Mitchell Scruggs, father of Pro Extreme driver Jason Scruggs, grew up the son of a poor sharecropper in Tupelo Ms, in a house doctor’s deemed too cold for a new baby. On the day he was born, 14 year old Elvis Pressley, living four miles down the road, was doing what ever teenagers did back in 1949.
Today, Scruggs builds the engines for his son’s Pro Extreme Camaro while Elvis rests in eternity at Graceland.
Mitchell Scruggs, father of Pro Extreme driver Jason Scruggs, grew up the son of a poor sharecropper in Tupelo Ms, in a
house doctor’s deemed too cold for a new baby. On the day he was born, 14 year old Elvis Pressley, living four miles down the road, was doing what ever teenagers did back in 1949.
Today, Scruggs builds the engines for his son’s Pro Extreme Camaro while Elvis rests in eternity at Graceland.
The two men share more than just a hometown. There will always be Mrs. Oleta Grimes, the fifth grade teacher in high heels, to both Elvis and Scruggs.
“When I was in the fifth grade,” started Scruggs, “I had the same teacher as Elvis. Elvis has already started making it big. In 1960, he came to visit her in his long pink Cadillac. He came to the room. She was in the back of the room and she took off running to the front with those high heel shoes – I will never forget it. They were hugging and kissing on each other.”
Mrs. Grimes, childless, had helped Elvis and his mother during hard times.
“Mrs. Pressley ironed for Mrs. Grimes and Elvis cut her grass and washed her windows.”
It was as if Elvis was the son Mrs. Grimes never had, explained Scruggs. When the hugging and kissing was over, Elvis sung for his favorite teacher, singing her favorite song, Red Foley’s Old Shep, and sang for the entire class.
“I will always remember that because it was something really special for a fifth grade kid to see a famous star like that and Elvis, he and all his cousins they were a good bunch of people. They were just like us – they were real poor.
“They were always really good people, just poor. Of course, Elvis made it out of all that with his singing. But, he came back and he would give his cousins guitars and instruments. There were some of his cousins that were talented just like Elvis.”
One of those cousins, remembered Scruggs, became the sheriff of Lee County. Unfortunately, the cousin met an untimely demise when a rapist he was chasing shot him through the chest.
Telling his story, Scruggs suddenly remembered another fact about the fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Grimes.
“One thing I remember about her and I am sure if Elvis was living he would too – you had to stay in at recess until you learned the Presidents in order.”
Scruggs learned well, a smile coming across his face as he recited, “Washington Adams Jefferson Madison Monroe Adams Jackson Van Buren Harrison Polk Taylor Fillmore Pierce Buchanan Lincoln Grant Taylor Hayes … when you stay in for recess for six months you don’t forget ‘em and Elvis didn’t forget ‘em either.”
