Just Over the Bridge

Plans are in progress for a new bridge in Orlando. It will be the third bridge on record. Left: Earl "Bill" Mollahan posed on the current bridge in 1939. Right: Bill on the first recorded bridge. For a better view of the first bridge, Below on the right is the 1907 funeral procession of Michael Rush.

Pat (Morrison) Reckart recently visited her family's property in Orlando. She shares with us memories of the Orlando bridge and the folks she knew growing up here in the late 1940s.


by Pat Reckart

I went to Orlando, the little community where I spent all my growing up years. As I walked over the bridge it brought back many memories, some good and some not so good, I remember me and my friends would stand on the bridge and spit down into the water, and if it cracked, your boy friend loved you, I don’t know if we even had a boy friend, but someone told us to do it, so we did. Now when I see the bridge it is very old and in dire need of some repairs.

Oh I wonder how many footsteps have gone over the bridge, to many to count. It makes me think of all the people that I remember living in Orlando during those years, I’m going to try to remember all I can. I will start with the people that lived up by the cemetery.
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First was Layton Riffle and his wife Bertha and their children, Freda, Ronald, Betty, (Betty and I have been friends since 5th grade) there was Doris and then Buddy.

Patsy's schoolmates included kids from Three Lick, Road Run, McCauley Run etc., in addition to

the children who lived around the town of Orlando. The Orlando students are highlighted:

Top row: Virginia, daughter of Frank & Nina Skinner and the author Patsy Morrison.

2nd row: Bob Gibson

3rd row: Anna Louise Skinner, Virginia's sister and Frank & Nina's daughter

Bottom row: Betty Riffle, Ernestine McNemar and Mildred Morrison

Bill Barnett (our Sunday school teacher) his wife Marie and the children Dale and Betty.
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Left: Dale Barnett in 1932 holding dog Ted and baby sister Betty Jean.

Right: Edith & Oras Stutler's daughters Jane, Mary, Juanita and Virginia on a bad hair day around 1940.

Right, below: John Allman in the 1950s with his grandparents Gaver and Misha (Mills) Allman and John's infant son.
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Then up the hollow lived the Frank Skinner family and his wife Nina. Their children were Charles, Mary Alice, Virginia, Louise, and Edna.

Lee Skinner was Frank's brother, His place was next to Oil Creek. He had built his small home, it looked like a shack really, on tall stilts, so his home would be above any Oil Creek flood.

Then I remember Web Goodwin. He was married to Lucille Bennett. They had a lot of kids I don’t know their names.

Next was Oras and Edith Stutler. The kids I knew were Jane and Bill and their granddaughter Jackie.

Next was Mr. and Mrs Allman and Johnnie in the summer time.

Up on the hill behind them were Lynn and Mildred Riffle and son.

One store in Orlando was Charlie Knight's store and his wife was Mary. They lived in the old Rush house next to the Catholic church.

In the apartment over the store John and Lonie Gibson lived and their kids were John Jr. and Bob and Jimmie.

The other store was own by Bill Conrad and he had a sister Hallie.

Left: Pals Earse Posey and Erza "Pid" Henline in the early 1900s.

Right: John, Jimmy and Bob Gibson with the Conrad store behind them.

Up on the hill behind the store Earse and Winnie Posey lived and the kids I remember were Elwood, Edward, and Kenny. They had some girls but I don’t know their names.

Around the hill was Arch Riffle and his family.

Then next to them lived Ed McNemar and his wife was Necie and their girls were Ernstine and Lulabelle.

Over on the hill across from the store lived Myrtle Morrison and her family, who were Dick, Emogene, Mildred (who has been my best friend ever since were babies) then there was Bud and Eugene.

We lived behind the Catholic Church and our family was my grandparents Tom and Bridget Godfrey and my Mom Nellie Morrison, my brother Jimmie my sister Margie and me Patsy, and later my brother and sister Larry and Nancy Casto.
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Left: Clora Henline with Buck and Opal in the 1930s
Right: Arden Thomas in the CCCs in the 1930s
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Across the creek lived the Henlines: Clora Henline, her children Opal Jeffries and Colman "Buck" Jeffries, and her uncle Heaterhuck. Her Uncle Pid Henline. who lived on Three Lick, often visited them.

On the hill lived Arden Thomas and his wife Tiny their kids were Jetta, Judy, Phil, Carol and later Michael. .

On down the road Newt and Virgie Henline lived.
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Now we will go on the hill beside the school house. Mike and Margurite Moran lived and their kids John, Lee Paul, Joe Eddie and Rose Angela.
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In the house by the Morans' was the parsonage for the U.B. Church with Charles and his wife Naomi Parrish and their son Eugene.
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Left: Mike and Margurite (Sweeney) Moran with baby John, in the 1930s.

A Halloween that Changed Orlando

First, some trick or treat stories

then, Orlando's great loss on Halloween, 1946.

by Pat Reckart

Grandpa Scared the Goblins

When I was growing up Halloween wasn't too popular around Orlando, I don't remember anyone growing pumpkins. Maybe they did- I don't know, but no one decorated like they do now. The very first one that I remember was when I was about four years old, about 1940, I've told this story before but I want to do it again to go with this story. I guess it was trick or treat night, I didn't even know what that was, but any way, it was late one evening, Grandma Bridgett was cleaning up the supper dishes, I was sitting on Grandpa's lap; we were sitting in his favorite rocking chair in front of the big ole coal stove. He had built a fire since it was a little chilly. I loved to set on his lap while he smoked his pipe. All at once there was a knock at the door. He set me down and went to answer the door and of course I was right behind him. When he opened the door there were a bunch of kids dressed up in scary cloths and yelling trick or treat. I started screaming and Grandpa said get the H--- out of here or I'll shoot your a--- full of buckshot. Well, out of there they ran and fell over the swing in the yard. Grandpa said, “I bet they don't come back here again.” and I said Grandpa, “Would you really shoot them?” and he said, “Child I don't even have a gun,” Grandma came running from the kitchen to see what all the screaming was about, after she found out she had a good laugh, I kind of thought she knew because one of the girls was from a family that she washings for.

Right: Patsy (Morrison) Reckart

Left: Patsy's grandpa Tom Godfrey

A Traditional Prank

Another story about Halloween I remember was when Bill Conrad had the store in Orlando. It must have been 1945 because we moved back to Orlando from Ohio when my step-dad died and that was Nov. 1944, so it had to be the next Halloween, People around Orlando called him Bill Grab-A-Nickel. Bill was not a very big man and he walked with a crutch. Most of the older boys or teenagers made fun of him. Every Halloween they would upset his outhouse. He thought he would stay up and watch for them but they would outsmart him and it seemed like they knew when he went to bed and always the next morning his outhouse would be upset. The store was always a loafing place for some of the men and they would laugh and say “Well Bill, they done it again.”

A Prank That Could Have Gone Very Bad

Another story about Halloween: in the early 1950s the same boys put a large log across the road there by the bridge where you turn to go to Weston. Well, Ernestine [McNemar] Godfrey was expecting a baby at the time and of all times, that was the night she had to go to Weston to have her baby. When they got to the bridge they saw this big tree and they had to go back to the house to get someone to help them get the tree out of the road. But they still made it to Weston for her to deliver a baby boy.

The One Time I Went Trick-or-Treating

I only remember going trick or treat one time. A bunch of us kids went trick or treating but I don't think we dressed up, only in our every-day clothing. Shoot, it was dark. Who was going to see us? I don't remember even if anyone gave us candy unless it was Brown's store. I do remember going to the Allmans’ house. I remember we had some soap with us and we soaped their windows and then ran off into the dark. So much for trick or treating.

A Halloween that Changed Orlando
The Halloween Party at School

I remember it was 1946 and I was in 6th grade at the Orlando School. It was Halloween and that Friday we were going to have a party with prizes for different costumes such as, the prettiest, the ugliest and the most original. The kids who went home for lunch was suppose to dress at home before coming back to school and the kids that rode the bus were suppose to bring their costumes with them that morning and dress in the coat rooms. I think there was a coat room for the girls and one for the boys. No one bought new costumes; they just used what they had at home. I really wanted to win one of those prizes and that morning I told Grandma how I was going to dress so she hunted me some of Grandpa's old clothes and even one of his old brown hats.

I think we got an hour for lunch so I had plenty of time to do what I had planned to do. Mildred Riffle was going to help as I wasn't going to dress in old clothes; I was going to paint my face black with shoe polish. I had no idea what it would do. The tears just ran down my face but we finally got it done, I didn't stop to think how I was going to get it off after the party, all I thought about was that prize. I just know that is one Halloween Party I will never forget as long as I live. After we paraded around the room in front of the judges we had refreshments of cookies and kool-aid while the judges made up their minds.

Left above: Orlando's three room school house

Everyone was excited, just waiting to see who won. I couldn't hardly stand still I was so exited. Just then the judges stood up and announced the winners. Everyone was clapping, then the announced the winner of the ugliest and that was me! I wish I could remember what the prizes were but I can't.

After the Halloween Party

Everyone was outside talking about the party and waiting to go home. Then someone just said something was going on in the big room. The school had three rooms the big room, the middle room and the little room, The teacher of the big room and the principle was John Brown and his wife Marmell was the teacher of the little room and Edith Mayes was the teacher of the middle room, All the kids were trying to get back inside to see what was going on. Someone in front of me could see in the room and she said she could see someone laying on the stage, I finally got inside and then I could see who it was I began to cry. It was Marguerite Moran. I kept asking what was wrong with her. I could see she wasn't moving, I was so scared. Marguerite was the cook at school and a very good friend of my family. She and my mom were very good friends. For example, Marguerite's husband Mike Moran didn't like for her to smoke so she often came to our place to visit and smoke a cigarette. Sometimes Marguerite had me help her clean her house, especially if the Priest was coming for lunch. After a while Mr. Brown made and announcement that everyone was to go home and the bus was coming to pick kids that rode the bus. Mr. Brown came to get Marguerite and take her to the hospital. Grandma told me later that evening she had passed away. She had had a massive brain aneurysm. Things in Orlando never seemed the same after that she was a person that was so well liked.

Right and below, center: Marguerite (Sweeney) Moran

Left: teachers John Brown, Edith Mayes and Marmell Brown

Goodbye to Marguerite Moran

All the kids at school got to go to the funeral. It was held at the St. Michael's Catholic Church. When we got there the whole church was full. All us kids had to sit up on balcony. The whole service was done in Latin. Mr. Brown said we didn't have to go back to school that day and the bus came early to get the kids that rode the bus.

I didn't have far to go home as our house stood right behind the church, Grandma was on the porch watching for the hearse to come and take her away.

Sometimes when I would go home from school I would walk down through her yard, but after that I couldn't make myself go that way. I just kept thinking she just went to visit someone and she would be back. Many, many years later my mom bought the Moran property and when I would go there it always seemed like to me that Marguerite was somewhere in the shadows.

In Closing,

I have always enjoyed Halloween, I think maybe because of that time of the year. It is always so beautiful with the trees putting on a style show with all their beautiful colors. I love walking in the woods and smelling the woodsy smell and feeling the leaves crunching under my feet.

The mornings are getting chilly and all over Orlando you can see the smoke curling up to the sky. You dread to think what will be coming soon. Fall is also football season and what better place to be than in West Virginia rooting for the Mountaineers.

A West Virginia country road photographed by Sinha Punit

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.

The Orlando Reunion 2008

by Patsy Reckart

The hills were alive with laughter and music on Saturday, August 2, when families and friends gathered together for the second Orlando Reunion. It was held the same place as last year, behind the Orlando Baptist Church which was formerly the St. Michaels Catholic Church, the property behind the church was the former Tom Godfrey property now belonging to his grand daughter, Pat Reckart, this property has been in the Godfrey family since 1918.

Left: Tom Godfrey, young and old.

Right, the Methodist Church, looking down the tracks from the Godfrey farm

It takes a lot of hard work in putting together a reunion started and we hope to see it go and grow for years to come, I don’t the number of the attendance but I would guess somewhere between 80 or 90, There were people there that was not there last year so that means the word is getting out about the reunion, so next year we hope to see more new faces.

George Blake welcomed every one and Pat read a poem called THIS LAND OF OURS. It was a poem she had written when her brother was in Viet Nam and she asked that everyone remember all the men in service and the ones who lost their lives fighting for you and me, following the Pledge of Allegiance, the blessing was given for all the bountiful food that was piled high on the tables. I always worry that their won’t be enough food and then I remember the story in the Bible where Jesus fed the crowd with seven loaves of bread and a few fish, there was enough for everyone and lots left over, so it was with us there was plenty of food and lots left over.

After lunch there was a short History of Orlando Community given by Donna Gloff of Michigan. She is the grand daughter of Oras and Edith (Skinner) Stutler, she is also the web master for the orlandostonesoup site on your computer, where you can read lots of history and stories about Orlando.

George introduced Peggy (Donaldson) Smith who is running for the House of Delegates. He also introduced the current officers.

Right: from the 2007 reunion, George Bard, Helen Jeffries, Charles Jeffries, Mary Ables Curtis, Mildred Morrison McNemar.

An election was then held to elect officers for the coming year of 2009, and they are President Marilyn Posey, Vice President Dochie Wymer, Secretary Betty Stout, Treasure and Historian Pat Reckart, Entertainment Marilyn Posey, and board members are John Jeffries, Sonny Wymer, Jerry Wilson, Ann Wiley, and Charlie Cole.

All the business being take of, now it was time for some fun. An auction was held with lots and lots of items auctioned off, Its always fun to have an auction and bidding against your friends just for fun whether its something you want or not. Some of the items sold was a throw quilt made by Doris (Riffle) Snyder, a crock pot donated by Peggy Smith, there were lots of glasses, crafts and candy and much much more, there was also a free will offering in which a good amount was received and the money received will go for expenses for the reunion in 2009.

The meeting was then turned over to the Slim Quinton Blue Grass Gospel Band, who entertained the crowd with their wonderful music, getting wound up in the music Pat and Marilyn showed the crowd they were not to old to kick up their heels a little bit.

Left: Marilyn's dad Harold Quinton Cole (left) and Charlie's dad Elzie "Slim" Cole (right), with their nephew Clarence Dolan on fiddle.

Marilyn (Cole) Posey and Charlie Cole make up the Slim Quinton Band and they both have roots in Orlando Marilyn is the great granddaughter of Aunt Duck (Lorraine) Bee and the grand daughter of Jim and Alta Bee and the daughter of Harold and Mary Lee (Bee) Cole. Charlie’s parents were Alvin and Elda (Lucas) Cole. Dock Blake joined in with them playing several numbers, Dock is also a former Orlando resident, his parents were Marian and Ethel Blake.

When the day was over everyone said they had a wonderful time and they would see us next year and I might add plans are already being made for the 2009 reunion.

Just me, Little Ole Pat
August 24th 2008

E.U.B. Ladies' Aid

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by Pat Reckhart

There was a group of ladies from the Evangelical United Brethern Church and they called themselves the Ladies Aid, I guess it had been started many years ago. They had a president of the group as well as a secretary and a treasurer, and they always met once a month at each others’ homes. They always opened with scripture reading and a prayer. Then there was the secretary’s report, which was mostly where they had met the month before and if there were people in the community that needed prayer. And then came the treasurer's report I know they did different things to make money, but I don't know what the money was used for. I know it was used for the church and I remember they sold Danny Duzits, stainless steel pot scratchers.

rt above: Virgi Henline and Josie Beckner with the minister's wife Irene England.
lt: Danny Duzit stainless steel sponges
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There were several ladies in the group and each one took a turn having the meeting once a month, and usually it was an all day meeting, I remember, I think it was around 1963, and it was my turn. I lived at Burnsville then so all that week I worked and worked on my house to make sure it was clean as clean. I had three kids then all three were small and I warned them that they had to be on their best behavior or else. The day of the meeting I was up at daylight getting the food ready. I think it was probably a covered dish but who ever had the meeting still made several different dishes such as baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and desserts as well as the drinks, It was always expected for Josie Beckner to bring her fried bologna I don't remember how she did it but it was made with a hot pepper sauce, and it was a real big hit, after the meeting and lunch every just around and talked.

I'm going to tell you the people that was in the group. Josie Beckner, Virgie Henline, Evelyn Wimer, Necie Freeman, Maude Freeman, Lottie Henline, Ruby Roach, Erma Griffin, Lillie Fox, Velma Hoover, Nellie Casto, Bridgett Godfrey and Goldie Posey, there might be others I don't remember.

One time the meeting was at Goldie Posey’s house when she lived up Clover Fork. I had taken my kids with me my son Scott was about four and he was playing on the porch with the other kids he saw a bumble bee crawling up the post. Not knowing that it would sting he tried to pick it up. Well, you can imagine all the crying. We run and got the soda box and put some soda on the sting and it wasn't long until he was playing again. Oh those were the days. So bye for now, I’ve got to give my dog a bath.

lt: the EUB church is in the upper right corner. This photo was taken looking southwest from the Orlando (Skinner) Cemetery.
rt: the author, Pat Reckhart.

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In the 1930s or '40s Newt Blake, aka Uncle Zeke, visited the U.B.'s Ladies Aid, and made his report to the Buzzardtown News in the form of a poem:

The Ladies Aid

One day I called on the Ladies’ Aid,

It was two o’clock p.m.

I don’t recall how long I stayed,

That was left up to them.

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They treated me so nice and good,

On that particular day,

I said I’d help them all I could,

So they called upon me to pray.

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Lottie Henline, the president,

A lady that’s worthwhile,

Arose and said, “All be content,

”Then smote a little smile.

A song was sung by all the crowd,

If I make no mistake—

Maud Freeman sang so very loud,

They had to draw the brake.

Minerva Mick then called the roll,

And to my sad surprise,

Virgie Sharp and Carrie Goad,

Stayed at home to bake some pies.

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Pearl Edgell then a poem read,

Georgie Hamilton did the same;

Then Uncle Zeke arose and said

“I’m truly glad I came.”

Gladys Helmick was present just the same,

(She always is unless she’s sick);

I hope she’ll never change her name

'Twould be Hel without the Mick.

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Effie Skinner and Annie Scott,

And Lillie Fox came late;

I hope that they will surely not,

Be tardy at the pearly gate.

There is Biddie Riffle and Josie Beckner,

With their pleasant smile;

Then Opal Chrislip and Ruth Strader,

They come once in a while.

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Joe Skinner and Cora Riffle,

I declare I most forgot;

And don’t let me forget to name,

Charles Wesley, Preacher Scott.

I’ve often wondered how I’d feel,

If I was a U. B. preacher,

If a cup of coffee I could steal,

From another human creature.

The Ladies Aid is doing fine,

So join them sister, brother,

And add another star in your crown,

By helping one another.

Comments

comment 1

For starters, here are some of the relationships among some of the members at the EUB Ladies' Aid

Josie (Riffle) Beckner, Della (Riffle) Wimer’s sister

Ruby Roach, daughter of Josie (Riffle) Henline
Necie (Skinner) Freeman,
Evelyn (Mitchell) Wimer, Necie’s daughter, She and Della (Riffle) Wymer married brothers. Maude (Mick) Freeman, Necie & Maude were married to brothers
Lillie Gay (Keller) Fox, daughter of Preacher Keller
Bridgett Godfrey Nellie Casto’s mom, author’s grandmother
Nellie (Godfrey) Casto, author’s mom
Goldie Posey born near Fairmont, in 1941 Goldie Belt married Dee Posey who grew up on Clover Fork and worked for the railroad.

Virgie Henline
Lottie Henline

Velma Hoover

Erma Griffin

comment 2

Orlando's Methodist Church also had a Ladies' Aid.

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comment 3 from the Danny Duzit web page:

Danny Duzit stainless steel sponges have been a fixture in kitchens across America since the 20's. These sponges are still made and finished by hand in our Springfield, MA facility. Each Danny Duzit is made from a special high-grade stainless steel that will not rust. They retain their shape well after repeated uses and can be cleaned easily by simply placing them in your dishwasher. They are not available in stores and can be ordered directly from the factory.

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

Remembering Memorial Day

By Pat Reckart

I want to tell you about Memorial Day in Orlando and the first one I remember. But I’m going to start the story a few years earlier. The year was 1939. I was 5 and my brother Jimmy was 3 and our mom married Ivan Morrison. My step Dad got a job in Akron so we moved out there. Jimmy stayed with Grandma Godfrey. When we got to Akron we stayed with one of mom’s sisters until we could find a place of our own. My sister was born Jan.16 1941 and it was wasn't long until my dad found an apartment. We stayed there for awhile but we had to move. It was so infested with bugs it wasn't a healthy place to live. My dad just happened to find a nice little house for us to live in, and not in the city.
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Left: A crepe paper poppy became a special remembrance of the men who died in the Great War. for more on Orlando's boys in World War I see the January '08 entry The Great War, Through Uncle Zeke's Eyes

Grandma Bridgit Godfrey is to the right.
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My dad got really sick and it wasn't long until mom found out he had cancer. It was November, 1943 when he passed away. Mom had several sisters in Akron and they all told her it would be better for her to move back to W.V. and stay with my grandparents since they were getting up in years. So, they took us to the train station along with my dad’s body and we came back to W.V.
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I can remember Mike Moran met the train and got my dad’s body and then he got it ready for burial. When everything was ready his body was taken to my grandparents' house for the wake. People came in set up all night, I guess that’s what they do with any dead body. I remember I was so scared every time I time I looked at that casket I could see him breathing.
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I know this has nothing to do with Decoration Day, except when the 30th of May came my mom had no money to buy flowers to decorate my dad’s grave, plus all the other families that were buried up on the hill in the Orlando cemetery, overlooking the town.
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This is the view from the Orlando Cemetery, overlooking downtown Orlando.
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My mom was so upset because she had no money to buy flowers. Well, it so happened that a friend had stopped by to check on my grandparents. Well, really she was cousin, Alta (Blake) Bee. When she saw mom was so upset she said, “Now don't you worry. I know just what to do.” She said, “I've been making flowers out of crepe paper and I've lots of paper. Tomorrow I'll just come and spend the day and we can make lots of flowers.”

Left: Alta (Blake) Bee. See Alta's granddaughter Marilyn (Cole) Posey's story in the March '08 entry The Rose and Her Bud

The next morning right after breakfast Alta was there with baskets and baskets of supplies. I wish I could show just how they were made but I can't. I know there were patterns for different flowers such as roses, carnations, lilies and maybe more. I don't remember. They had to go together just right. I know we had a long piece of wire and the petals were placed at different layers and when we had just the right amount we would cut out a leaf and place it on the stem wire with the petals and then we would take little fine wire and wrap around it all so it would stay together. And by the way, Alta got the little fine wire by burning a tire and getting the wire after all the tire had burnt. We really had a nice day learning how to make those crepe paper flowers. Alta said she would be back the next and we would make some more.

We also melted wax and dipped the flowers so the rain would not hurt them. We got some tall tin cans like the used at school for hot lunch, My grandpa took a nail and put holes on either side of the can and then he ran a wire through the holes to make a handle. So, by the time it was the 30th we had lots of flowers, and besides that we picked lots of fresh flowers for the graves.

Crepe paper roses.

As I remember, the 30th was always a big day at our house. We'd never knew who would be at the house for dinner or how many, but we always seemed to have enough. Usually our meal would be baked steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, canned green beans seasoned with bacon and corn and hot biscuits. (My mom could make the best biscuits in the world.) And we always had strawberry shortcake with strawberries from Fred Riffle’s garden. And we always had plenty of Kool-aid for the kids to drink.

See the Sept '07 entry about Fred Riffle's Strawberries

We usually went to the cemetery twice: once in the early morning and then again in the afternoon. I think that was so we'd get to see a lot of friends and relatives. The cemetery was on a steep hill. We always had to walk up there and there always seemed to be people to walk with. So, now you know how we celebrated Decoration Day.




Here is the pattern for the crepe paper daffodill pictured to the left.







2 Comments

Marilyn said...
Thank you so much Pat for that touching story. My grandmother Alta loved to show you her flowers and was quick to want to teach you. For someone reason I just didn't understand all the moving and twisting, so I settled for her making my floweres for me. I had a boquet of those floweres she made me in an old vase in my room. We lost our home along with my beautiful flowers in a devastating fire in 1965. If only I could have the opportunity to watch her ..just one more time. Much love to you Pat for bringing my memories to light again!
9:36 PM

Granny Sue said...
What a story--it's almost a book compressed into a few lines. I cannot imagine what it was like for your mother to go through that, and yet this determined woman managed to get the flowers for his grave. Her story is humbling.
10:00 PM