The Newport Plain Talk

September has settled into a calm of drier days, goldenrod, ironwood weed, poke hanging heavy with purple berries about our hometown, cooling slowly and surely at fall's arrival.

You've seen the forest service work center off Edwina Hwy., and now there is a new building next to it. The Plain Talk carried a story about this natural resource facility being built as a project to help both the forestry division and also students, because it will be an educational facility too. We can thank several partners for the effort: General Federal of Women's Club (formerly the 20th Century Club), Vision 21, National Bank of Tennessee, and the Tenn. Division of Forestry. When I learned that one of my former co-workers and writers was the contractor, I decided to drop by for a chat. In so doing, I also discovered a woman carpenter, and here is that story.

Roger Kelley stands out because of his handlebar moustache, but he is much more than that and behind the whiskers is another story to tell. During the summer after groundbreaking, he and his carpenter helpers were framing the large building that sets about a 100 feet off the highway across a small creek. The woman carpenter, Sandra, is Roger's wife. I first met him at the Plain Talk. It was the early 1970s, when he was a spirited player for Cocke County High School's baseball team. After high school, Roger attended Walters State Community College, which was a new school at the time. He was on the first Senators baseball team playing second base. That was 1973, and by 1974 he had met his future wife, who was also a student. Let me tell you a little bit more about her.

She was born Sandra Underwood in Jefferson County and still lives with Roger on the family farm not far from Jefferson County High School. Her mother, formerly Frida Grobbins, married William Underwood. That is a story in itself because he was in Europe during World War II when he met Frida, of Latvia, a country invaded by the Germans. They were married and returned to Tenn. after 1945. There are other children in the family: Rita Loveday, of Dandridge; Evetta Franklin, of Dandridge; and Edwin Underwood, of Harriman. Sandra attended the old Maura High School where she first caught a glimpse of Roger, when the Fighting Cocks played Maura. Needless to say, she was not rooting for Roger. Shortly after this, Roger plied his quick hands at typing sports stories and carrying around a hefty twin-lens Yashica camera to ballgames. He didn't have a moustache at the time, as I recall. Between school and dating he kept busy but he and Sandra went their own ways for a while. By 1980 he had begged his way back into her heart and they were married. After 28 years of marriage, they have no children but do have a 4,000 square-foot three-story house on her Mom's Piedmont community farm, a big dog, and a great lifestyle that revolves around their building work. For years she worked at Tenn. Machine & Hosiery in administration before the plant closed. It was her decision to pick up a hammer rather than to stay home and clean and sweep day after day. Incidentally, the farm on which they have lived was once owned by US Senator Lamar Alexander's grandparents.

Roger, short and quick, did not grow up on a large farm but tossed rocks as a youngster near Northport School. His parents were the later Tom and Bernice Kelley, who also had another son who you and I know well, Danny Kelley. He teaches at Smoky Mountain School, but I got to know him when he was executive director of the old Boys Club in the 1970s. Tom worked for more than 40 years at Stokely Van Camp as an electrician and machinist. His wife was one of the many seasonal workers at the cannery.

Roger reminded me he also was news director at WLIK Radio, didn't make it to pro baseball, and must have always been influenced by the family's leaning. All of Tom's brothers were carpenters. So, Roger began working with Uncle Elmo, who still hits a few nails. Don and Fred Kelley were with the old Newport Builders attached to Rhyne Lumber Co. After a time, Roger volunteered to handle the paperwork side, if the family worked together in business and they did. Eventually, Roger went on his own creating Southern Heritage Historic Restoration & Builders. Roger's chief interest is in restoration work but there is not enough of this to keep busy year around. At 53, he has been in trades for 20 years, and Sandra is his lead power tool operator. They have the pleasure of enjoying a job well done, lunching, and shopping Lowe's together. "I've got the best boss," she said.

Let's get back to that big moustache. If you are a history buff, you may have seen Roger in Confederate uniform reenacting a Civil War battle. At times he is a turncoat and wears Union blue. His friend, Danny Buckner, has usually been with him as an infantry sharpshooter at battles. The tent and camping out days are past and they settle for motel rooms when traveling to historic sites. Those who attend Old Timers Night at the Newport festival will see Danny appearing as Stonewall Jackson. When he is not bringing history alive, Danny works with the City of Newport Recreation Dept. It has been an interesting ride across the country, and time, to meet with Roger and Sandra, who hope to finish the resource center in early Oct.

In plain talk, the path of youthful play and sports ambitions may not be the final innings of a life well lived.

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