Nicknames

Everyone knows if you were born in Southeastern Kentucky, most of you have a nickname of some sort. And that nickname, given to you as a child, is the name most are called for the rest of your life, like it or not. Growing up on Paw Paw, almost everyone had a nickname and here are the ones I remember.

First and foremost, not many people ever knew my Dad’s real name was Rufus everyone just called him “Jamup”. When he was young his family called Dad “Junior” because my Pap Paw was Rufus Miller Sr. I asked him once where the name “Jamup” came from and here is what he told me.
Back when he was a young man, there was a comic duo on the radio called “Jamup and Honey” who told jokes and sang as entertainers. Dad always called Momma, “Honey”, as an affectionate nickname, so before long someone gave Dad the nickname, “Jamup” and it stuck with him forever.
Jacqualene, my oldest sister, was known as “Jackie”. Her husband Alfred Lee went by the nickname of “Big Al”. Jackie and Al have tow kids. Jason is called “Jay” for short and Jeremy, well we called him “Germ”.
My older brother Gary was called “Shag” or “Shaggie” and where that came from I really don’t remember. It could have been from Scooby-Do or maybe from a haircut. Gary’s oldest son Isril is called “Izz”  and Trinity is called “Trin”.
Ronnie got the name of “The Falcon Kid” from one of his first cars he owned a 1961 Ford Falcon. Then after entering the military, he was known as “Sarge”.
When I was young I got the nickname of “Dozer Rod” from my cousin. A few years later, “Jaguar” and “Big Rod” came along. Then came my nickname that most people know me by now as “Buckwheat”. My son Kelly, is sometimes called by just “Miller”.
Anthony is known by most as “Big A” but when he was younger he got the nickname of “Doshie” as a tease about a girl who lived close to us from our uncle “Buster” whose real name was James Russell. Buster’s wife, my Dad’s sister, was called “Bootie” and her given name was Edna Ruth. Buster and Bootie had a daughter whose name was Stella Rose but to her family she was always called “Dink”.
Carlos didn’t get a nickname until he was married with grandkids. Now, he is known as “Papa Daddy”. His son Brandon is called “Bran” or “Nephew” for short. Brandon has two kids Kamerah who is called “Belle” and Ethan, his son is called “Roo”.
Darlene, my youngest sister, was given the nickname Gimlet” by my Uncle Earl. Darlene’s husband David, is called “Deer-Slayer”. Her son John is simply called “Big John”.
My Pap Paw Floyd Burkhart was called “Red Meat” because of our Indian ancestors. My Uncle Lloyd had a couple of nicknames “Green” and “Bucket”. Lloyd’s son Jordan is known as “Mud Cat”. Another one of Pap Paw’s sons was named Virgil but we all called him “Brother”. It was always funny to introduce him as Uncle Brother.
Others who grew up around me with nicknames were: Robert Smith who was called “Put-Butt” and “Tarzan”, Troy Sibert, was called “Fluff”, Kelvin Jackson was called “Double Yellow”. Johnny Baird is nicknamed “Johnny Fly”. Albert Sibert, who was called “Pot”. We called Nevada Rogers “Vip”. There were two Tommy Siberts, one was called “Big Tommy” and the other “Little Tommy”. There also a guy known to everyone only as “Little Jim”.
Herman Hibbard’s nickname was “Cheetah”. Arvil Jarvis is known only as “Bootsie”. His son Jerome Jarvis, is called “Romeo”. Cecil Isom is only known as “Red”. Charlie Lewis when he was young was called “Charlie Boy” now he only wants to be called “Chuck”.
Clinton Lewis was called “D-Wit”. Hugh Gregory was called “Greaser”. Eugene Johnson was called “The Killer” and “New-Gene”. George Harris was called “George Magoo”, David Wombles goes by “Blue”. Johnny Marcum was called “Bicycle Bill”. Lee Gibbs was called Lee “Duck”.
Charlie Lewis is known far and wide as  “Charlie Fox”. We had a “Goat” Lewis, a “Bear” Lewis and a “Tuffy” Lewis. There were guys called “Jeep”, “Cat”, “Frog”, “Bull”, a boy we called “Dog-Man” and two girls called “Cat” and “Sissy Cat”,
We had lots that were nicknamed for colors like “Blue”, “Blackie”, “Red”, “Brownie”, “Whitey”, “Green”, “Smokey” and even a “Pinkie”.
Other nick-names include: “Pet Owl”, “Johnny Rock”, “Mater”, “Tater”, “Red Panties”, “Dirty Bird”, “Dirty Ear” (pronounced Yer),“Mater-Gravy”, “Hambone”, “Football”, “Pee-Bob”, “Pee-Wee”, “Shorty”, “Spankie”, “Rose”, “Big Momma”, “Little Man”, “Gay-Boy”, “T-Tommie”.
We had a “Dad Roberts”, “Big Daddy”, “Little Daddy”, “Fat Daddy”, “Piggy-Daddy”, “Porky”, “Tonk Man”, “Bones”, “Blue John”,  “Bug”, “Smiley”, “Thumb”, “Coonie”, “Mutt”, “Turkey”, “Doodle”, “Chicken”, “Hen Man”, “Egg-Head”, “Birdie”, “Mushie”, “Indian”, “Bean”, and many, many more.
So now you have the story and the nicknames. See how many you can put their real name to. There are probably many more I have forgotten and for those, I apologize. But anyway, nicknames were a big part of growing up on Horse Creek.
Signed: Darrell Rodney “Dozer, Jaguar, Big Rod, Buckwheat” Miller

Brotherly love and war

     It was a hot summer day. The Miller boys didn’t have a whole lot to do. One of those days that we were kinda looking for something to get in to. Gary came up with the idea of a berry-picking trip to the top of the mountain. Huckleberries were his favorite. After a little bit of pondering the idea, Ronnie and I decided that it was better than sitting at the house doing nothing so we joined him.

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The car wash blues

The year was 1963, Dad and Mom had just bought their  first new car, a Chevrolet Biscayne. They were so proud of their shiny new car and we all met him in the driveway as he and Mom brought her to a stop. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. I still don't know how we afforded it but I felt somehow they both deserved it.No more having to worry about whether or not the old one we had would make it to work and back.
    Dad walked us all around, pointing out all the features. It had an automatic transmission,(when all of our vehicles before had been standard shifts with a clutch), power brakes and power steering. It had 4-doors that swung open wide with a huge backseat. And, it even had and air conditioner. My first thought was, I couldn't wait for a ride to try out that invention just to see how it worked. I thought only rich people could afford an automatic and an air conditioner. But I guess I was wrong.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 12:28

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The 50th Wedding Anniversary

Sometimes, even the best made plans don’t always go as they should. This is about one of those times.
My parents were married in February 1, 1947 at Sibert, Kentucky. Momma was just 15 years old. Marrying at that age wasn’t as uncommon as you would think back then. “If a girl wasn’t married by the age of 18 she was almost considered an old maid,” Momma use to say.

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