2023.03.02 THE STORIES OF PECK'S DRIVE-IN PLUS CLASS NEWS

THROW BACK THURSDAY - THE STORIES OF PECK'S DRIVE-IN      PLUS CLASS NEWS

Here are the stories I have received since "Peck's Throw Back Thursday" last week.  I dare you to read these stories without laughing outloud!

Peck's.  I was one of the inhabitants of Peck's.  One thing that pops to mind is a dog.  One of the patrons had a  white standard poodle which he kept in a puppy-clip.  His (the dog) name was Curly.  When the dog came in, he would make the rounds to get a pat from everyone, then get his standard bowl of popcorn and dish of beer.  After that Curly would lie down under the shuffleboard table until it was time to go home.  Looking back that was weird, but seemed perfectly fine back then.  

Don Crowder  a/k/a DR. Don Crowder - so you guys made it OK when you got out of Peck's!!! 

When I went into the Army in 1960, I went to Peck’s to have a “farewell” beer by myself.  I walked in and Jerry Brown and his older brother were shooting pool and said, “Hi Harmon” … nothing else.  After tours in Korea and Vietnam in 1966 I returned to Peck’s for a “welcome back” beer by myself.  I walked in and Jerry Brown and his older brother were still shooting pool and said, “Hi Harmon, where you been?” … nothing else.  After my second tour in Vietnam when I returned to Peck’s in 1969 to see if Jerry and his brother were still shooting pool, it had already burned down. 

Bill Harmon  a/k/a GENERAL Harmon - guess he's lucky he joined the Army!
I remember it well !!  In addition to Velma and Jimmy, there was an older man called “Pops” who I think might have been Velma’s Dad who helped run the place.  I was able to drink beer and play shuffleboard there along with friends like Benny Wise, Tommy Lauderdale, Jerry Brown, Wayne Young and, of course, my older brother, Charlie, since about age 14 etc. through High School etc. I remember the TV was mounted on a low stand near the bar and had a sign under it that read “KYGDHOTTV” which translated to 

Keep your G-D Hands  Off Of the TV !!

There was also a sign that said “Serving the Coldest Beer in Town” and was very true as all the beer mugs were kept in a walk in cooler behind the bar.  I don’t know why the place never got raided or shut down by the cops for serving minors like us ( In Ark. you had to be 21 to purchase alcohol) but to my knowledge never was.  I agree about the “no females” thing but not sure why…I guess they more or less hung out at Weber’s Root Beer about one block away on Markham.

Right or wrong, Peck’s was a big part of all our male lives in those times.

Jimmy Martin  . . . and after all this, Carolyn still married him!!!

Jimmy, didn't your brother Charlie marry Alvin Jean Trout?

HERE IS  LITTLE  more to my Pecks BBq story

Seems to me that  almost everyone that  went to LRCHS  as well as Catholic High, including LRU or LRJC,  and was male  and single that did work in and around the LR\NLR area --(at our young  age) --attended  and went to Pecks as it was just a sort of primary meeting place for a lot of us to get started on our "nights" activities.  There was literally never ever any females that came into the inside of the building. 2 or 3 of the locations that were very popular  for everyone to go to at night was as follows:  ("BG") Beverly Gardens,  an older large nightclub out on the old Pine Bluff  highway with lots of girls as well as live rock and roll bands playing.  Also 2 other local night spots  that we all attended were  the Club  70 and the "Top Hat", these  were 2 clubs out past NLR on the old Highway 70 that came in to NLR  from Jacksonvillle.  These were  the 'best of times" during our young lives --- before  marriage  and families.

Gaylon Mulkey - he has a Naval Officer

What happened to Peck's is called Jewish Lightning. Never darkened the door, although in my hood and passed it all the time... I was afraid to go in! Ha.  That was before I got my license to carry and a badass attitude.

Jan Nix

1956 CLASS NEWS

I’m going through session one of chemo, rest two weeks then repeat through June. Feeling Okay for the most part. Thanks to all who sent cards and phoned.

Bill Hedges

John Bagby has suffered a stroke and is hospitalized.  Our prayers for John and Marilyn.

Judy Callaway is the proud owner of a new hip.  She wishes her 20 year old hip was still in place!  As for her son who also got a new hip a few years back and assured her there would be no pain involved.  She says, and I repeat verbatim, "He lied!"'

Gary Hoffmann is having a terrible time with back spasms.  Get better soon, Gary!

Jean Rogers was visiting her daughter in Mississippi and took a fall, breaking her hips.  She is hospitalized right now.  Will have to stay in MS for 3 or 4 weeks for rehab.

Scott E. Grizzelle, 84, of Little Rock, Arkansas passed away February 21, 2023. He was born May 29, 1938 in Joplin, Missouri.  Scott was a graduate of Central High School and an Army veteran. He was a retired employee of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, which later became AT&T and a member of Geyer Springs United Methodist Church. He enjoyed golfing, bowling, horse racing, wrestling and he was also an avid Cardinals fan.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Herbert Emmerson and Pearl Louise Norvell Grizzelle; wife, Vernette Grizzelle and son, Tracy Grizzelle. Scott is survived by his son, Ted Grizzelle (Cindy); daughter, Vicki Skaggs (James); grandchildren, Tim Harris, Travis Harris (Brittany), Rebecca Rinehart (Cory) and Aaron Grizzelle (Chelsea) and great-grandchildren, Kori Brooke Harris, Kohen Harris, Cooper Rinehart, Emma Rose Rinehart, Gemma Grizzelle and Paxton Grizzelle.  Graveside service and visitation will be 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Alexander, Arkansas.

ML, I live in Normal.  Dave Duggan     But Dave, do you have to BE normal to live there????????? ML

At Girls' Lunch this past Monday at Izzy's, we had a crowd!  Mary Jo Bryant, Sharon Douglass, Barbara Edwards, Mary Fleming, Pat Glass, Charlene Grady, Mary Lou Hosack, ML, Bucky Polk, Gwen Shepherd, Rosemary Studer, Kenda Treadway

1955 CLASS NEWS
You have to be kidding!!  My dad wouldn’t even let me go to the dance place (down by the river?) where “all the kids went”.  i couldn’t go on a date alone with a boy in a car until i was a senior, and then, they were from my church!!

Diana Loy

We've heard that the doctor has given Jim Diffee 3 days to give up drinking.  

So he says he's picked the 5th of June, July 17th and October 19th!!!  I've put those dates on my calendar to check with Nancy!