Searching Benoni Powers' Genes

introductory note by Donna Gloff:
The children of several families from the Hacker's Creek area settled to the far west and east sides of the Oil Creek watershed just before and after of the Civil War. They came as
McCauleys, see Mar '08 Clarence McCauley, A Man of the Soil
Mitchells, see Jul '07 The Reverend Captain John Elam Mitchell
and Hawkinses. See Nov '07 Gun Gets Snake Bit
The families were early settlers in Lewis County. There are many fascinating stories from those Lewis County pioneer families.

One of the forebears of this group was Benoni Powers. Benoni had been particularly difficult to document. Ann (Bligh) Powers finally went to DNA testing to untangle the threads of Benoni T's heritage. The science of genetics discovered that Benoni's biological heritage belongs with the McWhorters of Lewis County. Here is the amazing story of Ann Bligh Power's search.

Rt: Benoni Teter Powers' great-grandchildren Oscar "Junior" and Thelma Hawkins in the 1930s. They lived in the Oil Creek/Posey Run area.

. . . . .

The Search for Benoni Powers'

Biological Heritage

by Ann Bleigh Powers
Almost 200 years after the birth of Benoni Teter Powers there are hundreds of his descendants who want to know who his parents were. Included in these descendants is my husband, James Allen Powers. As his wife, I wanted to know the answer to these questions and I started doing research. I asked Joy Stalnaker, a genealogist specializing in central West Virginia, to help me.

lt: Benoni and Elizabeth (McCally) Powers

The place where I began was with Benoni Powers’ death certificate at the Lewis County Court House. It states that his parents were “William and Jemima Powers.” There was indeed a Revolutionary War Indian Scout, William Powers, who was living in Jane Lew in 1815 when Benoni was born. He, however, had long been married to Hannah Stout, had several grown children, and was 48 years old. Since he was already married to Hannah, it was then quite clear that Benoni Teter Powers was born out of wedlock to William Powers and to Jemima, whose last name the family always said was Teter. How then, could I prove this relationship to William Powers?

I turned to Family Tree DNA to solve this problem. My son, James Judson Powers, sent in his DNA to Family Tree DNA to be analyzed. While this was being done, Joy Stalnaker researched and discovered that Jemima Teter did exist and lived in Jane Lew in this same period, 1815. She found both a marriage bond and a marriage record for her and John Booher. The marriage bond from the Harrison County Court House was taken out on 21 December 1816 and signed by Jacob Stanley and John Booher. On this marriage bond there is also a note written by Henry McWhorter, also of Jane Lew, which states, “26 December 1816 this is to sartafy that Jemima tetar that was aprantis to me is of full age and that I am willing for her to marry to John Bugher giving over my hand and seal in the presents of test.” And he signed this note with his signature. There is also a marriage record in the Harrison County Marriage Record books showing that the Rev. John Mitchell married Jemima Teter and John Booker on 27 December 1816.

Lt: Rev. John Mitchell's statement in the Harrison County record book that he married Jemima Teter and John Booker on 27 December 1816. Click on it to enlarge the image.

It was discovered that Jemima Teter and John Booher presumably moved to Wirt County, WV where Jemima Booher later shows up on the 1850 Census at age 62 being married to William Booher, 58. Also in this census is an eight year old girl, Jemima Booher, living with her parents, John and Elizabeth Booher, also in Wirt County.

Some eight weeks later I received from Family Tree DNA the analysis of my son’s DNA. The results showed that James Judson Powers was genetic distance one from Chester McWhorter. Genetic distance one means that every one of the 37 markers of the DNA of the two men matched, except for one that was off by one number. I sent an email to Chester McWhorter who had since died in Ohio and whose cousin was handling his correspondence and doing research on the McWhorter family. Chester McWhorter’s family was originally from Bucks County, PA but they thought that one member of the McWhorter family had gone to West Virginia. The family conferred on this and after some time said that they thought that the member who had gone to West Virginia was a distant cousin of Chester McWhorter, Henry McWhorter. They, however, did not have proof of this relationship but were searching for it.

In the meantime, I wanted to find a direct male descendant of William Powers to prove our relationship to him. Joy Stalnaker suggested that I should take the Weston, WV telephone book and call all the Powerses in the book. There turned out to be 38 people with the Powers name who lived in Lewis, Upshur, Gilmer, Harrison, and Randolph counties. I had many interesting conversations over a period of a couple of months with many who were related to my husband and his family and many who were not. But I did not turn up anyone whose family went back to William Powers. Joy Stalnaker then turned to Gloria (Powers) Husk, a descendant of Benoni Teter Powers, who has done research on this family. Gloria knew Earl Arnold Powers of Parkersburg, WV who was a direct descendant of William Powers through his son, William D. Powers, Jr. and his wife, Charity Paxton. She gave Joy Earl’s telephone number and I called him.

Rt above: illustration of DNA's double helix.

Lt: illustration from website regarding genealogical DNA testing.
Rt below: the kit used to collect DNA for sampling

Earl Powers is a generous man who is very interested in, and proud of, his Powers family roots. He was immediately willing to give his DNA in the interest of finding out more about his family and in helping me to find out more about ours. I ordered a DNA kit for Earl and after about six weeks we got the results from his test. There was absolutely no relationship between Earl Arnold Powers and my son, James Judson Powers, although Earl had an exact match with another man on the Powers family FTDNA website. We were fully expecting to find a relationship and were quite shocked by the results. Family Tree DNA provided the comparison of 25 markers of Earl Arnold Powers’ DNA with James Judson Powers’ DNA as follows:
In comparing the 25 markers, the probability that the males who provided the samples shared a common male ancestor in the past is…
4 generations is 0.00%
8 generations is 0.03%
12 generations is 0.38%
16 generations is 1.78%
20 generations is 5.21%
24 generations is 11.29%

When I realized that this meant that there was no relationship between a direct descendant of William Powers and my son, I looked again at the results of the DNA analysis of my son. There was the one relationship that had come up was with Chester McWhorter. In addition I knew from Henry McWhorter’s note on the marriage bond of Jemima Teter and John Booher that Jemima Teter had been his apprentice.

At this point I told Joy Stalnaker that there was no DNA match with Earl Arnold Powers and that I now needed to find a direct male descendant of Henry McWhorter who would be willing to help us by taking a DNA test. She knew two male descendants of Henry McWhorter, one in Upshur County and one in Monongalia County, WV. She suggested that I call Robert F. McWhorter in Morgantown and ask his help and this I did.

Like Earl Powers, Bob McWhorter knew his family history and was very proud of it. He had been to Scotland in search of his roots and had helped his relatives write up their family genealogy. When he heard about our 200 year old search for the parents of Benoni Teter Powers, he generously offered to help us by sending in his DNA for testing. It took some time, but when it was finally finished, our son tested genetic distance one with Bob McWhorter’s DNA as he had with Chester McWhorter. Bob McWhorter and Chester McWhorter had an exact match. The results from Family Tree DNA showed the comparison of 37 markers of Robert F. McWhorter and James Judson Powers as follows:
In comparing the 37 markers, the probability that the males who provided the samples shared a common male ancestor in the past is…
4 generations is 58.99%8 generations is 89.03%12 generations is 97.47%16 generations is 99.46%20 generations is 99.89%24 generations is 99.98%

Thus after 200 years the mystery is solved. Although Benoni Teter Powers was raised by the descendants of William Powers and used their surname, DNA evidence indicates that he was a McWhorter. There are four men who could have been his father. He was the son of either Henry McWhorter or of one of his sons, John, Thomas, or Walter. Who was Benoni Teter Powers’ father finally has an answer. It is not a definitive answer but it is the best that modern science can give us at this time. The search for the parents of his mother, Jemima Teter, continues.

Rt: Benoni Teter Powers' death record. To read it click on: http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=2916841&Type=Death

. . . . .

Comment 1:
Benoni Powers was born in Jane Lew, Lewis Co. VA on 4 July 1815 and died 26 August 1891 on Sand Fork, Lewis Co. WV. He married Elizabeth Watson McCally on 13 September 1836 in Lewis County. She was a daughter of Henry and Sarah (Alkire) McCally and was born 4 February 1815 in Lewis Co. and died there on 16 April 1887. Both she and her husband are buried in the Marvin Chapel Cemetery near Roanoke, WV. Rt:Marvin Chapel Cemetery in 2005, photo by Larry Lewis.
Benoni Powers
~ was a great-grandfather of Orlando's Oscar Hawkins.
~ married Elizabeth McCally and the Rev. Captain John Elam Mitchell married her sister Prudence McCally.
~ was the uncle of Jacob McCauley, who settled McCauley's Run,
~ was the uncle of the Mitchells who settled in the Oil Creek watershed, Cyrus Mitchell, Alonzo Mitchell and Samantha (Mitchell) Riffle.
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Comment 2:
Information about William Powers, Henry McWhorter and Henry's sons John, Thomas and Walter McWhorter:
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William Powers
Hacker's Creek Journal: V. XV, Issue ?? 1996-1997
William Powers: of 1765 was made Squire of the County Court of The Day. Already in his 80's. Sometime before 1852, William Powers resided on Hacker's Creek, one-half mile above the village Jane Lew. He was a very old man, Being one of the first settlers of the county. In point of education and general information, he was largely In advance of his neighbors -- a very systematic man and a close observer of events, He could give more general information of the early settlement of the county than any other man of his day. He kept a diary of the most important events that transpired from his youth up, and I was informed that he furnished a great deal of the matter that was embodied in The History Of The Border Wars With The Indians. He did not take any part In the business affairs of the county, except on special occasions, on account of his age.
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Henry McWhorter
per Alexander Scott Withers, Chronicles of Border Warfare
"Henry McWhorter, born in Orange County, N. Y. November 13, 1760, was a soldier in the Revolution, from 1777 to the close. In 1784, he [Page 288] settled "about two miles from West's Fort; three years later, he moved nearer to the fort, and there built the house of hewn logs, mentioned above, which "is to-day in a good state of preservation." McWhorter died February 4, 1848.- R. G. T. For sixty years Henry McWhorter was a member of the Methodist church and was class leader fifty years. He died February 4, 1848, and was buried in the McWhorter cemetery, on his farm, by the side of his wife, who died in 1834."
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John McWhorter
per the McWhorter Family Record - photocopied by Marlys Guildner, 1996:
"b. Apr. 28, 1784, Penn. d. Apr. 14, 1880, W. Va."
"Studied law and became a barrister of great ability. Served in war of 1812 as Capt.,then Col. Member of upper house of Va. legislature, was Judge of Co. Court for years. Late in life ordained minister in Methodist church. Preached until 90 years of age; died at age of 96, a bachelor, buried near his old home on Rush Run."
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Thomas McWhorter
per Luccllus Virgil McWhorter, The Border Settlers of Northwestern Virginia From 1768 to 1795 pub. 1915, pg 290.
"Thomas McWhorter, born July 15, 1785, inherited a part of the home farm on McKinney's Run, and was a prosperous farmer. He was a man of sterling worth to his community during his short life. He died December 28, 1815, and was the first buried in the McWhorter cemetery. On Easter morning, 1807, Thomas McWhorter, married Delila Stalnaker, daughter of Samuel Stalnaker, Sr., an old resident of Hacker's Creek."
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Walter McWhorter
from the family tree of the Lafferty, Jaenicke, West, Shearer Families:
"Walter, the third and last son of Henry McWhorter, Sr., was born October 31, 1787. In 1806 he married Margaret Hurst. He was a major of militia, a noted athlete and never met his equal in wrestling, jumping or foot racing.The major's house, like that of his father, was the recognized place of public worship. Here were held the winter revivals and big meetings. He died August 12, 1860. His wife died December 27, 1853. Seventeen children were born to this union, the Rev. John Minion McWhorter, D. D., the tenth child."

Uncle Zeke Takes a Look at 1916

by David Parmer

In 1916 Uncle Zeke was in his second year as a writer for the Weston Independent. His Buzzardtown news column had become instantly popular to the readership of the paper. His success had generated some envy among his fellow writers, and his Republican politics had grated on some of the die-hard Democrats in central West Virginia. Uncle Zeke derided President Wilson’s economic policies which brought hard times to central West Virginia in the form of high prices and his foreign policies which were steering the United States into the European conflict. Uncle Zeke prophetically heaped doubt on Wilson ’s claim that he was “keeping America out of the war.”
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In the excerpts from Buzzardtown news columns cited in this article, Uncle Zeke reports the news of Orlando and the Oil Creek Valley, and says a thing or two about other events of the day.
rt: photo of Patrck Newton "Newt" Blake, aka Uncle Zeke.
There are 30 entries about P. N. Blake's column about the life & times of folks in the Oil Creek watershed. For example, see the Dec '06 entry Trouble At Uncle Zeek's House.
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January 4, 1916
Well, who would have thunk it; there is not an idle person in all these diggins’.
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O. P. McCord says his cow has mended up in her milk until she gives nearly a pint.
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The Philadelphia Gas Company is preparing to do a large amount of work here in the near future.
(Writer’s Note: The Philadelphia Company was a Philadelphia based company controlled by industrialist George Westinghouse. The Philadelphia Company acquired the Equitable Gas Company, a pioneer in gas exploration, and developed many oil and gas fields in central West Virginia during the early 1900’s. The gas produced from central West Virginia gas wells was marketed primarily to the Pittsburgh area.)
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The Philadelphia telephone office here is completed. The poles have been set and the line will be completed in a few days.
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A very funny thing happened out among the states recently, when old Kaintuckey got drunk and NewYorked all over Miss Idaho’s New Jersey. Wonder who this woman is they call Mary Etta over in Ohio that so many people went to see recently. Even married men hiked out and went over. “Shame.”
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The M. P. Sunday School at Orlando was reorganized Sunday with the following officers: S. D. Oldaker, Supt.; A. J. Heater, Asst. Supt; C. V. Blake, Sec’y; L. E. Skinner, Treas. Teachers are as follows: Class No. 1, A. J. Heater, Class No., 2 Audra Means, Class No. 3, Carrie Blake, Class No. 4, Mrs. Nora Means.

rt: William A. "Dock" and Laura "Nora" Means.
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January 25, 1916
Dr. Barker is the busiest man in all these diggins’. (Writer’s Note: Dr. John Ethan Barker was a native of Summers County, West Virginia. He received his medical degree from the Louisville Medical College in 1906 at the age of twenty-one. He first practiced medicine in Kansas and returned to West Virginia where he practiced medicine at Orlando from 1914 to 1916 when he decided to re-locate again in the West.) lt: Dr. John Barker

Sick? Yes. Bad? Yes. Grippe? Yes. Gonna Die? “Spect so. Ready? Er, No.
..
War has shot ‘taters’ clean ‘outen’ sight.
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Sheep have been killing a few dogs in our neighborhood.
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S. L. Riffle has bought a new crosscut saw, and of all the saws I ever saw, I never saw a saw saw like that saw saws.
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Uncle Zeke says he has a bad case of satchel, suitcase or grippe. Dr. Barker thinks it is indigestion of the purse.
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P. N. Blake and family are all sick this week. He says the dog would be sick too, if he had one.
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A. J. Heater has resumed his position as section foreman on the C & C railroad, after being absent for a month buying crossties for the company. (Writer’s Note: Andrew Jackson Heater was the son of William Peyton Heater and Sabina (Posey) Heater. He was married first to Ora Riffle, daughter of John Scott Riffle and Mary Ann Skinner Riffle.)
lt: Andrew Jackson Heater
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Uncle Zeke says thou shalt is a command, and shalt thou is optional, or to make it plain, thou shalt means you must, and shalt thou means you may or may not.
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February 22, 1916
Rastus McCray lost a good team horse the other day.

(Writer’s Note: Rastus McCray was Robert F. McCray, an oil and gas field worker who lived on Ben’s Run. He died in 1953 at age 71 and is buried in the Pumphrey Cemetery.)
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Cecil Bee says he is ready any old time for some girl to pop the question to him.
(Writer’s Note: Cecil Bee was the son of John Bee and Lena (Godfrey) Bee. The girl who popped the question to him was Lizzie Graff. He was an employee of the Hope Gas Company. He died in 1971 at age 74. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery at Weston. His wife Lizzie lived to be 102 when she died in 2002.)
lt: Cecil Bee
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The J. L. Fox and Riffle No. 2 came in a good gasser Thursday.
A fellow told us the other day that the roads were just awful bad from here to there.
..
Mrs. A. J. Heater was taken to a Clarksburg hospital Friday to be examined for some unknown ailment.
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The B & O is putting in a side track here for the benefit of the Philadelphia Gas Company.
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Sam Posey, Poke Sharpe, and Frank Riffle have been selected as a committee to investigate the groundhog prophecies since the weather has gone wrong.
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Bud Hamilton and Ham Skinner have been working at Blackburn the past week, making road for the Philadelphia Gas Company.

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March 7, 1916
Now for a mess of greens, seasoned with ground hog grease.
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Rev. Davy Parmer preached at Orlando Wednesday night.
(Writer’s Note: Davy Parmer was the son of David Parmer and Ingebo (Church) Parmer. He was a cobbler and part-time preacher.)
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Condy Fox has decided to always remain a bachelor if some girl doesn’t pop the question pretty soon.
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A boy about eighty years old by the name of Billy Nicholson, stayed all night at P. S. Nicholson’s one day last week.
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Charles McCord is engaged in making bee-hives this bad weather.
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Why didn’t they play cards on the Ark? Because Noah was standing on the deck.
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A bad freight wreck occurred on the B & O Saturday night, near Burnsville.
rt: a train wreck on the line from Burnsville to Orlando.
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Funny isn’t it, the Government will honor Washington’s birthday, but won’t Christ’s.
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We hope when the Lord winked at ignorance he wunk so hard that the wink still extends to the wicked and perverse generation.
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The Philadelphia roust-a-bouts spent last Thursday in the Posey office with the boxing gloves, John McDermott being champion, knocking everything east and west that came up before him. Boys, don’t tell Jess Willard about it.
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We sat up all night the other night watching the moon trying to change. It seemed to lack about fifteen cents of having enough to make the change, so we gave it that amount and it started off all right. The moon and me are a little alike just now, both on our last quarter, so at present neither of us can get full.
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Uncle Zeke says that if you take the number of Blakes on Oil Creek, multiply that by the number of McCues at McCue, then add that to the number of Riffles at Kemper, then multiply that sum by the amount of Poseys at Buzzardtown, the answer will be equal to the number of seconds contained in one year.
..
March 14, 1916

Always Smile
O, angry frown, depart from me,
Ye scornful angry frown;
I hope some day that I’ll be free
And wear a golden crown.

O, gentle smile, O, smile of love,
O, decorate my brow;
Let angels from that world above
Smile gently on me now.

O, weary man, look up and smile
And never, never frown;
O, bear the cross a little while
And you shall wear a crown.

O, never frown, my dearest friend,
To frown is not worth while
If we meet Jesus in the end,
We’ll meet him with a smile.

And when we meet in heaven above,
With Jesus we’ll sit down,
And grasp the hand of those we love,
We’ll smile instead of frown.

May God his blessings to use give,
Let earth and heaven smile:
I hope in heaven we shall live
Where we can always smile.

And when our days on earth are o’er,
Farewell for just a while
For when we meet on heaven’s shore
I’ll meet you with a smile.

Orlando, W. Va. P. N. Blake

..

March 28, 1916
We feel very sorry for some places that they haven’t got so much as a buzzard’s feed.

We think the recent frosts were a little hard on the frog crop.
Uncle Zeke says the McCue broad axe man ‘mout’ of set a gentleman hen.

Hurrah two times for woman suffrage.

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Since reading of the death of some of our prominent men, yer Uncle Zeke feels a little shaky.

..
We are not quite certain whether this is last winter, this winter or next winter.

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A bad freight wreck occurred here on the B & O R.R. Thursday morning delaying passenger trains several hours.
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Cecil Bee thinks that four dogs after the sheep at one time is enough, so Bang! Bang! went the old shot gun.
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Girls – did you ever stop to think that gum chewing is about as obnoxious as a buzzard’s breath just after feasting on carrion.
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We get so mixed up sometimes with The Independent and the Free Press that we pulled off our pants the other day to go to dinner thinking we were going to bed. This is a little joke we don’t want any of the correspondents to know.
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April 16, 1916
Vote for women to vote.
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Uncle Zeke wishes it made known that he is a candidate for the poor house, "spect I’ll git thar, Eli.”
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All aboard for Kemper and the Riffle and frog concert.
(Writer’s Note: Kemper was a stop on the B & O railroad line about midway between Orlando and Peterson Siding on Oil Creek.)
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You bet Uncle Zeke likes the lash. Don’t care if you lash him some more, Mr. Kemper.
Ray Blake and Jennette Posey were married at Burnsville recently. Rev. John Ramsey officiated.
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O. P. McCord sprained one of his legs the other day. Consequently he is going around on three legs at present.
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Dock Henline is nearly seven feet tall. Wonder if it was the war that made him so high?
lt: Oscar "Dock" Henline, who served in WWI.
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Lost, somewhere between Buzzardtown and Skunkville, a young man by the name of Bud H, between the age of twenty-five and fifty. When last seen he was at W. T. Riffle’s at the mouth of Possum Holler on his way to “ Georgia.” (Writer’s Note: Bud Hamilton married Georgia Riffle, daughter of W. T. Riffle.)
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April 25, 1916
We are sorely pained to think that we will soon have to wash our feet.
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Listen to the whippoorwill. We are glad it isn’t whippoorzeke.
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Mother earth has discarded her suit of brown, and donned her beautiful robe of green.
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Uncle says that the busiest he ever was was when he tried his best to attend to his own business.
Did you ever take notice that the thing you tried to forget was always the easiest thing to think of.
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We notice in the Roanoke items that T. F. Horner has two ewes with six lambs. That’s nothing. The other day I saw two lambs with eight ewes.
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We think the reason they did not put a woman in the moon was because they wanted to keep all the women to vote.
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Charley McCord says he would like for the parties who borrowed some corn and sauerkraut from him the other night while he slumbered, to return it at once.
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Yes, Old Field Fork. We will sure swap a settin’ of ‘aigs’ for a good bee course, if you will send L.D. Mick over after them. We will send Dow Heater at once after the bee course. Now, will you be good.
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June 6, 1916
Jack Posey has two rows of corn hoed.
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P. N. Blake is doing some grading work for the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company. (Writer’s Note: The Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company was another subsidiary of the Philadelphia Company, a George Westinghouse company. The Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company was an early explorer for oil and gas in central West Virginia and its production was primarily marketed in the Pittsburgh area.)
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P. S. Nicholson was kicked on the arm by a horse Saturday and was pretty badly hurt.
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It took O. P. McCord three days to tell the truth and then he almost failed.
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Bless your little gizzard, Mr. Oil Creek. It was not your Uncle Zeke that backed down on the suffrage question.
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Yer Uncle Zeke is of the opinion that if the money that is paid to the road engineer every year was applied to the roads, we would have better roads than we have now.
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Ike McCord got a bad fall the other day – he just fell in love.
C. C. Lallathin has gone to Cove Lick to assist in building rigs for the Philadelphia Gas Company.
(Writer’s Note: C. C. Lallathin, an Ohioan, came to central West Virginia to work in the oil and gas fields. He married Carrie Blake, daughter of Uncle Zeke. He died young in 1919 and is buried at Orlando.)
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We recently noticed a potato growing, and it was just seven minutes coming through the ground.
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Shucks. There is nothing to greasing shoes. I tested it by greasing one and not the other, and the greased one only lasted fifteen minutes longer than the other one.
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One day last week, George Riffle’s dog bit Bill Hosey in the forks of the road.
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The recent frost swiped a few young mustaches in our vicinity.
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A young lady of our town fell off the dresser the other day and hurt herself on the drawers.
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The Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company is doing some surveying here this week.
R. M. Riffle is night watch at the Orlando depot during Charles Knight’s six month vacation.
Homer and Burr Skinner met with a bad accident the other day. They bought a tent to summer in, and after bringing it home and setting it up, it some how took fire and was reduced to ashes quicker than you could say Jack Robinson.

I love to read the county news,
That comes to us each week;
If ye correspondents have the blues,
Consult your Uncle Zeke.

I had a dream the other night,
We can’t help things like that;
I dreamed the editor, George White,
Was now a Democrat.

Some say I had a bad nightmare,
Some say it was a spook;
Some say old “Nick” sure was there,
Some say ‘twas Davy Cook.

June 13, 1916
The Philadelphia Gas Company has made three locations on the lands of O. P. McCord, W. S. Posey and A. N. Skinner.

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Clarence Riffle has been carrying slop to the hog pen to feed the hogs the past week thinking the hogs were there, but to his surprise they had been gone three days.

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A corps of engineers is surveying a twelve inch pipe line from here to Murphy’s Creek, a distance of about fifteen miles.

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While teaming for the Hope Gas Company one day last week C. L. Riffle was caught by a chain and thrown over an embankment, breaking his leg just above the ankle. We feel sorry for him, as he is one of our best men, and a hustler besides.

(Writer’s Note: The Hope Gas Company was a subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey. In 1943, Standard Oil, a Rockefeller company, was ordered to divest itself of the natural gas companies it controlled under an anti-trust ruling. After re-organization, Hope Gas became part of Consolidated Natural Gas Company. Hope furnished natural gas primarily to northeast Ohio, but also to local communities such as Orlando and Burnsville from its local gas wells.)

Lafayette Riffle, who has been known to suck four dozen raw eggs and eat two pounds of cheese to finish his meal, passed here recently wanting to bet a dollar that he could eat a bale of hay in twenty minutes and cut the wire with his teeth.

(Writer’s Note: See a story about Lafayette Riffle in May '07: Lafayette Riffle – Champion Eater .)

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Uncle Zeke says he planted a nice patch of politics this spring, but they have not come up yet.
The following recipe may be found useful in many homes: Take one ounce of decency, one teaspoon of self respect, one scruple of humanity, two drachma of principle, and sweeten it with a pound of love, dissolved in a quart of friendship, bottled in pure heart, and taken every hour of the day. .

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July 11, 1916
O. P. McCord is preparing to build a new house.

Lost, somewhere in the weeds, Charley McCord’s cornfield.

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A. J. Loomin is having a swell time. Yes, it’s the mumps.
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A B & O double-header derailed a car load of lumber in the west end of our town on the evening of the 4th, but little damage was done.

..
While working at the pump station here the other day, Roy Mick got his foot hurt, Oscar Posey a finger mashed, and one boy got ‘boozy,’ but they are all better now.

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R. F. McCray informs us that Pat Feeney has started a booming business on Ben’s Run. He has hired Joe Scarff and Bill Hosey to build brush fence, and in spite of all, they can make one panel a day.

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Hefner Brothers of Burnsville have drilled a water well here for the Philadelphia Gas Company. They are now drilling one for P. S. Nicholson and have another one to drill for H. H. Coberly, G. C. Posey and O. P. McCord.

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One June 19th, the Lord sent the Death Angel into the home of A. J. Heater and selected for its victim, Ora, his beloved wife. Our heart goes out in sympathy for the bereaved husband and children.

For more on Ora Heater, see the entry Ora Frances and Lummie Jane: A.J. Heater's Two Wives .

August 1, 1916
O. P. McCord’s new dwelling is under construction.

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While working on a rig one day last week, C. C. Lallathin cut his leg badly with an ax.
Listen! Our town can boast of the wisest men, the prettiest women, the fewest liars, and the most dogs of any town this side of Jericho.

.
Uncle Zeke says that Lafe Mick will ‘teech’ our ‘skule’ this winter.

.
Since the state went dry, Burr Skinner has been buying toads to get their hops to make beer. Isn’t that wisdom?

..
C. O. Skinner, our enterprising merchant, was at Orlando the other day and purchased a pound of Arbuckle’s coffee and a cake of Grand-pa’s soap.

.
Uncle Zeke says there is no work as hard as hard work. Uncle Zeke is always right, sometimes.

.
Walter Kelley has a ‘hoss’ that can hit the Buzzardtown tango to perfection.

.
A. J. Heater has been promoted to assistant supervisor on the northern division of the C & C railroad.

.
August 8, 1916
O. P. McCord’s new dwelling is nearing completion.

.
Yes, we have lost the pump station for some reason.

(Writer’s Note: The Philadelphia Gas Company had originally planned on building a gas pumping station in the Posey Run area. After considering the flooding situation along Oil Creek and other favorable tangibles at Burnsville, the gas pumping station was instead built at Burnsville.)

rt: The pumping station built at Burnsville instead of Orlando

..
The Fourth quarterly conference of the U. B. denomination was held at Orlando Tuesday, Reverend F. G. Radabaugh, presiding.

.
P. N. Blake wishes it made known that he is done harvesting. He actually cut and put up one little hay doodle this season.

.
A District Sunday school convention was held at Orlando Saturday and Sunday. A large crowd was present, and a good time was the result. Dinner on the ground. Little Rhoda Rawson of Burnsville attended the convention at Orlando Saturday and Sunday. She now tips the beam at 332 pounds. (Poor little thing.)

.

Left: Rhonda Rawson with Marjory.

‘Grump’ Matthews smoked so hard last Saturday, trying to keep even with Tank Henline, his pipe caught fire and burned up in three minutes. When last seen Tank was still puffing away.
Several of our people went to Elkins Sunday on an excursion. The train got stuck behind a wreck at R. C. Junction and did not return until Monday morning at four o’clock. They said not to tell anyone about it. (We won’t.)

.
The Devil and Tom Walker have played smash with our pump station here, or else a big Buck Buzzard happened to swoop down too close and ‘skeered’ the fool thing away to Burnsville. We learn that Deck Barnett and Hank Bowyers are now looking after it. (Well, for pity’s sake.)
Hefner Brothers drilled a water well for the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company which proved to be a fine mineral water, known as the salt sulphur. The well is one hundred four feet deep. People are much elated over the lucky find and folks are carrying it away in jugs. Some claim they have been benefited by its use already.

.
J. A. Freeman and son Arthur, J. E., J. F., and M. L. Riffle, H. O. Keith, W. C. Ratcliff, Alpha Gay, E. B. McCord, James Blake, Robert Brinkley, and many others, attended the Odd Fellows meeting at Elkins last Sunday.

..
August 22, 1916
O. P. McCord says to please call him ‘Mr. McCord’ since he got a new house.

.
C. O. Skinner contemplates going to Colorado this fall.
..
If war is hell, to fire a gun must be ‘hell fire.’

J. E. Riffle says he knows what it is to monkey with the business end of a honey bee.

.
The Hope Gas Company has made locations on the lands of A. J. Heater and Mrs.
May Carter, in our vicinity.

..
Did Wright do right to write out the rite of the church?

.
Ray Heater and Ed Oldaker started out with their hounds to see is they could catch up with the price of flour.

..
Solomon was the wisest man in his day. The same may be said of O. P. McCord this day and time.

.
Ezra Posey and C. O. and Burr Skinner left West Virginia and went up into Braxton County to fish. They returned the next day having caught nothing except bad colds.

.
A tool dresser by the name of Davis, who was working on Free State No. 14, got one of his arms broken in a couple of places Saturday morning. He was taken to a Clarksburg hospital on the same day.

.
P. N. Blake of our town and Rev. L. L. Westfall of Stop were at Copley Saturday night, returning by way of Taylor Keith’s. Taylor is an old fox hunter and likes to tell of his sport with his faithful dog chasing Reynard. We sometimes think that if Taylor is so lucky to get to heaven, that the first thing he will inquire for will be a couple of hounds and a shot gun. They were accompanied by two of Mr. Keith’s daughters, Robert McCray, and the daughters of Will Wiant to Mary’s Chapel, where Mr. Westfall preached a very able sermon in the afternoon. .

..
September 19, 1916
O. P. McCord says he woke up twice the other night, before he went to sleep.

.
A rooster was once asked why he didn’t lay eggs. He said he had seen it done many a time, but to save his life he couldn’t.

.
I dreamed one night I was a Democrat and haven’t felt well since. O, such awful dreams.

..
Flour from eight to ten dollars a barrel is quite a joke on the farmers, and not a bit of wheat in our neighborhood to thrash this year.

.
Say! Would a young polecat be called a pole kitten?

.
Hurrah for Woman Suffrage.

If some men would rise from the dead and read their own epitaphs most of them would think they got in the wrong grave.

..
I. T. McCord left Tuesday for some point in New Orleans.

There are two reasons why some people don’t mind their own business. One is they don’t have any business, and the other is they don’t have any mind.

.
Just now there is a ten dollar use for every five dollar bill in existence.
The high price of flour has knocked out pound cake entirely. We do well to get ounce cake now.
The price of knowledge must have gone up too. At least, it seems as if some of us can’t get any of it anyhow.

.
Well, here is to the reunion. We hope to get a square meal while in the city. We have lived on shadow soup for so long we are anxious for a change of diet.

October 3, 1916
Be sure to vote for Woman Suffrage.

.
Hughes will be the next president; so sayeth Uncle Zeke.

.
O, for a thousand tongues to lick, said the boy when he
fell into the molasses tub.
.
For the benefit of some of the readers of the Independent who possibly never saw a buzzard, we give a brief description. The buzzard is a fowl of the animal kingdom. It is very large and somewhat resembles the American turkey, both in color and size. They never utter a cry, but always seem to be happy. They feed chiefly on the dead carcasses of live animals. They are very harmless but when attacked, they emit a substance called puke, which to the nostril of mankind, is very obnoxious. This seems to be Mr. Buzzard’s only way of defense. How natural nature is anyhow.
.. .
October 31, 1916

Vote for Hughes. Goodbye Wilson. Shall the women vote? Beans, Beans, Beans. Howdy, President Hughes. Will flour and Gold dust blend? He kept us out of war. Who?
Keep cool, vote for Hughes, and be wise.

George Riffle, the dwarf, has moved to Orlando.

..
Fred Lemley has move to our town from Crooked Fork. Claude Snyder has moved to our town from Orlando.

Whether we are in war or not, we are paying for it just the same.
Yes, they tell me that he kept out of war, but they never tell you he reduced the cost of living.

Wilson, war, whiskey and woe,
To the White House never can go;
Vote for Hughes and save the nation,
From another Democrat administration.

Perhaps the oldest watch in this neighborhood is owned by M. C. Gallagher of Three Lick Run. It was purchased in November 1880 of the late Er Ralston of Weston and is of the William Ellery make. Although thirty-six years of constant wear, it is today in a fair state of preservation, though like man, age has caused it to move a little slow.

..
November 21, 1916
I have the blues, but hurrah for Hughes. Gosh, but didn’t it go Dimmycratic. The buzzards are all gone. I think they must have went to the election and voted the Democrat ticket.

The twelve inch pipe line on the McCord farm blew up Monday. No serious damage was done.
Burr and Dick Skinner were in the vicinity of Burnsville one day last week imbibing in bug juice.

.
Emmett Atkinson says his children are all sick, but eight.

.
We learn that Matilda Riffle, an aged lady of Clover Fork, died Tuesday morning.

.
F. W. Lemley had a telephone installed in his residence Tuesday.

.
W. T. Riffle is building a tool house in the I. O. O. F. cemetery at Orlando for the benefit of Washington Lodge No. 194.

.
If the political sense that some of our people has was all glycerin and would explode, it would not shake the whisker on a gnat’s chin.

.
Joe Workman, who resides on Pine Run, is said to be the busiest man in all the world. He recently told the writer that he never had time to name his children; consequently they must be without names.

.
If John Rollyson will guarantee Homer Posey to tell the truth twice between now and Christmas, Uncle Zeke will give him a chew of honest scrap tobacco.

The wild geese have flown, the election is over, winter is here, crops mostly gathered, show birds are chirping, the sportsman and rabbit are having it nip and tuck, and ye scribes are all still living, so prepare to give thanks to the Great Creator for his goodness and help make the old Independent the best paper in the county.

.
I haven’t aught against the tumblebug,
But I don’t like his occupation.
The Democrats may be all right,
But I don’t like their administration.

December 5, 1916
Hughes must be a pretty good barber. He sure gave Wilson a close shave.

.
Bet yer life I voted for woman suffrage. How did you vote?

.
Uncle Zeke says a kiss is of no value to any one, or a nothing divided by two.

.
Henry Cole, poor old soul, in hauling coal, he lost his sole.

A new board walk from the residence of Fred Lemley to the B & O railroad is a late convenience.

.
Why do people laugh in their sleeve? Because it is a direct route to their funny bone.

.
To get lard out of a vessel easy, always grease the vessel before putting the lard in.

.
As ye sew, so shall ye rip. First Zeke, first chapter and the hind claws of the tooth verse.

.
The Bish and Dyer well on the Rush farm here came in a good gasser.

.
Two persons went to Oakland the first of the week and came back one. Clarence says Dosha Posey’s name is now Mrs.Williams.

.
Let all remember that everything Uncle Zeke writes is just for fun. So let no one get offended at my foolishness, or it will make me feel real bad too.

.
We are put in this world to help one another, and if we don’t do it we are worse than a Democrat. O, I mean an infidel.

There was a young lady from Sutton,
She couldn’t eat nothing but mutton;
She tackled a sheep on the hillside steep
And he gave her a hell of a ‘buttin.’ .

.

December 12, 1916
Homer Skinner says he caught two skunks and a polecat the other night.

.
Winter Freeman says we know nothing about high living as he does because he lives on top of the hill.

.
C. C. Lallathin had a dog fight the other day. I mean a fight with a dog. Neither party was badly hurt.

.
If Tom Peppers was kicked out of hell for lying, what in thunder will happen to some of the people at this day and time.

.
Someone remarked recently that they saw a gas well sticking out of a hole in the ground in our vicinity. “Humph,” it might have been a possum.

.
Charley McCord has a good job now with the Philadelphia Gas Company. He lights Roscoe Shafer’s pipe and holds it for him while he smokes.

.
Bill Dolan says he has just a good a fiddle as any man if he had a bow, a set of strings, a tail piece, a finger board, and a set of keys.

.
Tom Conley took about a five minute’s hunt for his pipe the other day and when he found it, it was in his mouth.

...
There was Henry G. and Stephen B.,
In politics, they couldn’t agree.
But after that there was something funny,
They could always agree to gobble the money.

.
It is said the Devil will get some people if they do go to church. And he will get some if they don’t go to church. So my advice would be, to go to church and take chances on Mr. Devil.

.
Arthur Loomin still goes to J. R. Posey’s; Guy Ball to J. E. Riffle’s; Buck Hawkins to J. F. Posey’s; Clem Crislip to Joe Skinner’s; and Bud Hamilton has taken up abode at W. T. Riffle’s. All right boys.

lt: Joe Skinner, father of Opal, who married Clem Crislip

..
The health of our town is pretty good at present, except G. J. Posey has a cramp in his leg, W. S. Posey has heart trouble, A. N. Posey is broken down in the back; Oscar Posey has a bad cold; J. F. Posey has a Posey pain; P. S. Nicholson, a crippled foot; a few others are crippled in the head, and yer old Uncle Zeke has one broken rib, two more cracked and another one slightly bent.

rt: "G. J." George Jackson Posey and family
..
December 28, 1916
Wonder if the Democrats will reduce the cost of living this time?

.
Homer Skinner shipped a nice bunch of fur this week.

.
Wade Blake of Orlando is plumbing for gas in our town.

.
C. C. Lallathin says if Job’s boils were any worse than his’n, he was to be pitied,

.
Beef is about as high now as it was when the cow jumped over the moon.

.
The Philadelphia Gas Company has slowed down on their work here since the election. No wonder.

.
Uncle Zeke says he would like to write some, but he is afraid the price of writing is gone up too, but look out.

.
From now on, you can expect the news to come systematically, automatically, Democratically and tomcatically.

.
A young man recently ordered a violin from Sears & Roebuck, and when it arrived, he said it was nothing but a darned old fiddle.

..
A very prominent Democrat went into W. A. Means store some time ago and asked for a bottle of cock-eye. He happened to get mixed up a little, as it was peroxide he wanted. Sure the way of the transgressor is hard. ..

Epilogue

So ended the year 1916. There was a hard fought presidential election between Woodrow Wilson and Charles Hughes, which was narrowly won by Wilson on the platform that “he kept us out of war.” A short time into 1917, Wilson would revoke that pledge and take the country into the European conflict. The cost of living was a sore spot for Uncle Zeke and most Americans because food stuffs were being steered to Europe instead of to the American dinner table. Women’s suffrage was a big issue during the 1916 political campaigns, a cause Uncle Zeke highly promoted. The oil and gas industry was booming and three gas companies, the Philadelphia Gas Company, the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company, and the Hope Gas Company, were active in the Orlando area drilling wells and producing oil and gas. Pipelines were being built to transport the gas to major market areas. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad and the Coal and Coke railroad were very active hauling lumber, coal, and passengers throughout the state. The automobile still had not become the bane of a horse-driven agriculture. Orlando, situated in the middle of an active economy, was a booming town as was the Oil Creek valley. A Burnsville newspaper, in 1914, remarked that the Oil Creek valley between Burnsville and Orlando was dotted with one house after another, and that one couldn’t tell where Burnsville and Orlando began and where they ended.
.
All in all, despite Uncle Zeke’s disappointment about the election, and the high cost of living, most people were employed, moonshining had not yet become a major problem, the flapper era had yet to begin, Uncle Zeke’s jokes and humor generally pleased his constituency, and life went on in the Orlando area much as before.

Remembering Grandpa Godfrey on Father's Day

by Pat Reckart

Here are some stories about me and Grandpa. Sometimes people thought he was a little grouchy but he really had a tender side. Even though he chewed Mail Pouch tobacco, he always had a pack of gum in his shirt pocket and I got the belly ache he would give me a stick of Teaberry gum, and you can bet your bottom dollar, I got a lot of belly aches.

.
lt. Patsy (Morrison) Reckart
rt. her grandpa Tom Godfrey

Sometimes he smoked a pipe and if me or my brother would get the ear ache he would blow smoke in our ears.

Grandpa was known in Orlando as the wart man. If any one had a wart or warts they would come to him ‘cause he knew how to get rid of them. He would buy them for a penny, and I guess it worked. Then he would tell them if they hadn't peed in the road they wouldn't have warts.

The Chickens vs. Dr. Christian

Grandpa always like to go to bed with the chickens (meaning just as soon as it got dark, he said it was time to go to bed) and he would get up with the chickens (meaning just as soon as it was daylight.) He expected Grandma to have his breakfast on the table when he got up. Breakfast would be hot applesauce with butter and hot biscuits and lots of hot coffee. I remember one night we all even Grandma wanted to listen to the radio our favorite stories were on, I think it was Dr. Christian and Fibber McGee and Molly. Well, the radio was in the front room (meaning the living room) and that was the room that he slept in. We were having so much fun listening to the radio and eating popcorn, but he kept telling us to go to bed, that he needed his sleep. But we paid him no mind. Well, he got aggravated with us so he got his blanked and pillow and went in the kitchen and laid on the floor. We felt sorry for him so we all went to bed. Thinking back I don't know why we just didn't take the radio in our bedroom. (I'll do a story soon telling you about our house. It only had three rooms with a little side room where the well was, and where the washing was done.) (I also have a story about wash day.) The radio played by battery and it was not like the batteries we have today it was almost as big as a shoe box. We had never heard of television. We didn't even have electricity. Goodnight Grandpa.

.

lt: grandma Bridgett Godfrey

"Bridgette, It's Starting To Rain."

This is the story I like the best. Every time I think about it I have to laugh. Sorry Grandpa. It was Sunday afternoon and I was getting ready to do the dishes. Grandma had laid down for a nap and after dinner Grandpa like to go outside and lean his chair back against the house and smoke his pipe, thinking maybe someone would stop by for a visit. Before I could do the dishes I had to get water from the well in the little side room. (They always called the room the old kitchen.) After I filled the teakettle and put it on the stove to heat and while it was heating I started to clean up the kitchen, It was pretty hot in the kitchen since Grandma had the oven on baking biscuits. It was so hot I raised the window and put a screen in it. I was really in a hurry ‘cause I knew as soon as the kitchen was cleaned, I could go outside to play.

There was a certain way I was to the dishes. The glasses always came first. As I was gathering them up I saw one of them still had water in it, so I just tossed the water out the window. (Thank goodness it wasn't Kool-Aid,) Gosh I didn't know that was the side of the house that Grandpa was sitting. In a little bit I heard the screen door open and close. Then I heard Grandpa say, “Bridgette, I think it's starting to rain.” Well, I almost peed my pants laughing and I thought, “oh God, please don't come in the kitchen- sorry Grandpa.” I don't think he ever did know that I threw water out the window. That was so many years ago and it still makes me laugh when I think about it.

Oh I have so many more memories of my beloved Grandpa and growing up in Orlando and I promise to do some at a later time. I just wanted to remember him this Father's Day. So Grandpa, if you are looking down on me, I just want to let you know that you will always be in my heart and I will always treasure the times we spent together.
I Love You Grandpa.

.
Grandpa passed away Nov. 15th 1950. He and my Grandma Bridgette were married 59 years.

More about Pat & her grandpa

More Memories Of My Grandpa Godfrey

by Pat Reckart

My Grandpa was Thomas Jackson Godfrey. He was born July 31, 1866. His parents were David Newton Godfrey and Mary Jane (Skinner) Godfrey. (I’ll have a story about them at a later time.) Grandpa was the fourth child. He had three older sisters. Grandpa lived in the Orlando area all his life. He married my Grandma Bridgett September 17, 1891. He was 24 and she was 17. They had eleven children: Maude, Mary, Lena, Gertie, Minnie, Wilda, Agnes, Ruth. Guy, Robert, and Edward. Gee that’s a lot of kids. As far as I know all the kids were born on Three Lick. They moved to Orlando in 1918, my Mom (Ruth or "Nellie" as everyone knew her) was two years old. They moved into a house that was behind the Catholic Church. Grandma bought it from Mike Moran for the total of $500.00. Mike had paid $4.00 for it for unpaid taxes; I don’t who owned it then. But I do know it has been in our family since 1918.

rt: Two photos of Tom Godfrey, Pat's grandpa

lt: Pat (Morrison) Reckart

rt, below: Tom Godfrey's parents David Newton and Mary Jane (Skinner) Godfrey

My Grandpa was 68 when I was born and I was born in that house in 1934. Grandpa always seemed old to me, so when I was 64 I wondered if my grandkids thought I was old. I sure hope not. Grandpa was not a very big man. He was probably 5 foot 3 or 4 inches tall and weighed about 125 pounds, but I always thought of him as a big man. I sure do treasure the years I grew up with him. He was like a Dad to me so since Fathers Day is coming up I wanted share with you some of the special memories I have of my Grandpa.

Halloween Fright

One of the times I remember the year was about 1938. I was 4 years old and my brother was just a baby. It was October and Halloween Night since I was only four I didn’t know what "trick or treat" was. We had just finished supper and it was getting dark. Grandma was getting ready to the dishes. Grandpa sat down to smoke his pipe and I was sitting on his lap and just then we heard a knock on the door. Grandpa said, "Who could be coming this time of night?" So he got up to answer the door with me right behind him. When he opened the door there was a bunch of kid standing there in all kinds of costumes, yelling "trick or treat, trick or treat!" I didn’t know what was going on so I started screaming. When Grandpa saw that I was scared to death, he yelled at them to get the h--- out or he would shoot their a---- full of buckshot. Well, out of there they ran and in their hurry they fell over the swing that was in the yard. When Grandpa shut the door and turned around he was smiling and he said “I bet they won’t come here again” and I said “Grandpa would you really shoot them?” and he said “Child I don’t even have a gun. I just looked at him and said,” Grandpa I love you."

Taking Care Of Grandpa

I think I was in the fifth grade and Grandma had gone to Ohio and Grandpa missed her so much. He just couldn’t stand for her to be away from him and he said to me, "If Bridgett don’t come back pretty soon I’m going to die." And I said “ Grandpa don’t worry I’ll take of you. The next day at school It was about lunch time and I told my teacher I had to leave early. She wanted to know why and I said “My Grandma is in Ohio and I have to go early so I can make coffee for my Grandpa." So she let me go early, we only lived down over the hill from the school. When I got home Grandpa was laying down, so went ahead and made coffee for him. Grandma had made a lot of biscuits ahead and put them in the cupboard so I got them out and put them in a bowl on the table. We had some tomatoes so I sliced them for him. I got his plate and his knife and fork and his cup and saucer and then I went and woke him up and I said, "Grandpa your dinner is ready." Grandpa had a special knife and fork that he ate with and when he started to eat his tomatoes he would hold his fork over them and then take his knife and sprinkle sugar over them. And when he drank his coffee he poured it in his saucer, or "sasser" he called it. One of the other words I remember was poison, he called it "pisen". I wish I could remember all the different words he used and all the different sayings.

lt above: Bridgett (Heater) Godfrey, Tom's wife

lt: Tom and Bridgett Godfrey's daughter and Pat's mother, Ruth "Nellie" (Godfrey) Morrison Hopkins, at an early age

The Little House on Oil Creek

As I said we lived in the house behind the Catholic church and in the winter time it was so cold. It was just a three room house and it was heated by a big Burnside stove. When my brother and I got bigger it was our job to bring the coal in at night. My grandpa had a wood yard where he would chop up wood to make kindling so it would be easy to start the fire if it went out, and he would take some of the wood and shave it to help start the fire.

Sometimes in the winter time when it was too cold to get outside, my brother and I would play with the kindling wood making hog pens or just stack it up to see how far we could stack it. Boy, if Grandpa was living today he wouldn’t know what to think when it was cold and the wind was blowing or it was pouring down the snow. All he would have to do would be just turn up the heat from a little gadget on the wall. Good night grandpa.

Comment 1

the author, Pat Reckart, recalls that one of the trick-or-treaters was Mary Margaret, who lived at the Dolan Hotel. That would be Mary Margaret Francis. See the Nov '07 entry The Dolan Family to get the story on why she and her sister were lving with their aunts Mary and Jo.

rt: Mary Margaret Dolan