Many of the more well to do in the little town of Waterloo looked down on the Rogers family as did many of the not so well to do. There were many different reasons for this attitude, but they all had some bearing on the family's way of life and physical characteristics. The men were short, wiry, towheaded, thin faced men. They all had prominent adams apples and their voice had a distinct southern whine. It didn't help at all that they came from a poor hardscrabble background. Grandfather Rogers and his daddy and his daddy's daddy all worked a poor hill farm deep in the Tennessee hills. They didn't even know there was a depression until the rich politicians told them and sent the TVA into the hills to steal their farm.
Of course, it wasn't really stealing, they took the land "legally", citing eminent domain and using a lot of other fancy words. After all, they were going to pay for it, even if it was a pittance. Seems as if the family farm that bordered the river was right smack dab in the middle of where the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) wanted to put a lake. They said it would benefit the whole United States and old Mr. Rogers had to give up his farm for the good of all.
Great grandfather Rogers was in his 90's when the TVA came calling, and Grandfather Rogers was no spring chicken. He was 43 when the ruckus started. He and Great grandfather Rogers said no damn Washington Politician or any of his toadies were going to run them off the land the family homesteaded and fought Indians for. It just wasn't going to happen. Every TVA bastard that came to the place was ran off, some by gunfire. The local sheriff fared no better. Luckily Grandfather Rogers was in the Marines during WW I with the district congressman and was able to call in a favor. Grandpa Rogers retired from the Marine Corps after 27 years in 1934. He lied about his age and went into the corps when he was 16. He taught his son and grandson all about hand to hand fighting and shooting. They also learned woodsmanship and about living frugally off the land from birth.
Even with Congressional pull the TVA still took the old house and barn and almost all the farm. What was left though, what grandpa's friendship with the congressman allowed them to keep, was enough for the family to live on if they worked in town. They fought and managed to keep a large island in the middle of the new lake and a small thirteen acre plot of ground on the shore besides. The island from the high water mark to the tip of the highest point consisted of another seven acres. Out of a total of 180 acres pre-TVA the Rogers kept those two little pieces of ground. The island at one time had been the highest point on the Rogers' farm. It still was but now it was completely surrounded by the lake. None of the Rogers men really liked working in town and only did so when it was do that or starve. They raised some very skinny children. They also raised some extremely tough fighters.
Since they no longer had enough land to farm (and admittedly the farming was damn poor even before the lake went in) the Rogers family made do with other kinds of work, not all of which was completely legal and above board. For example they found out they could carry their corn to market much easier in liquid form. They also found they could make more from their small crop if it was liquefied so they did so. The conversion of corn to liquid began before the prohibition and continued every year from then to the present. Naturally, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms frowned on this endeavor and routinely sent agents tromping in the woods in an attempt to prevent the conversion of the Rogers' corn to liquid form. Many of the neighbors liquefaction operations were found and destroyed by the BATF but not once did the Rogers ever lose a still or any product.
Hunting was another area where the Rogers men and those in authority disagreed. The Rogers family hunted to eat whether the game was in season or not. They felt the same about fishing. If they wanted fish, venison, or other wild game they went out and got it, season or license be damned. Again, they had to match wits with those who tromped the woods to catch them violating the fish and game laws. They were routinely successful in this endeavor as well as the liquefaction of their corn.
None of the Rogers men were interested in formal schooling of any kind. Grandfather Rogers quit school in the eighth grade. Lee Rogers' dad finished high school but only because of the kindness of his teachers. His cumulative grade point average was only 1.3 out of a possible 4. Lee Rogers didn't do much better. He finished high school with only a 1.96 out of 4. What most people around Waterloo didn't realize was how highly educated the Rogers men were. They hated formal schooling but excelled in reading and self teaching. Grandpa Rogers and Great Grandpa Rogers insisted, nay beat into their systems, that a man learned the 3 R's and continued to learn throughout his life. All the Rogers men read voraciously and kept a dictionary by their side to look up words they didn't know. Of course, the reading came when they couldn't find anything else to do, preferably outside.
The Rogers men were much happier tromping through the woods hunting or fishing than studying. They worked when they could find work but it was mostly unskilled labor here and there. The rest of the time they spent growing and converting corn to white lightning, hunting, fishing, trapping or just loafing around. Lee, named after his great grandfather's hero General Robert E. Lee was sort of an exception. Lee loved the outdoors but he also loved internal combustion engines. He was a maestro when it came to diagnosing and repairing older gasoline engines. He worked on everything from the smallest air cooled lawn mower and chain saw engines up to truck and tractor engines of all types. Unfortunately, like the other male members of his family he had trouble keeping a job because of the hunting, fishing, and (GASP) moonshine. Yeah, he helped his pappy make it as well as drink it. He even helped deliver it from time to time. The revenuer's hadn't caught on to the fact he ran shine yet.
When Lee graduated high school he was already working part time at a small gas station and garage on the edge of town. It was one of the few small independent service stations and garages still in existence. They sold a few snacks and soda pop but none of the other items the newer convenience stores stocked. What snacks they stocked were more for the convenience of the employees and few customers than for stock in trade. Of course, the older local men that seemed to congregate to visit and kibitz most afternoons purchased a lot of the snack and drink items also. These men were the main reason there were so many rickety chairs scattered around the "waiting area" of the garage and tire shop. In addition to the service station there was a large auto parts store in the building. They made more money selling parts than anything else although flat repair was a large part of their business also. They delivered and that was one of Lee's jobs there also. That is how he met the woman that got him into trouble and ultimately how he met the woman that was to tame him and rock his world.
One hot sweltering summer day Lee was underneath old man Stover's old 78 Chevy pickup replacing the starter when his boss Jimmy hollered for him. "Hey, Lee, get your ass out from under that truck and deliver these parts over to the Chevy garage," he said.
Lee glanced out from under the old truck into the sun beaten dirt lot outside the garage. Sweat was beading on his forehead and running down his face. His shirt was wet with sweat. They still worked in open bays with no air conditioning. Today was the worst heat they had in a while and Lee looked forward to the drive so the hot air could dry his sweaty body somewhat. He said, "OK. Ya want me to do it now or can it wait a while? I got another ten minutes or so here and I'll be done with this one."
"No, get on over there now. They have one they promised would be done tonight and they need the parts ten minutes ago."
Lee climbed up the steps from the pit he was standing in. He left his work light and tools where they lay. His face was dotted with dust that had turned to mud in the sweat. His arms were covered with dirt and grease to his shoulders. There were smudges of grease on his face from where he wiped the sweat off. His once white T-shirt was wet with sweat and covered with mud and grease. To look at him you would think he was maybe fifteen or sixteen instead of the nineteen year old young man he actually was. He stood 5' 7" in his sock feet and weighed 117 pounds dripping wet.
