• Home
• Memories
• Introduction
• Stephen Dobbins
  • About Steve
  • Goat Rider
  • Hide-tanning
  • Demolition
• James Edward Atkinson
  • About Ed Atkinson
  • Ed Atkinson: Hero
  • Grandpa's Driving Lesson
  • Working on the Railroad
  • Back to High Shoals & Cliffside
• Earnest Atkinson
  • About Earnest
  • Doffer, then a Sailor
  • Durward's Chicken(s)
  • Earning a Living
  • Eddith's Family
• Fred R. Atkinson
  • About Fred
  • Especially the Gravy
  • Huntley's Accident
  • Little Fred - Caretaker
  • Huntley's Freckles
  • Practical Joker
  • Sue's Burned Hand
• John and Norma Gurley
• Beula A. Ruppe
  • About Aunt Beula
  • Aunt Beula at the Movies
  • Crossing the River
  • Moving to Cliffside
• George Barney Hill
  • Annie Violet Hill
  • Paying Room and Board
• Roy Hill
  • About Roy
  • In the Navy
  • Teaching Me Bad Language
  • Nell Hill
    • About Nell
    • Nell's Generosity
  • Sam Hill
    • About Sam
    • Marriage and Work
• Lafar Ruppe
  • Going Hog Killing
  • Hidey-Hole Savings Account
  • Little Fred's Haircut
  • The Champion Floater
• Mary Sue Laughter
  • About Mary Sue
  • Home Brew
  • Ponies and Watermelons
  • Shotgun Houses and Other Stories
  • The Watermelon Heist

Stories and drawings
copyright © 2005
by JoAnn Huskey.
All rights reserved.

Mixed in with all the humorous happenings surrounding Fred, there were also tragic ones. Fred and Emma Atkinson's son, Huntley, had both his legs broken in 1932 when he was five years old. The family was living just below the country store that Lafar Ruppe was running at the time, and Fred was farming.
     

Bonnie and Huntley Atkinson

     The hay crop was being gathered and Lloyd Huskey, Emma's brother, was driving the wagon and team, hauling the hay to the barn. Lloyd had placed a board from one side of the wagon across to the other so that he could sit to guide the mules. Huntley climbed up and sat on the board beside him for a ride to the barn. The board was slick, and there was nothing to hold onto, so when a wheel ran over a high spot in the field and the wagon lurched, Huntley slid right off. He fell beneath the wagon, and before Lloyd could get the mules stopped, the rear wheel ran over both his legs and snapped them just below his knees.

     He was taken to the doctor in Cliffside who set the bones and put splints on each leg. After six weeks the doctor removed the splints, assuming the bones had knit back properly. Huntley was pleased to have them off at last, but his pleasure was short lived. On the same day the splints were removed, he stepped out of one of the farm buildings that had an elevated doorway and a long step to the ground. As he placed his foot onto the ground and shifted his weight to it, the bone in the leg snapped again. This time a cast was put on the leg, and he was ordered not to bear any weight on it for six more weeks.
Emma usually helped Fred in the fields, but had been unable to do much while she had been constantly caring for Huntley. She was desperately needed in the fields, now, since Fred would have a very difficult time doing all the work alone for another six weeks. Little Fred Ruppe was commandeered to help look after Huntley and keep him entertained so both Fred and Emma could work to make their crops.