I grew up in a small piece of Heaven. A place called Newtown. The nights were filled with lightning bugs, and the sky was always filled with beautiful stars.

My grandparents, William Hamilton and Luna Bell Scott, had a farm on Old Alabama Road. Both of their roots went deep into the area. Old Alabama Road was a dirt road and every car that came by was someone that either was a friend or relative.

My parents, Travis and Mary Scott and my grandparents, lived a very simple and honest life. They taught me to always work hard and treat everyone with respect.

I grew up across the road from my grandparents. I am an only child, but never felt that way because I always had cousins to play ball, fish, play in the creek and explore the farm with. Sometimes we would work for grandpa on the farm. We would pick peas or clean the barn. He would pay us a quarter. We would go to Mr. Brumbelow’s store and get us a treat.

Newtown Elementary School was only a short distance from my home so I couldn’t ride the bus; however, later on when I went to Milton I decided I didn’t miss anything.

When my grandparents couldn’t farm anymore, they were encouraged by their oldest son, William Clayton, to get a job at the school. They were employed as janitors. I like to call them caretakers because they cared about all the students and teachers. Everyone called them Granny and Grandpa Scott. My daddy would go early before work to fill the coal furnace to help my grandpa out.

It was nice to have my grandma bring me a piece of her wonderful pound cake for lunch. I always felt very safe and secure.

Newtown is no longer the place of a simple life, but it holds lots of sweet memories with the love of family, homegrown food, farmland and animals.

I will always think of Newtown as my little piece of Heaven.

Nancy Scott Pike