An Orlando Patriarch

David Newton Godfrey:
Early Orlando Patriarch

by David Parmer

His tombstone in the Orlando Cemetery silently testifies to his longevity: 1835-1912. His many descendants are further testimony to his memory in the Oil Creek valley. During his early years, David Newton Godfrey was known as “Newt” or “Newton.” However, he usually signed his name as “D. N. Godfrey.” By whatever name, David Newton Godfrey was a respected and well-known member of the early community in the Oil Creek Valley.

Newt came to Oil Creek when, just before the Civil War, he married Mary Jane, the daughter of Alexander and Phoebe (Conrad) Skinner.

Several of the Godfrey clan married into Oil Creek and Little Kanawha families.

~ Newt's Aunt Mary Godfrey married George Duvall. They settled at the headwaters of Oil Creek. Their granddaughter Patience married Alexander and Phoebe Skinner's son Jackson McWhorter Skinner.

~ Newt's cousin Samuel Godfrey married a grand-daughter of Alexander and Phoebe Skinner (also Newt's wife Mary Jane's niece) Elizabeth Ann Skinner.

~ Newt's cousin Robert Godfrey married Susanna Smith and they settled in the Burnsville area. Their eleven children included Samuel, who settled in the Burnsville area and was the father of Manderville, Commodore, Walter, and Lloyd. Another son was Elijah, who married and raised his family in Gilmer County.

.~ Newt’s older sister Christina (Curtis) Murphy had married Mary Jane’s uncle Alfred Posey when Newt was five years old. Newt and Mary Jane set to farming next to Alfred and Christina, according to the 1870 census.

Left: D.N. and Mary Jane (Skinner) Godfrey.

Right: Newt's sister Christina (Curtis) Murphy who married Alfred Posey.

D.N. Godfrey’s Origins

David Newton Godfrey grew up in the Hackers Creek area. His parents had come to the Hackers Creek area with their pioneer parents. Newt’s mother, Jane Mitchell, was the daughter of English-born preacher and church founder John William Mitchell and his wife Catherine Teter. Several of Jane’s brothers and nephews were also preachers in the Methodist Protestant Church which her dad had helped to form.

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Newt’s father John Newton Godfrey came to the Hackers Creek area with his parents from Hardy County, the area from which most of Hackers Creek’s pioneers hailed. John Newton Godfrey's brothers and sisters

Jane brought to her marriage to John Newton Godfrey three daughters by her earlier marriage to Alexander Curtis. Together Jane and J. N. Godfrey had four boys.

Besides Newt and his sister Christina, only one other sibling stayed in the area. Their brother William Jackson Godfrey married Sarah McCord and they lived in the Roanoke area.

The other four of the seven siblings went west: two of the sisters and one brother. Emily, Susannah and Michael migrated to the little farm community of Prairie in Hancock County, Illinois, near the Mississippi River. Sisters Emily and Susannah Curtis married Rohrboughs. Emily, born around 1820 married George Rohrbaugh, born about 1792 and Susannah, born around 1823 married George’s son Adam Rohrbaugh, born around 1828. Their young brother Michael Godfrey was in Hancock County in 1850, according to that year’s census.

A second brother also migrated west. Edward Jasper Godfrey settled in the railroad town of El Reno, in the center of Oklahoma.

Right: this portrait was found when the Godfrey/Bee house was dismantled in 2008. It is unidentifed.

An Interesting Post Card

In November 1909, Newt received a postcard from his niece May (Rohrbaugh) Miller in Quincy, Illinois, not far from Hancock County. May was the daughter of Susannah (Curtis) Rohrbaugh. The postcard had a photograph of Newt’s sister Susannah sitting in front of their brother Michael. We know the man in the photo is Michael because Michael was born in 1835, which would have made him 74 in 1909 and written on the front of the photo is “Taken Aug 22, 1909. Mother 87, Uncle 74.”

The transcription of the message of the postal card is as follows:
“Dear Uncle and family,
Here is the photo you have heard about. Am so sorry they are poorly finished, yet the features are very natural. Mother appreciated the token of love you sent her. My uncles wish you could come see us. Mother is in her natural health. Gets out driving on nice days. When you can find time write her a long letter. She loves to hear from her loved ones. She dreads the dreary days of winter, is so shut in. Give her love and regards to all the friends and relatives. She joins with me in wishing you joy and success.
Lovingly, May A. Miller”

Triple Cousins and Aunt Grandma:

The Children of D. N. & Mary Jane (Skinner) Godfrey

Newt and Mary Jane became parents of eight children, seven of whom lived to adulthood. Their progeny are woven into the fabric of the Orlando community, particularly the Skinners and Poseys, also the Henlines and Heaters.

Permilia married her triple cousin Robert L. Skinner. They were first cousins through Alexander & Phoebe Skinner, first cousins once removed through John N. and Jane Godfrey and second cousins through Alexander and Catherine (Scott) Skinner.

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Sarah married first Elias E. Clark who died of consumption (tuberculosis) after only five years of marriage. Sarah then married John C. Henline, brother of Beham Henline.
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Malinda married Isaac Fox when they were in their 20s. When she was 44 she married George Marsh who was 32.
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Thomas J. married Bridget Heater.

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Laurena married P. N. “Newt” Blake, perhaps better known as “Uncle Zeke”. .

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Left above: Permilla (Godfrey) Skinner

Left middle: Malinda (Godfrey) Fox Marsh.

Left below: Lorena (Godfrey) Blake.

Right: Their brother Tom Godfrey.

Maletus married his first cousin Estella Henline, but died just five years later, in 1902, from fever, at the age of 32. Estella was the daughter of Beham and Semantha (Skinner) Henline. Semantha (Skinner) Henline and Meletus’ mother Mary Jane (Skinner) Godfrey were sisters, both daughters of Alexander Skinner and Phebe (Conrad) Skinner. Maletus and Estella "Esty" had two children, Harry Godfrey and Sophia (Godfrey) Jarvis. When she was young, Sophia was aware of a confusing family relationship since her paternal grandmother Mary Jane, was also her maternal great aunt. In order to cover all the familial bases, young Sophia addressed Mary Jane Godfrey as “Aunt Grandma.” Esty went on to marry Syrian immigrant Mike Thomas and raised a large family.

Lena, “Duck” married John Bee. They had four children before they divorced.

Oil Creek and Three Lick Farms

In 1875, Newt bought a parcel of 83 acres on Oil Creek from land speculator George I. Arnold of Weston. Also in 1875, Newt bought 30 acres from his father–in-law Alexander Skinner. These parcels were located in the area of the former first railroad crossing west of Orlando on the road to Burnsville and onto the ridge separating Posey Run from Three Lick. Newt Godfrey built a fine two-story house on this parcel near the railroad crossing. Newt farmed his land until his death in 1912. The farm remained in the Godfrey family for nearly another 100 years. Fred “Sally” Bee, grandson of Newt and Mary Jane, owned the land until his death in 1980 and his widow, Ruby, continued that ownership until her death in 2008.

Left: the house that D. N. Godfrey built, shortly before it was dismantled in 2008.

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In 1890, Newt bought another 44 acre parcel from George I. Arnold. This additional acreage consisted of land on both the Oil Creek and Three Lick watersheds, and was partially in Braxton County and partially in Lewis County and adjoined the farm of Pat Moran. Within a year, Newt conveyed this 44 acre parcel to his daughter Malinda and his son Thomas but later re-acquired the property. Newt then conveyed the property to Lena Bee, his youngest daughter and wife of John Bee.

Above: the home that Newt Godfrey built on Posey Run 125 years ago was torn down in 2008.

Ruby Bee, the widow of Newt’s grandson, was the last person to live there. She died in 2008.

Thanks to Margret Ann Wilson Willey of Burnsville for these photos of the homeplace.

The present owner dismantled the two story farm house in 2008 and all that is left of structures on the Godfrey farm is an old log granary which is well over one hundred years old. An interesting aspect of the old Godfrey home is that many people assumed that the house was a log house which had been covered with siding. However, the 2008 demolition of the home showed that it not built of logs, but was instead a framed house. As Orlando historians are aware, in 1875 the Burns brothers were operating a large band saw mill in Burnsville, then known as Lumberport. and house builders from the near country side were transporting sawn lumber to nearby building sites, many using wagons, also built in Burnsville by the Bodkin, Fidler, and Corbett (later Rudkin) manufactory, known as the “Star” or the “Burnsville” wagon. Since we know that Mt. Zion Methodist Church was built with trees cut from Alexander Skinner’s land and transported by George Jackson Posey by wagon from Burnsville to be milled, it is highly likely that Newt Godfrey also built his new home in 1875 with old growth lumber from his land, milled at the Burnsville saw mill.

Right: D. N. Godfrey's hewn log granery

Comment by Burlen Henline

When I was a young boy, I lived in Doddridge County with my parents, Frank and Audrey Henline. Every summer I looked forward to coming to Orlando to visit my grandmother, Semantha Henline, my Uncle Heaterhuck Henline, my Aunt Clora Henline and my cousin Opal Jeffries who lived across Oil Creek from the family of Tom Godfrey. Tom was the son of Newt and Mary Jane Godfrey.

Tom had a potato patch down Oil Creek near the home of Newt Henline and he and his wife Biddie [Biddie is a nickname for Bridgit -ed] would walk down to the potato patch, with hoes over their shoulders, during evenings to hoe weeds. Tom would frequently stop to talk to me and was always very friendly. From time to time Tom would tell me about his children, most of whom had moved away for employment. Tom had a son Edward who lived in Parkersburg. I recall that Tom pronounced Edward’s name as “Edderd” and that he lived “way out on the border.” Referring perhaps to another of his children, I forget the name, Tom proudly announced that he was “walking on clouds in California.”

Some of Nellie Godfrey's Childhood Memories

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Ruth Virginia "Nellie" Godfrey, born in 1916, was the youngest child of Tom and Bridget (Heater) Godfrey. Late in her life she wrote down some of her memories for as a legacy to her children Patsy, Larry, Nancy and to Jimmie and Margie who are deceased.

Her document includes her history of Orlando, a list of the people who lived in Orlando in her day, and anecdotes from her early years. Here are her anecdotes.


By Ruth Virginia Godfrey
We moved to Orlando in 1918 from a log house on Grass Run, where Necie Freeman later lived. That’s the house where I was born. Mike Moran sold my parents the house behind the Catholic Church where he paid four dollars taxes and sold it for $500. It was set close to the creek and my mom’s brother-in-law moved it up further away from the creek. It was a three room house.

Left: Young Nellie Godfrey

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I don’t know where everyone slept: Gertie, Mary, Lena, Agnes, Robert, Wilda, Edward and me. Then Lena married Earl Copeland and moved out, Mary married Greer Salisbury and Gertie married Jess Stevens. Agnes went to stay with Uncle Rye and Aunt Necie, up Posey Run. My Uncle Rye [Uriah] and his wife Necie lived up Posey Run, just a little house above where Grafton Riffle lived. They never had any children and they needed help so mom sent us girls to stay. Minnie wouldn’t go because she didn’t like Aunt Necie. So Agnes went and she stayed with them all the time. Uncle Rye liked her. He called her Aggie. I don’t remember Robert staying at the house much. He run around a lot.

Left: brother Edward, Nellie, nephews Junior and Frank Copeland with brother-in-law Earl Copeland's auto.

Maybe Akron

When I was about nine or ten my sister Minnie and her husband came and got us, Mom and Dad and Edward and I, to Akron. I don’t remember where Wilda went. We stayed bout three months. I guess they decided they didn’t want us so they brought us home.

We didn’t have anything to eat. The water had been up in the house and all our mattresses were wet so we stayed with my Aunt Duck until they got the house dried out and Bill Henline took up a collection at Charlie Knight’s store for food and we finally got back on our feet. Mom took in washing to buy food for us. At that time five pounds of sugar was 25 cents, flour about 50 cents and coffee about 25 cents.

Early Memories

I had a good mother. Every morning we’d have oats, syrup and biscuits, sometimes rice. She’d keep me a biscuit on top of the wood stove. It would be raw in the middle. I still like them like that, and my son likes them too. They called me “dough belly.” [When they made biscuits there was always some dough left. Grandma had a little iron skillett and she would put grease or lard in it and fry it for mom. Mom still did that all down through the years, -Pat Reckart]

When I was young I went to see Grandma [Mary Jane (Skinner)] Godfrey with Mom. She always had a piece of peanut butter candy in her apron pocket for me.

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Right: Bridget (Heater) Godfrey, Nellie's mom.

Left: Mary Jane (Skinner) Godfrey, daughter of Alexander and Phoebe (Conrad) Skinner, and giver of peanut butter candy, with her husband David Newton Godfrey.

I had polio when I was three years old. When I was five, Mom took me to a hospital in Fairmont to have me fitted for a brace. I cried and cried. I didn’t want to stay. It was the first time I was way from her and home. Greer and Mary lived at Clarksburg and Mom stayed with them. I couldn’t wear the brace so Mom gave it to Burt Skinner’s girl who had polio too.

School Days

Then when I was seven I started school. My brother went when I did in the same room but in a different grade. I remember one book I first had was about Baby Ray. We had to go up a long pair of steps along the hill, beside Mike Moran’s house. I couldn’t get up the steps very good and Jess Riffle [who married Pres Bragg] would step on my heels. My first teacher was Mrs. Pinger. She come out from Weston on the 8 o’clock train and went back on the 5 o’clock train. Once, she had a package of spearmint gum laying on the desk and I took it. I don’t know how she knew that I took it. She made me stand up in front of the class and give it back. I was ever sorry.

Right: The Elson Reader Book One is the book with the Baby Ray story. Click on the book to seek a copy of this beautiful book.

Then Mrs. Inez Canfield was the teacher in the little room. And Mildred Heater, she boarded with the Allmans. Inez Canfield boarded with Charlie Givens and Hallie. Mike Moran liked her a lot.

Edward and I got the mumps after we come home. We took them off Rexall Salisbury. The teachers Inez Canfield and Mildred (Heater) Allman brought us bananas and other stuff, I think. Was ashamed for them to come. We didn’t have a very nice house at that time.

Then Wilda caught the mumps from Edward and I. Wilda wasn’t very well. I think she had the measles. She had a real high fever and her nose started bleeding and Mom couldn’t get it stopped. She sent Robert over to Frank Riffle’s and he read a verse in the Bible and her nose stopped bleeding. She didn’t go to school very much Mom kept her home to help her wash.

Rigth: Wilda Godfrey
Left: Eolin "Oley" Cox in his early years of teaching.
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Oley Cox was the first man teacher in the big room. Minnie went to him when she stayed with Lena while Earl worked away. Ira Heard taught the big room after that and he boarded with Alva Barnett. Then Hans Wade. He always opened school with a scripture reading and a prayer. Then Lawrence Wetzel, I went to him. His wife taught in the middle room. They had rooms at Ollie Blake’s. They lived at Walkersville.

[My brother] Edward and Short Bennett had pocket knives and they was cutting up their tables but she took the knives away from them. Edward went home and told Mom. She met Miss Hammer on the bridge and made give her the knife.
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Then Mrs. Whetzel taught the middle room and her husband taught the big room. Then I went to the big room. On Valentines Day I went home for lunch and Fred Henline and Ed Ocheltree was coming behind me. They had a rope and said they was going to lasso me. I got scared and there was a coal pile there. I picked a piece of coal and throwed it. It hit Ed across the nose. I went home and told Mom what happened and I wouldn’t go back to school so she went up to school and told Mr. Whetzel. He told her to tell me to come back and he wouldn’t whip me. I went back. He kept all three of us after school. He asked me if I wouldn’t do any more. I told him if they tried to lasso me I’d do it again. The Ocheltrees lived in the house by the church. His sister Virginia was my friend, but not after that. They left Orlando without speaking to me.

The last year I had Dudley Goodrich. He taught in the big room. Edna Marple taught in the middle room and Ernestine Hyre taught in the little room. Dudley and Edna was dating then. That was my last year in school. I’m sorry I quit. I really made a big mistake.

Left: Ernestine Hyer in her early years. Later she married Charley Tulley and taught at the Three Lick school. For more about Ernestine (Hyre) Tulley see the Oct '07 entry Mrs. Tulley and the Three Lick School

Tales Retold

Mom said when they lived on Grass Run Russ Riffle and his wife lived above them somewhere. They had trouble of some kind and she came down to have it out with my mom and dad. When she came to the door my dad had been cutting meat and he had a butcher knife in his hand. She thought he was going to use it on her and she peed herself.

I heard Mom and Dad tell about Uncle Rye. Uncle Rye was rabbit hunting and he chased one into a hole. Uncle leaned down to look and there was a skunk in the hole. The skunk peed in Uncle’s face. He had to pee in his hands and wash his eyes out.

They used to have horse trader reunions over by Charlie Knight’s store. Mom’s brother would come to our house to eat, and they brought their slave. Mom fed him same as her brother and he played the fiddle. He was Hoover’s slave from Burnsville. They freed the slaves, but he still stayed because he liked them and they was good to him.

In the 1930s when the trains were still going through Orlando people used to gather on Saturdays and Sundays to watch the people changing trains. My dad was over there one time. Maggie and Winnie Posey, who were married to brothers, from Clover Fork had been feuding. The little woman had a baby on her hip and the bigger woman told the little woman that if she didn’t have the kid on her hip she’d whip her. The little woman said, “Well, don’t let that stop you” and she set the kid down and whipped the bigger woman and broke one of her fingers. My dad came home laughing.


This is Nellie, about 22 years old, with her mom Bridget and her son James Morrison.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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