Childhood friend shares a memory

BY MARY LOU BUSH

APPALACHIA NEWS • 565-1386

gabgrandadva@yahoo.com

More Memories

I appreciate the email from Harold Hall, a childhood friend from the Wildcat section of Big Stone Gap. He shared some of the memories I had forgotten about. 

The main gathering place any time of the day was the old grocery store owned by Amos and Mary Pearcy and their three children, Kyle, Sue and Patricia.

The pasture field near the old store was the place where a lot of baseball was played and enjoyed by everyone. Kyle Amos was a very good baseball player.

The front porch of the store was where the boys and girls gathered to talk and drink a bottle of soda pop or as we called it “dope”. Just our slang talk then.

The lot next to my Grannie Graham’s house was used to pitch horseshoes and this attracted a lot of horseshoe pitchers in the area.

The Pearcy family sold the store to Jim and Julia Grubb and they ran the store for many years. I do not think I will ever forget the familiar oil smell of the wooden floors in the store. Anything you would need was found in this store. 

This was a way of life for everyone, farming, cattle, hard work for everyone.

Your memories are welcome anytime Harold.

We have Post paper subscribers in many different states and they like to be reminded of the good old days we all spent in our former years together.

Groundhog Day

Tuesday, Feb. 2 there was a snow of several inches in our area so Mr. Groundhog could not see his shadow! So if we depend on him seeing or not seeing his shadow it would be “no shadow”, sun was not out. We all saw that on Feb. 2 this year so now we are supposed to have 6 weeks of fair weather. I hope this old saying is true. I am ready for some warm sunny days so I can sit on my porch.

Happy Birthday

Emma Jane James

Today, Feb. 4 our dear friend Emma Jane James will be celebrating her birthday. Emma has lived at Heritage Hall Rehab and Nursing Home in Big Stone Gap for the last eight or nine years. 

She loved Appalachia and lived her life here until she was unable to live alone.

Happy Birthday Emma from your friends in Appalachia.

Birthday Celebration

A birthday celebration was held on Sunday in the Wildcat section of Big Stone Gap at the home of Larry Flanary.

Larry’s wife, Glenda, prepared the birthday celebration meal for their family to enjoy. Larry celebrated his 78th year birthday with those he loved. 

Larry testifies he loves God, Glenda his wife, his two children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and his mother-in-law Louise Henegar and all family members.

Back at The Laurels

We are happy to report our friend Nancy Buchanan is back in her room at The Laurels in Norton. The heart attack and double pneumonia has weakened her body and it will take time and therapy to help her regain her strength.

Nancy is happy to be back with her friends/family.

Thank You

Thank you Sally for the very beautiful card you sent to us. We cherish your friendship and kindness.

Celebrates 50th Anniversary 

Sunday, January 31 Darrell and Sue Rowland celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We wish them many more years to come.

Neighborhoods Videoed

If any of the former Appalachia and surrounding Coal Camps people are on Facebook under Home Boys and Home Girls, Chuck Taylor and Bonnie Pope-Scruggs have videoed our neighborhoods, Arno, Derby, Stonega, Osaka, Rhoda, Imboden, Exeter, Inman, Andover and most all streets in Appalachia.

Condolences

Herbert (Herbie) Stipe passed away last week. He was under the care of Hospice with his illness. He lived in Dryden. He was born and reared in Inman. We send our condolences to his family. Herbert is survived by his sister, Nancy Vincer, his daughter LeeAnn and grandchild.

Herbert was preceded in death by his parents Herb and Florie Stipe, sisters and brothers.

Scenic Drive

Gary and I took a scenic drive through the streets in and around Appalachia and the downtown area. 

Many houses are occupied by new families at the addresses where we remembered the original owners 50 years earlier. The houses were very well kept and their yards were beautiful with seasonal flowers and shrubs and large trees for the shade on their homes. We remembered the names of the former owners.

The empty buildings on Main Street we still recognize as Mack’s, Shorty’s, Fuller’s Dept. Store, Buck & Gene’s, M. D. Colliers store and various other businesses in the past.

A town that was once called “The Hub” of Wise County. There were coal trains, schools, department stores, three pharmacies, theatre, hospital, banks, gas stations, (too many to count grocery stores), doctors, dentist, men’s taylor shops, shoe shops, cab stands, beauty salons, barber shops, hardware stores, ABC store, restaurants galore with great food and many more businesses I cannot recall. There were boarding houses and the big hotel in town. A am sure you can recall businesses that I have not mentioned due to my memory recall.

There have been many factors in the past 50+ years that have contributed to the loss of businesses and migration of many citizens in and around our hometown. The building of Highway US 23 through Powell Valley, the coal mining industry being shut down due to regulations and moving away from fossil fuels, the loss of our high school and elementary school and families finding more comfortable living in new modern homes.

While it may appear all is lost, it’s not! Many leaders in our town are looking and searching for ways to make the community better through assertive thinking. Rally behind them and do all you can to put more life in our wonderful town.