August 30, 1979 Thursday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.   I washed and mopped some.  Sew some.  Curt was here allso Pearl and Mr. and Mrs. Lipps.  I went to garden, then up to Stell Kelly's and to the church where we all met and cleaned and fixed tables for Sunday home coming.  


Footnote:    Curt is her brother-in-law.  Pearl is her cousin and Mr. and Mrs. Lipps take care of Pearl.  Stell Kelly is her good friend and fellow church member.   Like to have been there for that homecoming.  The food was the best you will ever find anywhere.  

For all the cousins, I want to remind you that 7 years ago we had the family reunion in Cincinnati.  What a good time we had.   I was reminded because just after everyone left that is when the hurricane struck New Orleans.    We need to talk about getting together again.  

August 29, 1979, Wednesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  I run the sweeper, and cooked dinner.  The sit behind a fan and read all day.  To prayer meeting tonite. 


Footnote:    Like I said, if the church doors were open, she was there.   She did read a lot of books but she doesn't talk about what she was reading.  

August 28, 1979, Tuesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear Cloudy.    Our 42nd. anniversary.  I washed two loads of clothes, took Aunt Rosalee to grocery store and over by Betty's for milk.  Mowed some in the yard.  Went up to Hargus & Thelma's late. 


Footnote:     Aunt Rosalee is married to Millard Baker - her Mother's half-brother.   Betty is a neighbor with a lot of cows.   Hargus is her brother-in-law and Thelma is his wife.   They live close by too.   

August 27, 1979, Monday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, cloudy.   I washed some, mowed some. we were up to Jennings late.



Footnote:    Jennings is her brother who lives nearby.    

I am in Kingsport, Tenn. visiting with Mother.  So I am a little late in publishing.     I took Mother to Big Stone Gap yesterday and we visited a lot of places and picked up Janice after work and drove to Norton to eat supper.  Sandra came and joined us.  We talked for a couple hours and had a nice visit. 

August 26, 1979, Sunday Aunt Estelle wrote

Cloudy, rain.   Janice & Wendi were home.  We stayed in all day.  Jennings & Elizabeth & Curt were all in.  We had the hiding place film at church tonite. 


Footnote:   Janice is her daughter and Wendi is her granddaughter.   They live in Big Stone Gap, Va.  Jennings is her brother  and Elizabeth is his wife and they live nearby.   Curt is her brother-in-law.  I wonder what the hiding place film was all about. 

I am going to Kingsport, Tenn tomorrow, Sunday, to spend some time with Mother.  I won't be able to get online at her house so I will try to get to Panera or Starbucks at some time so I can keep up with the blog.  If I miss a couple days, I will catch up.   We will go to Big Stone to see Aunt Ruth and hopefully Stephen, Anna, Janice and Sandra.    We will go to the Mutual Pharmacy and have lunch or a piece of one of their delicious homemade pies.  Mother likes to sit in there and see if she knows anyone that comes in.  She almost always sees someone she knows. 

August 25, 1979, Saturday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, cloudy, rain.  I went to Pennington early this morn.  brought Uncle Millard, Aunt Rosalee, Millard & I a fish dinner.  This eve we went up to Janice Gail's awhile.  Tonite we walked
up to Jennings & Elizabeth's awhile.  Sandra was out awhile. 




Footnote:     Pennington Gap is a town about 8 miles west of Deep Springs where Aunt Estelle lives.   Uncle Millard and Aunt Rosalee are her relatives who live a couple miles away.  Rosalee is married to Millard Baker, a half-brother to Lula Baker Reasor (Estelle's mother).   Janice is her daughter who lives in Big Stone Gap, a town about 9 miles East.  Jennings is her brother and they live nearby.  Sandra is her neice, daughter of Everette Reasor (Estelle's youngest brother).   

August 24, 1979, Friday Aunt Estelle wrote

Cloudy, rain.  Finished the yard sale.  Did very well I guess.  I was real tired.  Had to go for milk & eggs late.  Mowed the lawn a bit.  The boys hung 2 1/2 loads of tobacco. 




Footnote:   Not much to explain about this day.  Can't believe that she was able to do all that and mow the grass.  Surprised she wasn't in the barn helping with the tobacco.  I bet she did check on them though.   

August 23, 1979 Thursday Aunt Estelle wrote

cloudy, rain.  Cloudy nearly all day.  Lizzie, Maudie Ellen, Ann Giraffe and I had a yard sale.  We had 30 cars to stop.  I enjoyed it.  




Footnote:     Lizzie, Maudie Ellen and Ann Giraffe are all neighbors who live on the "back road".  Not much traffic on the road where they live which is why they brought their yard sale stuff to Aunt Estelle's house.  She lives near a busy highway.    Would like to  have a picture of the stuff they were selling.  She probably enjoyed all the people stopping for the sale. 

August 22, 1979, Wednesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  Had a storm before daylight.  Real hot all day.  I washed some, canned some tomatoes and made some pickles  Pearl and the Lipp's were in allso Virginia McElroy Johnson.  We went up to Jennings late.  To prayer meeting tonite. 



Footnote by Pat:     Pearl is Pearl Barkley and she is a first cousin to Aunt  Estelle, I think.  Pearl's mother and Aunt  Estelle's father were sister/brother, I think.  Stephen will be able to tell me when I see him.  I think the Lipps are people who took care of Pearl.   Virginia Johnson is an old friend of Aunt Estelle's.   They grew up together.  The McElroy's lived in a house built half-way up the mountain side just across the road from the Reasor home where Aunt Estelle grew up.    Virginia married Clarence Johnson (I think  Johnson has a t in it  - Johnston).   They lived in Woodway, Virginia -  a wide place in the road about 4 miles South of Pennington Gap, Va.     When I was a kid,  we visited with the Johnston's often.  They had 2 daughters, Rita Louise and Glenda Carol, and one son, Sonny.    Glenda Carol commited suicide when she was in her thirties, leaving a husband and one daughter.    Rita Louise lives in Florida and I think she is a retired school teacher.  Sonny lives in a beautiful house on Boone Lake - between Kingsport and Johnson City, Tenn.   My brother, Doug, is friends with Sonny and they have been fishing buddies for years .       Jennings is her brother who lives nearby.  

August 21, 1979, Tuesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, cloudy, rain.  A very hot day.  I took Aunt Rosalee to the store early.  Later made some tomato juice.  Reba & Curt were here awhile. 




Footnote by Pat:    Aunt Rosalee is Rosalee Baker, wife of Millard Baker who was the half-brother of Lula Baker Reasor, Estelle's mother.    Millard Baker had lost most of his eyesight by now and he couldn't drive.  I doubt that Aunt Rosalee ever drove a car.    Reba is her sister-in-law and Curt is her brother-in-law.  They both live close by.     Looks like Wendi might have gone back to school by now as she doesn't mention her being there now.  

I was a Leah's last night for a good dinner and she has a garden full of tomatoes.  I said we should be making tomato juice, that is what Aunt Estelle is doing now in her writings.    I picked a shirt tail full of red and yellow tomatoes and then Hope got a basket and picked till the basket was full.   We all brought some home.  Leslie is  home for a few days - she has just finished the first quarter of her last year of radiology school.  Hopefully she will be finished in May.   She helped me with the show that was in Lexington this past weekend.    Dave and Rachel were there for dinner  too.  Max is back in school, 10th grade and we think he is doing OK.    I asked him and he said, "I already discussed that with Mom and that is all I'm going to talk about it."     We don't get much info from him.   He did show me the things he is learning in Geography by showing me the world globe and where he lives.   Today is my last day with Hope - I have been keeping her from 11:00 - 2:00 , Mon - Thur.  while Rachel works.   We have had a good summer together and I am sorry it is over so soon.  She goes to 2nd. grade tomorrow. 

Aug. 20, 1979, Monday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  Early storm this morn.  but we only got a sprinkle.  Millard & I cleaned out the smokehouse.  I washed 3 loads of clothes, made some tomato juice.  Late we went to the garden, got corn, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and potatoes.  We fixed the corn to freeze in the morning. 



Footnote by Pat:    Millard is her husband.  They were certainly busy all day this day.   That was a good haul out of the garden and I bet she gave a lot of it away.  

August 19, 1979, Sunday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, warm.  Janice, Wendi & I rode to Harlan this evening.  Saw a car wreck down at Pennington.  Smith Kevin come out awhile. 



Footnote by Pat:    Janice is her daughter and Wendi is her granddaughter.  Harlan, Kentucky is across the mountain - I think it is Black Mountain.  It is a coal mining town and has a history of violance in the 40's and 50's .  It was called "Bloody Harlan" for years.    I think you had to go thru Pennington Gap, Va. to get to Harlan.    Smith Kevin Reasor is Everette's youngest son.  Everette is Estelle's younger brother.   

August 18, 1979, Saturday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, warmer.   Rosemary called this morning.  We went up to Janice's awhile this evening.  Roy, Edith, Patricia Ann & girls, Sandra & Rob were all here awhile late. 



Footnote by Pat:    Rosemary is her daughter who lives in New Mexico.  Janice is her other daughter who lives in Big Stone Gap, Va.    Edith is her sister and Roy is Edith's husband.   They live in Big Stone too.  Patricia Ann is me, Roy and Edith's daughter,  and the girls are my girls, Leah and Rachel.  We live in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Sandra is her niece, Everette's daughter and Rob is Sandra's husband.  They live in Deep Springs at this time , I think.   

August 17, 1979, Friday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  Very cool at morning.  Turned some heat on.  Warm in afternoon.  I washed some more and canned tomatoes again.  Wendi & I went for milk & eggs.  Curt Ely & Kenneth visited awhile. 




Footnote by Pat:      Wendi is her granddaughter.  Curt Ely and Kenneth are relatives on Millard - her husband's side.  I think they lived in Big Stone Gap but not sure about that. 

It is nice and cool here this morning but not cool enough to turn on heat.   I'm headed to Lexington,Ky. this morning to set up the tent and goodies for the art show Sat. and Sun.  I will be staying with Leslie, my granddaughter, in her little apartment.   She just finished her 1st . quarter of her second and last year of Radiology training.  She loves it but is having to work really hard.   She will help me in the booth tomorrow, Sat.  but has clinic on Sunday.   So it will be good to have some help and get to spend some time with her.    I hope I don't forget to post but I will make it up if I do. 

August 16, 1979, Thursday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  Cool all day.  Rosemary & family got gone about 7 this morn.  I washed 3 loads of clothes and canned 13 quarts of tomatoes.   Went back to the garden late and got a mess of beans.  Radious & Walter were down tonite. 



Footnote by Pat:     Rosemary is her daughter and she is married to Carey Drew Jetton and they have two children, Greg and Shanna.   They live in Hobbs, New Mexico and have been in Virginia for a summer visit.   So they have a long drive to get back home - 2-3 days I'm guessing.  One of these days, I'm going to take a road trip or fly to New Mexico for a visit.    So she got the house cleaned up and started canning.  I'm sure she was sad and lonely and all that work helped her get thru the day.  Radious is a relative and Walter is Radious's husband.  They live nearby. 

I had a comment from Redge that says he was just checking to see what time I got up yesterday.   Well I did get up early but was so distracted with getting things finished for this show this weekend that I forgot to write on the blog.   Not until I was on my way to pick up Hope at 11 AM  did I remember that I needed to post.   I didn't get back home until 3 PM and I posted then.  Sorry for the delay.     
For those of you reading this, I have a question.    In this journal that I have of Aunt Estelle's, she wrote 3 years .  Each page has information for 1979, 1980 and 1981.    I am thinking about writing all three years of entries on each day.  For example.  Today I would record what she wrote for Thur. Aug. 16, 1979 and Sat., Aug. 16, 1980 and Sunday, Aug. 16, 1981.   The entries would be longer and it would take more time to read them  so I want to know if that is something you would like to do.   You can send me an email at statzerart@aol.com as I don't know enough to tell you how to make a comment on the blog.  A couple of you have figured out how to do that and you can comment anytime you want to.           Wendi sent a comment recently wanting to know what the WMU is.  Womens Missionary Union but I don't know what they did.  Part of the church and the men weren't invited.       So now I do have to get back to work.   Thanks for your interest  in this project.    Pat 

August 15, 1979, Wednesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, cloudy.  Cool all day.  We worked on packing for Rosemary and I cooked.  After Janice come we went to Magic Mart.  Edith & Roy come awhile.  Sandra come tonite. 



Footnote by Pat:   Rosemary is her daughter who is visiting from Hobbs, New Mexico.   I think they were packing canned goods for Rosemary to take back home with her.  Janice is her youngest daughter  and she lives in Big Stone Gap, Va.    Magic Mart is a local grocery/variety store.  Edith is her sister and Roy is Edith's husband.   Sandra is her neice, the daughter of Everette and Ruth Reasor.  Everette is Estelle's youngest brother. 

August 14, 1979, Tuesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, coolish.  Wendi & I took Aunt Rosalee to grocery store today.  over by Betty's for milk.  Rosemary & Shanna are spending the night with Janice for she is on call duty. 



Footnote by Pat:      Wendi is her granddaughter.  Aunt Rosalee is her aunt by marriage - she is married to Millard Baker, half-brother to  Lula Baker ( Estelle's mother).    Betty is the woman with all the cows it seems.  Rosemary is her daughter who is visiting from Hobbs, New Mexico and Shanna is  Rosemary's daughter.   Shanna was born Jan. 7, 1965 so she was about 14 years old on this visit.    Rosemary made the trip from Hobbs, New Mexico to Deep Springs, Va. - I don't know how many miles but must have taken 3 days of driving- every year for as long as her Mother and Daddy were living.    She still comes for reunions when we have them.    In the back of this journal, there is a complete list of dates of every visit Rosemary made.       Janice is Estelle's youngest daughter who lives in Big Stone Gap and works at the Lonesome Pine Hospital.  When she was on call, she had to stay close to the hospital.  She worked in the operating room at one time, not sure if that was where she was in 1979. 

August 13, 1979, Monday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, Cloudy.     We washed.  Wendi come real early.  We all went to Appalachia & up to Edith's awhile.  Millard felt real bad and went to bed as soon as we got home.  Jennings & Elizabeth were down late.  Got our first cantaloupe out of the garden today. 


Footnote by Pat:     Wendi is her granddaughter.  Appalachia is a coal mining town about 10 miles away.   You have to drive thru Big Stone Gap and then about 2 miles on to Appalachia.   Edith is her sister who lives in Big Stone Gap.   Millard is her husband.  Jennings is her brother and Elizabeth is his wife.    I know that cantaloupe was tasty.   Cut that up with some fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans and you got a good country meal.  Gotta have a little cornbread baked in that iron skillet to make the meal complete. 

August 12, 1979, Sunday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  Very cool all day.  We all went to church.  Had Mr. John Zion for preacher.  I went to Rest home with the church for services this eve.  Reba, Francis, Bob & boys were in awhile.  Allso Stephen & Justin Reasor. 



Footnote by Pat:     I don't know much about all the preachers they had at the Deep Springs Baptist Church over the years.   Not sure where the Rest home was but probably in Dryden - about 7 miles west.    Reba is her sister-in-law who lives nearby.  Francis was raised by Reba. They lived in Olinger, Va.  (same place as Edythe Lindner was raised)     Francis is married to Bob and they have two or three boys ( I never actually knew her children).  Reba is now deceased and Francis lives in Kingsport.  I think Bob is deceased also.      Stephen is her nephew - oldest son of Everette, her brother.  Justin is Stephen's son.

     Just a note about Edythe Lindner - she came to Cincinnati after she finished high school at Pennington Gap (class mate of Aunt Virginia Shuler) and started working in an ice cream store.  The story is that she had an older brother who lived in Cincinnati already.   She meets and marries the man who owned the ice cream store - now known as United Dairy Farmers (best ice cream in town still).   His name is Carl Lindner and he goes on to become one of the richest men in the country .  Owned Chiquita, Cincinnati Reds at one time, Great American Insurance, United Dairy Farmers and many other things I'm sure.   Great American Ins. just built the tallest building in downtown Cincinnati.    Carl passed away last year and he drove his Rolls Royce right to the end.   The family has given millions to the city for many different causes , building a huge Tennis Center and hospital wings.  Many things in the city  bear the name Lindner.    Edythe is known for the landscape gardens around the huge Baptist Church she belongs to.   Story is that she arrived by private jet for her high school reunion in Pennington Gap - don't know where the plane landed?  

August 11, 1979, Saturday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, cloudy, rain .    It was real cloudy early and cleared.  I dried clothes outside.  About the middle of the eve it rained and rained awful hard around us.  Janice & Wendi,  Judy & Andy and Maude Hyatt Ely were all in awhile.  I went down to the grocery store awhile. 



Footnote by Pat:     Janice is her daughter and Wendi is her granddaughter.  I don't know who Judy & Andy are but I think it might have been Judy Reasor, who was a neighbor , fellow church member and  and might have been a classmate of Janice.   Maude Hyatt was a neighbor.  She was married at one time to Paul Hyatt (I think that was his first name)  and he ran a filling station/grocery store,  It was about a mile from Estelle's house.  She and Maude might have grown up together - seems they might have been close in age.    I remember that they said Maude was still driving her car long after she should have stopped and she was quoted as saying, " Ah, nine times out of ten they won't hit you."    She must have married an Ely man later in life.  I do remember something about that but don't know who he was.            Sorry for the delay in publishing today,  I am working hard on new dolls, etc. in prepartion for a 2 day show in Lexington, Ky next weekend.  I'll be staying in Leslie's apt. with her and she will be helping me with the show.     Gotta get back to work right now. 

August 10, 1979, Friday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, Hot.   Redge & girls had to go home this morning.  Sure hated to see them leave.  We went to Pennington after Janice got off from work.  Up to the garden late.  Gregory mowed the lawn. 




Footnote by Pat:    Redge is her son who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He has two daughters, Jennifer and Leisha.  Redge worked for Pet Dairy.     Pennington Gap is a town about 8 miles West of Deep Springs.   Janice is her daughter who lives in Big Stone Gap and works at the Lonesome Pine Hospital there.  Gregory is her grandson, Rosemary's son and they are visiting from Hobbs, New Mexico.   

August 9, 1979, Thursday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, Hot.  We went to grocery store.  The men went to Penn.  Roy & Edith & Reba, Maudie Ellen & Lizzie were all here.  The kids went to town tonite and Millard, Rosemary, Redge & I rode to Dryden & back to Janice Gail's a minute. 



Footnote by Pat:     I am guessing "the men" was probably Millard (her husband), Redge (her son) and Carey Drew (her son-in-law) and maybe Greg(her grandson).    Roy and Edith are her sister and brother-in-law who live in Big Stone Gap.  Reba is her sister-in-law who lives nearby.  Maudie Ellen and Lizzie were neighbors too.   The "kids" were probably Jennifer, Leisha (Redge's girls) and Greg and Shauna (Rosemary's children).  Don't think they would take Wendi go as she is "too little".    Do you think they just rode around town and maybe went to the Country Boy if it was still there.  Don't know when they closed the Country Boy Drive around restaurant and swimming pool.    We had some good times in that swimming pool and some great picnic lunches on the ground when we were all little.    A sad note about that pool, when intergration started in the 60's, Mr. Gardner filled the pool with dirt as he didn't want the black kids in his pool.     They all rode to Dryden which is about 7 miles to the West and then drove back past their house to go to Big Stone Gap - 9 miles East  to visit with Janice Gail - the youngest daughter.    Something to do on a hot Thursday night. 

Aug. 8, 1979, Wednesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  We had Wendi.  Not quite as hot as yesterday.  Jennings & Elizabeth were in both early & late.  Edith & Roy, Ruth, Sandra & Smith were here.  Allso Reba.  I cooked all morning and was nearly sick.  The girls & I went for milk late.



Footnote by Pat:    Wendi is her granddaughter.  Jennings is her brother and Elizabeth is his wife.  Edith is her sister and Roy is Edith's husband.  They live in Big Stone Gap.   Ruth is her sister-in-law who lives nearby and Sandra and Smith are Ruth's children, Estelle's neice and nephew.  Reba is her sister-in-law on her husband's side. 

Remember, Redge and Rosemary  have come with their children for a vacation  so she is very busy cooking everything from the garden for them.   Also,  word is out that they are home so  everyone wants to see them and they all come visiting.   Ruth is married to Everette, Estelle's youngest brother. She lived in the "old homeplace" for years, raised her children there, and eventually she had a nice trailer put on the property and lived there for many more years.    Aunt Ruth is now living in Big Stone Gap in a rest home.  Mother and I visit with her when we can.  She always seems so happy that we stopped for a visit.  

August 7, 1979, Tuesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, hot.  We had Wendi.  Redge & girls got in about 2 o'clock and Rosemary & kids got in about 9:30 tonite.  I went to missionary society. 



Footnote by Pat:   Wendi is her granddaughter.  Redge is her son and he has two daughters, Jennifer and Leisha - they live in Charlotte, NC.     Rosemary is her daughter and she has a son, Greg and a daughter, Shauna.  They live in Hobbs, NM.    

So Redge drives all day and Rosemary drives 3 days to get home and she goes to Missionary Society.   As I said before, if the church door was open, she was there.    I'm sure she fixed a big supper for everyone before she left and she was probably back home before Rosemary arrived.  

On this day in 1980, Aunt Elizabeth Reasor died.  She was the wife of Jennings, Estelle's brother.  She had two children, Betty Jean and Kenneth.  Betty Jean has three children and Kenneth has 4 children.   So Jennings and Elizabeth had 7 grandchildren and now there are several great-grandchildren.  Kenneth has 3 sons so the Reasor name will continue for another generation. 

Aug. 6, 1979, Monday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, Very hot.     I went to the garden early.  Then Wendi & I went for milk.  We took her home and got car tags and was up in  court house and Mr. Wampler's office about Millard's black lung.  Stopped at Edith's a while allso at Mrs. Stipes Millard's cousin. 



Footnote by Pat:   Wendi is her granddaughter.  Mr. Wampler, I think, was a Congressman at that time.   His office was probably helping them with the paperwork for the Black Lung Pension that was available to coal miners.    Edith is her sister who lives in Big Stone Gap, Va.     I have never heard of a Mrs. Stipes.  Must have been a relative of Millard, her husband.   

When we moved to Cincinnati in 1968,  I did some volunteer work for the Urban Appalachian Council.   I set up a program to help the displaced coal miners who had moved to Cincinnati for work back in the 50's when coal mining was not so good.    By the early 70's they were beginning to show signs of black lung disease caused by years of work in the coal mines underground with poor venilation.  The goverment established a program to compensate the miners with a monthly payment - not much but it helped some with all the medical bills.   The paperwork was very complicated and because  some of the miners had dropped out of school early,  they were having trouble completing the application.  Plus the goverment wanted a birth certificate which many of the miners never had.   So my job was to help them get the paperwork together.  We were successful most of the time.    There is a lot more to this story about Black Lung disease that I was involved with, but I will save that for another time.   

Aug. 5, 1979, Sunday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, Hot.  Curt, Janice & Wendi eat with us.  Janice & I went up to Fabric shop.  Jack Reasor, Cora and her sister & Reba all visited this eve.  We had the Good News quartette tonite.



Footnote by Pat:   Curt is her brother-in-law.  Janice is her daughter and Wendi is her granddaughter.  The Fabric Shop was called the "Five Sisters" - I think.  It was a shop that was owned by the Trigiana family - and Adrianna was one of the sisters.  She is the now famous author whose first book was called "Big Stone Gap".   She has gone on to write many more books, some of which have been on the New York Times bestsellers list.  She started out as a writer for the old Bill Cosby show.    Her father moved the family from Pennsylvania and set up a "shirt factory" in the Cadet section of Big Stone Gap.    I remember Jack Reasor but I am not sure just how he is related to the family.   Reba is her sister-in-law who lived nearby.   Like I have said, if the church door was open, she was there. 

Aug. 4, 1979, Saturday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  I cleaned house all morning.  Sold a load of hay about noon.  Then we went to town.  I visited Boots Allman who lost a Bro. this week  We  visited Mrs. Masters and Mrs. Otey a minute and up to Janice Gails awhile and back by Edith & Roy's awhile. 



Footnote by Pat:     Would love to know how much she got for the load of hay.   Not what it was worth I'm sure.   When she says we went to town, she means Big Stone Gap, Va., about 9 miles Northeast.     Boots Allman is the next door neighbor of Ediths, they live in Big Stone Gap, Va.  Boots was a good neighbor when I was growing up.  She and Frank didn't have any children so she thought all the neighborhood children were hers.  She was the first one in the door if someone was sick and she made the best pineapple pies ever.    Mrs. Masters was also a neighbor of Ediths.  If it is the same Grace Masters that I know, she lived across the street from Ediths and she lived with her Daddy, never married, worked in a Department store in town.    May be a different Masters family though as she knew a lot of people in Big Stone.   I have heard of Mrs.  Otey but don't know anything about her.  Janice Gail is her youngest daughter.  Edith is her youngest sister and Roy is Edith's husband  (my Mother and Daddy).    Aunt Estelle would come down the driveway to our house and always come in the back door.  She would just show up.  I remember Aunt Estelle loved chocolate chip cookies that Mother made and when she ate them, she would pick out the chocolate chips and just eat the cookie.  Mother didn't like it when she did  that.   Oh, the silly things we remember. 

Aug. 3, 1979, Friday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear, Hot.  We have Wendi.  I went to the garden for potatoes.  Wendi & I went for eggs.  Pearl, Val and June were here a while, allso Curtis, Stell Kelly came tonite, allso Jennings & Elizabeth. 


Footnote by Pat:    Wendi is her granddaughter.  Wonder what she did with those potatoes? I remember she would dig the potatoes when they were small and very white  and she would put salt on them and bake them in an iron skillet in the oven.  That was like eating candy.    Pearl, Val and June were neighbors.  Curtis is her brother-in-law.  Stell Kelly is her good friend as I think she probably grew up with her.  Jennings is her brother and Elizabeth is his wife.  They live very close  to her house.            I had a very nice birthday, thanks for all the greetings.  

Aug. 2, 1979, Thursday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.  I went to the garden early this morn.  Fixed some beans & corn.  This evening I felt like I was getting Bladder infection so went to the Dr. and he couldn't find a thing.


Footnote by Pat:    Knowing her, she was probably still worried about Elmer  Bowling leaving the church and made herself think she was sick.  Our minds can do strange things to us especially when we are worried.     I have a quote that I embroider on dolls:   "Worry is like a treadmill, it wears you out and gets you nowhere".       I know those beans and corn were good.  

Thanks to all the relatives and friends for the birthday wishes.  I was just thinking, I was 38 in 1979 when Aunt Estelle was writing in this book.  I was divorced in 1974 and Leah and Rachel were 10 & 8 years old in 1979.  I was working as a travel agent and took the girls on our first cruise about this time of year in 1979.    Not easy raising the girls alone and not much financial help but we did it and have no regrets.   

Aug. 1, 1979, Wednesday Aunt Estelle wrote

Clear.   Hot.  We have Wendi.  I swept the floors.  Lillie Davis brought me some Blackberries.  I made Jam.  Late she & James mowed the lawn.  I worried all night and didn't sleep because Elmer Bowling announced he was quitting the church.  I wonder if he is doing right. 


Footnote by Pat:     Wendi is her granddaughter.  Lillie Davis must be a neighbor, I don't remember her  or James.   Elmer Bowling must have been a good church member and friend.   I don't know why he would "announce" that.  Why wouldn't he just quit coming to that church?   Maybe he was a Deacon or had an important position in the church. 

Some birthdates, etc. for August:     My birthday is Aug. 2, 1941 - I am soooo old.    Betty Jean Reasor Gay was born on Aug. 16, 1935.  She was the first grandchild born in the 3rd. generation.  Sadly, she died Sept. 30, 2008.     Martin Allen Gay was born Aug. 20, 1968.  He is the son of Betty Jean and Fred Gay and the grandson of Jennings and Elizabeth Reasor.  I think he grew up in Arkansas but not sure where he is now.       Smith Kevin Reasor married Linda Louise Kinder on Aug. 20, 1988.    Smith is the youngest son of Ruth and Everette Reasor.   He grew up in the "old homeplace" in Deep Springs, Va.   He and his family live in Rural Retreat (I think), Va.      Becky Gay White was born Aug. 31, 1957.    I am sorry that I don't know Becky's full name - I think it is Rebecca but not sure.   She lives in or near Little Rock, Arkansas now.    She is the first great-grandchild born making her the first of the 4th. generation.  She is the daughter of Betty Jean and Fred Gay and the granddaughter of Jennings and Elizabeth Reasor.     On Aug. 7, 1980, Elizabeth Reasor died.  She had been sick for some time.   She is the wife of Jennings and they lived most of their life in Flint, Michigan.  After Jennings retired from Chevrolet, they moved back to Deep Springs where they had a house trailer set on a piece of the Reasor land.    They seemed to be very happy there and my Daddy loved having Uncle Jennings there to go with him to feed the cows and work in the garden .    Uncle Everette and Uncle Jennings both died in the yard of the "old homeplace"  - both of heart attack.      Have a good August - try to stay cool!!!