Back Behind The Capitol With The Phoenix Arizona Crew

Its funny how people cross your mind as you lay in the dead of night trying to get to sleep. Now everyone I knew in Phoenix lived in the Mathew Henson's way back in the day. Later, many of us moved away to various parts of town, some of us moved out of town and back in again.
My family moved to Tucson where we stayed on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and then on Campbell Avenue.

When we decided to move back to Phoenix, my mom went back and found us a house. I remember Paul and Madge Harper,my mothers friend's and their daughter Gerty coming down to Tucson in their truck and helping us load up and move. That's when we moved back BEHIND THE CAPITOL !!!

In no particular order I am going to list all of the people I remember. Some we used to call by their Mr and Mrs name.
We always included both parents when we spoke of them in a conversation. Like " Do you want to go see if Mr and Mrs Mullins want us to go to the store for them", or Here comes Mr and Mrs Rayford, you better get that ball out of their yard!

The list goes on:
Mr and Mrs Edward Mays,Mr and Mrs Fred Hurd, Mr and Mrs Williams, Mr and Mrs Floyd Gammage, Mr and Mrs Jones, Mr and Mrs Herb Boyer, Mr and Mrs Patrick Grant, Mr and Mrs St Clair, Mr and Mrs Stenson, Mr and Mrs Charles Anderson, Mr and Mrs Honey Hutchinson, Mr and Mrs Cason, Mr and Mrs Hime Watson and Mr and Mrs Leroy Thomas.

Then we had those names like Aunt Tiny and Mr Turner, Harry and Jean Ong and their son Danny, The Higuera's, Mary and Jean at the store, The Renteria's Lydia and her children Carmen, Frances, Joe and Eva, Mary and her boys Freddie,Teddy and Tommy, Rev and Mrs Nicholson and daughter Carolyn, Judge Flood, The Hamilton's,The Dashers Howard and Louise, Mrs Allen, The Finley's, The Mosley's and son Ricky, The Worleys, The Counts, Beverly Williams and son David.

What about the Miss first names like Miss Bobbie, Miss Essie Lee, Miss Clara, Miss Dora, and Miss Anna laurie and those names like Mama and Daddy Wattie, and MuhDear.

Nicknames for sure: Lil Johnny, Nino, black Johnnie and White Johnny, Bayla, Reachie and Pie, Gold, Chubby and Chunky, Gate-Mouth, Suddie, Big Jimmy, Long Tall Sallie, Ghost, Sandy, Muncie and Porky, Junior, Punkin, Steve, and Alexander.
then there was Miss Shake-um-boodie, and Miss Nosey Mosie, (those two names were only between us kids. We would have gotten killed by them and our parents)

Remembering also Carlos Dominguez, Sue and Faye, Charles and Michael Ferguson, Hilton Conley, Diane Elzy, Freddie Carol, Ricky, Vivian Ann, Stephanie, Rosie, Eddie Lee, George Burden, Eula Faye, Ricky and Lawrence, Bertha, Lamon, Raymond and Daymon, Calvin, Orema, Eric, Patricia, Gloria Jean, Joanne, Herlinda, Sylvester, Ruthie, Betty, Michael, and Maryvula, Carlotta, Wanda, Olivia, Sheryl, Marilyn, Nate, Margie, Jack and Will, Jeannie, Freddy Johnson, Isalee, Lynne, Hazel, Ruby, Floyd, Paulette, Josie, and Herman, Sammy Diaz, Elroy, Randy Simms, Alexander, Lupita Sanchez, Nick Rivera.

Also Kids like Charles Parker, Darnell Hanson, Diane Hicks, Shirley Ghant, Danny Geyagos, Richard Peterson, Bertha, Ruth and Hazel Stinson.

Should I or should I not mention the behind the capitol bigots? Okay I convinced myself.
Mr Cheever was one and Mrs Wortham was the other. Mrs Wortham was the worse of the worse. The black kids at Sullivan did not stand a chance with that woman until the parents and the NAACP stepped in. The "she" bigot tried to flunk all the kids in the school. Ms Wortham was two hands away from getting choked a little bit harder than she was if Mr Edwards had not stepped in on time. Its funny that right after that meeting all those kids were suddenly promoted.

I know there are countless others whom I have not named but I know they are not forgotten. We made that part of town and it was all good.

Oh yeah, How could I forget Bruce, Ronnie, Richard, JuneRae and Teddy.

Long live the Triangle !!!

That hollow grass is filled with the sounds of laughter and do-wop songs. We would use whatever tools we could find to make music such as an old trash can with a lid. That was our drum.

We would break off sticks or use or hands for the sound. Combined with our voices in harmony we thought we were the best in the west.

Our parents knew where we were but if you heard that sound your parents made up to call you or if that porch light flicked on and off you better head home and quick.

He lived all up and down Jefferson, Washington, Madison, Adams, and Monroe Street. From 17th Avenue to 35th Ave. And what was amazing was that he was there all at the same time.

And Finally I would be remiss if I did not say "Rest in Peace Richard Cason" for you are truly in Soul Heaven