Hylton George Pettigrew, 76, died of cancer on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020 at Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage, Tenn.
George was born in Seattle, Wash., on Dec. 26, 1943. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, of Dixon Springs, Tenn., three sons, Kent (Angela) Pettigrew of Dixon Springs; Randy (Maureen) Pettigrew of Cleveland, Tenn.; and Christopher (Shelly) Pettigrew of Dixon Springs. George and Patsy’s third child is a daughter, Perlinda Jo (Michael) Owens of Eagle Rock, Mo.; sister, Debbie (James) Smallwood of Eureka Springs; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; four step grandchildren, nine great-step grandchildren, and four great-great-step grandchildren.
That’s his pedigree, but who was George Pettigrew? George Pettigrew was a good man. Anyone can be nice, but it takes effort and desire to be good, and he did that.
His best friend since 1960, Jack Sams of Berryville, said, “He was crafty. He wouldn’t give you the shirt off his back but he’d find a shirt and give it to you.
“We fished all the time on Table Rock Lake, we entered every bass tournament we heard about. Won some, lost some. George was big hearted for sure, but it was his talent at making things that set him apart. He was the most creative guy I ever met. He built stock cars and raced them!”
A couple of months ago George sent Jack a picture of a 20-pound tomato he claimed to have grown. “And he could fabricate anything,” Jack laughed.
When George was a toddler, he was helping Grandpa Pettigrew in their Oklahoma garden. He bit into a hot onion and said his first word, “Damn!”
George’s parents loved to fish but thought fishing in Oklahoma was too hard – they said you had to drive 200 miles and then they wouldn’t let you in to fish!
The family moved to Barry County, Mo., where the fishing was easy. They bought a farm in Carr Lane where George started first grade at McGuire, nicknamed Seed Tick School. He skipped second grade but went third through eighth, then Blue Eye High for two years where his favorite subjects were Shop and Drawing.
He made things all his life – his wood toys were cars and trains where all the wheels rolled. He built a wooden, multiple barrel Gatling gun that lives in the Independent office. When you turn the handwheel it rapid fires rubber bands.
When George wasn’t fishing or arrowhead hunting, he was designing and building something from wood or metal. He was a machinist for 47 years, building parts for G&R in Purdy and Rocketdyne, a rocket and missile engine builder in Neosho. George designed casings for parts used in the first lunar landing in 1969, and those parts are still on the moon.
He made metal perfume trays for Neiman Marcus and a grape comber for Mr. Tomblin of Tomblin’s Jewelry in Cassville. It had teeth that would easily harvest grapes without tearing them. He invented a rock crusher. He made kitchen utensils and their holders.
His oldest son, Kent, said Pops could fix or build anything. During the 1970’s gas shortage he built extra gas tanks on their old red pickup. He built a large dirt processing plant in the yard that mystified the neighbors.
“He never understood how I could like blackened catfish,” Kent wrote. “He came to the conclusion that they gave him the wrong baby in the hospital. Pops could be very grumpy.”
Second son, Randy, wrote that there wasn’t a problem Pops couldn’t solve because he had a gift for making the complex simple. “I loved going to the dirt track to watch him race stock cars, then sprint cars. The chill in the air, dirt clods flying into the fence, the smell of gas, oil and popcorn. Then he’d take us mushroom hunting to feel the quiet of the woods.”
Third child and only daughter, Perlinda, who her dad named because the name loosely translates to “how beautiful” in Spanish, remembers her dad was always taking the family on drives where short cuts turned into long scenic routes. Pops would declare that they were lost so they might as well eat. He’d find a riverbank, get out his huge cast iron skillet and make his version of goulash – potatoes, hot dogs, onions and eggs.
“Give him some Waylon, CCR, Steve Earle or Gordon Lightfoot and he was the first to get up and dance. He could fix a broken down truck with a pocketknife and a cigarette box. I remember the whole family would go coon hunting – Mom, Pops, four kids, three coon dogs, two ducks and a cat or two. One flashlight. Never treed a coon,” she said.
George’s niece, Tammy, came by today and described him as “stubborn.” Then his sister, Debbie, said he was “Quiet. It was hard to get a phone conversation out of him but he could weave a good story in person.”
George and Patsy met on the school bus on the way to Cassville High School during his junior year and they married in 1963. When asked what date, George said, “September 28!”
“No,” Patsy replied. “It was November 28. Thanksgiving Day.”
Perlinda, my love & prayers to you and family. He loved those gumball I brought with me when I came to Arkansas!! He was a wonderful man.
I am going to miss my I uncle George. Yes I also remember George’s tummy fried taters and what ever else was mixed in cooked in That cast iron skillet along the River. My uncle George also putt up hay while showing his neiices could put up hay as well as any of the guys.Thank you Uncle George.! Love you. Kyle