Individual Details
Gordon Mae Tate
(February 8, 1909 - June 25, 1987)
"Gordon May Tate was born February 8, 1909 and the oldest of nine children. His nickname was "Red." I believe that Gordon was the strongest man that I have ever known. When he worked for the L & N Railroad, he would pick up a railroad tie and put it on his shoulder and carry it to the site it was to be placed. One railroad tie weighs between 175 and 200 pounds. Gordon could do most anything. He helped build a stone fence near Clay's Ferry during the depression. He built a barn that is still standing near the Stoney Run road where he lived at that time. He was an expert at farming and could get more out of an acre of tobacco than anyone I ever knew. He was a good baseball player and could hit a baseball farther than anyone I have ever seen. If he had been given the opportunity I firmly believe he could have given Babe Ruth some serious competition. He married Audrey Mallott from Chillicothe, Ohio whom he met while working in Ohio in the 1920's. Gordon and Audrey were mostly tenant farmers while raising their twelve children. Each child had a job to do on the farm. When Gordon was a tenant on R. E. Pigg's farm, R. E. said that the state of Kentucky should hire Gordon to be the overseer of the roads because he could keep all of his children busy at all times. Gordon bought his own farm in the early 1940s. Gordon gave his life to the Lord in the 1950's. Pete Arnold was the pastor at the Red House Methodist church at the time. He was known for his honesty and hard work among his many friends. Gordon passed away June 25, 1987." (Gordon May Tate, written by his brother, James David Tate.)
"Gordon, Dillard and Paul were inseparable. They grew up during the depression and knew 'hard times.' Gordon had a lot of drive. I don't think there was a mountain that he could not climb or at least figure out a way to get around it. He knew all about baseball and how to make good sorghum molasses. Dillard was a patient, honest and fair man. There was this story about him selling a cow to a neighbor. He had a good milk cow that a neighbor wanted to buy. The neighbor offered him one hundred dollars for the cow but Dillard said the cow was only worth seventy five dollars. This was Dillard Caswell Tate. Paul believed in precision and dedication. If he did a job it was done the right way no matter how long it took. Dillard and Paul used to tell the following story about Gordon. Mom and dad were living in Bell Jones Hollow at the time and the three boys were attending the McCord School on Boonesboro Road. Mother prepared their lunch with 'one meat and biscuit' and 'one blackberry jam and biscuit' for each boy. Mother put their lunch in a lard bucket. Gordon was assigned to carry the lard bucket to school. When noon recess came, the three boys went outside to eat their lunch and opened the lard bucket to find a half a bucket of lard. Gordon had picked up the wrong bucket when they left home and Paul and Dillard never let him live this down. Paul was really the storyteller of the three boys. Gordon used to tell the story about the time they went to Hamilton, Ohio for work and stayed with dad's sister, aunt Jenny. It was cold weather and the water pipes had frozen in the house. Aunt Jenny told them if they needed to go to the bathroom to, "Just do it in your hand and throw it out the window." One time Dillard was sick in bed and Gordon and Audrey had come in from Ohio. Gordon and Audrey came into the room and stood at the foot of Dillard's bed. Gordon said, "Well Dillard, I got married." Dillard replied, "Well Red, you have played hell now." " (The Big Three, written by James David Tate about his three older brothers.)
"Gordon, Dillard and Paul were inseparable. They grew up during the depression and knew 'hard times.' Gordon had a lot of drive. I don't think there was a mountain that he could not climb or at least figure out a way to get around it. He knew all about baseball and how to make good sorghum molasses. Dillard was a patient, honest and fair man. There was this story about him selling a cow to a neighbor. He had a good milk cow that a neighbor wanted to buy. The neighbor offered him one hundred dollars for the cow but Dillard said the cow was only worth seventy five dollars. This was Dillard Caswell Tate. Paul believed in precision and dedication. If he did a job it was done the right way no matter how long it took. Dillard and Paul used to tell the following story about Gordon. Mom and dad were living in Bell Jones Hollow at the time and the three boys were attending the McCord School on Boonesboro Road. Mother prepared their lunch with 'one meat and biscuit' and 'one blackberry jam and biscuit' for each boy. Mother put their lunch in a lard bucket. Gordon was assigned to carry the lard bucket to school. When noon recess came, the three boys went outside to eat their lunch and opened the lard bucket to find a half a bucket of lard. Gordon had picked up the wrong bucket when they left home and Paul and Dillard never let him live this down. Paul was really the storyteller of the three boys. Gordon used to tell the story about the time they went to Hamilton, Ohio for work and stayed with dad's sister, aunt Jenny. It was cold weather and the water pipes had frozen in the house. Aunt Jenny told them if they needed to go to the bathroom to, "Just do it in your hand and throw it out the window." One time Dillard was sick in bed and Gordon and Audrey had come in from Ohio. Gordon and Audrey came into the room and stood at the foot of Dillard's bed. Gordon said, "Well Dillard, I got married." Dillard replied, "Well Red, you have played hell now." " (The Big Three, written by James David Tate about his three older brothers.)
Events
| Birth | February 8, 1909 | Madison County, Kentucky | |||
| Marriage | December 21, 1926 | Audrey Mallot | |||
| Death | June 25, 1987 | Madison County, Kentucky | |||
| Burial | Memorial Gardens, Madison County, Kentucky |
Families
| Spouse | Audrey Mallot (1911 - 1995) |
| Child | Dorothy Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Gordon C. Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Harold Dean Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Donald R. Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Raymond Bonaparte Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Wilma Jean Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Tate ( - ) |
| Child | Richard O. Tate ( - 1972) |
| Child | Janet M. Tate (1937 - 2004) |
| Child | Joyce Ann Tate (1945 - 2005) |
| Father | Ovaton Augustus Tate (1883 - 1978) |
| Mother | Maude Poer (1889 - 1964) |
| Sibling | Dillard Caswell Tate (1910 - 2002) |
| Sibling | Paul Keith Tate (1912 - 1986) |
| Sibling | Anna Margaret Tate (1914 - 1986) |
| Sibling | Florence June Tate (1916 - 2007) |
| Sibling | Edna Earl Tate (1918 - 1932) |
| Sibling | Robert Allen Tate (1920 - ) |
| Sibling | Mary Dean Tate (1924 - 1994) |
| Sibling | James David Tate (1926 - 2006) |