Martins Creek — Alice Lovingood Chastain is 85, but she does not act her age. Born in 1937, Chastain grew up and spent most of her life in Hanging Dog – with the exception of a couple of years spent in Ohio after high school, where her husband, Jimmy, went to work for the Ford Motor Co.
After Jimmy was laid off, the couple returned to Cherokee County. Chastain worked at Clifton Precision, which is now Moog in Peachtree, where she did wire stripping on the line.
Between work and raising three children, she was a busy lady.
In the mid-1950s, Elvis Presley had become a singing sensation, and Chastain was a huge fan.
“I have liked him all my life,” she said. “His voice was wonderful, and that’s the only music I ever loved.
“I didn’t have a dime to go to the movies or nothing. I got some of his records here. I loved his gospel music, you know, the religious stuff. ‘Peace in the Valley’ is my favorite song, and every once in a while I call the (WKRK-AM 1320, FM 105.5) radio station and have ‘em to play it for me.”
Even at 85, nothing seems to be slowing down this feisty lady.
“I mow my own yard, and get on the roof and clean my gutters,” Chastain said with her usual laughter.
Her daughter added, “Recently she ran her riding mower in to the ditch, but she jumped off before it went in. It had to be pulled out with a tractor.”
Chastain proudly said she has 20 chickens, feeding them morning and night. She also collects their eggs.
Chastain recalled a friend of hers from Murphy High School many years ago. She and Gene “Sonny” Hughes went on just one or two dates before Hughes left to join the U.S. Navy.
After his service in the military, he returned to find that Alice had moved on. She married Jimmy Chastain and started her family. Hughes said he thought about her often, even though Chastain admitted she hadn’t thought much about him.
About six years ago, Hughes’ wife passed away. When he saw the notice in the obituaries that Chastain’s husband died, he decided to reach out to his high school friend. The two are back in touch and dating after 66 years of living separate lives.
While Chastain was raising a family and working at her own job, Hughes was traveling the world. He was a drummer, playing for such bands with artists like Joe South, Gene Pitney, Billy Joe Royal, Billy “Crash” Craddock and Aretha Franklin.
Hughes has also played locally at Chevelles and the former Doyle’s Cedar Hill restaurants. He started his musical career in Atlanta in the 1960s.
Although Hughes lives in Buford, Ga., the two are together often and enjoy just hanging out with one another.
When asked how she feels about being with her friend after all these years, Chastain stated with a chuckle, “I’ve just been so flabbergasted, I mean, it’s just unreal.”
“He got to writing me letters, and I wrote him back and now here we are.” Hughes added, “We both fainted.”
Today, Chastain lives in Martins Creek. She loves gardening, canning, making quilts and writing letters to her friends. She doesn’t do email nor have any use for computers.
She loves sports, especially NASCAR. Her favorite drivers are Bill Elliott and his son, Chase, with the No. 9 car.
Chastain also loves her television shows. She enjoys watching Westerns, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. And don’t even think about asking her to change the channel when The Bachelor is on.