From the files of 1955:
James Ernest Owen, 55, was killed instantly on Friday morning, while working on a forty foot electric pole on Route Ten, Cullman.
He fell from the pole, some thirty or forty feet, when 7,200 volts of electricity went through his body. Efforts of a first aid man and the fire department’s respirator to revive him were unsuccessful.
Mr. Owen was a native of Lawrence County, but had lived here for many years. He formerly was employed by the city, but for several years had been an employee of the R.E.A.
Surviving are his widow, Sarah Singleton Owen; two sons, Ed and Ted Owen; two brothers, Bill and Elmer Owen; three sisters, Mrs. Vera Brassel, Mrs. Homer Green and Mrs. Vernie Presley and two half- sisters, Mrs. Joe Speakman, Senior and Mrs. Bessie Patterson.
Funeral services were held at First Baptist Church, at 1:00 p.m., on May 8th, with Reverend A.J. Coltharp officiating and Moss Service directing interment in City Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were M.C. Lovvorn, T.J. Hudson, Lorea Barron, Gene Craft, G.B. Terry and Claude Wood.
Honorary pallbearers were employees of the Electric Cooperative.
One of the biggest crowds ever attended the 4-H Club Rally on Saturday. The boys and girls, with a banner from their schools, formed the line for the parade with Marie Peinhardt, 4-H Club Queen, Fred Harbison, 4-H King and the other county officers riding on the green and white float, which led the parade.
The farm of C.L. Moody, in the Bethsadia Community, was the mystery farm of April.
Mr. Moody and his wife, the former Estelle Speegle, were married 36 years ago and have been on their present farm for the last 30 years. They bought the farm from the late John and Fred Buchmann and have erected all the buildings on the farm since they have owned it.
The Moodys grow a variety of crops – including ten acres of cotton, four acres of pepper, sweet and Irish potatoes, as well as other truck crops and chickens. Mr. Moody says that he believes cotton is his best money crop, year in and year out. He farms with a tractor.
Although Mr. Moody has a very fine farm pond he says he leaves the fishing to other members of the family. He is a member of the Farm Bureau Co-Op. The Moodys are Baptists.
The Moodys have two daughters, Mrs. Geneca Brown, of Birmingham and Mrs. Oleva Thompson, of Cullman and four sons, Kermit, Howard and Lee, of Cullman and Dan, who is now stationed in England with the United States Armed Forces. They also have eleven grandchildren.
They are looking forward to Dan’s return home in about a month with triple interest. Dan has married an English girl, whom he’s bringing home, along with their baby daughter.
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