D.A. quit school at 15 and went to work on the railroad with his father, Lewis Carlton Sloan. He changed jobs a few times but went back to the railroad where he worked until he retired about 1978
Life on the Railroad
D.A.Sloan Sr. started work on the Seaboard Railroad At Fish Creek Ga. around 1942.They moved to Cedartown Ga.around 1944.Life on the railroad would prove to be a "moving experience" for the Sloans. They moved to Ragland Al. for three months, and D.A. was "rolled" back to Cedartown Ga. They moved back into the same house. Evelyn, they're oldest daughter' was in the 2nd grade at that time.David started school in Cedartown in 1945. They moved to Whitmire S.C. in 1946 for a few months,then on to Carlisle S.C. the remainder of that year and into 1947. From there, they moved to Hiram Ga. for a short time then on to Eastbrook N.C.until March 1949 when D.A was "rolled"once again.They then moved to Odenville Al. where Evelyn, David, and Thelma finished out the school year,D.A Jr. was only 3yrs.old. Grandaddy, Lewis Carlton Sloan, died in Polk Cty. Ga. that summer on Aug.6,1949. From Odenville, they moved to Fort Lawn S.C. where they lived until Evelyn,David and Thelma graduated high school. They moved from there to Waco N.C. for a short time and from there to Wellington Al. where D.A.Jr. graduated from Alexandria High School. In 1965 they moved to Athens,Ga. for a short time, until D.A. Sr. bought his house in Comer Ga., because by now he had seniority on the railroad, and couldn't be "rolled" any more. That's where they lived out the rest of they're lives, D.A.Sr. and Dora Sloan are buried side by side in the Comer Cemetary.
This is not a day by day account, but it gives you an idea of the kind of life they had.
Written by Mark Jenkins(Grandson),as told by Evelyn S. Patman(Daughter)