From: U.V. Waldrop
To: Patrick Hogue (Samples), Weed, California
Date: 30 May 2001
Subject: Benjamin LeRoy (Roy) Waldrop
Benjamin LeRoy (Roy) Waldrop was the son of Simeon Newton Waldrop and Pedelia Ann Smith. She was his second wife. He was their fifth child. He was known as Roy by his family and as Ross by his friends. He didn’t remember who gave him the name Roy.
He worked on his father’s farm when he was growing up. He worked as a farm hand in 1918, for Tobe Posey, and then he worked for his Uncle John Waldrop on the farm, in his gristmill and his blacksmith shop in 1919. He worked as a farm hand in 1920, for GATT Smith. He is listed in the 1920 census records with this family. He went to work for Lon Brown’s saw mill in 1921. He went to work with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. in 1922. He bought him a horse and buggy when he was working as a farm Hand. He bought him a model “T” Ford when he went to work for the railroad.
He had a cousin Ike Waldrop that he visited lots with his two brother’s Rollie and Perry Waldrop. They met a girl Emmie Angeline Smith who lived next door to their cousin Ike. She was the daughter of Lawrence Jason Smith and Frances (Fanny) Euginia Crumpton. Roy Waldrop began dating her when she was 13 and he was 18. They were riding in his buggy on Sunday afternoon and Roy decided to make the horse run in the ditch making Emmie fall over on him. He kissed her and she got very mad. She jumped out of the buggy and told him to go home. He refused. She followed behind him in the buggy. He told her he was taking her home. When they got near Ike Waldrop’s home they saw a bunch of their friends there. He asked her to get in the buggy so that they wouldn’t be laughing at them. She got in the buggy and let him take her home.
Emmie was mad at him for several days. Roy’s brother Perry Waldrop asked her for a date. She went out with him for a few weeks then went back to dating Roy. This switch went on for several months. Perry was killed in a hunting accident in 1922. This drew Emmie and Roy closer together. Roy asked Emmie to marry him in 1923. They set their wedding date for the fall of 1923. Emmie’s mother became sick and the wedding was put off until the spring of 1924. Emmie’s brother Milford Smith became very sick and she put the wedding off for three months. Roy was hoping there wouldn’t be any more delays. They decided to get married August 16, 1924.
They went to Centerville, Alabama on Friday August 14, 1924, to get their marriage license and their wedding clothes. They went by to see two of Emmie’s cousins Monroe Crumpton and Myrtle Dawson to tell them the wedding would be Sunday at her home. The four decided to go to Pink Gentry’s store to get something to drink. Emmie told Roy she wanted to sit in the car as her feet were hurting. She asked him to get her a coke. Roy went in and talked to Mr. Gentry about the wedding plans they had made for Sunday. He told him he was so afraid there would be another delay. He asked Mr. Gentry if he would marry them now if he could talk Emmie into doing it. Mr. Gentry told him to go talk to her. Roy asked him to go with him. Mr. Gentry walked out and told Emmie that Roy was ready to get married today if she would agree. She asked Roy if he had lost his mind. He jumped up into the Model “T” Ford and told her how he loved her and the fear he had of another delay. He just couldn’t stand to wait another day. Emmie agreed. She told Roy she would marry him sitting in the car. He told her that was fine. Mr. Gentry went back in the store to get his Bible, his wife and the two cousins. They stood by the car as the wedding was performed.
Emmie was anxious to go tell her parents. When they started to her home she began laughing. She asked Roy if he realized their wedding clothes were under their seats. She told him we could say we married sitting on our wedding clothes. Emmie told her parents. The visited for a little while, then Roy told her they needed to go. He told her he had made arrangements to spend the night at his Uncle John Waldrop’s home. She said you had this planned all the time. He told her his Uncle John had a bedroom on the back of his home. They could park the car behind his house where no one could find them to play a prank on them. The next morning he informed her they were going to Gulf Shores, Alabama, to visit his father and sister Maude Waldrop. They took off for Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Roy had a half brother Joseph Waldrop that lived in the area. He had five daughters and one son. The girls were close to Emmie’s age. They had a great time. Emmie couldn’t believe you couldn’t see across the Gulf of Mexico. They returned home and picked up her clothes and went to Flat Creek, Alabama to their first home. All the railroad people came out to greet them. The foreman’s wife had arranged a coffee gathering the next day for Emmie to meet all the wives. She was thrilled but still couldn’t believe Roy had made all the plans without her knowing it.
By U.V. Waldrop
Benjamin LeRoy (Roy) Waldrop
