The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Gwen Farmer expects guests for Thanksgiving

Southern Ohio


Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Have you got your dinner planned? Oh, I can almost smell that turkey baking along with the cornbread stuffing. I bet there are shucky beans and a fruit stack in the makings, and maybe a pumpkin pie. Don’t forget to set a plate for me. I may just slip in and in you. Plans are still up in the air for Thanksgiving around here.

Gwen Huff Farmer still isn’t feeling well as her leg is bothering her. That isn’t stopping Gwen has she has several good-looking guys along with her son John and his family coming for several days to visit her. Gwen has a house that is about 120 years old close to her modular home, so she lets several of her son’s friends stay there in deer season each year. It is a beautiful place where Gwen lives in Illinois.

Once again this column is not what I had written. This blasted computer won’t let me retrieve what I had saved. Either I get the new one hooked up this weekend or I am returning it to the store for my money back then I will just use my typewriter for my column.

I called Ann Calihan to see how her sister Evadean and Lafe Marcum of West Virginia are doing. The news wasn’t good. Please keep these two in your prayers. They are both in their 80s.

My sympathy goes out to the family of Lee Gentry. I remember Lee when I was a kid there at Roxana. I stayed with Shirley and Lee when their oldest son Gary was a baby. Lee and Shirley lived in the house that Mommy and Daddy (Clayton and Ora Hall) used to live in that is still standing at the edge of the woods in between Roxana and Hot Spot.

My special friend Willamae Boggs hasn’t been feeling up to par as she is having a lot of tests done. Willamae’s bones are very fragile, so Carl better not hug her too tight as she may break!

Carl Boggs did get to go listen to music for a little while. I wonder if he danced a jig for me?

Hello to Jesse Frazier, who is Willamae’s brotherin law. I think there may be some plans made some time later for Jesse to go visit his daughter in Indiana. Maybe Willamae will go and I will get to meet them again somewhere on way.

Vickie Power and I had went to Flatland Bluegrass Barn at Bath, Ind., or W. College Corner, whichever it is called. The featured band was Mark Poe and the All American Bluegrass Band, which is a good band. The icing on the cake for me was to see and hear Harold Staggs and Jim Montgomery. Harold and Jim are two members of Friends of Bluegrass, which is based out of the Franklin area. I am not acquainted with the bass player, though I have known Harold and Jim for several years through music. Not only are they both fine musicians, they are very nice guys.

Sixteen-year-old Nate Treadway is picking banjo for them. Nate is the grandson of Don and Sue Treadway who own the business and make all the music possible.

Polly Ann Maucher got there early and saved Vickie and me a seat! Polly enjoyed the music very much!

Polly hasn’t been feeling well due to allergies or something. She went to the doctor and is feeling a little better.

Flatland Bluegrass Barn is closed until sometime in April!

My brother Richie and Wanda Hall are doing all right at the present, though Wanda has been wearing down a little as she is on the go so much. Wanda will cook enough food for all the neighbors for Thanksgiving. Too bad they can’t send a care package this way!

Vickie and I ventured to Hamilton, to see the last film on Appalachia. Clay Calihan shared the table with Vickie and me along with others, while the film was showing. The former owner and publisher of The Mountain Eagle, Tom Gish, had a small part in the film. I whispered to Clay and nodded my head to the big screen. Clay knew the pride I was feeling. Here we are miles from the mountains and seeing a person from there too.

I didn’t know Mr. Gish, but I am proud to know he stood for what he believed in and wasn’t afraid to let people know. From what I have read, he did a lot of good for eastern Kentucky.

It makes me literally sick when I hear and read of people who are capable of helping the underprivileged and then take advantage of someone to feather their own nest! What is the old saying? ‘The poor get poorer and the rich gets richer!’ It also saddens me to see professional people who use their jobs to molest young children.

Now I will get off my soap box and hush for a while.

Hello to Shirley Wells of Clarksville, Tenn., and to my brother Jerry and Mattie Hall.

I received an email from a woman in Alabama. I lost the information so I will try to get it for my next column. Her name is Aline Halcomb and she is looking for a friend who lived in Graveyard Hollow.

I am afraid this computer is going to go out again, so until next time.

Rose Ballard, 9110 Lawrenceburg Road, Harrison, OH 45030 email: Bluegrasmam4@aol.com, phone: 513-367-4682.


Leave a Reply