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Remembering Phil Depp, who said key to long life is having absolutely no worries Phil Depp, 99, who passed away August 3, 2006, shared his philosophy, "having absolutely no worries is the key to long life," in an interview in 1993 in Edmonton Reprinted from Senior Quest Magazine issue # 37 Written by Geniece Marcum, January 2002 Phillip Depp, 93, has a positive outlook on life and tells us, "The way to live into your nineties is to have absolutely no worries. If you can do anything about a worry, do it. If not, forget about it and move on." This leaves us wondering -- could such an attitude be the secret to his continuing good health and youthful appearance? More than one person has been overheard guessing his age as being in his sixties. Phil Depp shared memories, in a conversation with Attorney Herbie Sparks, touching briefly on his growing up years in Metcalfe County. One incident which readily comes to his mind is the day during his final year at Edmonton High School in 1924, when, "the fire marshall pulled up to the school, unannounced, hollering 'fire!' and ringing the school bell. Kids started pouring out of that old building so fast that a few wound up with bruises and scrapes, and one got an arm broken. The school's professor got the fire marshall by the collar and, shoving him up against the wall with his feet dangling, gave him what for." Recalling names of some of his former classmates Phillip says that 24 students started out and 18 finished in that class which included: John Thompson, John Perkins, Kinnard Mann, Ruel Walker, Nell Sartin Thompson, Ruby and Venus Sparks, Riley, Laverne and Coleen Oaks. Phillip and his brother, Robert, grew up on the family farm, which is located a couple of miles west of Edmonton. In his youth Phillip says, "I would get up before breakfast, go to the barn and water, harness and feed 12 mules so they would be ready for the hand when he got there." Times were good through the 1920's until the crash of 1929 and the hard years that followed, 1930 and '31. "During that time, it cost more to put a tobacco crop on the sale floor than the tobacco would bring." He recalled. "There were no jobs to be had around here. We had no industry." That's when Phillip made his way to North Carolina where jobs were plentiful. "The textile industry was booming there," he said, "and tobacco was booming." He had no trouble getting a job and usually held down two jobs at a time. He grew very close to one of his employers in the Reynolds and American Tobacco companies there who gave him after-work assignments to show horses. Phillip developed a love of horses that would take him into worlds he could never have imagined. He showed horses all over the southeastern United States. He became very involved in saddle bred horses and one of his horses won all the way to Madison Square Garden. "At that time I had a leg injury resulting from a previous accident with one of the horses. Because of that I had to get someone else to ride her, but at least my horse showed there." During those years he enjoyed meeting and getting to know the likes of Jack Dempsey, Will Rogers, Clark Gable and various governors in North Carolina. Phillip came back to Metcalfe County in the '40's after his father Joel had died, and his brother Robert was recruited to run heavy equipment in preparation for WWII. His mother, Mrs Dora Depp, needed him then to run the family farm. His interests in horses never waned, but his work included farming and Angus cattle. He became a director of Farmers Rural Electric Co-op, carrying on a tradition started by his father. He also served on East Kentucky RECC for 25 years. We could say that Phillip Depp is one of Metcalfe County's most well known Senior Citizens. Sparks asked in their talk, "Your life has now spanned nearly this whole century; what's the biggest change you saw?" "The space program," Depp answered without hesitation, "and the technology it took us to get a man on the moon. It's been a different world since that happened.""And on the downside," Sparks asked, "What good things were there about the early part of this century that you miss and would like to go back to?" "I look forward, not back," Phil answered, "I'm in favor of change-- there's no good old days I'd want to go back to." He married Doris Jean Browning of Columbia and they have three children, Phillip, Robert and Dona, and three grandchildren, Josh, Mattie, and Easton. "I put my children through college," he says, "and then sent them back to take computer science because I believe you have to have that to make it in today's world." "Metcalfe County has had a reputation as a pretty rough place in those early years of the century," Sparks said, "now of course it's the greatest place on earth, "but what was it like in more turbulent times?" "I think we've got some of the finest people on earth in Metcalfe County," Depp said. "Back then, on court days, we had the jockeys and the bootleggers all hitting in here at once and they were the ones that caused the problems. Every fourth Monday Circuit Court met in Edmonton and Jockey Street (by where Edmonton Manufacturing is located now) drew everyone who wanted to trade knives, horses or mules. And there was always a bootlegger handy." Although he has lived in Adair County since his marriage, Phil still maintains the land which has remained in the Depp family throughout the century. Related articles For his obituary, click hereTo read three magazine articles detailing Phil Depp's extraordinary service to Kentucky rural electification, including the longest tenure of any RECC director in Kentucky history, 60 years, Click here This story was posted on 2006-08-03 17:36:33
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Breeding Fire Department dues drive is on Doing Donuts Case: Murley pleads Not Guilty; Wilson fails to appear Three LWC employees in student services department promoted CACIDA Aug. 2, 2006 report: Meetings to be 1st Tues., noon Sports: 78 Players in Columbia Open Tennis Tournament Adair County unemployment climbs slightly in June Arraignment today in Doing Donuts, later altercation at Breeding ACHS Class of 76 Reunion News July 2006 Events for the Record Adair Co. Extension Agent, August 1, 2006: Fall vegetables View even more articles in topic News |
 
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