A Glimmer

John Emerald Sharp came in to this world in 1926.  Born in the hills of the Ozark Mountains in Southern Missouri to Hugh and Clara Sharp.  In his early days he was a US Army Air Corp Veteran.  Most of the stories I remember from those days consisted of him and some Air corp. buddies taking the plane for joy rides or duck hunting with a machine gun.  Needless to say he spoke of those days with a glimmer in his eyes.  After his stint with the Military he came back to his hometown Croker, MO and got to work in the family feed and grocery distributorship, Sharps Grain and Supply.  One day he was standing outside the office with a friend and saw a new girl in town.  I guess the young lady must have been a looker because he turned to his friend and confidently pronounced that he was going to marry that girl.  Seven days later he proposed with a wooden ring and some dead flowers.  You see John could be quite the jokester in his day.  He used to go to parties with a spool of thread in his inside pocket.  He would then poke the end of the thread through his jacket to the other side.  Then when some unsuspecting person tried to help him get rid of that pesky thread on his nice sport jacket the thread would keep coming and coming.  He had many tricks up his sleeves.   Anyway, when confronted with the wooden ring and dead flowers Sarah Hammock must of got the joke, because they married soon after.  

My Grandfather passed away this summer, and I think about him all the time.  I think about his place in his community and what he meant to so many people.  The life’s he touched by being part of a town and running a small business in that town.   I think about the path that I am now on and I hope I can fill his shoes in my community as well as he did.  

Hanging over the bar at the Birdsall House are three hanging globe lights.  These lights were from my grandfather’s office.  They probably date back to the late 30’s or early 40’s.  So, if one night you’re in the bar and you happen to look up and you see a little glimmer from one of those lights that’s John Emerald Sharp saying Hello!