Rockbridge County, VA-- Lexington Gazette- Past 80 Club ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************** ************************************************************************** The records for this work have been submitted by Angela M. Ruley, reddog@rockbridge.net, Natural Bridge, VA, unless otherwise indicated. [©1997 All rights reserved.] ************************************************************************** ************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 10 June 1953, p. 8. PAST 80 CLUB Mrs. Alfred Clark On Black's Creek there lives a quiet, modest little lady who deserves to be selected the mother of the year. She is Mrs. Alfred Clark, the mother of 13 and will be 87 years young on September 10th. Yes, I say young, for until the past few months she was just as active as many persons 20 years younger. She worked in the garden and bragged that she could climb a cherry tree as well as any one. Before her marriage Mrs. Clark was Miss Sally Frances Nicely of Collierstown. There were 10 children in her family and now she only has one brother and one sister living. They are: Mr. Douglas Nicely of Clifton Forge and Mrs. Charles Hickman of Glasgow. The winters were much colder back in the years when Mrs. Clark was in school. She told of how she walked on the top the drifted snow across the hills to the Black's Creek school which was taught by Mr. John Deacon. When she was just a tiny tot her parents took her to the Methodist Sunday school where Mr. James Urvin was superintendent. The first hymns she learned were, "I want to be an Angel" and "There Is a Happy Land". Mrs. Clark began her home duties at an early age. When she was 10, her mother was called away to care for the sick and she was left to do the house work. She was so small that she could not reach up on the CORD beds but had to climb on the side to put the blankets, spreads, etc. on. (Cord beds were much higher from the floor than our beds of today). One day while her mother was away, company came in for dinner and she was baking corn cakes over the fireplace. They stuck to the baker and she was ashamed to give them to her guests so she put a cake of wheat bread in the baker. At that time her father was working at a sawmill and she carried his dinner to him. One day while she was waiting for him to eat his dinner she looked thru the cracks int he floor and saw an eel in the mill race. She went and caught it and carried it home in his dinner bucket. Unfortunately the eel later escaped thru an auger hole in the milk box at the spring where she was keeping it. In her younger days Mrs. Clark's hobby was weaving. She recalled each step beginning with the wool from the back of the sheep, washing it, carding it, dyeing and weaving it into trousers for her brothers. She also wove many a web of carpet and blankets not to mention the yards of carpet rags she sewed. When she married Mr. Clark they moved to her present home. Their first house burned down and they built the present one on the same foundation. To this union there were 13 children and 9 are living: L. H. Clark, Cleveland, Ohio; C. B. Clark, Cleveland, Ohio; N. A. Clark, Columbus, Ohio; J. S. Clark, Detroit, Mich.; Mrs. Laverta Dew, Covington; Mrs. Gladys Fridley, Clifton Forge; I. G. Clark and Curtis Clark, near Lexington; Miss Homie Clark, Bridgeport, Ohio. She also has 25 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Mr. Clark died in 1940 and shortly after that her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Clark bought the home place and Mrs. Clark makes her home with them. Mrs. Clark has led a most active and useful life. During the years she was raising her family she was always on call as a mid-wife. She doesn't recall the number of maternity cases that she took care of but says she didn't lose a one. She followed this profession up until about 10 years ago. During the flu epidemic of 1918 she and her husband went from house to house to do what they could. She has been the next thing to a community doctor. She has always been able to go any where she wanted with the exception of several sick spells. This past winter she was confined to her bed for several months. At present she goes every where, dresses her self including taking care of her long hair. She is very independent and never likes to call for help. Her nerve increases with her age. About three weeks ago she came out on her porch and found a copperhead snake stretched out in the sun. She crossed the yard to the garage to get a hoe to kill it and by the time she returned it had disappeared. Spunky as she is, she didn't give up but kept looking until she found it at the side of the house behind a flower pot and killed it. Leave it to Grandma! ***************************************************************************************** The Lexington Gazette, Wednesday August 12, 1953, p. 9. PAST 80 CLUB Mrs. Emma B. Moore Have you ever driven to the top of a mountain and been compelled to stop and admire the view afforded by the hills and valleys stretching off for miles in the distance? How would you like to have just such a view from your front porch? A short time ago the writer visited just such a person. She is Mrs. Emma B. Moore who lives about as far as you can go in a car up the side of House Mountain going toward "Student Rock". Mrs. Moore who was born September 1, 1870 on Whistle Creek, has lived in the vicinity of House Mountain most of her life. When she was younger she thought nothing of walking to Lexington to sell fresh vegetables, fruit and produce grown on her little farm. As a matter of fact she said that she often walked to town three times a week. Life has not been too easy for her, but she has enjoyed every minute of it. She remembers walking to school with snow up to her knees, and all her life she has carried water from a spring to her house. Now she has electricity in the house which brings her the outside world by means of the radio. She has always enjoyed reading especially Sunday School papers and the local news papers. She is a member of the Lexington Presbyterian Church and for years she has been a regular attendant of the House Mountain Chapel, a part of the Lexington Church. One thing that she complains of now is that she can not get to services as often as she would like to. She expressed herself this way, "I would rather go to church than eat". Her husband, the late John L. Moore, Jr., was a carpenter and worked for Jim McCoy and R. L. Childress of Lexington, helped build the Chapel at the foot of House Mountain. To the question to "What do you attribute your long life?" she replied simply and sincerely, "The Good Lord let me live". A daughter supplied the information that Mrs. Moore enjoyed doing things to help other people and that she had many friends. She recalls that one of her first teachers was Miss Emma Byers and she said with a smile, "I was pretty good in Arithmetic." Her parents were Susan Agnor Smith and Robert Smith. When she was sixteen she married John L. (Liley) Moore, Jr. Of her ten children 8 are still living and she has 40 grandchildren, and 35 great grandchildren living. Her living children are: Mrs. Porter Black, Route 4; Mrs. Porter Smith, Lexington; William G. Moore who lives with his mother; Mrs. Katherine Entsminger, Rt. 2; Mrs. W. L. Carter, Lexington; Mrs. J. D. Vest, Rt. 2; Frazier, Rt. 2; James E. Moore, Rt. 2, who also lives with his mother. ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 16 September 1953 PAST 80 CLUB William Edward Tyree When I drove out to interview Mr. William Edward Tyree, I found him picking tomatoes from his staked plants which proves he is not idle even though he has retired. He and his wife are now making their home with their daughter, Mrs. Alice Supinger in a very attractive country home just off the Fairfield-Brownsburg road in a perfect location to rest. Mr. Tyree was born June 27th, 1872 on the Dave Hart farm in the Kerr's Creek community. His parents were Lyelyn (Lew) Tyree of Amherst and his mother Sarah Conner Tyree of Rockbridge county. When he was three years old his parents moved to Ohio where his father died of typhoid fever and his brother of diptheria. From that time until he was seven he and his mother were in Ohio, Huntington, W. Va., and Virginia, just back and forth with relatives. While in Ohio Mr. Tyree had a great experience for a boy of that time. He crossed the Ohio river three ways- on a skiff, he explained was pulled by oars, also on a ferry which carried noth passengers and vehicles, and on a steam boat. The colored maid on the steam boat showed him a mirror which lightning had struck and that really made an impression on his young mind, not yet seven. When they first came back to this county they located at Rockbridge Baths and he began his school career at the Powers school. This he explained was the 2nd Powers school and was put together with planks and plaster. Those must have been gay old days according to what the pupils got by with. One Christmas when Miss Fannie Kirkpatrick the teacher was not planning to give a treat the pupils barred her out. It was the day before Christmas, cloudy and "blue cold" when the pupils arrived early and kept the teacher outside for two or three hours. She at last gave up and the treat was promised. Frank Tankersley was the boy who made the plans and then got cold feet and then was late arriving and Frank Beard held one of the boys up so that he could unhook the outside blind. Mr. Tyree said he was never so scared in all his life as when he heard some one on the outside say that if the pupils didn't open the door they would put sulphur down the chimney and smoke them out. He grabbed the poker, pushed the window up and headed for other parts. Other schools in the county which Mr. Tyree attended were: Timber Ridge, Fredericksburg school near Rockbridge Baths where Fayette Adair taught and a small school near Wesley Chapel. It was at Timber Ridge where the boys played :chasing the hound" and lots of times were late for BOOKS, or as children now would say lte for the ringing of teh bell at the close of recess. They also had another game which sounds strange to children of today- they would make clay balls and put on the end of a supple switch and let it fly. Mr. Tyree got to be rather good with his aim and on one occasion knocked Sandy Gibson's hat from his head. Mr. John Tardy was teacher at that time so it is understood punishment was always given where it was needed. It was also at Timber Ridge School that Mr. Charlie Hileman was his desk mate and one day they were scuffling over an apple in the desk and Mr. Tardy "Whacked" them over the back with his switch. On December 27, 1893, Mr. Tyree married Miss Cornelia Blanche Conner of Rockbridge Baths. She was a very religious girl and some time before their marriage when she was corresponding with him she invited him to come to the Baths and attend a revival with her and join the church, which he did. Mr. Tyree in telling this said, "How many girls of today would take that much interest in the religious welfare of their boy friends?" To this union there were 12 children born and 11 are living: Mrs. Lola Patterson, Roanoke; Homer Tyree, Moffatts Creek; Ora Tyree at home; Charles Tyree, Lexington; Mrs. Ruth Morrison, Newport News; Mrs. Alice Supinger, at home; William Tyree, Jr, Newport News; Miss Frances Tyree, at home; Mrs. Mary Drawbond, Raphine; Mrs. Harry Snider, Rockbridge Baths; Palmer Tyree, Front Royal. There are now 25 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. Mr. Tyree said when they were married it was during the Cleveland administration and times were hard. They went to housekeeping at the Luther Engleman place in the Alone community. Later they moved to the farm of William Sterrett at Rockbridge Baths where he worked by the year for some time and then he rented the farm for 27 years and worked as a share cropper and operator. It was here the majority of their children were born so Mr. Tyree laughed and said "The most of my share was babies, 12 of them." Twenty-four years ago he moved to "Cypress Farm" owned by J. Wilson near Fairfield where he share cropped until he retired 5 years ago and came to the present home which he said should be called "Windy Hill", as they catch it all there. In talking about his farming days he recalled working for 19 years on the Phillip Engleman farm for $12 a month and the use of a horse. Also that when he was working on the Sterrett farm he shucked 40 barrels of corn in one day, which shows he was a real man. Mr. Tyree served on the Electrical Board at Raphine for a number of years as secretary of the Sunday school at the Methodist church at Rockbridge Baths and is a member of the Modern Woodmen fraternal organization. He has always had a wonderful sense of humor which is probably one thing which has carried him through his long life in such good condition, along with taking care of himself. Some years ago when one of his daughters was married they tell this story about him. The daughter told the family she was planning to marry but when the time came she went away twith her intended husband and returned home right after the wedding. Her husband was a little timid in telling Mr. Tyree but finally got up nerve enough. He studied for some minutes and then surprised the young many by saying, "Do you know any other young man who would like to have another of my girls?" ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 4 November 1953, p. 3. PAST 80 CLUB Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hickman Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hickman who live near Glasgow enjoyed most unusual health until late years. In 1948, Mr. Hickman, who will be 83 in November, fell from a hay wagon and broke his pelvis bone. After several weeks in bed he was able to walk some without a crutch or cane. Last summer he had a second fall, while walking in the yard, and cut his head which required 8 stitches. For some time now he has only been getting out of bed when some one takes him up on occasions when he feels his best he travels across the hall to see his invalid wife. Mr. Hickman is a direct descendant of Adam Hickman, who was one of the early settlers in Rockbridge County. His present farm is a portion of the original homestead on which Adam Hickman settled under the Borden Grant. He was the son of Josiah Hickman and Margaret Armentrout Hickman and the only living one of their 5 children. Mr. Hickman has been a life long member of the Natural Bridge Baptist church where he served as deacon and trustee. He was an earnest worker in the starting of the building fund for the present new church. Mr. Hickman was a director of the Glasgow Bank and although always a rather quiet man was ever an ardent worker for the promotion of schools and the improvement of highways. He fought forest fires for 40 years as a free lance fighter before being made a deputy Fire Warden for the southern part of the county. Mrs. Hickman, who will be 85 on Februry 6th, was the former Mary Jane Nicely, youngest daughter of John Alexander and Eliza Jane Nicely. Out of a family of 10, she has a sister, Mrs. Alfred Clark of Collierstown, one brother Mr. Douglas Nicely of Clifton Forge are all that are living. As a young girl she was very talented in the art of knitting and weaving. She could spin the yarn from the sheeps fleece and with the use of home dyes - chestnut bark, walnuts, onion skins and berries she made it into the colors wanted. With this she knitted socks for the older boys and laces for the girls. One of her prize possessions now is the colonial red coverlet for which she spun the yarn before she was married. Like her husband she has been a life long member of the Natural Bridge Baptist church and was an earnest worker in the starting of the building fund for the new church. On February 26th Mrs. Hickman suffered a stroke and spent 4 weeks in the local hospital. The first two weeks of this period she was so ill that she had to be fed through her nose. Now she is back in her own home, across the hall from her invalid husband and spends all of the time in bed except when her bed is being changed. Her daughters and a nurse take care of her and keep her comfortable. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hickman have always been very interested in the young people of the community and practiced the good neighbor policy. Their understanding was unusual and they were ever ready to lend a helping hand when needed. A stranger was never turned from their door when seeking shelter. To this union there are 10 children and 9 are living: Misses Annie and Ida and Joshiah Hickman at home; Mrs. M. Y. Ripley, Roanoke; Mrs. John Craft who is principal at Dumfries school at Dumfries, Va; Mrs. isaac Allen, Buena Vista; Miss Lulu Hickman, Richmond; Newton Hickman, Buena Vista; Fletcher Hickman, Natural Bridge Station. They now have 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. They celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1940 and 60th in 1950 with all of their 9 children with them. ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette 11 November 1953, p. 6. PAST 80 CLUB Miss Mary Agnes Rowsey Miss Mary Agnes Rowsey, ("Miss Molly") is another Rockbridge County resident that loves the mountains. In fact she lives farther up on House Mountain than most people want to take a car. She was born about a file from the little house she now lives in on January 18, 1869, the daughter of Nancy Jane Hostetter Rowsey and Henry Rowsey, a farmer. Her present home, which sits in a little clearing, was her father's home. "miss Molley" was one of five sisters, two of whom are still living, Martha Jane Best of Big Island, and Bessie Renen Seay of Covington. She remembers three of her early teachers in the Sugar Creek School. They were Nathan Painter, William Jones and Miss Mary Black. As a young woman she loved to go to dances, and she said "We really had good times at the dances years ago." She remembers very well the activities connected with the unveiling of the statue of Stonewall Jackson in Lexington. And she said, "There was a tremendous crowd in town that day." She has traveled some during her life working as a nurse in Canton, Ohio, Wooster, Md., and in numerous homes in Rockbridge. She recalls that when she worked for Major Finley W. Houston his family lived downstairs and the VMI Mess Hall was upstairs in a building located about where the present Crozet Hall is located. "Miss Molley" attends regularly the House Mountain Sunday School. For many years she thought nothing fo the walk up the mountain from the chapel to her house. Now she can make the walk, but she readily accepts a ride up the mountain. She says that she has been sick very little in her life. In fact she remembers having a Doctor but twice in her life. She says she misses being able to read as much as she used to, and her hearing is not quite as good as it used to be, but she gets around easily. She said she did not know of any one thing that had contributed to her long life. "There always seemed to be someone that needed taking care of, and I was glad to do it," she said. She has many friends in the neighborhood and someone drops by every day to see if she is getting along all right. ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 6 January 1954, p. 10. PAST 80 CLUB Miss Ella Moore Our next club member is Miss Ella Moore who is well known in the county not only through her 21 years of teaching but also thru her 17 years of bookkeeping in a Lexington store. In her 38 years of working with the public she had the opportunity to met the younger generation and later to do business with the same ones after they had grown up. Miss Ella was born near Murat on April 24, 1869 the daughter of the late David H. Moore and Virginia Ann Holden Moore. There were 6 children to this union and only 2 survive, Miss Ella and her sister, Mrs. W. E. Donald who has lived with her since 1946. In looking over the past Miss Ella said her earlest memory of Sunday school was at Teaford's barn on Buffalo where the youngsters were taught by Mrs. Frank Ruff. The one thing she remembers was that she wore a little white bonnet and had to walk a mile. Her education began in Collierstown in a one-room log school located near Morrison's store which was taught by Mrs. Rogers. Some of her classmates there were-- Miss Jessie Hutton, Mrs. Supinger (then Effie Hutton), and Bake Hutton. Sue Potter still sticks in her mind as the girl who was kind enough to help her across the creek each morning. By the next school term her family had moved so she entered Rocky Point school which was just south of Turpin's store on Old Route 11. This was a frame building and Miss Ella said, "I can see that rocky playground yet." All of us who pass that way frequently can verify that statement. During the years spent there she had three teachers-- Mr. Wilbur Flaherty, Miss Bertie Lackey and Miss Janie Venable. It was at this school while helping with the younger children that she decided to becme a teacher. After taking advanced work at Bedford Normal School she began her teaching career at Hamilton school. The salary was $26 a month and $6 of this had to go for board and in the summer she was expected to attend some normal school which also took a portion of her large salary. Before completing her 21 years of teaching the salary was increased to $35 and the terms extended from 5 moths to 7 or 8. During these years she attended normals in Charlottesville and in Lexington where Mrs. Ledgewood Moffatt was instructor. The first experience at Hamilton school on upper Buffalo was in a log one room building with a group of 20 youngsters. Among them were the Allison girls (Vada, Sally and Myra), Will Shaffer, Barbara and Joe Saville. She boarded in the Allison family and went home over the week-end. This school caught fire one day and the boys carried water from the creek in their hats to put it out. The school did not even own a water bucket until Miss Ella bought one after the experience. The pupils had been drinking water from the creek and a spring near enough to carry water from. One year in this poorly equipped school was enough so Miss Ella was happy when she was given the Rapp's Mill school next year. This was also a one-room school but a frame building. Here she boarded in the W. S. Daniel home. Sally and Myrtle Turpin were two of her pupils she recalled. Her next move was to Murat where she boarded in with Mrs. Bouldwin. Pupils she remembers were-- The Siler girls (Mrs. Grace Klicker, Mrs. E. L. Conner and Miss nellie Siler). Her fourth school was at Buffalo Mills which was on the first floor of a mill which was no longer in use. It was located at Buffalo Bridge on Route 11 and was started by Mrs. Ledgewood Moffatt. Here she taught Frank and henry Reese, Lyle Donald's family, Miss Grace Donald, Joe Black's family. J. Y. and Lelia Clark, and Jim Turner's family. During this winter she boarded with Mrs. mary Poague when she did not ride horseback from her home which was then at Lee's Mill. Ruffner school, near the Airport was shere she completed her school teaching career of 21 years. In that group were teh Bill Brown family, and Mattie and yettie Fix. At the close of this session in 1916 she joined her brother the late Hiram Moore in the grocery business on South Main street, Lexington as his bookkeeper. She stayed with him until 1942 when she had developed arthiritis so bad that it was impossible for her to go back and forth to work. She didn't give up though but did the work at home for another year. To visit Miss Ella now in her home on Sellers Avenue here in Lexington where she is confined to her bed and totally disabled because of arthiritis and a stroke which she had this past summer, it is amazing to see how cheerful she is. Her years of suffering have not marred her keen mind and on days when the pains are not too severe she loves to have company and is most interesting to talk with. She likes to hear about all of her acquaintenances, what they are doing, etc.-- in other words keep up with the happenings. ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 20 January 1954, p. 7. PAST 80 CLUB C. L. Ballard Today, we take a little trip up Black's Creek out in the Collietstown Community to the home of C. L. Ballard who was born in August of 1873 in the same section of the county in which he now lives. He received his early education at the "Ruff and Ready" school taught by George Ayers at Collierstown. He remembers that his father was very particular as to how he behaved in school and if young Ballard got a whipping at school, his father gave him another one when he got home. The only exception to this rule was one time a certain boy kept teasing him and his father told him to take up for himself and lick this boy. If he failed his father threatened to whip young Ballard. With such a set of conditions there was only one thing to do and he remembers that the "bully" suddenly stopped teasing him. Ballard's father was Andy Ballard and his mother Rachel Ballard. He married Mazie Clark, who died November of 1947 and they had 8 children, one of whom is dead. The children are: Mrs. Delley Clark of Clifton Forge; Guy Ballard of Buffalo; Russell Balard of Buffalo; Mrs. Nettie Piercy of Iron Gate; Mrs. Vernie Reed , deceased; Mrs. Florence Reed of Lexington; Mrs. Rachel Frazer of Buffalo; Raymond Ballard who lives with his father. Lee Ballard has 38 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. He has no answer to the usual question of why he has lived to the fine age of 80, other than "The good Lord saw fit to keep me here this long." He hears well, and loves to read. He lists the Bible as his favorite book and he attends the Advent Church in his community. ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 18 August 1954, p. 7. PAST 80 CLUB Mr. Rhodes August 1, 1868, in Arnold's Valley, a son was born to Christopher Rhodes and his wife Nancy Thompson Rhodes. Just two days before his 80th birthday the same person was interviewed for our Past 80 Club at the home of his daughter, Mrs. M. A. Blackburn on River Road which is to the left of Greenlee on the James River. Interviewing Mr. Rhodes was quite different from other club members for he has been deaf for more than 30 years and each question had to be written. In spite of his handicap his pleasing personality and willingness to cooperate made the interview pleasant. Mr. Rhodes grew up in Arnold's Valley in a family of 7 children, and according to him, under very strict parents. During his school days which were taught in the Arnold's Valley church building, he said he didn't try any new tricks because he knew what his parents would do when he went home. School mates he mentioned were-- Willie and Esther Burger, Laura Cash, Willie Rhodes, Fielding, Emmett and Miles Poindexter, who later was Us Senator. Mr. Rhodes is one of the oldest members of the Arnold's Valley church where his parents started taking him in infancy. Up until a couple of years ago he attended services regularly in spite of the fact that he couldn't hear a word. At the age of 17 he started working on the farm and cutting timber with his father. When he reached 19 he was allowed to get a job and go on his own. His first work was with the Richmond-Alleghany R.R. doing section work at Buchanan. After 2 years he was transferred to Gala and 5 years later went to West Virginia to work on the Kanawha and Michigan R.R. By this time his father's health had failed so Mr. Rhodes returned to the valley to look out for him. He wanted to haul pulp wood and railroad ties so he was forced to buy a team of horses and a wagon which cost him $100. In addition to this job he also farmed for the first year and since he made good he decided to get married. So, he married Miss Viola Edwards and his father insisted he bring her home and live with the family. "Right there he said the trouble started for he had a step-mother who did a lot of interfering." One Sunday he and his wife were starting to ride his horses to church and she started an argument because her 2 girls (his half sisters) had to walk. She didn't mention that they had the horses last time. After church service he took his wife back to her mother's home and told her to stay there until the smoke cleared away. During this time his father went to Glasgow to visit one of his daughters and the step-mother again had a spell because he would not go out and work in a 7 inch snow. That was too much for Mr. Reynolds so he sold one of his horses and bough necessary furniture for light house keeping and he and his wife started out alone. To this union there were 6 children and they are all living-- Llyod Rhodes, Glasgow; Raymond Rhodes, Arnolds Valley; Mrs. M. A. Blackburn, Greenlee; Leonard Rhodes, Greenlee; George Rhodes, Forrest; John Rhodes, Buena Vista. He now has 20 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. All of his married life was spent in the valley with exception of 2 years in Glasgow. In addition to farm work he was also employed at Locher's Brick Yard in Glasgow and with the Natural Bridge Lime Company. Following the death of his wife in 1922 he came to live with his daughter. Mr. Rhodes has always liked to be doing something so until the past couple of years he ahs worked the garden for his daughter. What he has always enjoyed most was fishing, so after he moved to his daughter's home he spent many hours on the banks of the James River. Some mornings he would get up before any of the family and prepare his breakfast and pack his lunch so he could spend the entire day. Now that he is getting feeble he has given up everything that exerts him and always gets to bed by 7 and up at 7. His days are spent reading sitting on the front porch. His daughter says some days he talks very little since it affects his speech and of course he also gets tired trying to keep up with the conversation around him. ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette,1 September 1954, p. 12. PAST 80 CLUB John E. Manspile On South Buffalo, just this side of Rapp's Mill church, you find Mr. john E. manspile who celebrated his 80th birthday on August 13th. Mr. Manspile is a very kind person and one who has spent most of his life taking care of members of his family. His neighbors speak of him as being dependable and of good character. They feel that no one could tell the truth and say a harmful word about "Mr. Johnnie". Mr. manspile was born one mile up the hollow from his present home and his parents were R. K. manspile and Sarah Ayers Manspile. He was one of a family of 8 and only two are living, he and a sister Mrs. I. H. Painter who lives in the same neighborhood. He said their father raised them to work and he thought the farm work should come first and if there was any "slack time" they could attend part of the 5 months school. He remembers his first school as a log building near Rapp's Mill church which was heated by means of an open fireplace. Here students all ages and sizes were taught the three R's. His first teacher, Mr. John Kirkpatrick sticks in his mind because he brought measles to the school and all the students had them which meant the enrollment was small that winter. Another teacher he mentioned was Mr. Wilcher Hamilton. In those days the teacher was only paid $22 a month and had to pay their board. Each family who had pupils in the school had to furnish one load of wood each year to help supply the fireplace. Mr. Manspile worked on the farm with his father untilhe was of age. Of course between seasons he did some work on the county roads so as to keep busy. When he reached 21, his father took him in as a partner and they did share hauling, peddling beef pork and vegetables to Clifton Forge. Their main crop on the farm was tobacco which his father hauled to Lynchburg to be sent to market by boat. While doing farm work Mr. Manspile said he received 25 and some times 75 cents a day but never over $1.00. For road work he received 80 cents and whe using a team he received $2.00. From Mr. Manspile's conversation one gets the idea that his family was a very busy one. In the evenings his father worded as a shoemaker in the home and his mother kept him company while she did the spinning, knitting and sewing for her large family. Midnight often found them still busy. In addition to all the making of clothes and housework his mother only had a fire-place for her cooking. (And now we think we have a hard time). While talking about clothes Mr. Manspile said, "girls and women in those days had to wear long dresses and sunbonnets." And in his family, shoes made by their father. Mr. Manspile says he can remember when mail was delivered only three times a week in that section. The carrier went by horseback from the Rapp's Mill postoffice to Lexington and brought the mail back. At that time Rapp's Mill section was the center of activities for there was in addition to the postoffice, a grist mill, up and down saw mill, tan yard and of course the church. While talking about raiseing tobacco, Mr. Manspile said that after he had worked with it for so many years he had no desire to use it in any way. He said, "It was sticky and messy, not to mention the tobacco worms which crawled all over it and to chew or smoke it was never a temptation to me." Mr. Manspile is a bachelor and lives alone, except for his dog. He does all of his own housework, washing and ironing with the exception of his "top shirts" which his sister does for him. This summer his well has been dry so he carries water from the next farm which is a distance of about 300 yards. His health is not too good but he still gets around without assistance. In telling about his working days he said the majority of his money was made in dealing in horses. He said "I always had good horses and in some trades made as much as $50." ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 1 June 1955 PAST 80 CLUB Mrs. Augusta Robinson On the evening of May 10th quite a crowd of friends and neighbors gathered in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore Reid, on Castle Hill, to celebrate the 80th birthday of Mrs. Reid's mother, Mrs. Augusta Robinson. Returning from revival services at Manley Memorial Baptist church Mrs. Robinson was quite surprised to find the house in darkness when she entered and voices began singing "Happy Birthday" she was almost overcome. But, good sport as she is, she quickly calmed her nerves and entered into the occasion enjoying every minute. To see Mrs. Robinson walking over town from Castle Hill, which she does most every day, where she makes her home with her daughter's family one would never believe she is old enough to join the Past 80 Club. But she was born May 10th, 1875 in Collierstown the daughter of Mr. John and Mrs. Wilhelm Robinson. There were 6 children in her family, 3 boys and 3 girls, and she is the lone survivor. Mrs. Robinson says all of her education was received in the Maple Grove, one room, log school located in the Entsminger hollow near where the New Hope Baptist church now stands. Her first teacher was Mrs. John L. Pain and is remembered by Mrs. Robinson as a very kind person. On one occasion there was a hole between the logs in the ant-room. which was used as a clothes closet, and some of the boys pushed a plank through which they were using as a seesaw. Mrs. Pam said "children what will people passing by think?" That was all that was necessary, the plank came out. Her second and third teachers were Mr. Ed Harrington and Miss Margaret Ayers. Schoolmates she recalled were Miss Drewry Entsminger, Mrs. Emma Conner, Mrs. Rebecca Nicholson, Rucker, Oak, Carter, Minnie and Maude Entsminger and the John Entsminger family. In those days children didn't get to Sunday school until they were good size bcause most people had to walk. But Mrs. Robinson said the cathechism was always taught in the home. Her early Sunday school days were at the Rough and Ready school House which was on the turnpike going over North mountain. It was some walk from her home but she throughly enjoyed it with the crowd composed of: her family of 6, 4 boys and 4 girls from the John Entsminger family, 3 girls from the Clinton Entsminger family and Miss Emma Hayslett. They traveled across the hill, over fences, across the creek, thru a muddy lane. The one great occasion in Mrs. Robinson's life was when she was converted. Rev. E. C. Root conducted a revival at the Rough and Ready school and she was one of the 18 converts, who were baptized in the creek in front of Mr. Bill Knick's house which is now owned by the Supervisor Herbert Chittum. Of this group there are only three living; Mrs. Drewery Entsminger, Mrs. Emma Conner, and Mrs. Robinson. When the New Hope Baptist church was built Mrs. Robinson moved her membership there where it has remained through the years even though she attends the Baptist church here in town most of the time. Mrs. Gussie says she can remember when her mother cooked on the fireplace and later when they bought their first cooking stove. Like every other girl of that day she learned to cook but much preferred working in the corn fields with her brothers. Of course there were not as many different means of entertainment as we have today but the youngsteers got together on different occasions. What she enjoyed most was the taffy pulling which always followed molasses making from the sugar cane her father raised. Laughing, Mrs. Robinson said, "the children of today raise cane but of a different kind." Another annual affair ws in the fall when the young people of the community gathered in the home of Mrs. P. I. Huffman to help her and her two daughters, May, who later became the wife of Dr. H. R. Coleman, Sr., and Lucille who married Ernest Armstrong. As a reward Mrs. huffman always treated them to hot apple pie, honey, preserves and hot biscuits. At the age of 14 Mrs. Robinson became interested in boys. Jordan Entsminger was her special friend and she said they courted for 7 years, that was going places together with the crowd. But, finally they were married on November 20, 1894 by Rev. E. T. Mason, Sr., in her home. Their attendants were Cynthia and Eliza Entsminger and Sam and Emmett Robinson. Her wedding dress was of a tan worsted material made basque waist, high collar, longsleeves and the skirt touched the floor. Her matching felt hat was trimmed in darker tan ribbon. They started housekeeping two weeks later at Long Dale mines where they lived for 13 months. To this union there was one daughter, Mrs. Gilmore Reid. Mrs. Robinson, now has 3 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. In spite of her 80 years she is planning ahead just like a young person. She says she expects to go dewberry picking this summer and wants to pick enough to can 8 quarts and some for jelly and preserves like she did last summer. When asked what she attributed her long life to Mrs. Robinson said she didn't know but she thanked God for giving her good health through the years. If you don't know Mrs. Robinson it would be worth your while to meet her and learn how she lives, always in a good humor and ever ready with something worth while to talk about. ***************************************************************************************** Lexington Gazette, 22 June 1955 PAST 80 CLUB Mrs. Mary Eliza Bayne Hinkle Our Past 80 Club member this time is Mrs. Mary Eliza Bayne Hinkle, wife of Andy Hinkle who joined our club some months ago. Mrs. Hinkle, like many ofour club members, is a native of Collierstown. She was born June 8, 1874, the daughter of Sallie Bryant and Andrew Bayne. From a family of seven children, two brothers, three one-half brothers, and two one-half sisters, she is the only survivor. School days for Mrs. Hinkle were spent at the Collierstown, Walnut Flat and Bell's Valley schools. The only teacher she mentioned was Mrs. Susie Roadcap. Nannie and Laura Carter, Lou and Vinnie Ayers, along with Van Knick took care of the list of schoolmates she could think of. In her childhood Mrs. Hinkle said the had lots of fun making mud pies and cakes. As she grew older she took part in the dances and was always considered a good, even called figures. Some of her younger days were spent in the home of P. I. Huffman at Collierstown and some with Mrs. Mays on Kerrs Creek. Mrs. Hinkle said she was first a member of the Dunkard church and later joined the Presbyterian church where she was baptized by Dr. D. A. Penick at the Little Brick church on Kerrs Creek. Telling about her boy friends wasn't hard for Mrs. Hinkle for she said she only dated one person and he was Andy Hinkle whom she married Nov., 22, 1894. They were married here in Lexington and started housekeeping at the Victoria camp. Mr. and Mrs. Hinkle have been living at their present home, which is on Route 60, the last house before you cross the Alleghany county line, for the past 40 years. They say they have had some tough times but have always pulled thru. In January '54 Mrs. Hinkle fell and broke her hip but she is able to be around again. Mrs. Hinkle says when she hears people now talking about how hard it is to get along financially she always thinks about how she used to pick huckleberries and carry them to Longdale Mines, and sell them for only 10 and 15 cents per gallon. ***************************************************************************************