Achie
My Aunt Rachel was mother’s younger
sister. Many of you would remember her as Rachel Crews, the
mother of Carol Sweatman and Henry (Bear) Crews. Of all my
relatives she was my favorite for she always made me feel
special. When I was very young I could not say Rachel so I
always called her “Achie”.
She was active in the Fayetteville community all of her
life. During this time she was employed by a number of
local businesses as well as operating a business of her
own. She was also a telephone operator back when there were
only about 100 telephones. She was healthy and very active
most of her life. She lived to be over eighty.
In the mid 1940’s she ran a restaurant on the south side of
the Courthouse Square. It was difficult back then for a
restaurant to make it on its own and some groceries were
sold on the side. When I was in high school I worked there
on many weekends. Mostly hot dogs and hamburgers were sold
but there was also a full meal served at noon each day.
Janie Mae Thomas, one of Achie’s best friends, also worked
there. One day a man who was passing through at noon time
stopped in for the daily dinner. As Mrs. Thomas was
cleaning his table, she found a 50¢ piece and not being
accustomed to customers tipping, she rushed out of the
store and stopped the man as he walked down the street.
“You forgot your half dollar,” she said with a smile as she
handed the money back to him.