She was the fourth of seven children born to a farm couple whose deep lineage in the western Virginia mountains was lost to history well before 1800. They met in 1931 while my dad was selling tickets at a community dance. They married in the fall of 1933. By that time she had worked in a silk mill and as an etcher and designer in a glass factory. Later, she worked throughout World War II as a quality control specialist in a massive synthetic fabric plant that provided most of the "silk" for American parachutes.
With my arrival in 1946 she became a full time mother and homemaker, but still found time to enjoy her church family, reading, gardening, nature, frequent visits with her large family, many long weekend visits to nearby national parks, and vacations at the summer place on Pattersons Creek about 120 miles west of Washington.
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| Gettysburg National Military Park, 1954 |
She was taken from our family far too early after a long and difficult illness. And over forty years later there's no question that I miss her. I'm especially sorry she did not live to enjoy her daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. Still, I feel her goodness has been with Nancy and me helping to shape our family long after the kids have gone on to establish their own lives. Wouldn't have it any other way. She was a great mother, full of love, compassion, a wonderful sense of humor, and dedication to family and friends.
Wishing you a happy Mother's Day, Mom!
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