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Shank Memories of Reverie (Part 1)

Shank Memories of Reverie (Part 1)

Posted on June 20, 2021July 29, 2022 by ML Williams

My fascination with Reverie started along time ago with Dad telling stories about the ferry and the island. I’d tell him I wanted to see it but he would tell me none of it was there anymore. I guess by that time, things had changed.

Recently, while rummaging through forums and documents on ancestry.com, I came across a post by Mr. John Shank. In his post, he offered pictures from Reverie. I contacted him and asked him to send me copies. His collection came from his father and he had some information to go with the pictures but, as we all have, he had forgotten a lot of what his dad told him about the pictures.

He did tell me what he could remember about the photos and gave me a little history of how his family came to the island. According to John, his father, James O. Shank, Jr., was working on his Master’s at Vanderbilt University in the early 1950s, and ended up attending Scarritt College in Nashville. He later pastored several churches in the Nashville area including Una, Bell Road and Old Hickory before moving to Humbolt, TN.

Around 1956, the State Superintendent of Schools and the Church of the Nazarene, who had been using the Island as a mission training station, ask John’s parents to move to the island to pastor the church and teach school. They agreed, and the young couple moved to Island 35 with their baby boy (John), a one year old daughter and three year old son.

John’s mother, Doris, taught 1st through 4th grade at the school on the island, and his father taught grades five through eight. One interesting story Mr. Shank remembers is that of a Smith boy failing a test. He didn’t want his parents to know so he dumped a bucket of water on Mr. James’ desk ruining the test papers. With corporeal punishment still in vogue, the boy got a spanking from the teacher.

That evening the boy’s father, Doodle-eye Smith who was the bus driver, came around after taking the kids home and said, “I hear you whipped my boy. Nobody whips my boy without my permission.” My dad told him about the papers being ruined but Mr. Smith was not to be deterred. He said, “one of us is going to take a lick ‘in.” Mr. Shank, who had sparred with professional boxers when he was younger, pulled out some boxing gloves and said, “Ok, let’s do this like men. First one that goes down ends it.” Mr. Smith agreed and put his gloves on. It was getting late in the evening and dew was starting to form. Mr. Shank was quick stepping around Mr. Smith and avoiding the round-house punches being thrown. Doodle-eye was getting ready for a big punch and slipped on the wet grass. Mr. Shank took advantage of the situation and landed a direct hit that took Smith to the ground. Mr. Shank quickly pulled off his gloves and announced, “That’s it. It’s over.” Mr. Smith agreed and they became best friends from that point forward.

The family remained on the island teaching and preaching until 1959 but, from the pictures, I can tell it was a full three years. Here are the pictures John shared with me. (If you recognize anyone, please let me know so I can pass along the information.)

Shank Family Photos from Reverie

Doris Shank with her children on Island 35.
Front porch of the school
Parsonage with car; trunk open
Parsonage with car; trunk open
Parsonage with car; trunk open
Harvesting barley
Main street
Main street
Cotton wagon waiting for muddy road to be plowed
Slough
Carrying shoes so they don’t lose them
Doris Shank standing in the boat.
Back of the church, which was the parsonage
Two girls at the pump beside the school
Schoolhouse
Mom in class with students.
Unloading the boat after a trip to Wilson
Jeep on the ferry
Jeep on the ferry
Jeep on the ferry
Two men and a ferry
Mud with a tractor pulling cotton wagon.
Doris Shank carrying buckets to get water.
John Shank on the swing set
Christmas on the Island. My brother, sister, and me.
Snow on the Island. My parents were almost out of heating oil and had propped up the tank to get the last little bit. The tanker truck was supposed to deliver oil to the Island residents, but couldn’t make the trip because of the deep mud. With three little kids on the verge of freezing, my parents had a special prayer meeting and the ground froze that night making it possible for the truck to deliver oil without getting stuck in mud.
17. Another view of the transport boat.
Christmas in the parsonage
The building of the bridge from the Island to the mainland.
Election day on the Island. Men gathered at the school to vote, sitting around talking.
Plowing mud.
The building of the bridge from the Island to the mainland.
John Shank’s dad with one of the young men in front of Christmas decorations in the church.
Snow on the Island. My parents were almost out of heating oil and had propped up the tank to get the last little bit. The tanker truck was supposed to deliver oil to the Island residents, but couldn’t make the trip because of the deep mud. With three little kids on the verge of freezing, my parents had a special prayer meeting and the ground froze that night making it possible for the truck to deliver oil without getting stuck in mud.
The gentleman on the left is Mr. Crook. He was the constable on the Island and carried a pistol in his back pocket.
I really don’t know the name of the gentleman standing on the porch of his home.
Boat coming in for landing.
If I remember my dad’s descriptions correctly, this picture shows the mail being unloaded from the boat.
My mother, Doris Shank, is watching the boat and the two small boys.
My brother, Jim, is the little boy watching the unloading of the motorboat coming from Wilson.
Playing ball in the schoolyard
Road over the dike.
Mr. Crook with Baby
Mr. and Mrs. Crook
Jim Byford’s Wife
Jim Byford’s Family and Shank Kids
Chicken House
Chicken Coop
Byford Family
Car on main road. John’s dad had two cars. One was for the mainland and one for the island. The one on the mainland was stolen.
The boat was our main connection to the mainland, which just happened to be Wilson, AR.
Part 2 of Photo Gallery

1 thought on “Shank Memories of Reverie (Part 1)”

  1. Judy says:
    August 6, 2023 at 5:02 am

    My name is Judy
    I remember so much from the short time we lived there.
    We moved there when I was 7
    My Mom ,My Dad, My brother Sherman and myself.
    My brother Jerry was born there Dr Farily made the house call.
    I remember living there as a great fun time of my life. I am 75 now.
    The walkers ,Crooks, starts and many more I can’t remember names.
    All these pictures brought back soo many good memories.
    The Cook family mentioned ,what are there first names?
    I married Robert Harrison Cook Sr.
    This may be his family.
    I know that James Cook and Veggie knew people that lived on the island.
    JUDY

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Welcome!

Mary Lynne Williams with Kenny Faulk at Bozos Bar-B-Q in 2018
Mary Lynne Williams with Kenny Faulk at Bozos Bar-B-Q in 2018

My name is ML Williams. I am a hiking, fossil hunting, God loving, coffee drinking, hot fries eatin' middle school math teacher! I love researching my family history and, since my family is from Tipton County, I love researching the people and areas of Tipton.

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