Curtis Adams
Trustee Bill Hullander told "Curtis stories" for over an hour on Sunday afternoon at the funeral of the colorful Curtis Adams, who is the record holder for service on the County Commission.
Mr. Hullander, one of his closest friends, said he told another close pal, Russell Friberg of Heritage Funeral Home Fort Oglethorpe, that he could have gone on for three hours.
Mr. Friberg said that was okay - they could have an intermission in the middle with popcorn.
Mr. Hullander said, "Curtis would like that."
Mr. Adams died last Tuesday at 86. His wife, Dot, had died earlier as well as his two sons, Curtis Owen and Michael. The daughters, Debbie and Jennifer, were the remaining immediate family and were seated up front.
Rev. Paul McDaniel, who also served on the County Commission with Mr. Adams, offered a prayer at the start of the service. He addressed close friends of Mr. Adams over the years as well as many county officials he served with.
A letter was read from one of Mr. Adams' closest friends and longtime political supporter, Ken Davis. He said that every time they visited they always prayed together.
Mr. Hullander said Mr. Adams liked to make out that the D. in his name stood for Darling and it was chosen by his mother after admiring him when he was born. However, Mr. Hullander noted he was partly named for his daddy, Rev. Dewey Adams. The Adams family lived at Alton Park, where Rev. Adams presided at the Hughes Avenue Baptist Church. Then he took a pastorate in Birmingham.
It was there that young Curtis was enlisted to help boost Sunday school enrollment. He signed up the perky Dot Morris, then made some followup calls. Her daddy said, "That boy is visiting over here every night. If they work that hard on enrollment, that Baptist Church is going to be packed."
Mr. Hullander noted that Curtis picked Dot up for school when he was 16 and she was 15. They drove to Chattanooga and got married. He notified his father he would soon return the car.
The speaker noted that Mr. Adams, when they drove through St. Elmo, would point out a little house just off the main road, where they set up housekeeping. Curtis would say that Dot would get exasperated and pack up her suitcase, threatening to go back to mama. He said after a while the suitcase would just open up when she walked by.
Mr. Hullander told of Mr. Adams getting a job at the afternoon newspaper and becoming a favorite of publisher Roy McDonald. In after years, Mr. Adams would often tell stories about his experiences with the newspaper icon. In one case, he said "Mr. Roy" asked him to tell some of their top advertisers they were going to have to go up on rates. He reported back that a Knoxville advertiser had given him a hard time. Mr. Roy told Curtis to "bring the car around." They headed straight for Knoxville - in pre-freeway days. He said they went to the advertiser's office and the man came in, acting friendly now. Mr. Roy told him, "Don't you ever advertise in my newspaper again." Then he got his hat and left. On the way home Mr. Roy advised that the man would come around, saying he could not do business in Chattanooga without newspaper advertising. The man was in Mr. Roy's office the next day smoothing things over.
Mr. Hullander pulled out a pile of hilarious letters he had received from Mr. Adams over the years. One chided him for having his picture in the paper with Russell Friberg, saying that was the kind of thing that could ruin him. He noted that Mr. Friberg still has all the 44 hand-written letters Curtis sent him.
He said when they would stop by the Adams office on Ringgold Road that Mr. Friberg would always walk directly past Mr. Adams' desk without looking at him. He would open up an equipment closet, saying Dot had instructed him to check to make sure no women were in there. Mr. Hullander said this happened on one occasion and Mr. Adams had arranged for an attractive blonde from the office next door to be waiting in the closet. He said after that surprise the woman's husband then walked in and began making a fuss about the whole situation, alarming Mr. Hullander. He said he found later that the husband was also in on the Adams trick.
Mr. Hullander told of the numerous road trips he would take with Mr. Adams and Mr. Friberg and their wives, sometimes getting in at 1 or 2 in the morning. He said they would often go to gospel singings and hear their favorite quartets.
He said Mr. Adams would call and say he wanted to "take you and Linda to a brand new restaurant in East Ridge." However, he said it would always be either Wally's or the Epicurean.
Mr. Hullander said Mr. Adams was notorious for mooching a meal. He said on one occasion a group that included him, Mr. Adams, Fred Skillern, Claude Ramsey and others dined at the Home Folks Restaurant in Soddy Daisy. He said after dessert, Mr. Adams went around and collected all the tips others had thrown down. He then put his business card on top of the pile of money.
However, they made him pay one time. Mr. Adams got permission to drive a black limousine and he proudly picked up Mr. Hullander and his wife, Linda, and Mr. Skillern and his wife, Betty. Just before they left the Skillern place, Mr. Hullander and Mr. Skillern adroitly handed over their billfolds to Rees Skillern. So Mr. Adams had to pay the tab at the Cookie Jar near Dunlap.
Another story he recalled that Mr. Adams liked to recount was the time he had a little scrap with Dot at home on John Ross Road. He got in his car to drive off and he saw Dot curling a finger toward him to get his attention. He rolled down the window and heard, "You may be a big shot at the courthouse and the newspaper, but you're not this much around here (tiny gap between two fingers)."
He said Mr. Adams had terrible pain from his back in his later years. He was signed up for an operation, but after he had his gown on and needles in him, the surgeon advised that at his age it could affect his mind. He said Curtis responded, "Hand me my clothes." He noted that until the end his mind was sharp except for a few occasions when the medicine was off.
Mr. Hullander said Mr. Adams loved music and directed several local church choirs. He said he joined in enthusiastically when he decided to start having hymn signs at the Hullander barn at Apison the third Sunday of the month. He said Mr. Adams recommended that it be Saturdays, but Mr. Hullander said there was too much going on that night. He said the events soon became packed and Mr. Adams told him, "I'm glad you followed my advice and had the singings on Sundays."
He said Mr. Adams led the singings as long as his health held out. He was in attendance at the singing last month, sitting at his favorite couch spot. He said there will be a tribute to Mr. Adams at the singing this month.
The service concluded with the playing of a song that had been recommended to Mr. Adams in the wake of his two sons dying in succession - "Press On."
Bill Hullander