Beech Tree News Network

Cotton Embry is never alone in his work van, even if a family member is not riding with him, there are forty-eight years of memories to keep him company. He has vending machines in five counties. With three nursing homes, factories, and businesses locking down because of COVID 19, access and demand slowed down, but with some factories reopening, he is around seventy-five percent in sales.

Now he wears a mask and gloves to refill machines, and he also has hand sanitizer and Lysol when he gets back in the van.

Cotton and his wife Connie, who everyone remembers from the Public Library where she retired last December, have a daughter, Felicia Elmore, she has many childhood memories of riding with her dad, back then small family stores dotted the countryside, she remembers those fresh bologna sandwiches from those friendly stores. Now she helps her dad with paperwork, emails, and anything to make his day more manageable. She is also always posting healthy recipes on Facebook that she prepares for her family.

Scott, Felicia's husband, is very computer savvy. When he is not working full time with Georgia Pacific in Bowling Green, he is helping Cotton; much has changed. Many of the new machines that Double E utilizes offer touch screen options, wireless debit card readers, and most of the new devices meet special needs requirements. Scott enjoys meeting and quoting a new location and meeting customer needs.

Cotton and Connie have two amazing grandsons, Eagle Scout Tristan, 23, remembers standing in a chair so he could reach the top slots, and sometimes a cake or candy bar would disappear. A valuable lesson he learned from his Pa was when they were unloading mulch from the back of a pickup, Tristan thought if a shovel were good, a coal shovel would be better, in the end, he was exhausted, the lesson was, don't take on more than you can handle. He doesn't get to ride with his Pa very much anymore, between graduating college and living in Mount Sterling, where he works for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Don, 13, a Boy Scout, can't ride with his Pa now because of the virus, but he remembers standing in the chair when he was younger and stopping to get ice cream. Felicia mentioned that the boys helping their Pa and seeing how people interact with each other had given them life skills they will use forever.

Connie occasionally rides with Cotton, and they are hoping when more things open up, they will be able to do a little traveling.

Remember, when you wave to Cotton, you are waving to the whole family.

Check out their Facebook Page, Double E Vending