Herman Cook and Daniel Moore

00:01 Okay.

00:03 My name is Daniel Moore. I am 28 years old.

00:09 It is the 16th of April and I am in burkeville Virginia with my step-grandfather Herman cook.

00:19 My name is Charles Darwin Cooke live at Nottoway County. I was born May 10th, 2019 and 20.

00:31 And 91 years old.

00:36 Thank you Herman.

00:38 So

00:42 Remind me say once once again, when was it that you were born?

00:47 What year?

00:48 19 19 20

00:56 And where were you born right here on the farm on the living now?

01:02 And how many brothers and sisters did you have four sisters and one brother and my brother died when he was 8 years old and I was three years younger than he was.

01:17 So I was only boy in the family left in the family.

01:26 Started the school in 1926 the first year they had the school bus up until then my sisters had to drive the buggy with a horse.

01:40 And I had to laugh about going to school because I had a friend that always brought to sweet potatoes and I had to pass and I trade him a pair for a sweet potato him and I would eat lunch every day together and

02:02 We didn't have to have now. We've had two high school greatschools and everything was together and every evening at 2.

02:17 Are let us first and second graders are we had a janitor which was a black man and the Reata Restaurant close by he would go over body little Mary Jean Kansas and we would have just have a biggest. I'm helping him pick up paper and trash off the school grounds just for a little Mary Jane Candice Witcher it for doneness of the day. They will put him under the jail what else to tell you things has changed and what we are the school buses was owned by the drivers and if you misbehaved on the school bus he opened the door and told you to get out and you had to get out and walk home. I want to know if ifs and ands about it.

03:10 And when you got home your mother and dad wanted to know why where are you so late getting home and then you had to tell her what happened and then you got to Lowe's Hollow switch it for 1:44 to place cuz we were made the mind and behave in school if we didn't mind and behave the principal sent us home or either teacher with guns to school. So I don't know what what's happened to the educational part of the world.

03:56 Then as I grew up, my dad was a tobacco and corn, beans and re-read all on.

04:11 Food except sugar and coffee. That's all we had to buy the store because we we had

04:21 Freaky kill on Hogs raised on Garden saying that I didn't have no freezer. So we had to can instead of can freeze and then we can screw how would you plow the fields?

04:41 And then we missed all of them up ready to plant corn stuff that best way we could with the with the mules. We had a little discharge with the horses and nowadays really got big tractors with 1 acre and a half acre.

05:03 But we we what we had was ours we didn't.

05:09 Weird and worry about nobody taking nothing. We didn't worry about nobody. We left the doors and windows up when we went in a way out cuz we don't know what nobody to take anything. We slept by the way cause I didn't have no refrigerator auto air condition where you slept with the door open winners old.

05:34 Bottle of sand in the world or so why I said I was a better life than what's going on over there as of today, but when I got a boat in 1934, the year Hoover was President. We had a depression.

05:56 And people could make a living officer farming a lot of the bootlegging people would people with what would love that. I bought for $0.75 and a half a gallon for a dollar and I have my daddy used to have a gasoline engine goes we didn't have Traxxas. He has a gas in Hammond building on Saturdays. All he did was drying Stuff foam to make bootleg whiskey with

06:42 And we had a color family that lived across the street from us, then they had to a son that come to live with us when he was in Kanab over in about 15 years old already and we are on in the field and the man will be right down to the stream below of right at us. He was making whiskey and we were plowing the following phone. So one day he came out when we were asked if they would we care for a little of that.

07:22 Bill, that is just beginning to turn sweet Fair maidens make whiskey with which was almost like a soft drink. So he helped them for us and I just called before it was named Paul him and I went over to the stealing and to get us some beer and we found a big rat man in the box. So neither one of us drinking a beer interval. We told a man that was the best Bill we ever tasted and he told us to go back over there and a time in a half hour self it has how many cuz he did he wouldn't be there. But if it was there so when it's time we got there we wanted to drink that's a good story.

08:14 After that after that we are but we rented a piece of land and this boy. Oh boy. I have to hand them to plow losing. My dad was in the field doing and saw something and all they want to see disappear and I said to the color blue eyes and my dad he said he went down in the bottom on the other side of the field. So pretty quickly came back. He said let me hold on for your dog go down and ask that and to see what's in the bottom, but we walk down there fella was making whiskey and he had five great big hugs man in the branch and he made the whiskey and took them and turned it down the branch and Halsey.

09:14 Call five of them for five of them and they were made by 500 pound of Pisa more and they were so drunk you could hit on the back and all they can get up to say that I live and then I went back up in the field. My dad walked on the other side of the field. That was another two or three more men make bootleg whiskey. So that's Up For Debate. Daniel moonshine was a big dent in it during the Depression. That's only way people to put all the controls to make that so.

09:48 We are had a had a right hard time as you're growing up with the back of Morton bring it in this and you could have it all to give it away and we had so much I need to eat ground machine and we ain't got all the flower. We needed to sell a lot of Wheat and that's the way we made up most of all living room cuz he couldn't make it without what's in the back of throat.

10:24 Were you out there in the field with your dad everyday?

10:27 Most every day except for when I was in school. Now, I didn't we weren't here I couldn't work here when I was at school. And then after I finish Google fact, I didn't quite finish school. I was in my last year of school and I decided I had went to see some girls and I got to run after that. I'm talking with the latest. I forgot all about school and then so I decided I like the girls been in school or at that time. If you're if you're working you didn't need no education thought you had manual labor to do so, I've been with a lady to party with my cousin.

11:26 And he fed up with his girlfriend so hard to have my party so we can find him another girlfriend so much. My mother was at her sister's cousin sister was real sick. So I went to see my mother but I had to go with my cousin down to the party. So I went to the party and I meant to say I was sitting out in the house and UCLA anybody hear you. Like I said the other day that sitting over there with that white and blue white and green skirt. She said that's my

12:04 Brother's child get rid of the Race Street. I said I liked her. She said whatever she's paying on their she got to be at home home and live with you nor without home. So I walk with a home and from then on and I saw one another and wrote one. I needed $1 for 7 years, and then we were married and that's how I raised four daughters. And what was her name?

12:34 What was her name?

12:36 Her name is Lydia.

12:40 And a mohawk for saying wait, I didn't mean it was my mother's brother. He got killed on Old shot and killed them on the railroad. So I dated after I died. I went with my cousin down for a long time and then one day I shared heater that walk to purple.

13:06 And I waited in the garage garage estate almost had this and Sundays and the owner of the garage came around these that Herman don't you want to call I said mister Bradshaw. If you ever seen a boy in my age that didn't he says you have your dad at home in the morning. So I'm going to bring a car to see what we can do with it. So I couldn't drive on wasn't but fifteen. So my sister lived in Lambertville, her husband was managing the night shift for the station, which was noted for the best hamburgers in a contrarian going to Greyhound buses. Stop then and outraged big transfer truck stop in town and so he would have noted for his hamburgers.

14:07 And

14:09 Show on Sunday morning my sister and her husband came out here pretty quick.

14:20 And here we sit and talk for a while and finally said to my daddy I ring you wondering what I'm doing over here.

14:29 My dad is such as well know. I just thought you were going to pay a visit. He says no I came out here to see if I could send you a call says you need a car cuz you're my dad didn't have any cuz we didn't have no call my daddy. Did you know I have no car and if you don't give us more, you're not going to stay here.

14:53 My dad said where I live. I don't have the money to pay for a call. I'm not going to give anybody to know it on my phone to pay for a call. So therefore I don't guess I'll biography he said well, I'll ask you one question. If you answer that question the car is yours. Will you pay for the car when you get the money?

15:16 My dad said if I get that money to pay it and she said I'm not going to miss for feeding my family nor anything to pay for it, but if I get extra money I pay for he said without you come on come back to work for you tomorrow to call and those are brand-new 35 Ford Super Deluxe.

15:36 Show my sister had to drive him back to birth for cuz I couldn't drive.

15:41 Well, then I'll start at the drive-in in blue round. Finally got up the nerve enough to go to the airport drive to Burnsville.

15:49 But I didn't have no driving permit.

15:52 And I had to have some gas.

15:55 I stopped at service station in the states Conference standing there.

16:00 And how's Facebook them in asked me how I was saying zeidan, Dutchtown?

16:06 I told him everything was fine. So I bought my gas and paid for it got back in the car and I couldn't back up. So I had to drive all the way around the city block. Get back on the road to come back home.

16:20 But the cop knew I didn't have no Drive of it, but he didn't bother me cuz he was our friend as well as the rest of them. So I did that for all of maybe until 11 so I couldn't halfway drive and I went for my driving permit, but I'm still on my 15.

16:44 Oh, I got my brother-in-law to go with me and him in the state in the back of the car after I took the written written part of the test them car time. You didn't have have never seen those yet to let the grass down and give you the signal what does rain and so I I had the grass about drove all the way around the block. I never lowered the grass. So we roll back up to the place where I can get the permit. He said give me $0.50 and I'll give you a holler knows you'll get your record for hitting a few days, which I did so my driver British got me for 1 year older than I really am.

17:27 But I got I got my car. I used it in my daddy use that we used to hold the back in the back of it took Sido. There's hardibacker in it this whole milk in it and one day it played out.

17:42 And I was in 40 47 and we had to have her that you couldn't get calls in unless you had your name on the list to get them. So I would say the same things on the list in my axle broke on my car. So he came out and told me to say I got your old card ever since your car anywhere else, but $100 and zits caused that damage fix hole bottom of it with bands in it. So he said I got to

18:23 What I want to do that if you wanted you can get it to come on ride that Saturday and get it said the boy that was supposed to get it this instead. He said he wouldn't take it. So I went out of town on Saturday and I got to be at 4 to 7 for car and that's I got booked and on the same way about this one I paid for this one before the 7th, so

18:49 Rats

18:52 That is the way of my Automobiles and then

18:58 We are.

19:01 I decided I'd go to work.

19:04 I also promise to bratcher Heap come up one day and I don't know demonstration selling see if I sell some factors. He took a tractor.

19:20 I had to demonstration and he left attractive and a lord is Implement. Scioscia said come back the next morning. So we told me he says it's going to take a diss track on this narcos corn stalks down before I come back in the morning. So I did I took it all of that whole phyllo dough when he came back the next morning just as I see him come on the car. He didn't come over bring nobody to get the tractor. So my dad's name on Old to feel well, does that supposed to brush your Camp trunk? What is said about the tractor? He said I ring I bought the tractor and everything goes with us or just like it show me to call and they said that that sell some more.

20:19 Show the that father and well, he came out here and asked me what I demonstrate tractor for which I have for counters Amelia Nottoway friends ever in Lunenburg. And I have a 36 Ford truck with a trailer on it. I drove attract up on me with a plow on the back of the tractor up on the trailer and then for the attendance to where they call it in the in the truck.

20:48 And all I used to have the biggest fun at all, cuz I love farming and I love showing people what I could do with it and more than one week. I'll show salmon in media what deliver in combine unattractive soul and I went by and look at Matoaca in Alameda County and they were trying to order the churchyard. So I told him I said wait till I just delivered a tractor stuff. I had to deliver and go back to work on getting my tractor out to order it and fix it up for them. So they did they waited and I took a tractor and I order that church caught up and see if I sold it and put the seat in the ground off on and that day I saw two tractors.

21:44 So I used to have and then that following week after that. So 6 on Saturday. So damn bored all day, He told me to stay home and I'm way over translate demonstration Saturday. So I want you to bring your tractor. I want to take my lady friend to Richmond to the state fair. He said why you just rang your tracton's pirated stuff down to the house and leave it and it's Monday morning when you come back if a tractor is in the shed, I'll buy it and if it's not in the shed, you can pick it up. So I came home from work for my girlfriend went to Richmond to the bath Monday morning. I went back to get tracked on facts of us in the shed. So is your wife came to the door and she told me she said she said

22:44 My husband said tell you that he wants to track them. He named implements and stuff. I had to bring him to take before 2. So what's your biggest is spearmint? I had went up to demonstrate attractive to old man. He didn't look like they had anything.

23:06 And he put me in the worst place you ever saw, but I get him a good jog station and Ike when I got back to work phone.

23:18 Boss man said to me so I did a good job, but that I said, he said her mind. I want to tell you if something don't ever judge a man by his looks as a man. You think it don't have nothing. He's got it in the man that puts on a big show to make people think he's got it said he don't have it.

23:51 So far and Saturday, I was out there working on my tractor and this man walked up the street and virtual by me. He said you got something you got time to go in and talk to your boss. I said, yes, sir. So I went home with him in the balls in the garage talk to mister Bradshaw. He told me she bad. She said that boy did really give me a good demonstration up at other day. He said I I want a tractor and all he needed off all kind implements for tractors in one was $730 and the $90 most images of all the implements. This was a little one

24:41 Fairway it was that you're bored. Come to mow $1,700. So I practice is mr. Dibbs. How are you going to pay for this? He says I'm going to pick Ash you show. He reached in his back pocket and he pulled out a 5 lb sugar sack of sugar used to come in a little Big 5 lb and that he had a roll of money in it be a hundred dollar bills and stop codon at all. So I walked on with him out of the garage after The Departed. Mr. Bratz told me it says I mean I want to see you in about to give me so I went back in and he said what did I tell you don't ever judge a man by his looks he said that you see how the man had the money he paid for it.

25:41 We sold he says that it's nice that all people but is it for people pay for stuff? Then you didn't have to worry about nothing. If you got sick or anything people didn't the people in the neighborhood would do your work on the phone just it's just like you just say you was at with him, but nowadays you I saw the past so far man is not what it do what it used to be but

26:15 What's supposed to in that I have to leave my stretching come home because my dad had a heart attack and he couldn't Farm in the more. When was that? How old are you and your dad had a heart attack? My dad. I wish I was both 24 years old. I ever had to come home and take over the phone or something what has to be did with it for him because my daddy would never work anymore. So I left Mr. Bradshaw. I was married and living in town. I came back home and we worked a lot of colored people then and leave people.

27:02 I don't know why people that was so against the color because we never had colored people in here on the phone with any way around.

27:13 Orange as nice as you can find anywhere and

27:18 Ways a colored people running my dad was doing the farming so I had to come back and take my dad's face and then

27:27 And 4041

27:31 Ivers & Young my notice to go to Richmond for

27:38 Big announcement for the Army

27:40 And my dad was taken sick. We didn't have telephones. We all had to go to Kruger get the doctor and has both 3 in the morning and I was supposed to go to Richmond AutoZone first of the week. And last of the week was I supposed to go to Richmond for examination and my dad had to go get the doctor from my dad and the doctor was telling the doctor about it. And he said you ain't got no business leaving here with your dad in this shape and what they are producing the owners place that I will write you a letter to the draft born rich and rotten. O it which was told was that and he said you take advantage of this morning.

28:28 Tromso I did and 200 outboard mama said no deferment and the other one that told the latest to take him in and out of the room and write him a letter to the appeal board in Richmond and they didn't sign it and bring it in here and we want to side and it's going to it's so good. I didn't want it took me off and put me in to see and laser for deferred me from I don't know how long different times until it was over and I got nobody to know if you want service, but now is because that was because you were the only son that right fall they pass the law or later. There's a fair one Farm Boy on each phone. So I was already the first we didn't bother me.

29:24 But my wife died in.

29:28 And 8 is true and I married a French lady and 84 and we're going to hear working here a little bit more about that story in the next interview. So I'm looking forward to hearing about that. But what I did want to ask you a little bit more about was I wanted to ask you a little bit more about your mother. She was sick when you were young write my mother after my dad died my mother and wife and I lived in the house. She had a fever.

30:00 Oh, I forgot. I was born my mother had time for a fever and that was a dangerous disease at that time and everybody was scared to come anywhere near here, but she did have time for a feeling she was immune to it. So she came and took care of my mother not at the house all of children and everything with you after I was born and everything was over so we sent us talk to wear that family even though she died and her husband died and he had a husband and I had three sons and so he came over.

30:54 Came to us and asked us what we take one of the boys and raising and my uncle had two uncles and they took one of these one of them took one and we raised over three boys and one of them both of them after they after they were here for so many years one time with DJ with me for a while. I don't know how long cuz I was in the dairy business and I needed it and then he got to drinking something. So he moved up to Philadelphia with his brother and they was in our experiment for him up there. But every. All the time every time it always comes to see me Workforce.

31:43 Ber

31:45 88 after he got Edge in a minute after you finish school and he was helping someone or something during the week and all but he soon though his brother lived in Philadelphia. So they got him a job in the steel mill and in 50s.

32:05 50 / 3 I had a back operation and he came to see me and he said I want to be with you when you are operated on but they said I'm sure you're going to be praying for you and 8.

32:23 But such a good workout and everything that he went back to his job and he's got two of his fingers cut off so they made him a phone and after that I don't know exactly how it happened, but he passed away. So I send you mad or sorry, but I didn't know it until after he was bird watching. He was a nice color boy and everything.

32:55 My mother was living with my wife and I answer my phone or my sisters and everything was married and gone with my wife and I took over the phone and I waited to Dairy business and she had a stroke and she couldn't stay at my wife and I'll do anything for just you make sure you let the people that other people do it, but nothing we could do anything. So she went to Richmond to her nursing home and she stays and that's where she passed away. So.

33:36 Then my wife and I

33:39 And I heard her mother comes to live with me. So I've had women in the house with me all my life. My love. I was if I was a young old man women all my life.

33:53 I wanted to ask you I wanted to ask you a few more questions about your Boyhood. There's a did you like to drink buttermilk when you are a boy? No pineapple drink buttermilk, but I love with milk.

34:11 Back tires

34:14 Well, there is a I think there's a story you like to tell about why you don't drink buttermilk, right? I don't drink buttermilk. I have the other song bird my Asian I used to go in the summer time and stay some spend some time with him and he are out of their mind and had four Sons. They were all in the back of business. I mean in the dairy business and apps at 12 my heart but always have buttermilk for dinner cuz they like both of them and he had a mustache.

35:01 And when you drank that buttermilk forget a hole in his mustache and then he go out in the yard and lay it down and rest awhile you lay down and rest awhile and his mustache would be just covered up with flies. So I said never would I ever grow a mustache because I didn't want your oil supplies and stuff in my face. So that's reason I don't I don't drink buttermilk.

35:34 I think it's Tori. I also wanted to ask what sort of church did you attend when you were growing up?

35:42 Well when I was a little boy out young boy.

35:46 We didn't have any we are going to Church Street and have no choice but we have to have a minister that lived in there goes by so they all decided all the farmers decide is if they would go in together and build a little country church. So my daddy gave two acres of land they built the build a little church on the phone and it was a presbyterian preacher from burkeville used to cook to come and eat somewhere that church and eating.

36:29 And we had son to school at 2 and preaching at 3. So weak and read had that for I don't know how many years and then after that people got calls that you can drive to Town. The Baptist went to church in burkeville Methodist Church, Summerville Presbyterian left winterberg for Presbyterian church in the morning. So eventually stop having Church in the little church and what I was when I was sick, I mean it had to back off eration and I

37:16 I couldn't ride home. I was at home in the bed cuz they didn't know too much about that operations in the put me in a cast from under my arm down to my knees with a ball between my legs and I had to stay in the bed for 75 days with that thing on and they wanted we were ordered to be on Sunday school rooms on to the church in burkeville. So I told him I said I don't I don't want to church the church is supposed to come back to me, but I don't want it shares acting and make sure put it up at auction and set it and they can take it down and use it for other purposes. So they did that took some put the church up at auction, but it didn't bring what I saw it at all to Broad so I can so I would have let him sell it then but they did say that later and I gave you the money has brought.

38:16 Church outside of school and was going to have to be on Sunday school. So I thought that was a good deed for the for the use of the old church.

38:30 We only have a couple of minutes left in the interview. So I was wondering if you wouldn't mind telling me a little bit about what the house was like that you grew up in when you were little boy.

38:41 Well, our house was built used shop made made meals.

38:51 And the plates had my foot down with pins that hold rod and a big p and roll down to hold them. And that's why they were they were today or going to be in and fix those downtown. Did you have running water in a water? We have three of a fireplace for for heat and that fireplace is built. So that first thing I did was he in three different rooms at the Rocks in that fireplace that I don't see how I hope people

39:32 Put them in there. It was so big. But anyway, we we close down to five races just headed in the sitting room and I'll face is used to burn up and I'll backs with fries. So I said if I ever had a house for the one thing I didn't want what the fireplace I said now people think of a place is a fine thing, but I still don't don't care for a fireplace cuz I have to cut wood for it and so was on the ground.

40:10 Had to take the ashes up and take them outside. Although we used to make cornbread and take out at take the ball of cornbread and put it in the ass hot ashes in the fireplace and cook it and that was some kind of good cornbread, but I got the good things and bad thing. But I I'm just wondering don't want don't like a fireplace. Well, looks like it looks like the interviews pretty much over. I just wanted to ask if you had anything that you wanted to add before we close.

40:47 Well

40:50 All I can say I had a hard life.

40:54 I had a good life.

40:57 I have good friends. I could get what I wanted money or no money.

41:04 Dollywood by

41:08 Or $5 by now. I tried to put away enough money.

41:15 I tried to put away enough money to retire down but the price of stuff is going so high and mighty hard.

41:26 Well, thank you Herman.

41:28 Quite welcome, buddy.