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| Donovan Darnell as a child. He would grow up to serve in WWII, graduate from Morehead State, teach Industrial Arts in Greensboro, N.C. and, most importantly, start a beautiful family (even though they do sometimes root for the wrong team in basketball!). |
Happy 2015! Our first post of this new year is an old letter written by Donovan Darnell. “Uncle Don,” as we all called him, was not only the brother of Doris Darnell Kincaid (Don & Bill’s mother), but also a lifelong best friend of Mr. Burl. In fact, Burl and Donovan were close friends long before Burl and Doris got involved romantically. Don Kincaid is named after Donovan Darnell, but “Uncle Don” disliked his name and called his nephew “Jack” for years.
In the following letter dated 1933, Donovan would have been 15 years old. Miss Sallie, his mother, was sick and in some sort of treatment center (perhaps a sanatorium – Uncle Ruby also went to one and we’ll share his postcards later) and he has written his beloved mother, filling her in on what’s going on at their home on Coyle Street in Owingsville (see pictures of Coyle Street at end of this post). Doris, by the way, would have been 7 years old and due to contracting polio when an infant, was left with lifelong health problems. She always said her parents, especially her father, spoiled her because of that, and it was often left to her brother to discipline her.
Owingsville, Ky
April 30, 1933
Dear Mother:
I hope you are feeling much better by this time. We certainly have missed you since you have been gone and are anxious for you to get well so that you can come home.
How is Aunt Rosa?*
We are all well at home now. Doris had a sick spell last week and missed three days of school but she is allright now. She said if she could have an ice cream cone all the time she would not get sick. Mamma** has not been feeling so awfully good. Daddy and I are allright though.
Mrs Tanner is feeling better and today she is sitting out in the yard. Martha is awfully cute. The other day she walked over to Mrs. Palmer’s*** back porch and knocked on the door.
I went to the union play Friday night and it was certainly good. I wish you could have seen it.
They have already started working on the cess pool in the chicken lot. The kitchen sink and basement both lead into it.
They are still working on the new house Mr. Denton is going to build. They almost have the foundation ready.
Daddy took Mrs. McCarty home again Saturday afternoon. We wanted Doris to take a nap before she went but she said she didn’t want to. About an hour before daddy came home we brought Doris in for her to lay down a little while. Mamma said it was to late for her to take a nap and didn’t want her to lay down. In a little bit she laid down and went to sleep herself.
Doris stayed at home the day daddy came in. He came in at 11 o’clock. At dinner I saw Miss Inez. She said she knew Doris was glad to see daddy come home for she would tell about both of you being gone and the big tears would roll down her cheeks.
Everybody I see nearly asks me when I have heard from you, how you are and when we are expecting you to come home.
It is time for dinner now so I must say
Goodbye,
Donovan
P.S. Tell Aunt Rosa hello for all of us.
*Rosa Jones
**The letter is written to his mother – we’re not sure who “Mamma” is, although our guess is his grandmother.
***Mrs. Palmer lived in the house on Coyle Street right by the Baptist Church.
We don’t know who the other people are or where Mr. Denton’s house would have been. Please leave a comment or let one of us know if you have information you want to share.
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Donovan, Sallie, and Jefferson Darnell,
standing on the Coyle St. sidewalk with
Ida Jones’s house behind them. The Jones house is no longer there. |
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Sallie Darnell on Coyle Street in Owingsville, KY. Note the old car in the background, pointing towards Slate Avenue.
Family Drugs is currently located in the building on the left. |
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| Sallie Darnell (in center) with two unknown women. If you know who they are, please leave a comment or send us an email. |
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Cousins Donovan Darnell and Darnell Snedegar on a day trip to White Oak. They were driven by Jeff Darnell (Donovan’s son) to a
cemetery located on the back of what was once the family farm. |
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Jefferson Lee Darnell (Mr. Jeff to most everybody) with Sallie and one of the children. Jeff Darnell was a banker and also evidently a big softie when it came to sick little girls! He built several houses on Coyle Street and was mayor of Owingsville in the 50’s.
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Jefferson Darnell’s driving goggles. “Mr. Jeff” left home for Colorado at one point, aiming to start a business there, but ended up coming back home. These goggles now belong to his great-grandson Jacob Kincaid, who has left home for China. He didn’t wear the goggles!
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From the Journals of William Burl Kincaid, Jr. 