Alton Simmons, 1937-2004, Lamar> Marion County MS

Alton Simmons

Alton Simmons was born 10 August 1937 in Lamar County, Mississippi, the firstborn child and son of Woodrow Wilson Simmons and Susie Johnson.  He spent most of his youthful days in the back woods of the Baxterville and Pine Burr areas.  Being the oldest, Alton constantly tried to "direct" the order of childhood play with his younger siblings and nearby cousins.  According to my Mom, Alton was always trying to invent ways to get her and the others into trouble.  She wrote quite a bit about Alton and the days they spent growing up in rural Marion/Lamar Counties (see Memoirs of Lula Sue Simmons).  

Alton married Joyce Thornhill on 13 January 1955 in Columbia, Marion County, Mississippi.  From their union two sons were born- Alton Timothy and Joseph Leonard.  Their marriage ended in divorce after 25 years together.  He later married Sylvia Thompson then Darlene Elizabeth Horn, but no children were born from those unions.  

Alton worked in the oilfied and timber industries most of his adult life.  He also owned and operated "Fat Albert's Bait & Tackle Shop" in Foxworth, Mississippi for a few years before selling the business.  He temporarily owned and operated a meat store in Columbia, Mississippi.  

After a lengthy illness, Alton died 17 January 2004 at Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Mississippi.  He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Columbia, Marion County, Mississippi.

More About Alton Simmons:

Obituary:  Alton Simmons

Through the Years:  Alton Simmons, The Early Years

Sentimental Stories:  Remembering Uncle Alton

Sentimental Stories: Remembering Uncle Alton

Uncle Alton was a big man with a jolly spirit and a big heart. He would have given the shirt off his back to someone else in need. Lord knows he helped Charles and I a time or two during our struggles way back when. During my pregnancy with son Ryan, Charles was laid off from work in the oilfield. Uncle Alton was building his home in Goss at that time and employed Charles to do general labor and paid him cash each week- that helped us through a tough time until Charles returned to work. It has been said that Uncle Alton was often too generous, freely giving money to those in need.

 

He thoroughly enjoyed large family gatherings which he sometimes hosted at his home. He enjoyed cooking for the family and the satisfaction of watching everyone enjoy their meal. He particularly enjoyed fried turkey during the holidays. I remember one year Charles fried up six turkeys at Uncle Alton's request because he wanted to make sure everyone had plenty (and he wanted a couple left over to bring home with him).

 

Uncle Alton could also be a big clown when the mood struck him. He enjoyed teasing others and pulling pranks. I recall one instance when I had pulled into a gas station with my two young daughters Crissy and Cherie. Crissy was 3 years old and Cherie was 1 year old. I intended to quickly run into the store and purchase a pack of cigarettes. When I came back out to the car, only Crissy was in the car. I asked her where her sister was. She replied, "Some man took him". Can you imagine the fear that raced through my soul at that time? I frantically scanned the parking lot with my eyes, looking for my baby daughter. I asked Crissy if she knew the man. "It was a big man, Mama". Oh, the thoughts that raced through my mind! Moments later, here comes Uncle Alton from behind the store with Cherie in his arms. He was laughing his butt off. At that moment, I didn't think it was funny- I wanted to choke him for doing that to me. But, I later laughed about it. The incident taught me an important lesson- never leave my kids alone in the car because they can disappear within seconds. I realized how irresponsible that was and I never did that again.

 

I loved Uncle Alton. We visited often, either at my place or his. He carries a special place in my heart and warm memories.

Obituary- Alton Simmons

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2004, at the chapel of Colonial Funeral Home for Alton Simmons, 66, of Columbia, who died Saturday, Jan. 17, at Wesley Medical Center.  Interment was in the Woodlawn Cemetery.  Mike Grenn officiated, assisted by George Anthony.  A native of Marion County, he was a forester and a member of the Apostolic faith.  Survivors include two sons, Joey Simmons of Columbia and Tim Simmons of Foxworth; two sisters Gertrude Wiginton of Laurel and Lula Sue Powell of Columbia; a brother, Elton Simmons of Livingston, Texas; eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  Colonial Funeral Home in Columbia was in charge of arrangements.

Click here to view the Memorial page for Alton Simmons at Find A Grave.

Through the Years: Alton Simmons, The Early Years

Alton Simmons was born on August 10, 1937 in Lamar County (probably near Baxterville), Mississippi, the  first child of four from the union of Woodrow Wilson and Susie Johnson Simmons.  He was about 5 years old in the photo above. 

Alton appears to be about 6 or 7 years old in the photo above.  The actual dates of most of these old photos are unknown, I can only estimate the year. This was probably an early school photo.  

Alton was standing near what appears to be a corn field on the family homestead.  The family then resided in Pinebur, Lamar County, Mississippi.  

This photo of Alton was probably taken 1945-46, when he was about 8 years old.  Alton was a mischievous youngster at this age, constantly pulling pranks on his siblings, particularly his oldest sister Lula Sue (my mother).  She wrote much about him and their early childhood while growing up in Pinebur, Mississippi.  See Memoirs of Lula Sue Simmons for more.

Alton was dressed in his boy scout uniform.  After reading about all the trouble he stirred up as a child, it's difficult to believe that Alton was actually a boy scout!  I'm uncertain as to the date of this photograph, but it was likely between 1946-1948, judging by the appearance of his age.

It is estimated that this photo was taken between 1945-1946.  Alton is the young boy in the center, as that is pretty obvious without being mentioned.  It appears as though the shirtless boys are enjoying a warm day.  During those early years, Alton and his siblings spent a lot of their free summer time on the river banks, swimming or fishing.  It's uncertain as to who the other youngsters are.  

Alton was a freckled faced 11 or 12 year old in this school photo.  I wonder if he stirred up as much trouble at school than he did at home...yes, probably so.  

I don't know much about Uncle Alton's childhood, other than what my mother wrote in her memoirs.  I know that he continued to be a mischievous prankster, even into adulthood.  He always brought a smile and a lot of laughter to our family gatherings.  

Memoirs of Lula Sue Simmons: Part 5, Adventures on Little River

In the 1940's, most children didn't receive store bought toys like our children in today's society.  They created their own homemade toys from materials found around the home.  The purchased toys they may have received usually came from mail order catalogs.

Mom and her siblings were no exception- they rarely received toys, even on Christmas and their birthdays.  Their play time was spent outdoors, in the woods and on the river bank.

During the summer we had this old boat and with Mama at work and us kids to fend for ourselves and protect the little brother and sister we had to figure out a way to keep them safe while we played with the boat. 

So with a rope to tie Elton and Gertie in the edge of the water so they couldn't wander off into deep water we was set for a summer of fun.  A boat with a big hole in it and a river.

We would float the boat out into the river when it started to sink we would jump out, pull it to the bank,  bail out the water and start over.  

In a poor family you learn to play with what you have, make do with the clothes and eat what you are blessed with.  Our daddy wasn't around much but we had Mama, grandparents and each other.

Of course everyone had their own swim holes.  There was the Barnetts, Pittmans, Mays, Culpeppers and ours.

You did not go to these special places unless you were invited this were [sic] private places in a [sic] ever running river but each protected their territory with pride.  The deepest and widest ones was the better ones.

So Alton and I came up with this great idea to make ours the very best.  So we wented [sic] to Grandpa with a story only a grandfather would believe comming [sic] from his grandchildrens [sic].

While the river was out of its banks from a lot of rain a few weeks earlier this great big alligator had swan [sic] up stream right into our swim hole.

Now the job was to get rid of the gator and to protect his grandchildrens [sic].  So down to the river with a couple of sticks of dynamite and Boom the children are safe and Alton and I have a real deep swim hole.  Of course the big gator never did float to the top.  Must have been blown to bits.

Memoirs of Lula Sue Simmons: Part 4, Time to be a Child

Thus far, Mom's memoirs have reflected how mischievous and conniving her older brother Alton was.  He loved to get a good laugh, even when he knew the consequences of his pranks would be a good old-fashioned spanking.  He also manipulated his siblings in order to get out of doing chores- yep, he was a down-right menace!  Yet, Mom loved him and the two of them carried a close family bond into their adult years.  

Mom wrote more about her outlaw brother Alton:

Late one afternoon Mama brought some things in from town that had to be taken to Grandma before dark.  She gave this to Alton and told him to take it over there for her.  Well on the way down to the river he came across my cousin Dimple and I playing and talked us into taking it for him.

While he watched us cross the river and told us how to wade with the current so it wouldn't knock us down we made it just fine.  But on the return trip he was bored and ready for a good laugh.  So he told us comming [sic] back that we would have to wade against the current which he knew in this swift part of the river would be impossible for two small girls.  When Mama heard him laughing she knew he was into something.  Of course time she got to the river she saw two little girls that looked like drowned rats and a boy that was having a good laugh.  

Needless to say what happened after she got us home.

I can remember having two suits of clothes and one pair of shoes.  All of the under clothes we had was made with flour sacks.  After school we would change clothes and work.  Because after work it was play time.  Time to go hunting, fishing and swimming.  time to be a child.

Memoirs of Lula Sue Simmons: Part 3, Crossing the River

Mom spoke often of their adventures in "the river" and of spending summer days at their "swimming holes".  Since the family resided in the Pinebur community of Lamar County, I'm sure she was speaking of Little River.

As Mom aged, she enjoyed sharing stories of her childhood in Pinebur.  I can remember her smiles and laughter when she spoke of the tricks her brother Alton pulled on her and I can remember the breaking of her voice when she spoke of some of the hardships the family endured.  Her story continues....

  As a child we would think and act like children but we would work like adults.  After school we would pick cotton, pull corn, feed the stock and watch over the younger kids until Mama could get home from work.

After moving across little River from grandmaw and grandpaw one of us would have to ride the bus over to their house and get Gertie and Elton in the afternoon and walk back home.   Walking home would be about a mile through the woods and across the river.  By wading the river and carrying one child at a time and then go back and bring the other one and another walk of about half of a mile took time.  

Of course if it had rained and the river was flooded then we would cross down river in a boat.  This was a very tricky thing to do.

There was bob [sic] wire strechted [sic] across the river and we would pull the boat across by holding on to the wire and slowly pulling the boat to the other side.  Alton was always suppose to do this.

But one cold and rainy day he decided it was time for me to learn this.  So with him waiting on the other side of the river watching out for our safety Gertie and I started across.  But with freezing fingers and not strong enough for the current I made the mistake to let go of the wire.  The boat was going down the river at a very fast rate and with Gertie crying and screaming for me to save her.  

And my big brother on the bank rolling with laughter there was one thing to do.  I jumped out holding on to the tie up rope and pulled the boat in.  I got a good case of pneumonia, he got a good laugh he also got something else when Mama got home.

Memoirs of Lula Sue Simmons: Part 2, Musings of a Mischief

Mom's brother, Alton, seemed to stay in trouble while they were growing up in the tiny community of Pinebur, Mississippi. It is a blessing that the family lived in the backwoods of Lamar County because Alton could have stirred up a "heap more trouble" if they had lived in the city.  Mom's memoirs reflect some of the mischief Alton invented:

Alton was always inventing new games.  Breaking bottles was one of them.  He and I would get all of the glass bottles that we could find then taking [sic] them down to this deep gully behind the house he would throw them and they would break into many pieces.

Mama and grandma was canning peas on the day he had a brain stroam [sic] to break bottles.  So after breaking many bottles which some of them didn't break I was to jumb [sic] down and get these ones so he could throw them again.  

So I did what my older brother said to do.  Needless to say I was cut real bad.  But never fear my brother wented [sic] for help.  

Running home to find Mama and grandma sitting on the porch shelling peas he told them that I was bleeding to death and they should go see about me.  Of course they came running with Alton telling them that he didn't think that I was stupid enough to jump down there on all of that broken glass.  Needless to say what happened to him when we got back to the house.

Alton was good at inventing ways to stay away from work too.

Like the time we were to plow the fields and get it ready to be planted.  At this time he was about eight years old and I was four or five.  After getting the horse hitched up he would sit under a shade tree and tell me how to plow.

If the plow got hung up on a root or the horse wouldn't go in the right direction it was because I was too stupid to do anything right.  

One Monday morning sitting on the front porch waiting for the school bus he made a very bad mistake by telling our little sister Gertie that his badly spranged ankle would feel better if someone would hit it with a piece of wood.

Well she was sitting next to a pile of stove wood.  So thinking as a three year old would and wanting to help her brother feel better she picked up a piece and really laid a feel better hit on his ankle.  Needless to say he didn't have to go to school that day.  But he never did ask Gertie to give him a feel better lick again.

Alton Simmons

Photo, c. 1945-46