| At 88, Maida Scruggs Still Gives Of Herself |
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Maida Scruggs was married to Horace Scruggs, Earl’s older brother, for 61 years. She was sixteen and he was nineteen when they went to Judge Roy Cobb in Gaffney and got married. Horace didn’t have a car but every weekend, beginning at the age of seventeen, he walked a few miles to visit Maida. They had met at Flint Hill School in Boiling Springs. Maida and Horace had two sons, James and Hal. She now has 8 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. When they got married, Horace was making 50 cents a day farming for others. They lived in a house with no electricity or running water.
Horace played rhythm guitar and his famous brother, Earl, the banjo. As kids the boys spent many happy hours picking their instruments. The two would start playing a song together in the front yard, then split up and walk around opposite sides of the house until they met in the back to see if they were still playing in time. On weekends, they would often get together to have a “picking” with neighbors.
When asked why Horace didn’t pursue a career in music, his wife said, “he chose a different path.” Horace started working at Gardner-Webb in maintenance and eventually became head of the department of the college. He did that for 29 years. Then for five years, he headed up maintenance at Crawley Hospital in Boiling Springs. Mr. Scruggs passed away on July 19, 2007.
Maida Scruggs has always been strong minded, caring and giving. Even now, she loves to read, draw and do crafts. She gives her drawings away to friends and family and hand makes all of her birthday, Christmas, and special occasion cards. She signs all her artwork “MIGS”. Maida’s unique name came from a combination of the names of her mother, Olamay, and grandmother, Ida.
The Scruggs were a close knit family, often visiting each other in Nashville and Boiling Springs and there was always a pickin’ on the porch or out on the lawn. When I asked Maida if she played any instrument, she said her instrument was “toe tappin’”. Every time Earl came for a visit he would ask her to make him some cornbread. Cornbread and moo juice was the favorite, especially if it was made by Maida.
Horace was drafted and went into the Air Force. Earl couldn’t pass the physical so he kept playing music. She recalled how Earl became part of Bill Monroe’s band. Monroe’s banjo player, David “String Bean” Akeman, was murdered in 1973, thus the band needed a banjo player. Earl’s name came up, so he went to audition in Nashville and was hired. Horace was a well known local musician playing often with his friend, the late, Dr. Bobby Jones and the Flint Hill Bluegrass Band. In 2006 Horace Scruggs was the recipient of the Heritage Bridge Award. Maida recalls Horace listening to WNCW’s “Going Across The Mountain” every Saturday and he would have her call in his requests. You can tell that Maida still cherishes her memories of those Scruggs brothers.
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