So,
How Do You Come to be Here in East Tennessee?
For Vivian and Jack Slaughter this question is not simple.
Vivian’s great-grandfather was a boat person, not in the
present meaning, but rather, in the “Let’s move from Liepzig,
Germany, to Lisbon, Portugal, build
a boat and sail to America” meaning.
In that boat came a very talented musician who landed in
Galveston, Texas, rather than his goal of New York City. [East
Tennessee was on the way from Texas to New York. J]
Greeneville, Tennessee became his home.
Jack’s English ancestors were a bit more conventional, but
East Tennessee, specifically Forks of the Rivers in the 1700s,
became home to his talented and industrious forefathers.
His family, in Fordtown just outside of Kingsport, had a
general store, a coal yard, a plant nursery, a dairy farm, the post
office, and years later they could claim Tennessee Ernie Ford as a
relative. A whole
history book full of fascinating anecdotes could be written on their
deep roots, but Vivian and Jack are just as interesting.
How
many couples do you know who share the same birthday?
July 11th!. Talk
about being astrologically compatible!
The Slaughters stats: married fifty-two years, parented four
daughters, grandparented ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild
[so far], lived in Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, Florida, and
back home again in Tennessee.
Jack, a Korean War veteran, began his
career with the FAA as an electronic technician and later became a
manager. Vivian was just
as busy. When in
Crossville, Tennessee, from 1964-1970, Vivian and three of their
daughters were very active in the early years of the Cumberland
County Playhouse. Vivian
knew the founder Paul Crabtree, who had already had an illustrious
career working with Rodgers and Hammerstein, and also, Loretta
Young, a major stockholder in the CCP.
Singing and dancing were Vivian’s talents, and she
performed in Tennessee, USA, a historical musical, and
Carousel, and more.
They were also double Majors!
Major Jack Slaughter, Active Commander, and Major Vivian
Slaughter, Chief Information Officer, worked actively in the Civil
Air Patrol for fifteen years in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Florida.
A number of aircraft incidents occurred on their watch,
including searching for and discovering the wreckage of Patsy
Cline’s plane.
Vivian, a self-described AA personality,
has had enough mini-careers to turn heads.
Although Jack snatched her away from her first year of
college at ETSU, she never gave up that goal.
In 1996, she graduated from the Meridian Community College in
Meridian, Mississippi, where she studied drafting and design.
Before that happened though, she had a gift shop in
Mississippi. Vivian’s crafting just got out of hand and Jack
thought she should try retail with her creations.
It worked. For
years she had a gift and framing business.
[In the small world category, FPC’s own Ann McAnally
remembers visiting Vivian’s shop while she was in Mississippi.]
Vivian even ventured into selling Cabbage Patch dolls, which
she created and signed for her shop.
Why stop there?
Do you have a pig farm or a hunting lodge to sell?
Vivian’s your gal. Real
estate became enticing during those years, and Vivian found that she
could do very well selling the unconventional.
Jack had to be their anchor.
After retiring from the FAA, the Meridian Community College
needed him as a professor, and he taught there twelve years until
1999.
Off to Florida for a conventional
retirement, they returned to Ormand Beach where they had lived from
1970-1978. To our good fortune they came back “home” after two
years. [Their children
are in Ohio, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and they
are just as interesting.] Now,
home includes Farragut Presbyterian where you can see Vivian using
her vocal talents in the choir.
Jack, always in the congregation, enjoys working with
computers. Vivian and
Jack play bridge, can talk about their extensive world travels, and
are active in the local Republican Party.
One will probably see them if you do early voting at the
Farragut Town Hall. These,
our latest Websparks subjects, might just start a fire if we don’t
watch them.
Oh, and be sure to ask Vivian about her
special connection to Sunday night’s Desperate Housewives.
J
