George Proffit Ramey

This story was told to me by my daddy, Don Sweeney. It is a true story and I have read it to him and received his approval. I think you will enjoy it.

George Proffit Ramey was married to my daddy's Aunt Fannie. My daddy says he was a mean man. Story is, that he wasn't too good to Fannie...didn't call the doctors in time...basically they blamed him for her death. She was only 30 when she died and Proffit was remarried before the year was out. I'm not sure why my grandfather continued to associate with him...guessing he was a good drinkin buddy.


When I was 14 or 15 years old me and my daddy went up to Kansas to see Uncle Proffit. We were down at the pool hall and Uncle Proffit decided he wanted a haircut and shave. He knew a barber so they went down to the barber shop and Proffit got up in the chair. Well, the barber gave him the haircut and lathered up his face with the brush and that was alright. Then he got the straight razor out and started honing it on the strap. At this point Uncle Proffit straightened up and watched every move the barber was making. As the barber shaved his face and moved to the side burns Uncle Proffit tensed up and backed away. When the barber got to the scar on his neck Uncle Proffit said, "You don't need to do the scar, just shave around it."

He didn't want the barber messin around that scar. You see, Uncle Proffit had a scar on his throat. It was pretty long and when he smiled it pulled his mouth down on that side.

When the barber was all done Uncle Proffit didn't look too much better than he did before.

Then we went on over to Proffit's house and the men were sippin on whiskey and me being a nosey teenager got to snoopin around. I found a little box and opened it up. Inside was a straight razor. Well, Uncle Proffit saw me messin with that straight razor and asked me, "What are you doing?" Then he got on to my daddy and told me, "Put it up! It just git you in trouble."

Not long after they left daddy asked my grandfather about what had happened and why Uncle Proffit was "a nervous style individual." And THAT is a story! And I will tell you...

To be continued...