I watched the Little League World Series this past week and it brought back many great memories of my Little League days. We had a blast.
Tri-County All Star Team – 1962
from Hohenwald, Centerville, Linden and Lobelville
Billy Marbet (tallest player standing) and Ronnie Pope (2nd player standing from left) are still two of my closest friends. That’s me kneeling with the dark glasses.
Mike Sisco
Billy Marbet
Ronnie Pope
Hohenwald Dixie Youth Team – 1962
Billy Marbet and Mike Sisco – 1950’s
Billy Marbet has been my best friend for a long time. I tell people, “We met when he was 4 hours old.”
I don’t know exactly when we met but our parents were close so I’m sure it was within a day or two. We have been close friends ever since.
Growing up was a blast in Hohenwald, Tennessee. Here is a photo taken by Billy’s Mom, Sue, , , “my second Mom”. We played “Army”, “Swamp Fox”, football, baseball, basketball, , , we were active kids and at 10 and 11 rode our bikes all over Hohenwald and Lewis County.
It was a different time, , , a great time to grow up.
Well, it wasn’t called Mayberry where Barney, Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee lived, , , but Hohenwald, Tennessee in the 1960’s was real similar.
Life was good, people kept their doors unlocked, we rode bicycles all over town at 10 and 12 years old. You didn’t dare do anything bad because the news somehow got back to your parents before you got there.
My best friend was Billy Marbet and he is still my best friend. We see or talk to one another almost every week, , , our families go to eat dinner together quite often, sometimes two times a week. I’ve known Billy since he was 4 hours old, , , or at least that’s what I tell people. I’m two months older than he is and our parents were close friends so I know it was very soon after he was born when we were introduced.
Great pals all during school, , , riding our bicycles all over town. We even had a special trail to ride our bikes to each other’s houses so we didn’t have to be on the highway. Billy and I along with our other friends were like The Little Rascals, , , playing Swamp Fox and exploring streams and woods surrounding our homes, playing on baseball teams together, , , I remember we even had a “Woman Haters Club” and issued homemade membership cards at one time.
We named the little streams things like the “Sabatoochie River”, , , learned how to hunt and fish with our Dads, , , going camping over a weekend was very special. It was a great life and a super environment to grow up in, , , super memories.
As we grew older and left for school, we lost touch with one another only seeing one another every 5 years or so. Then, in 2003 Dorine, Eddie and I moved back home to middle Tennessee and reunited our friendships with Billy and Jo Ann. It is just like we were in high school last week.
Growing up in Hohenwald was great. It has changed quite a lot but still remains the quiet little town we remember so well.
Mike Sisco, ITBMC 