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Walter Holland Crabtree
 Walter Holland Crabtree was born in Fentress County, ? 12, 1907. The area where he was born is known as the Wolf River Valley, in the community of Pall Mall, Tennessee. His parents were Fountain P. Crabtree (1877-1953) and Jenny (Patton) Crabtree. (1882-195?). Holland's maternal grandparents were Jesse Patton and Vina (Delk) Patton. Jesse and Vina had nine children, Jenny, Willie, George, Harrison, Queen, Nan, Ellen, May and Proctor. Holland's paternal grandparents were Bailor and Amanda Crabtree. Bailor and Amanda had six children, Fountain, John, George, Florence, Lucy, and Sarah Ann. Fount and Jenny had eight children but only four survived. The deceased children were, Mendy, born Jan. 17 1902, Infant born Dec. 12 1905, Oma born March 28, 1909 and Willis born April 2 1924. Holland was the oldest of the four living children. After Holland came a sister, Reva (Mrs. Francis Abel, Columbus, Indiana) born Aug. 11, 1911. Then came a brother Willard, born Jan. 30 1914. Willard also lives in Columbus, Indiana and has been married to Lula (Beaty) Crabtree for over fifty years. Then came a sister, Gladys (Potter-Lee) born Dec. 1 1921. She lives in Pikeville, Tenn with her husband, Charles.
Fount and Jenny raised their family on their farm in Pall Mall. Fount was busy farming and he also hauled freight from the trains at Elgin, Tenn. to the stores and businesses in and around jamestown. Jenny was busy raising her family and making a home for them. In those days women had many more responsibilities and worked much harder than they do today. The women had their babies at home with a midwife in attendance. With such a great distance to the hospital this was the practical thing to do. Dr. A.H. Crouch was the community doctor. He lived in Forbus, Tennessee.
Holland and his brothers and sisters attended grammar school in Pall Mall. Usually school was in session during the fall and winter months. Children in the community could go as long as they weren't needed at home to help out with the work. Most of the children carried their lunch in a tin pail. Lunch usually consisted of wholesome food from home including biscuits, butter and molasses, an ear of corn maybe, and a fried pie of dried fruit. Usually enough food was cooked for the evening meal to have enough left over for the next days lunches. Eggs were usually saved to take to the store to trade for staples such as coffee, tea, sugar etc. In those days nearly everyone in the community were "kinfolks." All the families or "clans" stuck together and helped each other. If there was sickness in the family, or if a crop failed, or a barn burned, there were always helping hands there to do whatever they could to help out.
Holland met Anna Wood when he was about eighteen years old. She had moved from Caney Creek over to the Pall Mall community. Holland was a handsome young man with a new T Model Ford who really took a shine to Anna. They dated for a few years and were married June 28th 1929 when they were both twenty-two years of age. They lived with Holland's parents until he graduated from York Institute.
Their first child, Norma Jean, was born April 18 1930. After Holland got out of school they moved to Jamestown. They rented a small apartment there and Holland went to work in the lumber yards. In 1933 their second daughter, Reba Jo was born. Norms Jean was three and telling everyone who would listen about her new baby sister. The Great Depression had a grip on the whole country but Holland and Anna were young and strong and through trial and error learned how to stretch their dollars. They even managed to save enough money to buy a small home about two miles from Jamestown on the road to Allardt.
In 1935 their third daughter, Franklin Jeanette was born. Holland's father and mother bought a small farm just up the road, and Willard and his family lived near.
In 1938 their first son, William Holland was born. The children all attended grammar school at Allardt, Tenn.
In 1940 the family moved to Lenior City, Tenn. where Holland worked with TVA. They lived there for two years before moving back to Jamestown. Holland worked for TVA during the World War II years. Working on most of the TVA projects in Tenn and North Carolina.
In 1945 their second son Robert David was born. In 1950 Anna delivered twin girls, Patricia Key and Kathryn Fay. They were premature and Patricia died after a few hours of life. Kathryn Fay lived for ten months and died of pneumonia.
The children grew up and married. Norma (Mrs Carl Strunk, Seymour Tenn.), Reba Jo (Mrs Nelson Fox, Fairfield Glade, Tenn.), Frankie (Mrs Arnold Poland, Coffeyville, Kansas), William (Bud) married Gail Ledbetter and they live in New Castle Indiana. Robert married Patsy Rich and they live in New Castle, Indiana.
In 1960 Holland and Anna moved to New Castle, Indiana where Holland was employed with Chrysler Corporation. He died on Dec. 30, 1969. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge in New Castle and was a member of First Baptist church of Allardt. He is buried at Wolf River Cemetery.
Holland and Anna also have twelve grandchildren, Donna Jean and Joseph Scott Strunk; Anna Catherine, Michael Nelson and Victoria Lynn Fox; Daniel Reece, Ruth Ann, Sean and Melissa Roland; Heidi, Hilary and Holland Issac Crabtree. They have six great-grandchildren, Travis and Seth Srunk; Jeremy and Jason Brock; Luther and Elissa
Epperhart.
by Reba Joan Fox
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