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It would not be right in any history of Will Swallows and his wife Mattie not to tell that they always raised a fine garden and Will always had a farm or two or half interest in one.  They kept a cow in the little barn behind the house in Algood.  Will always kept pure bred Jersey cows for his milk and cream.  Susie was one of the favorites, they had a long chain and she often put to it and let her eat the grass in the large front yard.  Mattie supervised the garden, often working it herself, but after she became Postmaster she had help from some of the black boys."

"Roddy and Odell Darty were the two that worked for them for years and they seemed like members of the family.  They milked the cow, hoed the garden, fed the chickens and mowed the grass.   In 1946, Roddy had grown to a man and was working for Hooper-Huddleston Funeral Home. The family had learned that Will Swallows had Hodgkin's disease and had him in Nashville in the hospital.  The doctors had done all they could do and advised taking him home and get a nurse.  Roddy went to Ed Hooper and asked to be permitted to drive the ambulance to bring him home". "Because he was one of the best friends I ever had, said Roddy.  "He drove him home with the greatest of care."

Transcribed by Alice Holliman Murphy from notes by James Murphy