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Dave Minnick

Today I learned more about my great grandfather from a first person account1. I got a comment and email from a fella who was discussing him with his 93 year old mother.

I am in Blackville every weekend staying with my 93-year-old mother. We moved here from Cayce in 1970 after she married a man from Blackville named Joe Zeigler.

They opened a restaurant on the hill on Highway 3 as you come in to Blackville from Healing Springs area. Mr Minnick, along with many of the older Blackville citizens frequented the restaurant. My parents had hired outstanding cooks. Mutt, Lib and Harriet Corley along with Ella Kearse and Shirley Elmore. The food was exceptional and the public loved it.

I was nine years old at the time, and I remember sitting at the table with Mr. Minick as he ate his lunch. I recall him as a lean, distinguished man, always well dressed. He was a widower at the time, and he would tell me stories about his baseball pitching; my recollections these 53 years later, I thought he played for Carolina, but clearly was confused on that matter.

My mother and I have just finished supper that I cooked for us and I brought up Mr. Dave. One of my fondest memories that I still do to this day is watching him after he ate, clean the table with his hand or maybe with a napkin and any crumbs on the table, he would wipe into his hand and put onto the plate. It is a childhood memory that I have never forgotten. I have traveled all over the world and I have told people about Mr. Dave Minnick.

This discussion prompted a quick internet search and here we are.

And it's exactly this reason why I enjoy the internet. This type of comment would be virtually impossible just 20 years ago. I was too young to remember Dave but it's nice to have first hand accounts sent to me. My great grandfather was born just down the road from where I am now almost 125 years ago in 1900.

I just spent last weekend at my father's house which was been in the family since the late 1700s2, so receiving the comment today was poignant reminder of the march of time and a reminder that it's a small world.

  1. Samuel David Minnick - https://davidawindham.com/samuel-david-minnick/#comment-617
  2. Windhams - https://davidawindham.com/windhams