hile in Florida we bought a new apartment-size range and took the old one
back to Singers Glen and installed it in the "guest house." After we had
the heat out there I used that building for my canning. That kept the heat
out of the house. We had replaced it in Sharpes because the oven was not
dependable.
I guess we were homesick to see our folks in West Virginia and Ohio, for
we went on April 20th. As usual Troy did some man-type work for Elma. This
time it was shelves in her office. She informed me that she had made her
will and had remembered us in it. Four or five years later I asked her to
take out that section and I feel sure she did.
Skip and Lanny were both living in Akron at that time and we got to see them,
as well as Skip's two boys. We stopped for a few hours visit with Lois in
Canton, Ohio, then visited with the Clintons and with Ruby on our way back.
We were a few days in Parkersburg and made the rounds there seeing the following
families: Reed, Shomo, Miles, Evans, and Rexroad.
When we reached Elkins we found that Hazel McQuain was in the hospital. I
was shocked when I saw her! The daughters, Izetta and Mary Margaret, lived
in Arizona and in California. I asked Hazel if they were coming. She said
she guessed not. As soon as we got home I wrote them a long letter. A J.
had told us that they were not coming because they could only afford to make
one trip back. They knew the doctors did not hold out much hope for their
mother. I wrote that if they could only make one trip to make
it while their mother was still living, that their presence could not help
her when she was dead. I ended by saying I was sorry if they considered that
I was interfering in their business. They came home immediately and were
still there when their mother passed away on May 17th.
As we stood by Hazel's casket Mary Margaret said to me, "Mrs. Brady, you
were not interfering. As soon as I read your letter I phoned Izetta and we
got flights home just as soon as they could be arranged."
Gladys McQuain and her cousin, Rachel Forinash, visited us at the Glen on
May 6th. We were in Florida when Blair passed away and could only show our
sympathy and sorrow by mail and a memorial gift to the church in Elkins.
Marion and Joy were in Europe from June 26th until July 31st. We are always
happy when we learn that they are back in the states from these overseas
trips.
Herman and Jackie Perry were with us from North Carolina and the four of
us went on to Ev-Un-Breth Acres to attend the Golden Agers Camp. We had a
wonderful time!--lots of laughter, good fellowship with friends and spiritual
blessings from the Bible studies and the evening worship in the beautiful
chapel. Herman had a lot to do with the building of that chapel on the E.
U. B. Assembly Grounds. The date of this camp was July 23rd to 28th.
Troy was inside the building where we slept and Herman and I were on the
porch with several other people one afternoon, when a man from Dunbar said,
"Betty, get your bedfellow. I want your picture." I jumped up from my chair
and grabbed Herman Perry and said, "Come on Herman, the man wants our picture."
Everybody roared and Herman and I hugged for the picture. Then I got Troy
and he took a picture of us. I think he sent me copies of those pictures.
While we were at the camp a group of us got together and decided that we
needed to come back for a week of work to make the dormitory for married
couples more private and more attractive. The announcement was made that
we would return on Sept. 11 to the 15th. We made it plain that anyone desiring
to help would be welcomed. As it happened most of those who came were good
friends of ours and had been involved in the planning and construction of
the facilities from the time of the purchase of the farm. Those who came
included: James and Opal Reed Theodore and Louie Miles, Ruby (Clayton) Rexroad
and her husband, CIellie. Guy and Oma Clevenger, Herman and Jackie Perry,
Bernie and Mildred Fowler and Troy and I.
The Fowlers were not close friends with the rest of us, but he was very helpful
in arranging for and securing the materials we needed. We divided the space
into small rooms so a couple could be together and all would have privacy
at night. The dormitory was just a long rectangular building, with a long
hall dividing it into two sections. The women slept on one side and the men
on the other. The couples who worked divided the cost of all materials.
After the work camp was over we went home with the Miles and stayed that
Saturday night and went with them to our home church in Vienna the next day.
Another camp was in progress so our good meals were free.
Ruby, John, Elma, Beulah, Buddy, Troy and I made a trip to Braxton County.
We saw the two room school where Ruby started as a first grader. It was not
far from the cemetery where my little brothers were buried. We discovered
that the little shaft monument which marked their graves was so weather
worn that their names could scarcely be read. We put it in the car and on
the way to Buckhannon to attend the camp left it at the Kelly Monument Company
in Elkins to be recut. We picked it up and took it back and reset it at the
graves.
Just a few dates for our own reference:
Beulah and Buddy visited us at the Glen two nights, Sept.20/22.
On Sept. 26th we attended Leslie Arbogast's funeral in Junior. (Troy's second
cousin). Bland and Helen were at the funeral and we went home with them for
the night.
We went on a genealogical search the next day and visited with a distant
cousin, Artie Norville, at Ten Mile. She lived where the Wingfields had settled
after leaving Albemarle County, Virginia, before the Civil War.
Ruby and John came for a two day visit on October 6th.
October 10th we left for Florida. November 6th we bought a new Honda car and gave Robbie the Toyota.