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Note: James Richard Mallory James Richard Mallory (1921-2010 ) was the youngest of Annie and Reno Mallory's children. The day before he was born, Richard Greenfield was shot and killed in a dispute over a poker game at Claymour Camp meeting. Irene Mallory and Lawrence Shemwell, Myrtle Mallory and Zenes Rager and others were standing between the shed and well. When they heard the shot Charlie Greenfield called out, "Do that again". Richard was named for the dead man. Richard lived his entire life in the same house where he was born. It had been three years, three months and 15 days since Annie and Reno Mallory's infant son had been born, but did not survive. His sister Mrytle married and left home the same year. His eldest sister, Irene married and left home when he was almost two and one half. Brother Selton married and left home when Richard was three. As a child, he ran barefoot through ashes that had just been dumped on the ground and still contained hot embers from the a fire. His feet were burned severely leaving them deformed. In his exuberance upon sister Clyo's return from her facial surgery, Richard bumped her with his head, opening the stitches. She blamed the resulting scar's appearance on this accident the rest of her life. On his first day of school, he walked with Clyo across the wide hollow to Hurt School House. When the teacher rang the school's dinner bell for lunch, he mistook it for his mother's and ran all the way back home. He attended school there with Clyo until she eloped from the schoolhouse when he was seven. When he was nine, Clyo returned home with her infant son, Billy Reno. The next year, when he was ten years old his father died. His mother raised him along with his sister and Billy Reno. Their mother would often have them go to work on the farm at Selton's before doing their chores at home. Richard resented this and spoke of it often in his later life as if he were owed something from his sibling's prosperity. Selton died 20 Dec 1998. As Richard's education continued at Hurt School House his nephew, JG Mallory was among his schoolmates. JG visited often as did Richard's sisters and their husbands. On new year's day 1938, Mayo Violette gave him money to milk the cows in Clyo's place so she could get married. Upon their return, Richard was gone the cows had not been milked. Richard had taken the money and gone to town to spend it, leaving Mayo to do the milking on his wedding night. Richard was only 16 at the time, and Mayo laughed about it when he told the story years later. As an adult, Mayo trusted Richard enough to loan him money with no interest to help him make major purchases and see him through lean times between harvests. Richard enjoyed riding his mother's horse, Queen. He would trot her out the big gate and turn her back toward the house as fast as she would go. He stretched her out like a racehorse as she covered the dusty drive. Later, he owned a sporty green convertible with a flip-down windshield and spoke wheels and then a flashy blue and white 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air hardtop with power steering and brakes which he bought from his brother in-law Zenes Rager. He and Arlene were married a month after his 21st birthday. After he married, Richard struck a bargain with his brother and sisters to care for his mother. In return for his siblings' shares in their mother's home place, Richard agreed that she would live there in the care of his family for the rest of her life. It did not work out that way, but Richard kept the farm anyway. As long as his mother lived there, his family home was the gathering place for annual family reunions and Christmas celebrations. He and Arlene raised a son and two daughters there. As an adult, he was small but strong from years of farm labor which included raising tobacco and milking. As much as he worked, he never missed any opportunity to take a break for ice water or later on, a Coca-cola. He and friend Gerald Simons worked at Western Kentucky State Asylum in Hopkinsville in the early 1940s. He loved a joke and enjoyed playing poker. To supplement his income in the 1950s and 1960s Richard drove a school bus route from Providence over Pea Ridge and through Miller Valley daily as well as to the Vocational School in Russellville and on various School Day Trips to various locations. The thousands of children and their parents would later become his constituents when he ran for local political office. They remembered him as friendly, but quick to act to stop any horseplay on the bus. He borrowed $ from Mayo Violette to buy his first tractor. After his mother's hospitalization in the early 1960s, and she went to live with Irene, Richard purchased adjoining land, including the Stokes farm where his son lived for some time after he married. He worked hard and paid his debts. For a time, the natural gas well on the Stokes place held promise of real wealth that was cut short when it failed several years later. In addition to the short-lived natural gas, Richard had added indoor plumbing and other improvements to the home place -- its modern appearance is in stark contrast to the old days when Richard remembered snow blowing into the attic where he slept as a youth. In October 1967, Richard was called to get Gary at Todd County High School and take him to Jennie Stuart Hospital where Mayo Violette had suffered a near-fatal setback in his recovery from an accident. Richard was a life-long member of Providence Church and generously supported its operation and maintenance. On Sunday mornings, he could be seen snoozing in his family pew. He served several terms as magistrate on the Todd Co Fiscal Court. Each victory was celebrated as an event by his extended family. Mayo Violette worked hard on Richard's behalf in each election, but when Richard cut back on this last campaign, saying his voters knew who he was and what he stood for, he was defeated by Boone Thornhill. He saw his nephew, Cecil Mallory go on to several terms as the Todd County Judge - Executive. He welcomed his first grandson and granddaughter's frequent visits. They were in turn, each the apples of his eye. His pride expanded with the births of two more grandsons, another granddaughter and a great-granddaughter. His great-granddaughter was also the great-granddaughter of Gerald Simons. In July 1981, Richard, Mayo and their families took a rare vacation to visit Jo and Gary Violette in Charleston, SC. Richard found it difficult to not worry about his cattle and other property back in Todd County. By any standard, Richard became a wealthy man, benefitting by his own efforts. After Ella Gaston Harris' death in November 1991, Gary and Clyo Violette were distressed by having some difficulty convincing Terry Mallory to do the right thing by her grandchildren until Richard happened to see them in the Bank in Elkton and inquired simply, "What's wrong?" Terry immediately changed his demeanor and assured his great uncle that he'd work things out to their satisfaction. Obviously, Terry could not afford to lose Richard's account. Richard's indirect help that day was never forgotten. He became a regular each morning at the local coffee shop in Elkton, enjoying the company of friends and discussing the news of the day. In his late 70s, Richard's health deteriorated, but he continued to work the farm and raise cattle. Once, when he was injured while loading a calf he had to go to the doctor but did not want Arlene to know about it. As he struggled with Arlene's memory loss, he found himself being forgetful. It became difficult for him to remember names in casual conversation. Richard's sister, Myrtle died 08 Jan 1999 and her entire estate went to Richard's son according to her wishes. In her will, his sister Irene named Richard and Clyo co-executors and according to Irene's wishes, were to share equally as beneficiaries in her estate. Richard would handle her property and Clyo would sit with Irene to keep her company throughout the many long days, months and years at the nursing home. Clyo depended on him to drive her to sit with Irene at the nursing home. Richard would sometimes phone to say he was on his way to pick her up only to forget and leave her waiting without explanation. When he did arrive, he expected her to be ready, so she could never begin any housework or other activity for fear of making him wait. One bitterly cold day in the winter of 2005, he let her out and drove away immediately. He never realized he had left his 89 year old sister locked outside in the snow due to a flu quarantine. Outwardly, he never acknowledged Clyo's deteriorating mental and physical condition which were exacerbated by her desire to "do her part" in caring for Irene, but used it to his advantage in private. On 15 January 2005, Richard and his children conspired to "purchase" Irene Shemwell's residence in Elkton, Todd Co KY. The reported price of the sale was $15,000. When he sold it a few months later for $45,000, he justified keeping the difference as payment for all he had done for Irene over the years. Irene died 19 Oct 2005 without knowing her wishes had been disregarded and her will had been broken. Richard evaluated Clyo's share as approximately $1,500 for her half of the estate, keeping another $1,500 for himself in addition to his fee as administrator and the profit from het house sale. All tolled, Richard's share of Irene's estate was 95% of its actual value, leaving Clyo's share as less than 5% in 2006. Richard's actions were exposed when the Circuit Court Judge Sue Carol Browning had Gary Violette notified that Richard had secretly tried to get Clyo removed as co-executor. Clyo, though betrayed chose not to contest Richard's actions in Court, saying he would one day be called to answer for his actions in judgment of a higher power. Three days after his 86th birthday, Arlene was transferred to Hearthstone Place in Elkton. She later returned home and they lived there together until both were moved to Hearthstone when his condition deteriorated in December 2010. He died at JSMC on14 December 2010. Hundreds attended a visitation at Latham Funeral Home the next day. After funeral services at Providence UMC, his body was interred at Todd County Memorial Gardens on 16 December 2010. The newpapers incorrectly listed his date of death: James Richard Mallory ELKTON - James Richard Mallory, 89, died Dec 16, 2010. Visit 5-8pm Wed, Latham Funeral Home. Services 11am Thu, Providence United Methodist Ch. Published in Lexington Herald-Leader on December 15, 2010.
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