This FLUHARTY chronicle was presented to Linda Cunningham Fluharty by Mary Jo Fluharty, great-grandaughter of Lively Richard and Mary Rebecca Fox Fluharty. It was written primarily by Lively & Mary's daughter, Delores. These Fluhartys lived in Wetzel County but some descendants reside in Marshall County. *************************************** This Fluharty Branch: (Source: Bill Cunningham, Wetzel County, WV) WILLIAM FLUHARTY, b. 1785, m. (1) (probably) Mary Snodgrass, (2) Margaret West Cunningham, widow of James Cunningham. JACOB FLUHARTY, b. 7 June 1814, d. 21 Apr 1885, Green District, Wetzel County, WV; m. 4 Aug 1836 in Tyler County, VA/WV, Frances Josiana West, b. 1815, buried Fluharty Cemetery, Minnie, Wetzel County, WV. JOHN N. FLUHARTY, b. 10 Sept 1838, Tyler County, WV, d. 6 Aug 1901, buried Fluharty Cemetery, Minnie, Wetzel County, WV, m. 20 Apr 1863 in Wetzel County, WV, Margaret Elizabeth "Libby" McCollough, b. 11 Mar 1843, Tyler County, WV, d. 16 Apr 1908, Wetzel County, WV, buried Fluharty Cemetery, Minnie, Wetzel County, WV. JACOB ALFRED FLUHARTY, b. 30 Nov 1866, Wetzel County, WV, d. 16 Nov 1932, Minnie, Wetzel County, WV, buried Wells Cemetery, Minnie, Wetzel County, WV, m. Delia Emeline Whiteman, b. 24 Nov 1873, Wetzel County, WV, d. 31 Aug 1950, buried Wells Cemetery, Minnie, Wetzel County, WV. Jacob and Delia lived on Rocky Run, Wirt County, WV for about 2 years. Jacob worked in timber there. LIVELY RICHARD FLUHARTY, b. 26 June 1901, Rocky Run, Wirt County, WV, d. 2 Aug 1963, New Martinsville, Wetzel County, WV, m. Mary Rebecca Fox, b. 12 Dec 1900, Wetzel County, WV, d. March 29, 1982, buried Northview Cemetery. New Martinsville, Wetzel County,WV . (According to the following story, LIVELY RICHARD was orginally named LIVELY EVELYN but changed his name in the 1930s.) *************************************** LIVELY RICHARD FLUHARTY & MARY REBECCA FOX FLUHARTY This is a chronicle of memories of growing up on Fluharty Run written by the children of Lively and Mary Fluharty: Evelyn, Dare, Dolores, Matzie, Vance, Alfred and Francis. Dad was born June 26, 1901, his parents were Jacob (Nov. 30, 1866 - Nov. 17, 1932) and Delia Emaline Whiteman Fluharty (Nov. 24, 1873 - Aug. 31, 1950). His paternal grandparents were John and Elizabeth McCulloch Fluharty. His paternal great-grandparents were Jacob Fluharty, Sr. and Fannie West Fluharty. Dad had one brother, Marshall, who married Sadie Cross and had six children: Bessie, Ralph, Lawrence, Jean, Violet and Mearle. Dad had two sisters, Elizabeth (Lizzie) who married Nelson Cross and had two children, Thelma and Alfred; and Bertha who married Philip Fluharty and had one son, Karl. Mom was the daughter of Charles Fox (Nov. 16, 1870 - Aug. 16, 1952) and Anna Rebecca Harter Fox (Mar. 24, 1885 - Dec.18, 1916). Anna was grandad's 3rd wife. His first two wives were sisters, last name Snyder. His first wife had two children, George and Ada and before she died she asked grandad to marry her sister to care for the children. Mom's paternal grand-parents were Lemuel and Ann Fox. Charles and Anna Fox were married Oct. 29, 1897. Their children were: Chloe Annie, born Jan. 25, 1898. Mary Rebecca (Mom) born Dec. 12, 1900 Dessie Allen born April 4, 1903 Andrew Charles born May 12, 1905 William Scott born May 9, 1907 Rex Russell born Oct. 7, 1913 Della Alice born AUg. 5, 1916 Aunt Dess married George Lazear Oct. 21, 1921; second marriage to Tim Yoho and had no children. Uncle Andrew married Audry Summers Sept. 12, 1923 and had 7 children; Virginia, Charles, Mary Katherine, Kenneth, Alberta, John, Richard. Grandad and Grandma Fluharty moved to Wirt County for about two years where grandad worked in the timber. There was a huge sawmill at Elizabeth and they lived on Rocky Run where Dad was born June 26, 1901. Dad grew up on Fluharty Run, Wetzel County. Mom lived near Lone Tree, Tyler County and her mother died at age 31, Dec. 18, 1916. Mom was only 16 yrs. old, Aunt Alice was 4 months 13 days, and Rex was only 3 years old. Since Grandad was gone most of the time Mom was left alone to raise the two kids. She said she had many good neighbors who were very good to her, kept her in a lot of books to read. When Alice and Rex were old enough for school, she went with them and finished the eighth grade. She always loved to read and had ambition to write and also to teach school. Dad and Mom met at a ball game at Minnie. When they later planned to marry, Mom didn't want to tell her Dad because she could not leave home at that time. Rex and Alice depended on her for their care. However, on July 14, 1923, they went to Sandusky, WV and got married in the minister's home, Rev. F. M. Travis. Hazel Taylor who later married Floyd Fox was Mom's witness at the wedding. Mom wore a white embroidered dress given to her by Della Harmon of Bartlesville, Okla. Years later she made it into a baby dress which we still have and many babies have been photographed in it. When arrangements were made for Rex and Alice's care, Mom finally went to live with Dad's parents 2 1/4 miles up Fluharty Run at the home place. Evelyn was born there July 4, 1924. She was named for Mom and Dad. Dad's middle name was Evelyn. He was named for his uncle Lively Evelyn Fluharty who lived a half mile down the run and it got to be very confusing. In the 1930's Dad had his name legally changed to Lively Richard. They moved to the Haines place, the next house down the road, where Dare was born May 8, 1926. Mom had read a historical novel about Virginia Dare and liked the last name. (Dare Cecil) Mom and Dad moved to Power, WV. Dad was hired to play ball as a pitcher for the company baseball team at the power plant there. In the winter he fired the boiler. Grandad Fox married Bertie Harter April 1, 1921. Scott (William Scott) , Mom's brother, was a well-liked young man, always singing and cheerful, trying to make others happy. He was working on the State Road near Middlebourne on Aug. 29, 1927 and fell over a 30 ft. cliff of rocks. He died Sept.6, 1927 at 20 years old. He was an exceptional good singer and played the harmonica. After his death many people spoke of how they missed hearing Scott walking home at night, playing and singing. The following Dec. 5, 1927 Dolores was born. Her first name Delia, was named for Grandma Fluharty, but her middle name Dolores was taken from a framed picture of a woman named Dolores that hung on Grandad Fox's wall. Dad admired it and said that if the baby was a girl he was naming it Dolores. Mom cherished the picture and gave it to Dolores later who still has it. Baseball scouts from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds wanted to sign Dad as a pitcher, but Dad had to refuse because of family responsibilities and moved back to Fluharty Run in 1929. The Hope Natural Gas Co. hired him to play ball on Sundays. Dad built a house up on the flat above Grandad Fluharty's house. Matzie (Elizabeth Matilda) was born there on Jan. 1, 1930. Tillie Dougherty was the mid-wife attending Mom. Mom said she felt so bad she didn't care what they named the baby so Grandma called her Elizabeth and Tillie added Matilda after herself. Mom later regretted it and nick-named her Matzie which we have always called her. We moved to the Sands place up on the top of the hill for one year. Vance was born there Sept. 26, 1931. (Vance Melvin) We moved back to the flat and lived there until Grandad died. This was during the great depression and times were very bad. The only income Dad had for 2 years was playing the guitar at the Cabbage Patch on Saturday night which he usually got paid $5. We have many memories of living there. We remember the hill where we loved to slide down,walking around the hill 1/4 mile to the spring for water and watching out for the snakes on the way. We had rain barrels to catch water for washing but all water for food and drinking had to be carried in buckets. One summer the rain barrels were dry and even the wash water had to be carried. Snakes were always a great fear. One day Matzie fell asleep on the path to the spring and Mom found her with a large snake curled up just inches away. She also found a snake on Dare's blanket when he was a baby and she pulled a snake out of the salt jar when baking bread. Although we ran all over the hills barefoot only Alfred was bitten with a poisonous snake when he was 12. We never missed having a Christmas except once, 1931. We didn't have a tree, but someone sent oranges to us for the holidays. Many times we walked down to see Grandad who usually was sitting by his many bee hives, an old hat on and smoking a pipe. He always called Dolores "Bee-Bee" instead of Dee-Dee, Grandad played the fiddle. Grandma hated it so he didn't own one. When he wanted to play he would borrow one from a neighbor, Wes Haines. Aunt Alice lived with us much of the time. She always considered Mom her mother, as it was the only mother she ever knew. Tillie Dougherty lived down at Minnie at the Rube Yoho house. Her son, Fred, started dating Aunt Alice. When he came to call Aunt Alice would tidy up the house and the kids: this one particular time she put a clean dress on Dee over the dirty one in a hurry. Dee proceeded to lift the clean dress and show Fred the dirty one. Aunt Alice and Uncle Fred were married Feb. 27, 1932. Alice was only 15. They had 4 children: Charles, Delano, Ruth and Kent. For many years Mom would have only one dress at a time. She would wash it out at night to wear the next day. Even though times were so hard and we had very little we did not feel poor. We didn't go anywhere except visit grandparents and relatives. Dad worked hard at farming, providing all our food. He hunted and trapped a lot, selling the pelts. In the spring he also dug ginseng. Mom, of course, canned vegetables, etc. We can remember one time when the jars of fruit and vegetables froze and burst under the beds in our bedroom. As kids we often slept at both the head and at the foot of the beds to keep warm. Beds were always straw ticks instead of mattresses and feather pillows. Grandad Fluharty died Nov. 17, 1932. Dad was given the home place but he had to pay the funeral expenses and all his bills. And of course, he saw to Grandma's care. We moved down the hill into the house with Grandma. She moved all her things into one room apart from us. We always enjoyed visiting with her. There was many times bread rising behind the stove where it was warm and she loved cats. Usually her cat was sleeping in front of the stove or in the sun. She enjoyed telling stories. She told us that one day she wanted an old Rhode Island Red rooster to cook and Dad chased it all day long and didn't catch it. He finally killed it----with a 12 guage shot gun. Our only close neighbor then was Wes Haines who lived the next house down the run. After his wife died his brother Milton and his sister Tillie Edgar and her son George came to live with him. For many years Wes came "calling" on Grandma. He always dressed in a suit and we kids thought for a long time that Grandma might marry him. Alfred (Jacob Alfred) was born April 15, 1933. He was named Jacob for Grandad Fluharty. Evelyn and Dare started to school at Minnie in 1931. After about 2 years we started to #17 school in Tyler County. This was quite a walk up the hill road and around the ridge. We enjoyed the walk in the spring when all the wild flowers were blooming in the woods and in the fall with all the autumn leaves and all the nuts to gather and watching the squirrels gather acorns and beechnuts. No. 17 was a one room school. The teachers those two years were Lonnie Doak and Gail Smith. We remember being so cold when we got to the top of the hill we would put our freezing hands in cold water at the Metz home and warm up before going on to school. We remember the teacher making potato soup and feeding us soup & crackers. About 1934 we started to school at Minnie again. This was a two room school, the first 4 grades in one room and 5th thru 8th grade in the other room. This school seemed so big! Teachers we remember in the smaller grades: Louise Haught, Reah Blancett, Pansy Cross, Leola Schamp. The upper grades: Noel Cochran, Robert Ott, Tom Starkey, Mrs. Minor, Oran Gray. The walk to school was 2 1/4 miles. We were used to walking everywhere in all kinds of weather. We either crossed the creek many times on the ice on the way down the run or crossed on the many little foot logs Dad had built. There were many kids to walk with: the Dougherty and Ryan kids, Cross' and Roberts who lived up the hollow from Cross'. When we were ready for high school we also walked to Minnie where we met the school bus and rode about 15 miles one way to Reader. About 1934 F. G. Smith held a revival at the Minnie School. Aunt Bertha got saved and started holding Sunday School in her home. We never missed, the whole family went. Immediately a building program was set up to build a church. We all sold blocks. They were just pictures of blocks with about 10 to a page, each block was a 10 cent donation. Another project was a name quilt. You paid so much to have your name embroidered on the quilt. It was a project to raise money and then was presented to the minister, Rev. Charles Cartmill, who came from New Martinsville to preach for us at that time. The Minnie Church of God was built in 1935. Dad worked very hard in the building of the church and we all helped where we could. All the years of our growing up we were very much involved in the church work. The first minister of our own was Brady Plantz. Two rooms were built on the back of the church building for the minister to live in. He had a daughter, Virginia, who was Evelyn's age and a son, Bill. Before Dad became a Christian he swore a lot and played for square dances. He was teased that his language had changed so much that his horses didn't know him. He was highly thought of by all who knew him. His word was gospel and his character spotless. Grandma stayed every winter with Aunt Lizzie in Hundred. She would go by Thanksgiving and return the first week of April. We remember some times with Grandma that still bring a laugh: Dad had gone to a sale at the Benedum house at Minnie and thought he had gotten the buy of a lifetime. Dad said that Mom's sugar bowl was always empty. He came home smiling with the newspaper wrapped purchase and set it on the kitchen table. He said, "Mary, now you'll not run out of sugar. I got the biggest sugar bowl, it's beautiful!" Mom, laughing said, "Yes, it's beautiful but it's not a sugar bowl." It was a chamber pot with two handles and had big roses on it. Grandma walked in, politely picked it up, said, "I'll take that" and walked out with it. One of Grandma's favorite tricks was April Fool jokes. She would fool Dad every year. About 1934 Dad and Mom were not up yet and she called Dad to look out that the cow had a new calf. Dad ran out pulling on his clothes and she hollered April Fool. That year Dad cut a hickory stump that had a swarm of bees in it and sealed the ends, laid it down and put a super on top and we had honey for about 10 years. Dad began working for the WPA when Roosevelt began this work program. he walked to work over the Porters Falls hill and putting a hard 8 hours working on the road and would bring home $17.60 every two weeks. Every pay day he would bring home a supply of Eight O'Clock coffee,.25 lb. sack of Sunnyfield Flour, slab bacon, P&G soap for wash and always Camay soap for Mom, among other groceries and almost always Mom's favorite candy, orange slices. These were carried on his back in sugar sacks. He worked for the WPA 4 yrs. then only part time. Dad was wonderful with wood! Beside building houses, he made porch furniture, a rocking chair, many benches and remodeling. He split palings and made a fence around the yard, gates with clever little wood latchets, a wide bridge across to the wood yard and corn crib. For Mom, Dad made rolling pins, corn graders, kraut cutters. He made sleds to use with the horses and mall sleds for us to use in the snow. He taught us how to make sling shots and whistles in the spring. We had many chores growing up. The girls did much of the cleaning, cooking, and washing clothes on the wash board. In the winter there was a lot of snow to shovel and a lot of wood to be piled by the door every night for the heating stove in the front room and for the wood cooking stove. For fun the boys built tree houses, ran tires, rolled down the hill in a tub. We loved to swing on grape vines or tire swings hanging from a tree. There was usually a porch swing on the porch. Also, they had fun shooting marbles. Though we moved many times while growing up the old home place up in the run us the place we most felt was home. We knew every inch of our 21 acres and the surrounding farms. Paths worn smooth crisscrossed all the woods near our home. Even at night we knew our way anywhere often walking by starlight or the flash of lightning from a storm. Walking with Dad at night was an experience, since he carried a lighted lantern and walked with a long-legged, wide arm swinging stride. Our walking was hard on bare feet, shoe soles, and rubber boots. Dad put slippery elm on our stone bruises, new soles on our shoes and patches on our rubber boots. In the snow we tried to walk in his long foot prints. Landmarks at the home place were The Oak Tree, The Hog Rocks, The Hill Road, The Poplar Tree, The Big Road, The Hawl Road, The Flat, The Fill, The Hump. They say you can't go home again, but we do it very often........in memory. The big old house no longer stands there, but we remember it clearly. There was a big front porch the width of the front of the house and you walk in the front door into the living room. The downstairs had a big 'front' room and two other big rooms. One was the kitchen and in earlier years Grandma occupied the other one. After Dad built her little house the room was Mom and Dad's bedroom. Upstairs was just two big bedrooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. All the rooms were wallpapered. One year the girls wallpapered their bedroom with the Sunday funny papers, walls and ceiling, too. We had many friends visit our room and lay around reading the funnies. They did not know we used the 'funnies' because we could not afford wallpaper. The kitchen was big and had a big wood cook stove with a warming closet. Later a hand pump with a sink replaced the bench with a wash pan and soap, bucket of water and a big dipper. There was a work cabinet, china cabinet, corner cupboard which Dad built and large table he also built with two chairs and two long benches. The front room had a morris chair we remember and a library table, davenport which had been reupholstered many times, a treadle sewing machine, a rocking chair and always book shelves. About 1946 Dad brought a piano all the way from Newell for Dee. The floor was always bright lineoleum. In winter, a wood heating stove was installed in the front room, the stove pipe going up through the boy's bedroom, and the pipe from the kitchen stove went through the girl's room. These pipes were our source of heat for dressing in the morning. The boys started a fire on two occasions: once throwing overalls by the pipe at night, the other time putting wet socks too close to the stovepipe to dry. There was no real damage. A well house stood by the back porch. It had a windless with chain and bucket we would let down and crank up the delicious water. We remember a clapboard roof and a trumpet vine growing up over it. We knew every step of the way over to Grandad Fox's place: up the Hill Road, through the Bridgeman field, through the big gate and down the hill past the oil wells. Grandad's house had so many interesting things: marbles set in concrete, steps you could walk up over a fence, gates with weights that opened and closed them, a big out-house with a fancy 2 holer with a carpeted seat. Grandad always had baskets of apples and lots of home made jellies and jams. On a hot day we loved to go up to the Falls and wade in the water taht run over the big rocks. The Hog Rocks was another favorite spot to go. Mostly we remember the Oolie-ups there. The boys also built a cave under one of the big rocks on the Myers hill. Dad left most of the correcting the kids up to Mom who did more talk than action. One vivid memory was after all was in bed at night if we were not quiet she would threaten us at the foot of the stairs with a stick of stove wood. Dad would let us get away with things. We could clutter up the room making a house by putting quilts over chairs and he wouldn't notice. But, once in a while we would get the best of him. One time we remember it was raining hard so we all had to be in the house and of course there would be little spats, this time Vance and Al. Dad said he was going to whip Vance who ran out of the house into the rain with Dad right with him. Vance would hop across the creek now high because of the rain, and Dad crossed over, they hopped back and forth 'till Dad started laughing and fell in. Well, Vance didn't get the whipping. Dad always cut our hair and Vance almost always fainted when he got his hair cut. The hog feed and other things came in printed cotton feed sacks which Mom and we girls used to make dresses, quilts, etc. When we were in grade school we got new clothes for school. The boys got 2 new pairs of overalls, 2 denim shirts, work shoes, arbuckles, long underwear and the girls got dress material, shoes, etc. all ordered from Montgomery Ward. If money was scarce Dad would get a load of props out to pay for them. These clothes had to last us. In the spring the boys would cut off the overalls and the sleeves. We remember walking over the Porters Falls hill to the store with a gunny sack of chickens with their heads sticking out of holes to breathe. These were to pay for our groceries. In 1936 we remember a really bad winter. It went to 40 degrees below zero and then 36 below the next day. There was 3 ft of snow and no school for weeks. We couldn't get the house warm with the green wood. Dad tore down the hog pen to heat the front room. It froze so hard the chickens froze to death setting on the roost. Our beds were partly covered with frost from our breathing. Then in February it warmed up and all the snow melted causing the great '36 flood. Everyone who went to town and helped clean up after the flood were given food, clothes and day old store cakes and pastries. We loved it. Aunt Bertha showed us how to make hoods and mittens from the many old coats given us. We always wore dresses and we also made snow pants to wear under our dresses to walk to church and school. There was another big snow in 1939 and Evelyn was snowed in at Metz' s and couldn't get home for about a week. We sure got tired of soup beans and corn bread, parched corn and meat skins. The Edgars who lived at the Haines place next to us died about 1935. Then Les & Vashti Staley and their kids, Imogene, Wanda, Jeff, and Carl lived there till '39. Next, Rancel and Myrtle Cross, then we lived there one winter and the next summer Everett and Ethel Watkins, Lee, Jack and Patty lived there. We had lots of fun with the Staley and Watkins kids. The next neighbors past the Haines place was the Dougherty place. At that time Lizzie Ryan lived there with Vivian, Arlene, and Edgar. After they moved to Akron, Aunt Alice and Uncle Fred lived there. Aunt Alice taught Dee how to make a cake and she and Uncle Fred bought Dee and Matzie their first store dresses/ Our aunts and uncles were very special, especially Aunt Alice who seemed like an older sister. Live Fluharty(Dad's uncle) lived at the next house, next was Kenneth Rine family. The next place was Cross (later Ingolds) then Aunt Bertha and Uncle Phil who lived next to the church. Dare wrote some really good poetry while in grade school. Also, he did some nature pictures on material with crayon which we set with a warm iron and made into pillow covers. He wrote an article for Fur-Fish-Game which they published with a picture of him. Mom loved to read mysteries and westerns. Uncle Phil would supply her with mysteries and Uncle Fred the westerns. Every winter she made at least one quilt. Even while quilting she would prop up a book on the quilt frame and read. Mom loved flowers. In our yard was a beautiful big button bush, mock orange, lilac, clove bush, honeysuckle, lots of day lilies, sweet scented shrub, bleeding heart, cosmos, zinnas, marigolds, burning bush. Mom also loved wild flowers, especially black-eyed susans and Dare always made sure she had a meadow lily somewhere in the yard. Dad's favorite was a red rose. He had a big red climber in the lower yard. Dad and Mom encouraged us in school and were proud of us when we graduated. They sacrificed many things so we could have the things we needed. Music was a natural thing in our family. There were many fiddle players: Grandad Fluharty, his son Marsh and Marsh's son Lawrence, Dad's Uncle Live was an excellent fiddle player and also accordian player. Uncle Fred and his two brothers, Frank and Clarence all played the fiddle. Dad inspired the kids to love music. From a very young age we remember Dad playing his guitar and harmonica. Evelyn and Matzie learned to chord the guiter and Dare not only played the guitar but later learned to play the fiddle on a home made one made by Frank Whiteman. We played and sang special songs in church and years later when there was no pianist Rev. Whitecotton encouraged Dee to learn to play, learning one new song a week. Church was the center of our activity. Mom and Dad saw that we were in church every service unless we had an important reason not to go. There we met our friends. We all looked forward to the 'homecoming' dinners at church every summer. It was an all day affair with special speakers and music. Mainly it was a feast of delicious food and meeting of old friends. We were used to having people home for dinner each Sunday. It would usually be the preacher's family, one of the Keller Boys, some of the Cranes, Roberts, or relatives. We were used to having the preachers in our home... Otto Younts, Bob Lentz, Brady Plantz, and Carl Reynolds who pastored at New Martinsville Church of God for 10 years and preached for us on Sunday. We all took part in the Christmas program at the church which was a big production each year and drew a full house. It was one mile walk to church one way but Dad usually was ready to make the trip back even after a long days work when there was practice or church. Mom would help with the costumes and one year dyed the big curtains. The program of plays, songs, monologues, etc. ended with a big gift exchange and treat for everyone. Dad helped get in pine for decorating and sometimes too part. One Christmas Dad dressed as Santa and was stuffed with too many pillows, so when he tried to come thru the chimney he and the entire play-fireplace rolled into the audience. Christmas was a very special, magic time for us, we thought it would it would never come. Mom concentrated on the food, baking raisin cookies and mincemeat pies, etc. Several Christmases Mom and Dad sold chickens to buy gifts for us. Christmas was always a secret until Christmas morning. Mom ordered things often from Montgomery Ward and managed to hide them from us. She usually bought a large galvanized bucket of Christmas candy which she locked in a dresser drawer. Dad couldn't resist prying it open one night when he was watching the boys and the rest of us were at church. Dad loved Christmas. He could always guess his gifts. Our Christmas tree at home was fun because we made most of the decorations--paper chains, popcorn strings, snowflakes and a star for the top cut from a baking powder can. When we were small for many years we got a box from Aunt Lizzie with a wonderful little gift for everyone. One year we girls got china dolls. We were shocked to find the boys lining them up on the bannister one day to shoot them eith their new B-B gun. Reading was a favorite pasttime for the whole family. We would read out on the porch in the evening until dark and then many times read until the lantern ran out of oil. Mom always enjoyed reading the newspaper, she kept up on world affairs and politics and she read all our school books. She could talk to you about any subject and was very helpful in our homework. Dad was very good with figures. He was very precise in keeping records, for himself and for the church. He was very good in reading blueprints. In the spring there was much corn to hoe and the truck patch with vegetables. Our favorite bean we call Bullet Beans, Dad brought home a pocket full of seeds in 1936 when he was cutting corn for Jerry Tennant. This is a pole or corn bean and evry year we are careful to keep plenty of seed. The corn was hoed 3 times- usually laid by about June 30th. Our tomatoes were '84s. There were always little chicks to raise every spring. Sometimes we had ducks and geese, sometimes bunnies and at least one cow and horse, a dog Ring and later Brownie. We had to take our turn at getting the cow in for milking. A cellar under the house kept the canned fruit and vegetables and potatoes and we always had a crock of cream on the cold floor. When the cream was a little sour we churned it and had fresh butter and buttermilk. Mom prepared several foods which we don't see anymore. She always pickled beans and pickle corn in stone jars. We made our own molasses from the cane we raised. We remember pulling taffy at a get-together with the neighbors who came in to watch the molasses making. Mom made her own hominy outside in a big kettle. Dad butchered every Thanksgiving Day. Neighbors came in to help, We made our own sausage, head cheese, pickled pigs feet and mince meat and rendered lard. The hams, shoulders, bacon sides were smoked in the smoke house. Many years Mom made her own soap outside in a big kettle. We had peach and cherry trees up on the flat and our own apple orchard up near the ridge with Red Delicious, Jonathan, Green Pippin, Grimes Golden, Early Harvest and Waldeire apples. Just above the orchard was our mail box on the ridge road. The best place to pick blackberries was the Bridgeman field. We remember taking a wash tub to carry the berries in. We loved to string raspberries on timothy stocks. Up in the cow pasture we loved to pick huckleberries. There was never enough to can but they sure made good cobbler. For the fresh cobbler Mom always made a big pitcher of 'dip' from fresh milk to pour over it. We remember picking paw paws and persimmons. Dad buried apples, turnips. cabbage and potatoes and dug them up about January and it was a real treat. In the winter we liked to parch corn on top of the heating stove in the living room. Dad liked to put his wild meat- squirrel or rabbit, etc. on the heating stove to cook it in the evening so he could sample it at bedtime. Another treat was cracklin' corn bread. During the war when coffee was rationed it seemed to taste even better. Our favorite breakfast was coffee on bread with brown sugar. Many, many mornings we remember Mom sending us off to school with hot cruellers or muffins usually with raisins in our lunch. Mom was always awake no matter how late we came in at night. What ever time we wanted to get up we told her and she didn't even need an alarm. Dad was an early riser. We liked to get up and lay on the couch and watch him get the fires going. Some of the kids walked in their sleep. One night Dare dreamed there were ants all over the covers and when he woke the next morning he found he had moved the entire bed to the other side of the room. Our old horse, Bird, died in 1938 and Dad decided to start selling cream. He got a $300 loan and with it bought a team of horses, Dan and Doll, six milk cows, a cream separator and buckets and a pressure cooker for Mom. He only paid $19 each October, but Dad worried about his payments. One of the cows had a heifer calf and Al became fond of her and called her Mena and we had a bull calf he named Frank. These were named for Mena Yoho and Frank Dougherty, Fred's brother. They were keeping company at the time. Al came running in one day very concerned and said, ôMom, Frank is suckin' on Mena's earö --and Frank just happened to be there. We got a big laugh about it and still do. Frank was a very good friend of the family. We remember him bringing a watermelon almost every Fourth of July. In the early '40s Mom took some of the girls and went to the 4H camp to fluff cotton for our first mattresses. Ross and Grace Loy built a house above us in 1940 and lived there three years. They had several kids and a car, an open top Model T Ford, and then a Buick. Every Saturday night they would drive by on their way to a movie. We envied them. She could really make good homemade bread. There was a box social at the school about every fall. The girls and women decorated boxes with crepe paper, etc. and packed lunches which men and boys bid on. Mena Yoho loved to help decorate boxes. At every social someone brought a ôGuess Cakeö. For 10 cents, you guessed what small object was hidden under the cake. Dad was excellent at guessing and won many cakes. These were small fund-raising efforts. We made our own clothes. In the late '30s we remember the 16-gore skirt and some popular trends in the early '40s were the broomstick skirt, a snood, and the fascinator. Nylons were new, too. After Brady Plantz moved away Grandma lived about three years in the parsonage behind the church. Each night Matzie or Dee would stop after school and spend the night with her or in the summer one would walk down after supper and the chores and spend the night with her. We always took a pint of fresh milk. In fact, one year Matzie fell from a horse and broke her shoulder which was in a cast for several weeks. Carrying the milk is one way she helped to straighten out her arm. Grandma was one of the first people we knew to get a radio. We loved to go especially to hear the radio. We would hear HENRY ALDRICH, I LOVE A MYSTERY, LUM & ABNER, AMOS & ANDY, BURNS & ALLEN and many more. But Grandma would turn it off real often to let it rest which always tried our patience. Grandma loved to sew. She made all her clothes, many log cabin quilts and crocheted a little. She made her own bread and we especially liked it when she put raisins in it. We liked hot cereal in the morning, Cocoa Wheats or oats which she ate with salt and pepper. She had a little garden and usually had morning glories climbing up the little porch. We always thought of Uncle Phil as a successful business man. He and Aunt Barbara had a beautiful house and a car and every morning except Sunday he went to town early in the morning to his office on the second floor across from the court house. He was constable and game warden. Grandma occasionally took one of us to town. Sometimes we would ride with Uncle Phil, sometimes go on the train and come home with him. We would visit her sister Frank in Brooklyn and shop with 25 cents to buy dress material. And always she would treat us with ice cream. Hunting season was always an exciting time. Dad and all the boys when they were old enough would hunt and many friends came in to hunt with them. The spring of '42 we moved out of the run to the Rube Yoho place at Minnie. We farmed the place for shares and had 14 cows to milk morning and night and sold cream. The first summer Dad only took in a little over $11, but I remember him testifying at church how good the Lord had provided. We worked hard, the hardest we ever worked in our lives. The house was a beautiful mansion with a small kitchen but a large dining room, living room and five bedrooms. There was a fireplace in the dining room, living room and two of the bedrooms. There were three porches and a big hallway and entrance with a beautiful staircase. While living there, on April 28, 1943 Francie (Francis Lively) was born. Evelyn was a beautiful girl and had many friends. For two summers during her high school years she worked in New Martinsville in homes. One family was the Quinets who owned the Court Restaurant. She dated several young men but chose Bill Ingold to marry. On December 24, 1942 at the close of the Christmas program at the church the curtain opened again and the wedding party was assembled in front of the altar, Rev. Carl Reynolds officiating at the wedding. The altar was decorated with pine and artificial red roses. Aunt Dess had bought her dress, a blue crepe. She was a senior at Reader High School. The 2nd World War had started and many young men had been drafted or enlisted, and Bill enlisted in the Air Force. At our house at Minnie it was a familiar sight to watch the troop trains go by. Evelyn took tests to finish up high school early so she could join Bill in Gulfport, Miss. She left shortly after Francie was born and spent three months in Miss. until Bill was transferred. Almost every family we knew had someone in the war. At church we had a shoe box of all the names of men we knew in the service from our area and our relatives. Every Wed. night we would draw out all the names and pray individually for their safety. Not one of the men was killed. Evelyn worked for a time in Ft. Wayne, Ind. while Bill was stationed there. Then for a short time in NY and then worked for a couple of years in Wheeling. Bill was discharged and they lived two places at Little Creek where Marilyn and Teresa were born. Next they moved to and bought the home below New Martinsville where Anita was born. In 1943 Dare went to Camp Meeting down around Charleston with Rev. Carl Reynolds and Rev. Charles Cartmill. Every time they stopped at a restaurant Carl would tell the waitress to give Dare stump water. After coming home Rev. Cartmill got Dare to mail Rev. Cartmill a little bottle of 'stump' water with a label guaranteed to cure anything. We understand he received it at home when he had some minister friends who enjoyed the joke with him. After a couple of years living at the Rube Yoho place we moved back up in the run to the home place. Dad built Grandma her own little house in the back yard. Dare graduated from high school and joined the army in 1945. Dad and Mom got their first radio. Before this we would go to Uncle Freds many Saturday nights and listen to the Grand Ole Opry and the National Barn Dance. We have many memories of times spent with Aunt Alice and family. They were very close to us, like our own family. Uncle Fred was a very kind, easy going man. He worked for the B&O and drove to work. On Fluharty Run you had to pick a rut and drive in itthe whole way. We could walk as fast as the car could go but sometimes the boys would hitch a ride on the running board. Dad had gone to work on the B&O until 1946. In '47 he worked at carpenter jobs. He never had a car until 1949 when he bought a pick-up truck, a '37 Chevy, then learned to drive it. We practiced driving in the Haines Field. Dare spent part of his tour of duty in Germany, he was Staff Sgt. While there he got to visit Switzerland, Belgium and France. He sent home six fiddles, two for him himself, one for Uncle Fred, Frank, Uncle Marsh and Francie. Also an accordian for Mom and watches for the girls. While in the service he went back to writing poetry; this is one of his favorites, TO A WOODTHRUSH along with THE BLUEBELLS. TO A WOODTHRUSH Oh! Singer in your coat of brown, To hear you makes my sole soar high. You hold me there in ecstasy, Near your wooded home as I pass by. When the apple blossom's pink I see And their first sweet fragrance fills the air, I hear your first sweet song of love A song so plaintive, yet free of care. Though a secluded fellow, your song to me Means more than a man's own words can name. And your melody, though not famed to be, Would put the rarest harp to shame. I wonder who taught you these notes to sing, And who brought you here to your summer home. And who gave you voice that joy you may bring To me and to others with your blissful song. Surely it is God and Him alone Who gave you voice and gave you song, That a blessing this day I might receive To make cheerful my pathway as I go along. ...... Dare Fluharty THE BLUEBELLS There in a shady little dell, A little bell-like flower grew. It never asked the praise of man, To admire its wonderous cast of blue. When cool March winds still hold their sway, With springs first fragrance in the air, To these little dells it's sweet to go, And toss away ones earthly care. Though far away from the eyes of man, The beautiful bluebells bloom and grow. They only ask for sun and rain, And only God's own praise to know. Though a humble little flower they are, Their little bells ring out music to me, And in their pale blue blossoms, I find, True beauty and God's own face I see. So our lives ought a blessing be, To God and to those who cross our way. As the little bluebells gave to me A blessing, let us also live that way. ......Dare Fluharty After Dare was discharged he came to Newell to work in the pottery-- Dee was working there. Dee and Dare had started singing together at church and school assemblies and while at Newell they sang at a talent show by Hank the Cowhand. He asked them to be on his show at WMMN Fairmont. In May of '48 they went to sing on his radio show but only stayed two weeks. Besides having their own program-- DEE& DARE, THE HYMNTOMERS and appearing on the other programs and personal appearances several times a week, and they decided that they never would be paid for any of it they quit and came home. Dare continues to sing at church and various events and has gone on to win awards for his fiddlin'. On November 24, 1948 Dare married the only love of his life, Betty Henthorn. They made their home in New Martinsville where Scott was born on March 14, 1950. They moved to the Rube Yoho place at Minnie where they lived until October then moved to Canton in November where Dare worked in the brick yards. Daughter, Kathy , was born on St. Patrick's Day in Canton and they moved back to Tyler County after getting a job at PPG and Steven and Cindy were born. Grandma Fluharty died August 31, 1950 in Hundred at Aunt Lizzie's. Matzie took some time off work to be with her while she was ill and was with her when she died. She was 76 years old. Dee met Jeff Littell at Minnie Church of God. She was working at PPG and staying with Evelyn. Jeff came with a group toplay music and Dee was the pianist. She needed a ride home and Jeff volunteered and they began dating. In three months on Sept. 30, 1950 they were married and went to live in Warren, Ohio. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Aunt Bertha for starting the Minnie Church of God. Her whole life was the church, working to build the first one and then raising money to build the new one which was erected after her death. Uncle Phil gave his complete support to the church all the years but did not become a Christian until after his retirement. Aunt Bertha died at the age of 73 (March 12, 1893- Aug. 20, 1966). Uncle Phil died at age 92 (Dec. 25, 1872- Nov. 9, 1964) Aunt Alice and Uncle Fred moved to Canton but real often they came back to visit everyone. Uncle Fred died October 29, 1974 at 67 years of age. In 1951 Dad built a home just above the church which was one mile up Fluharty Run. He tore down the home place up in the run because Mom had a hard time getting used to the new house and longed to be back up in the hollow. Mom had all modern conveniences for the first time: a furnace, a bathroom with shower and hot water, also a nice refrigerator and electric stove, which she never liked. Dad was president of the carpenters AFL Union at New Martinsville and worked at many big construction jobs over the years at PPG, Mobay and other chemical plants. He also built the shelter in the community park at the Minnie Church. Dad and Mom were both very interested in politics, both were Repubicans. Mom always voted a straight ticket. Dad had several good friends in politics and would split his ticket and vote for them if they were of the other party. Dad was the County Chairman of the State Republican Committee and on occasion went to Charleston in a delegation to meet with the Governor. Once he brought Mom a GOP pin consisting of a circle of pearls with GOP in the center which was one of her favorites. Rex lived with one family or another working only at one job, Viking, during the war. Most of the time he was at our place. Rex was an excellent harmonica player. He could play it in a bracket around his neck and finger pick the guitar at the same time. He also played the jews harp well. He was very carefree and easy-going and would pick up and move on without a moments notice. We laugh about the time he went to the spring to get a drink of water and was gone for three years. Another time while hoeing corn, he threw down his hoe and went to get a drink and didn't come back. After supper he came home with a peace offering, a hat full of raspberries. Rex loved to pick berries and of course, Mom was happy. After Dad built the new house and Rex had been staying at Dora Thomas', Aunt Dess bought him a trailer. They parked it at the upper end of Dad's lot. Rex had started dealing in antiques and had many friends who liked to deal with him. Mom and Dad had started worshiping in Laurel Point Methodist Church about 1949. Vance had joined the Army and became a PFC. Most of his tour of duty was spent in the west and in Alaska. He got leave from Alaska and came home, Bill and Evelyn brought him up and we were so glad to see him. He and Joann Jones got married on May 3, 1952. Joann had worked at Louis Marx Co., Glendale with Dee and Matzie. Vance was discharged August 8, 1952. They went to live in Canton. After a son, Mike and daughter, Rebecca were born they separated and divorced. Vance lived in Wheeling, Florida, Hollywood, Calif. and Denver, Colo. in the years to follow. While in Denver, Colo. in school to be a hairdresser he died May 22, 1966 following an automobile accident. He was 34 years old. Alfred graduated from Reader High School in 1951. He came to Canton in '51 and worked at Republic Steel. He roomed with Dare and Betty from summer of '52 'till he went to the Army in '53. They lived in the brickyard's (Natco) company house. In the Army he was made Corp. and spent 1 1/2 years in Germany. He was discharged May 1955. In Sept. 1955 Al was the first hourly employee at Mobay. He married Joy Tennant in 1956. They had two sons, Greg and Chris. Mom had a tremendous interest in government and anything historical. Matzie took Mom to Charleston in 1951 and she toured the capital building. Sept. 8, 1955 Dee took Mom to Washington, DC. they toured the main landmarks around the capital, visited Arlington Cemetery and Mt. Vernon and had a boat ride back up the Potomac. Grandad Fox died Aug. 16, 1952. He was 86 years old. When Matzie graduated from high school she went to Moundsville with Dee and they got a job at Lewis Marx Toy Co. She worked there for 4 years rooming with Dee, then Joann Jones. She then got a job in Wheeling as Dental Assistant for Dr. Rybeck on Market Street. She got acquainted with a patron, Robert Slavin, an air traffic controller. They started dating and were married Sept. 28, 1954. In the following years he was transferred to Toledo where Jimmy was born, to LaGuardia in NY where they lived on Long Island and Robbie and Patrick were born there. After being transferred to Delaware a daughter, Jeanne was born. After the family was transferred the same year to Oklahoma City, Jeanne died April 15, 1962 at only 4 1/2 months old. Francie was a dear person. Unable to go to school Mom and Dad had him tutored by Rhea Blancett. He forgot easily what he learned but the most important things he didn't forget. He was kind, courteous, happy, loved to go to church, shake hands and he loved to be asked to say the prayer at meals. He had a sense of rhythm that at a very young age he would start to sway and bounce in time to the music. He would love to play along with Mitch Miller on his various horns or a little fiddle. He had a big assortment of records he enjoyed playing on his record player. Francie couldn't read but if you asked him to play a certain record he could find it. Francie loved to be with Dad--- he copied him and he had a dog, Brownie, who was a real pal. May, 1952 Dad went to Canada with Jeff, Dee, the Littells and Pat Anderson on a fishing trip. Dad's favorite pasttime was fishing. The grand kids loved to help him sein for minnows. He fished at Minnie in the creek or at Dare's in his big pond. At two different homes Dare built a big pond and stocked them with fish. In 1957 Dad caught his biggest fish there-- a 6 3/4 pound bass. My, he was proud of it! Dad even built a fishing cottage in Tyler County at the back of Dare's farm which few of us got to see. Dad bought a new Ford car which he was proud of. He was always working at the church, making repairs and necessary improvements. He was treasurer and both he and Mom taught Sunday School classes, Mom taught the little kids and Dad a men's class. He led in Bible study on Wednesday nights. He worked at getting men into the church and taking an active part. His favorite song was SUPPERTIME. The last time all of our family was together was for Dad's birthday, 1955. Vance and Matzie both were there, being the ones living the farthest away. Uncle Marsh died in 1956. Jeff and Dee had a daughter, Linda Dee, in 1957 and another daughter, Mary Ann, in 1962. Matzie had another daughter Carrie, born Sept. 30, 1967. She and her family moved to Warren, Ohio where Bob was at the Youngstown airport. For 4 years it was wonderful to have them living closer home where we could be together at Mom's more and then Bob was transferred back to Oklahoma. Mom and Dad never had a fight! They didn't always agree especially on politics but one of them would stay calm, usually Dad. The spring before Dad died we were sitting around the dining room table and Dad looked over to Mom and said, ôYou know, you're prettyö. He seldom spoke of any emotions but he was very devoted to his family and we were impressed . Mom liked to look nice. She liked jewelry and honeysuckle cologne. Dad retired about March, 1963. He kept busy making improvements at home. Among other things he put in new sidewalks. Dad also made cement headstones for his parents' graves with lettering and set them place. We kids planned a 40th wedding anniversary reception for Dad and Mom for July 14, 1963. The week before, Uncle Nelson passed away, so instead of having it at the Pride of Green Community Center we just had it at home. Red was featured for this ruby anniversary: Red tablecloth, punch and red roses on the four-tiered cake. Dad served every piece of the cake. He really enjoyed sharing this day with old friends and having them in his home. They received many gifts and many pictures and movies were taken. On August 2, 1963, Dad passed away. He was only 62 years old. When Mom asked the nurse if Dad had said anything before he died she said, ôYes. He said I have fought a good fight. And like the Apostle Paul whose life he loved to study, he truly had fought a good fight and was a wonderful example for all of us to follow. When Rev. Gail Smith came to be pastor of the Laurel Point Methodist Church Dad and Mom found him to be a very special friend. He was pastor only a short time before Dad passed away but he was a real comfort to Mom in this very difficult time. Dare took care of Mom's business affairs. He and Al visited Mom every few days making sure she had wood to burn, saw to house repairs and generally keeping the TV, furnace and everything working. Mom 'lit up' when her boys came, they were very special to her. After Dad passed away they built her a fireplace in the living room. She really enjoyed it for many years. It was a real joy for Mom , Dad and Francie to be with Dare and his family on their farm and at their new house. From 1963 to 1980 after Dad passed away she was there so often that it was like her second home. She was always bragging about what a wonderful cook Betty was and she really is. Dare sold his big house near Middlebourne and moved to Georgia in 1967. He had a good job in Brunswick, GA. While in Georgia Mom and Francie got to visit Dare and Betty and Scott, Kathy, Steve, and Cindy. They took her on a tour of the historical island, St. Simon's and the fort and other wonderful places in St. Augustine, Florida. She had a wonderful time. Dare and his family moved back to Tyler County in 1968 with plans he had drawn up for a new house. He built this home using field stone and later made a huge pond beside it. He went back to work at PPG. This beautiful home reflected some of Dare's many talents and he and Betty really made you feel at home. We especially enjoyed sitting in a porch swing in the breezeway surrounded by the flowers with the smell of honeysuckle on the evening breeze. His priority is the work of the church - especially teaching. Twice Mom and Francie flew to Oklahoma to visit Matzie and her family; once in February '67 and in January '69. All the aunts and uncles were especially good to Francie. Francie was a comfort to Mom when Dad was gone but his life was very short. He passed away September 4, 1970 at only 27 years old. In a few short years several aunts and uncles passed away: Aunt Dess- August 23, 1968; Uncle Andrew- 1973; Aunt Sadie- August 1971; Uncle Fred- October 29, 1974; Aunt Lizzie. Cecil and Alta Staley went to church at Laurel Point and after Dad passed away Mom went to church with them. They were probably Mom's closest friends on the run in later years. Brooksie Carr and daughters Barbara and Hope were very good to Mom. Harvey and Roxie Crane and all the Ingolds, Todd James and Mrs. Burch all were good neighbors. She looked forward to the visits of the bookmobile. On Mom's 71st birthday we wanted to do something special to cheer her. She was lonely without Francie. We sent out invitations and planned a big party at Pride of Green Community Center on December 11. Seventy-five people attended. Mom got many gifts. Lawrence Fluharty and wife, Verna, came to play music along with Dare and Bill Fox. Lawrence has won many titles for fiddlin' and was WV State Fiddler Champion and one year National Champion. He owned fifty fiddles. He died October 26, 1978 at age 55. Dare and Evelyn shared Mom's love for flowers and both their homes were surrounded by beautiful flower gardens as well as house plants. Evelyn also loved to sew and cook. While her daughters were growing up, she sewed a lot for them and for herself. She always had a big garden and didn't stop canning until every jar was filled. Every week when she went to see Mom she would take something she had cooked. She and Mom really enjoyed a close relationship. She was a very giving person, very talented in so many ways. She very often took a loaf of her delicious bread to Dr. Hornbrook or someone or fixed chicken for the minister's family. She learned to bake and decorate cakes and did beautiful wedding cakes for some of her daughters. She enjoyed her grandchildren. On November 17, 1978 she died very suddenly at age 54. Al built his first home on Doolin, then one on Whiteman hill and finally a beautiful brick home on Rte. 18. He was always checking on Mom's house, mowing the lawn, etc. and just dropping in for a cup of coffee and talk awhile. He loved to fish and went often to the mountains with son, Chris, or a friend to fish for days. He enjoyed his farm, especially his cattle. Most evenings were spent out on the farm until dark. He liked to hunt and usually got a deer each year. Very good neighbors of Mom's were Roy Main and Raymond Edgar, brothers. Roy and Rex would go to town every week day but Rex always went to church on Sunday. Rex's trailer deteriorated and he began staying in the house after Francie died and Mom was alone. He died November, 1979. In October 1980 Mom went to live with Dee in Warren, Ohio. The house was closed up and left until spring when she understood that she should not go back to living alone. She decided the place should be sold so it would not deteriorate. We kids went in and disposed of things she kept with her like favorite dishes-- a cake plate Dad had given her when they were dating, a sugar bowl belonging to her mother, some favorite jewelry. She had her own room at Dees and the kids and grandkids all came real often to see her. Matzie came from Oklahoma and spent the summer with her. We drove Mom from Warren down to Canton to visit Aunt Alice in August '81. Aunt Alice passed away only two months later on October 8th. Mom passed away March 29, 1982. She was 81 years old. 1982 was a very difficult year for all of us for the same year on December 15th Al passed away. He was only 49 years old. Only five years later Matzie (Elizabeth Matilda) died on November 23, 1987 only a few days after her first grandchild was born to Patrick and wife Debbie. She is truly missed. Everyone loved Matzie, from little kids to old people. She was a very giving person, always thinking of others and doing for others. The closeness our family has enjoyed through the years has made a lasting impression on our lives. Each member was very special, most of all Dad and Mom who set a perfect example before us, bringing us up in a Christian home and taking us to church. We are eternally grateful! Although Mom was the eldest of her brothers and sisters, she outlived all of them. After her death some manuscripts she had worked on several years ago were found-- one paragraph spoke of her intention of writing so her children and grandchildren would have some understanding of the things that were dear to her. Perhaps this account of our very special memories growing up will help to carry out her dream. The following page was written by her in 1966: "The dreams and aspirations of an old lady, sixty-five years old, who still enjoys a good joke, and a good book. Who would like to gather up some of the tales and songs and dreams of her forbearers who came over the National Road and spread out to finally form the state of West Virginia. Gather them up and put them between the covers of books so her grandchildren and great-grandchildren can know how our people lived and loved, how they dressed and how they fought nature, wild animals and Indians for a bare living. How they sang and danced, drank and fought. Their superstitions and their love for the woods and waters, rocks and hills they settled amongst." Mary Rebecca Fox Fluharty....1966 Note: Dare Cecil Fluharty died March 13, 1989.