LAST JOB WAS AS A CAB DRIVER FOR CITY SERVICE CAB IN BUFFALO NY.

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Kenneth Taylor Sutphin

Nickname: Pip

The fourth child and the second male born into this family was Kenneth Taylor. He came into this world at McWorter West Virginia. He was a sharp dresser, always looking neat and trim. John William Paugh was the first one to call Kenneth "Pip" Sutphin a pipen when he saw him dressed in a suit. - Aunt Pearl. He was told he was quite a pip. And this was the nickname he carried with him for the rest of his life. I shall refer to him by this name of Pip.

There was the story of the fight that Arthur had with my father, Kenneth, What they were fighting over I don't know. But Grandfather had Pip on the ground setting on him with his hands on his throat. Soon Pips tongue was hang out and his face was turning purple. Grandmother told him to let go before he killed him. He would not let go so she went in and came back out with the shotgun and placing it to his head she said " Arthur you let go of him or I'll blow your head off." Granddad let go.

Like the rest of his brothers he served his country during WW II. He was inducted on March 15, 1945 and entered the service at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He left from Fayette County WV. It is my understanding that he was not well suited for military service. He was assigned as to the Medical arm of service at 9956th Technical Service Unit, Letterman General Hospital, California. He was a cook and made the grade of Tech Five. He earned the WW II Victory Medal and was issued a lapel button.

He served one year, seven months and 20 days. He was discharged November 4, 1946 for the convenience of the government, demobilization. He was separated at Camp Beale, California. On January 14, 1952 he went to the Marion County Court House and filed his DD214 with the clerk.

Like the other Sutphins he was handsome and strong and would not back down from a fight. He was six foot two inches tall and weighted 180 pounds. Brown hair, brown eyes.

After Kenneth got out of the Army he spent a good deal of his time at his parents house in Francis Mines. His sister Eleanor had married a serviceman she had met by the name of Edward "Cowboy" Scritchfield. When Ed and Eleanor would go to visit Ed sometimes took his sisters with him. Going together to visit were Elizabeth "Betty" Scritchfield and Evelyn Scritchfield. There was an attraction between Betty and Pip that blossomed into love. Betty was only eighteen at the time and would have needed her parent’s permission to get married. They quietly went to Morgantown West Virginia and found a justice of the peace that agreed to perform the wedding ceremony. Betty lied and said she was twenty one but it appears there was a bit of skepticism on the part of the JP as he told Pip " I’ll go ahead and marry you but if she ever comes back and complains about you I will put you in jail!" She was married the first time at the First Presbyterian Church in Morgantown, WV by W. E. Brooks. They applied for a license on the 8th and were married the 11th.

In July of 1948 they were expecting the birth of their first child. Mom told me about my birth. The doctor said that the baby was not due right away. Someone told Mom the doctor said I would be born in September but the doctor had not told her that. When I decided to enter the world I came very quickly. From the time Mom felt the labor pains to my birth it was just ten minuets. My father, Pip, was present at my birth. Mom woke him up to tell him she was in labor and he jumped up and ran down to the big house where my grandparents lived and got my grandmother. They had a telephone and called the doctor. Grand maw came and helped Mom delivered me. The Dr. Lawson thought he had plenty of time and did not show up for 2 hrs.

In August of 1950 Pip and Betty had there second child together. For whatever reason Pip went up to his parents house an started celebrating early. When Betty started having labor pains she had to have her neighbor take her to the hospital. She had a hard time of giving birth as the Baby was breech birthed. Pip showed up a couple of days later at the hospital with Betty’s sister Eleanor. He stayed a short while and disappeared again. At the time it was for discharge for Betty and the new baby boy, named Jackie Layne Sutphin, Pip could not be found. Betty’s brother Bud had to sign her out and take her home. A little later Pip shows up at the home place. Betty was angry at him and but said nothing to him about his conduct.

Pip worked a foundry right outside of Worthington with his brother Bill. He was there for sometime. He moved to Lumberport with his family and worked at Dawson Mines.

This was the year that there was a big snow in this area that even today 50 years later they still talk about it. It was said that it was one of the worse winters on records not only here but the whole east coast. My Mom tells me that in the house we lived in the walls were not insulated. She got up that morning and found that Jack had rolled against the wall and his arm was frozen to the wall. They worked it lose but there was no way to get him any medical help because of the storm. Jack suffered from rumatic fever at an early age and he suffered from the effects of it on and off for the rest of his life.

Sometime during this cold spell Jack and I awoke one morning before our parents. We went out in the living room area, which was heated by a coal stove, to play. Jack was just crawling and he went over by the stove. Some how he managed to get his night clothes on fire. In those days we wore a night gown rather than PJ’s. As the flames started to burn up toward him I ran into my parents bedroom and awoke them saying in my best 2 1/2 year old voice, " Jackies on pire, Jackies on pire!" Mom said they jumped out of bed and put his clothing out without any lasting effects for Jack.

. Mom left my father permanently before he died. I can remember him coming home from the veterinarian’s office with a white German Shepard puppy in his arms. The pup had been hit by a car soon after we got it and I had never expected to see it again. He asked Mom was she leaving him and she said yes. Then Mom picked up her suitcase and we left. She told me that he was just too mean and abusive.

1958 This was the year that my father died. I remembered going up to visit him a few times during the years before he died. He was in the VA Hospital in Buffalo NY and I remembered His brother coming up to see him and he said that he wanted him to leave and not to come back. Pip was not a very forgiving man. Dad drove a bus and I remember one May day playing and being surprised to see him come home early. I walked up to greet him and he asked me " did your mother tell you yet" I said no and he said Pip died today. We went to the funeral where I touched my first dead body. I was very surprised how cold and stiff he was. The other kids had dared me to do it.

From the Charleston Daily Mail, October 14, 1932

THREE FAYETTE COUNTIANS HELD ON STILL CHARGE

MONTGOMERY Oct 14- Kenneth Sutphin, Kemper Sutphin, and Harry Burford were committed to the Fayette County jail on Wendnesday charged with operating a moonshine still in the hills above Eagle. Cpl F C Bennett, Trooper Roy Platt, and deputy sheriff Edgar Spencer said they caught the three at the still, which was in operation. They were brought before magistrate B S Hastings and held to the Grand Jury.

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From the Charleston Daily Mail, June 15, 1933

Convicts Taken to Penitentiary

Dozen prisoners removed from Fayettesville to Moundsville

Fayettesville, June 15, Twelve Fayette county prisoners who were convicted during the January term if the circut court were taken to the state penitentiary Tuesday. Guard J C Parker was in charge of the group. They included Eddie Vickers, Homer Rickett, Gobert Ford, Curry Hornsby, Lucius Turnage, and Bob Renno to serve 2 years each for breaking and entering; Willy Tucker and William Jackson, one year each for breaking and entering; Kenneth Sutphin and Kemper Sutphin two years for possession a moonshine still. Oats Phillips 18 months for malicious wounding and Clarence Pinknard one year for stealing a pig. Two of the number, Clarence Pinknard and Eddie Vickers, were amoung those who broke jail in January.

Pip's name appears as Farley on the state records.

Name: Kenneth T Sutphin

Birth Year: 1915

Race: White, citizen (White)

Nativity State or Country: West Virginia

State: West Virginia

Enlistment Date: 15 Mar 1945

Enlistment State: Indiana

Enlistment City: Camp Atterbury Columbus

Branch: No branch assignment

Branch Code: No branch assignment

Grade Code: Private

Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law

Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)

Source: Civil Life

Education: Grammar school

Marital Status: Married

Deid in Buffalo, NY of colon cancer 1958