JIM “PAPPY” MOORE: Paw Paw Moore’s Snapping Turtle

My grandfather on my dad’s side lived his retirement years on Social Security, government commodities that were free, and whatever fish he might catch or vegetables he might grow.   He’d fish in tanks near Hillsboro, and didn’t mind eating perch.

One time when he was fishing, he caught one of those great big snapping turtles that are a foot and half long. He was proud of that turtle. So proud of it, he had it wrapped up and frozen, and stuck away in his freezer.

Every time anyone would go to visit him, he would get that frozen turtle out and show them.  He showed me that turtle no less than five times, each time a different trip to visit them. He didn’t want to actually cook the turtle for anyone. That would end his show and tell. No sir, he wanted that turtle as the evidence of the story.

Paw Paw Moore was a funny character. He would whistle with no tune in mind, just completely random notes, no melody at all. He would stand in front of the space heater, backed up to it, rummaging his hands compulsively in his front pants pockets. Once while doing so, he unknowingly dropped a twenty-two long rifle bullet into the space heater. The bullet rolled to the burner, where it quickly heated and exploded. Since the business part of the bullet was much heavier, the only thing ejected was the brass casing for the bullet. It whizzed past my Paw Paw and grazed my Granny Moore’s neck. It was only a mild flesh wound, but that didn’t stop me from always referring to it as “the time Paw Paw shot Granny!”

Just writing those words makes me chuckle, remembering how steamed he would get when I’d say that. I said it because he got so steamed. I wasn’t being mean, just having fun with him.

Paw Paw was a WWI veteran, although he never once talked about it. I know he was in Europe, fighting in the trenches, but there was no sign of it anywhere in his life except one photo in his uniform. He got poisoned with mustard gas and got a pension for that.

Paw Paw had a finger missing. Lost most of it in a cotton gin as a very young man. He used to scare the grandkids by telling them they would lose their fingers like he had, when he caught any of us picking our nose. He’d tell us that is how he lost his finger. He would look the young grandkid in the eye when they had one of their fingers in their own nose up to the first or second joint and say “Booger got my finger!” Not true, but an effective nose-picking deterrent, I can attest.

Paw Paw also loved to use his tongue to take his upper false teeth out, stick them out of his mouth, then pull them back into place. He’d do it around the grandkids to get their reaction. It was both terrifying and amusing.

In retirement, he’d collect wood scraps from various places, then use them to create a variety of collectibles, which he would give to everyone who might visit. He made these great wooden flowers, in so many colors, and he made these old timey oil lamp holders.

Truman Parks Moore was born in Goliad, Texas in 1891 and he died in Hillsboro, Texas in 1979. He was a character, and I’m pretty sure he took that turtle to his grave.