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 1919 - 1994 (74 years)
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| Name |
Walter Thomas "Walt" Hennessee |
| Birth |
20 Nov 1919 |
Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina  [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Occupation |
fire chief [1] |
| Death |
21 May 1994 |
Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina [1] |
| Burial |
25 May 1994 |
Burke County Memorial Park, Burke County, North Carolina [1, 2] |
| Person ID |
I2367 |
The Hennessee Family |
| Last Modified |
28 Nov 2014 |
| Father |
Walter Henry "Henry" Hennessee, b. 1 Apr 1893, Burke County, North Carolina d. 11 Nov 1982, Black Mountain, Buncombe County, North Carolina (Age 89 years) |
| Mother |
Lucy Estelle Alexander, b. 27 Jan 1898, Burke County, North Carolina d. 28 May 1977, Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina (Age 79 years) |
| Marriage |
24 Jun 1916 |
Burke County, North Carolina [3] |
| Family ID |
F911 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Maxine Winifred Taylor, b. 7 Sep 1928, Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina d. 18 Oct 1987, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (Age 59 years) |
| Marriage |
Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina [1] |
| Children |
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| Family ID |
F5978 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
30 Apr 2023 |
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| Notes |
- Conley: Titanic struggle at Optimists' baseball game
By Mike Conley | The McDowell News
Published: September 11, 2009
Morganton, NC - On Friday, Sept. 3, 1948, a baseball game was played. It was in a sense a game of the "ages." Ages of the players that is. Many of the players were 30, 40 and some were in their 50s. The game was not an ordinary game.
Sponsored by the Morganton Optimist Club, it was the first annual benefit baseball game between Morganton volunteer firemen and local law enforcement, which included city police, county deputies and local State Highway Patrol troopers.
Pregame excitement ran high and big-game hype was intensive. One would have thought the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers were coming to town for an exhibition game. The firemen felt confident they would squelch the officers and the officers on were just as cocky about their ability.
The firemen's starting players were Hal Roberts, third base; Melvin Buff, shortstop; Hal McGinnis, second base; Buddy Ward, catcher; Rob Clark, first base; Walt Hennessee, center field; Arthur Williams, pitcher; Fat Hennessee, right field; and Harry Kincaid, infield. Subs were Chief Bonner Lane, Capt. Ed Hern, Dennis Hahn, Sid Dellinger, Louis Lane, Carey Williams, Jim Keller and Albert Walkier.
The law enforcers were Sheriff Ray Sigmon and Russell, catchers; Hardy McGalliard and Homer L. Biggers, pitchers; Harry Feimster, first base; Ray Benfield and "Jar Fly" Jetton, second base; John O'Kelly, third base; and J.R. Chandler and Andy Wilson, shortstop. The rest played outfield — chief deputy Fons Duckworth, Chief Ossie Sutton, T.J. Greene, Sgt. Guy Duncan, Earl Blankenship, Oscar Pascal and Caleb Hoyle.
Lineups changed frequently during the game to give everyone a chance to play.
Managers were Buddy Ward for the firemen and Andy Wilson and Chief Sutton for the "cops."
Dr. G. M. Billings was the umpire in chief and Bud Reep was an umpire.
At last the time had arrived for the most-anticipated game in recent memory. With a crowd of more than 1,000 at Morganton High School's field, the event began at 8 p.m. Pregame ceremonies included the national anthem and team introductions and a comic sidelight.
Fire Capt. Ed Hern and police officer Hardy McGalliard raced around the bases. Starting in different directions, racing around the diamond, they reached home plate simultaneously and collided. This set the tone for the game that followed.
Mayor Nollie M. Patton threw the first official pitch and Chief Sutton connected with it for a clean drive into deep left field. From excitement, over-confidence or contempt for the the firemen's fielding ability, Sutton tried to stretch the hit into a triple and was thrown out at third.
Capt. Hern took over on the mound, but was shelled by the law enforcers' big bats. Arthur Williams relieved Hern and retired the side, but not before the officers scored five runs.
The firemen quickly piled on Chief Sutton and Bud Hogan, his relief, with five runs to tie the game.
Fans who expected a good game were not disappointed.
The second inning was like the first. Each team added three runs. Buddy Ward slammed a home run over the right field fence.
The pace slowed down into a classic pitcher's duel between Williams and Homer "Big Boy" Biggers. The latter displayed amazing speed and baffled the firemen with his short hop and fast-breaking curve. He struck out at least 10 in six innings. Williams also had a good number of strike-outs before giving way to Rob Clark in the seventh. With Biggers on the mound, though, the officers slowly built their lead and put down the firemen 12-8.
The fans yelled, cheered and laughing as the "old men" fumbled, bumbled and stumbled their way through the game. Many had to sit out a few innings with minor injuries. Some played like the kids they once were and, fortunately, more than a few "walking wounded" had a long Labor Day weekend to recover from bruises, bumps, scrapes and sprains.
The next year there were new faces on each team, but it was another classic game. The firemen "cuffed" the police 11-7. In 1950 the firemen again smashed the police, 26-14.
At all games, 50 percent of the proceeds went to purchase property and build a clubhouse at Clearwater Beach (later Optimist Park).
We may not see players like those again, but it would be something to see a renewal of this series.
Michael Conley is a Morganton historian. His column appears on alternate weeks
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