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Grandpa
Byron and Grandma Maude's 5 bedroom home is just as she left
it when she died in 1990. Benny's family are descendants of
the famous Siamese Twins, Eng and Chang. Eng is Benny's great-great
grandpa. Byron's daddy, Will Bunker, Eng's son, built and settled
into it in 1904. |
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Meet
Glenn & Ruby, Benny's mom and dad. Ruby grew up here with her
six sisters and she remembers working in the fields when they used
mules to work the tobacco farm. I tell ya, by the time I left here,
I felt like family - which is exactly the way Benny wants it!
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Entering
through the porch where you see the original well that was hand
dug where Grandma cranked buckets of water back in the days when
she had to go outside to the outhouse to do her business..
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Going
into the kitchen you can almost smell grandma's fried chicken, biscuits
& hoe cakes baking in the oven. Besides raising chickens, she
made her own butter and cheese (Benny said his favorite as a kid
was her fried cheese). There's still a fullly stocked freezer with
Grandma goodies. Benny says even if it's not good anymore, it's
still Grandma's and he's leaving it! It was such fun to listen to
his stories of growing up here. He has such fond memories of being
babysat by Grandma and camping out on the farmland with his boy
scout troup. I also had the chance to meet Benny's aunt, Nonnie,
great granddaughter of Eng. She is a great lady and a real "hoot
and a holler" as Andy would say!
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The
living room - where I swear grandma still lives! Benny said that
was Grandma's favorite chair. See that orb of light above it? When
I was in Savannah working on an article about the spirits haunting
that old city (October, 2007 issue of MotorHome Magazine), I was
told that these lights are reflections of the energy of the spirit.
Of dozens of pictures I took inside the house, this is the only
one that came out that way. Hi Grandma!
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Here's
an oil portrait of Eng and Chang. Benny told me they had traveled
all other the world and they said this was the "Garden Spot
of the World." The loved the 4 seasons and the friendly people,
so they settled here and farmed over 2,000 acres of tobacco &
grain. They are buried in the White Plains Church Cemetery, within
walking distance of the campground, a church they helped establish.
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This
was their chair, still looking cozy in Grandma's house.
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| Benny
showed me numerous mementos, including this poster used for appearances
when they were traveling and sold as souvenirs. |
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Click
arrow to return to Mayberry Campground
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