05 Jan 2026 They found their ‘true grit’

Posted at 8:25 PMh in Features by

By Vivian Lawson Hogue

All around us are those whose compassion, humility or tenacity is often unobserved. Some of these people struggle with self-preservation so as not to be a bother to others. Most of them have a built-in gift to reach, teach or preach. Some develop the gift over time. Most do not expect plaques or money, only satisfaction in helping to make life better or easier for people or causes.

In my own memory, I recall a few examples in my childhood, as do others of my era. One was Inez Riggs, an elderly widow who slowly rode her three-wheeled bike throughout Old Conway, selling greeting cards.  I don’t know how many were bought, but certainly not enough to help her live out her life. I didn’t know till years later that her earlier life had included a husband and possibly a child. She had also taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Blackwell, Conway County. Her career brought in little money, with most of her time and effort invested in her students.

Almost everyone in Conway knew Crocker Lynch. Crocker worked at Goad’s Café on Oak Street near the railroad. In a 2005 edition of “The Antique Wampus Cat” members’ newsletter, there was a remembrance of Crocker. “Crocker was a phenomenon,” the writer recalled. “He was extremely shy and satisfied to be a busboy and dishwasher, even though he was a genius.  When trains passed, he stood at the café’s kitchen door and made note of the serial numbers on every boxcar. He would have those numbers totaled by the time the train was out of sight. He was proficient in history and shared his vast knowledge and recall when encouraged. At one time he lived near Hendrix College, and since he was an avid reader, the college gave him library privileges.”

Ken Estes was the owner of the Conway Western Auto store. He and his family lived near our home. He was a congenial man who would occasionally get into his red truck with his daughters and begin driving around the vicinity, picking up a few neighbor children for a special trip to a favorite spot on Donaghey Avenue. There were two reasons I enjoyed it. We were not moneyed people, so riding in the back of the truck was like a county fair ride. I was also able to be with other girls for a change. In a few minutes, we arrived at Sullivan’s Ice Cream Parlor (now Stoby’s), where he bought a cone for each of us.

In the book “Faulkner County, Its Land and People,” the same threads of thriving and surviving ran through early histories of renowned citizens. “Renowned,” in this case, refers not to wealth or fame, but to those who had made their way and were respected for it.

Most of the families in the book’s family histories contain hard-life Civil War stories or coming to Faulkner County by wagon from distant states or other countries. George Floyd Hartje’s family had one of those histories. George was the son of John Henry Hartje, the grandson of Augustus II, of Hanover, Germany.  George was 6 years old when he contracted polio, which affected his right leg. He wore a steel brace and used a cane. I remember seeing Mr. Hartje downtown and always thought his cane, suit and hat made him look dapper. I recognized his gait anywhere. The condition did not deter him from graduating from Hendrix College and then the University of Virginia, where he gained his law degree. He and his family lived nearby, and their brick, Tudor-style home retains its historic integrity, by leaving the brick unpainted.

Dr. Jesse Reynolds, born in 1843, lived in the small communities of Naylor, Barney and Enola, located northeast of Conway. With little education and at age 47, he completed one year of medical school. Possessing that and plenty of common sense, he built his successful practice, according to “Faulkner County, Its Land and People.” A favorite story is that of a woman he had treated for stomach discomfort. She wanted a second opinion from a city doctor. “The second doctor diagnosed an abdominal tumor and recommended surgery for its removal. Reynolds told him, ‘I believe if you will wait several months to operate, you’ll find she has a baby.’” He was correct. Reynolds had four children himself, all educated, and one being John Hugh Reynolds, who became president of Hendrix College.

From these examples of “true grit,” we see that we can make ourselves become even better than before. We need to recognize our worth. Once we take steps to survive or improve our place in life, the effects are amazing. There is a famous book that says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind …” (Romans 12:2)

Actually, just read the whole chapter. Surely you’ll have five minutes somewhere in this New Year!

Vivian Lawson Hogue
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