way with sayings. They were funny and sometimes did not make
sense. Once he explained them, they still
made no sense, but they were pure Pawpaw at his best.
One of his favorite sayings when eating
something delicious was “lambing good.”
If you watched him eat, it would make you hungry. He enjoyed eating.
I remember building Granny a mirrored
shelf to hang in the den. I did not have
a hanger on the back. I told Pawpaw we
could drill a small hole in the back. We
got the drill and a bit. I told Pawpaw
we needed to be careful. Granny warned
him and she was serious by calling him Sonny.
Well, Pawpaw the machinist drilled the hole in the back and all the way
through the front. It was a tense, but
hilarious moment. The pretty mirrored sconce
had a decorative nail protruding from it.
Having lost part of his nose to cancer
doctors used part of his ear to reconstruct it.
He would tell us that he could smell and hear with his nose.
Not too many days ago he left his walking
cane on the back porch. He told me he
did it on purpose where his daughter Kay would fuss at him. He loved life and loved his family, God, and
people.
It has been wonderful to have Pawpaw these
many years. In fact, I have been with
him longer than my own dad. Thanks, Pawpaw for the memories, the wisdom, and love you gave me.
Bobby E. Hopper, May 24, 2018
Roy C. Moxley was my father-in-law, a second dad to me. When he died, his family asked me to do the eulogy. I felt it an honor to write a few words. To have said all that I would have been volumes. I decided to on a few things that I remember as I say farewell. Due to a family member that had hard feelings toward me, I thought it best not to attend and gave this eulogy to the pastor. I cried because Mr. Moxley had been an important part of my life. It has been five years since I wrote it and I feel compelled to share it with you. I know that it hurt the family, but I did not want to dishonor a man and his family causing trouble. It was a real threat if I attended that I would be asked to leave and bodily removed if I did not.
Mr. Moxley's granddaughter did a slideshow presentation for the funeral. She was told by the one that did not want me there not post any pictures of me. I love the granddaughter, my niece that posted one anyway. It was the one where Papaw and I were in the rain, under an umbrella, and in the smoke grilling Christmas steaks. The picture is priceless and so true of our relationship. Thanks Brandi!
I believe that those that banned me will be sorry for their deeds. I have forgiven them.
