HelenHHolley.txt

-n -n -n Unknown Speaker 0:03 Testing Hi everyone.Unknown Speaker 0:07 This is the women of coal project being done for the Kentucky Historical Society. We are in Welch, West Virginia. Today it is March the 18th 1994. In our first interview is Helen H Holly.Unknown Speaker 0:24 AndUnknown Speaker 0:25 that's it we're going to startUnknown Speaker 0:37 would we just like his background information, where you were born,Unknown Speaker 0:43 what county what state and and for your parents and grandparents as much information as you know about your family, and just get get that down.Unknown Speaker 0:53 I was born in Boone, North Carolina. My mother's was Mrs. Elizabeth Horton. My father's name was James Horton. My grandparents on my mother's side were Marilyn Nora and my grandfather was Jerry Linda or my father, dad. So while I was a very young child, my mother remarried and moved to West Virginia. Were early. I spent some time in Boone with my grandmother and grandfather had passed by that time. And I went to elementary school and a small one room school for a few years and then I went to Columbus live with an aunt. Her name was Mrs. Giorgio Blanton, VLA and to when I went to Milo Elementary, and then I went to Everett Junior High School. After the completion of every junior high school and Columbus, I came to West Virginia in 1937. I entered the gear District High School. It was a change, leaving from the situation in Ohio to the small coal town of Gary West Virginia was a lovely school. It was almost new at that time. All the teachers in the school as well as the principal, the Assistant Superintendent of Schools and all the personnel were of the African American race. It gave me a certain amount of identity that I really can now feel very proud of. We had some excellent teachers who were interested in the students and they did a lot of innovative things that we did 30 or 40 years later. I enjoyed the school and that we had an assistant black Superintendent of state superintendent of schools, and he was interested in seeing that we were well rounded as well as academics the requirements we were supposed to take, especially those who are interested in going to college. He was he tried to give us a well rounded, fine arts experience. I shall never forget we saw we heard and saw Oh, Tana, the artist. We saw WC handy and that was a thrill of our lives in high school like that were a small. There were several other outstanding artists that came. And the second summer I was there Jesse Owens came in the meantime, I'd heard a lot about Jesse Owens because he was an Ohio State man. And he had in fact, he worked his service station while he was in college, not too far from where one of my aunts lived in Columbus. So those are things that Callie inspired me and wanted and wanting always to be able to reach the top the gold of meeting outstanding Afro Americans as well as the others. So I had a keen interest in art. I want to finish Gary District High School in 1940. I had really had been accepted to West Virginia State College, but then my principal along with my parents being background of the Methodist Church. They insisted that I go to a Methodist college. So then I went to Bennett College for Women supported by the Methodist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. And that was certainly a highlight in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed those four years there. I worked with many of the organizations on campus as well as I did my work like I was supposed to have because in those days who have been terrible not to have done your work and be sent home to a small town like Gary. The President was a very, very outstanding man. And he of course was from an outstanding family and as a result, we had an opportunity there to meet a lot of outstanding people that when we were it was our duty to be reception age. That was the joy of our lives because we had opportunity to meet Dr. Batoon we met Benjamin Mays And so many outstanding people that crush the Rockefellers not, of course the young Rockefellers that are present today but the early years because they were some of the outstanding benefactors of the school as well as the Pfeiffer's. The Vipers donated millions of dollars to Bennett college. So in those experiences, as I said that we had, by an arts programs at least once a month, and some outstanding artists would be present. And one of the highlights also was if you're familiar with him, Dr. Ernest Daniel debt was one of the music teachers and he was a great American composer and arranger. And Aquila was not so musically inclined, I had quite a few contacts with, with them. And I thoroughly enjoyed their activities that they had on campus. He taught some of my best friends. And as a result, they have been great pianist. And many of them have been arrangers as well. arrangers of music. Then I, we had dramatics department and participated in that and many other things. So as a result, I really enjoyed the experience and will be returning in May for my 50th class anniversary. And anyway, we had you really in college, especially in an all girls school, you've made a lot of friends that are lasting friends. And so we kept in contact. In fact, my older daughter's name for my roommate of three years, I was a junior counselor, my afresh my junior year in college, so we missed that year, but we were friends throughout the whole time, as well as many, many others and many of them had done quite well. After I came after I finished college, I married my high school boyfriend, Jay Harrell, Holly. And he had finished the Gupton Jones, college and mortuary science in Nashville, Tennessee and took a few classes at Tennessee State where his brother was enrolled also. So I came back to West Virginia and graduated in May of 1940. And got married in August 14. I also had my first job in September of 19. employee, I started working in high school, Senior High School at that, and it was a real experience, because most of the boys as well as the girls considered me one of them. At Campbell High School, I taught at Campbell High School my first year, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And many of those students are very dear friends even today very supportive. And some of the things in the things that they tell me makes me feel real good about the advice and the different activities we participate in. Then. Then after that I came to I was transferred course I, my husband was working at that time, he was not in the business in the funeral business. He's working for US Steel, in Gary. And so transportation was a problem and the superintendent that talked me into taking this first job asking me about my first year and I told him what was wonderful except transportation was a problem. So I was moved to get to Welsh. I remained at Welsh junior high school for 19 years. And there we really had an enjoyable time, of course, I worked in three different principles. Transportation, well, my husband had to drag me to Welch and then I would have to catch a ride with someone else to Kimball. And it was all you know, some days he would, we might be late or we might be it was just a little frustrating. And so I taught them English and social studies at Wellington bar, and had a library assignment, I had to go back to school and take some classes in library science. But it was interesting, and we organized several activities there and the faculty was very cooperative. We had a very, very fun time there. And then, after integration, I went to Welsh High School. I enjoyed that experience in that it was a little different, although I had been accustomed to working with both races all along because I went to an integrated junior high school. And I'd had acquired several friends working in the different activities within the West Virginia Education Association, the McDowell County associate teachers association, the sociation classroom teachers, the International Reading Association, and many of those organizations that you really join when you're interested in raising the level of education in the area. I worked with several teachers before I went to Wells High School on various committees. And I before then, before I went to Wiltshire school, I had worked with the Western education Association on several committees and I was chairman of the citizenship committee. And we sponsored the Know Your county government day programs here in the county as well as Know your state government date. And in Charleston, they have an opportunity to have a pound discussion, the students would and they'd have representatives from each county to attend the state legislature would go up, meet them. It was used as scheduled during the time that they could tour of the Capitol building. And, and to see the gold dome and things like that. And that was before the art department was built there and Fine Arts on near the Capitol building. But they did have a lot of places that they could tour. And the meantime, we would have projects in junior high school and would take the students to Charleston, or at home some pile on a trip at least once every year, especially in the Social Studies department.Unknown Speaker 10:51 We had active PTAs of which they no longer hair, and you had excellent contact with parents. They knew you and you knew them, and you knew their children better by working with them. Then I went to as I said to Welsh and we had a very interesting time there. At first it was a little trying, but I had my younger daughter was in the eighth grade when we went to world, Junior World High School. I think it was 17 Maybe 17. And because she graduated, it must have been about 69 I think think of 6066 was Dr. Welch High School.Unknown Speaker 11:39 Was Was the African Americans.Unknown Speaker 11:41 Yeah, it was an African American school and it was changed to a special ed school after that. They changed it and made a specialUnknown Speaker 11:47 69 total integration occur. Yeah, well,Unknown Speaker 11:50 they haven't merged a little bit before then. Because 64? Yes, they had done. Several of the African Americans teachers had gone into the berry schools. And I was trying to think it must have been because you've made three.Unknown Speaker 12:10 So it sounds like they kind of Famers,Unknown Speaker 12:13 they kind of they didn't just all rush off. Because by that time, there were several students who normally go to Campbell High School had stopped, they did not catch the bus to go to Campbell. They went on to Welch High School, and they were the first graduates.Unknown Speaker 12:27 How did integration go here in general was pretty easily accomplished. It wasn'tUnknown Speaker 12:31 too bad. There were some some rebellious students who, who did not want the black students overwhelmed High School. Some of the parents weren't too interested either. And I shall never forget when I first went over there, one of the features and I mean, one of the parents, along with in the husband was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and in the city, he and his wife came up to see who you know, where his mower was, who was in his class, and who his teachers were that type thing. And then it was really interesting, because it took on me because I said, well, at least we'll have cooperation, then we'll see what we look like and they were halfway intelligent. So after that we were there were a lot of little things that happened, nothing, nothing major, just little things. Because Mr. Drumstick at that time I had been working on I had gotten stipends to go to graduate school through the nd EA and I had gone to so I was working on my specialist and reading certificate. And as well as my master's degree in Mr. Gross, it asked me to what I like to go out because he was sending more or less supervisors are coordinators in the various areas to work on at programs or reading in the schools because we're trying to bring the level of reading students in reading up to the national level. But I refused. Because I thought that I needed to be there. And my sister had a daughter in eighth grade and she didn't have too many problems with some of our friends have had a lot of problems. And as a result it I stayed there. And then I went to and of course they change we went to the new school Mountain View in 78, the fall of 78 because the first graduating class I think was 17 and that was very smooth that was a surprisingly smooth. They brought in the students from well from Gary High School and Welsh high school together. And it made it very nice. And we didn't have a lot of problems like you find problems today. And at Wiltshire school, I work with each teacher most of the teachers had to smarter classes and of course they started I started with the seventh grade and by the time I'll After I was one of the sponsors for the 12th grade, then I went to Mountain View and I was a sponsor for for the 12th grade also. But while I was in Willesden, but I mean Well, Chai school, we had the tri y. And I was co sponsored that, well, Chai school. And I enjoyed that, because we had a chance to take students to Charleston, also into different camps and different activities where they could participate. And out of our group, this low in West Virginia, was suggested to our members of the House of Delegates that all drivers should have insurance, you know what that two people used to get cars and terapii cars and that type thing. So. And a lot of laws, a lot of suggestions were made. And that was an outstanding group of students. Of course, they were learning about government, and they had classes in government and history there at that school. And as a result, they had pretty good men younger learning to drive. And so as results, they felt it was necessary. And they did. They suggested to the local members of the House of Delegates and to different committees, and they there'd be a passed in their mock legislation. And so that was that. My older daughter graduated from well from number one in her class at Campbell High School. My friend, she went to Ohio University, and majored in speech pathology. And now she's in Cleveland, Ohio, and she works with the speech department of the city of Cleveland. And my younger daughter graduated from Wiltshire school, and she went to edgecliff Excuse me, he lived in Cincinnati. I had never even heard of the school before. It's a Catholic school. And the their test scores were, you know, when once I take the various college entrance tests and the PSAT and a CT and all those, those scores are sent and she received this information, we went up for an interview. And she seemed to have enjoyed it. She graduated from there with honors was in who's who in America, that type thing. She graduated in consumer science, but believe it or not, she's a diversity trainer now in a bank in Milwaukee. She she went back to school and took more classes. So anyway, that's that they both married. I have four grandchildren, andUnknown Speaker 17:29 for sure, not too proud of them. No.Unknown Speaker 17:32 Joy, my life or my grandchildren.Unknown Speaker 17:35 How many grandchildren she got? She's got like I think five now and she's, she's great. She's got pictures? Oh,Unknown Speaker 17:45 yes. All over the house. Any place you want to leave your fan one of them. And I have been very active in community activities. I don't even remember some of them. I am a member life member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. I belong to Lincoln cooperative, Southern West Virginia, which is an organization that well, delta and links, both are interested in the youth of our areas all over the United States. We have all tied in then. What about projects with the delta is the Habitat program we are Habitat for Humanity. We have a house, this being built in Cleveland in our I mean, we're in the Midwest region. And we, we give scholarships. In fact, last year, we gave this delta we gave us scholarships for each county that we have members, we have four counties represented. We gave four Scout college scholarships to high school graduates, they must maintain a B average and that type thing. And with the links, we're really interested in the black young black males trained him. And we've had this year we've had our second row Tyrion, where young men were selected to be the king of the bow, Tyrion and they and men, I mean, the boys were highlighted rather than girls. Many times we have activities one, in our sorority, we have Miss delta, which you see, we found that we were emphasizing the girls lives, lifestyles, and men of the black males were being neglected. So that's one of our projects. And it has really just worked miracles because we'd have outstanding black leaders to discuss various things with the young man and some of them were in private. They could ask any questions they wanted like lawyers, doctors, news reporters, mayors and people like that. Members of city council and those type people have good role models and they have seemingly that one boy that we spotted this year is just amazing. He is so he seems to have been so impressed with all the things he went onUnknown Speaker 19:58 what do you you're disconnected disconnectedness that's developed over a period of time with young black males from mainstream Americans.Unknown Speaker 20:12 Really, and it worries me to think about it when I see the young man sitting on the curbs, missing school and doing things like that. And then when if you know, the backgrounds of some of them, many of them are, they just really need some attention. They the attention is being neglected. And the thing that I think has happened is that when we had small and enrollments and the small schools, we could reach every student in the class almost every day, I remember when I first started in junior high school, I had 52 students for social studies and English. And that's too many. But even at that, after we talk to the district to the assistant superintendent, we were able to get more teachers. And the students had individualized instruction. And when you found a student that, that maybe came home came to school without breakfast, you can't do well without that. And they've had problems at home and that type thing. It's difficult for them to work. And then they just start out very young with a chip on the shoulder. And nobody discovered her chip until it's too late. It really amounted to a log almost. And you see the meltdown with all types of problems. That's my observation. Because I've seen so many other men, we worked with a lot of them and some of them had changed and had come back and said that they were happy that somebody was interested in. But there's just so many of them. Now, I just don't know, it's really a problem.Unknown Speaker 21:45 We're building a statue for Alex.Unknown Speaker 21:49 Artists? Yes, yes, I am.Unknown Speaker 21:52 I work with her almost dailyUnknown Speaker 21:53 on this one.Unknown Speaker 21:55 But we've spent a lot of time just last year working with the African American community. I kind of the thing that strikes me is, is that black women have been allowed to move up in society because they're not really a threat. And so that creates some strong black men. And black men, however, have not been allowed to move up. And that's exactly what I'm saying. So what's happening is at home, they're dealing with the strong black community, they're being put down where they can where they can be the big cheese. And I think it's important for men somewhere to be a big G selfUnknown Speaker 22:42 esteem is important. It's very important. That's right.Unknown Speaker 22:46 That's my observation, I can see that what you're talking about, if you've got all these other problems, it doesn't take long to get beat down.Unknown Speaker 23:01 No, it really doesn't. And you see so many, some of them are from broken homes. And they don't have anyone to encourage them after they. And I think many times if they would, if they had someone to really encourage them, it would help a lot. We've seen in the schools, I'm not blaming the schools for it, because the schools are so crowded. And those teachers if they get through the day, they're doing well, in many instances. And as as I said, it's different. Because not with us we had one program I worked with was they called it reading skills. But it was eight mobile, English and reading skills. And we only we only had like no more than 20 students. And you could reach every one of them. But now some of those students have done quite well. I had a board that drew out an artist, and I understand he's doing quite well. And he was in the class because at one time so the students thought it was just a class for you know, people who couldn't do work. But then when they found out that their after their reading levels could just shoot up in no time flat with individual attention. Then there were some who wanted to come in and you'd be surprised some of those some after they found out it was doing it some kids well, I was just only in there six weeks, and I raised my reading level. You know, so many grades up. And then the summer, kids who were going to college said Solomon, we come in and do work with your, your program. Individually, if you have done your CNP Can we come in and you can show us how to use machines or how to use this or that. The SRA kit, you know, because he handles reading skills, speed test and that type thing vocabulary, which is very important for college kids. They start was working and at some of them who the very first group we had, I remember very distinctly some of them were really good students, and that they had made low scores on their entrance tests to junior high school. And they came in and they did so well. They didn't even want to go out big and then the room next door to me was empty. So they said let us just stay in here. We can use some of your books and things and that's what some of them did, and that I really had no proof I'm not with them. But I tell you what another thing is, a lot of the things they say on television irritates him. Now, last night, I saw Jerry Springer, I know this is a repeat. And to see some of the hatred of the racist toward each other, I can see why some of them just get so upset that they just might just go and do anything. It is really terrible. And the research and of all this prejudice that you see coming around, it's bad, it's bad. I just cannot for the life of me.Unknown Speaker 25:36 It seems like when times get hard, everybody looks for somebody.Unknown Speaker 25:41 And that's right. I think that's, that's part of the main problem is right, because you see this insurgent of these, these people coming in. And, and it's just amazing how that how they feel. And when these are nice, young males see these things, when the first person they walk up to and they don't answer them where they want them to, they might mock them in something, it's it's just thereUnknown Speaker 26:06 to something that's got to be frustrating. When you look they've succeeded economically. That's right. And they're given every opportunity. And then when you look at how young black kids are succeeding, then you say, well, obviously, there's a problem. A rocket scientist. And then when you see how the Haitians are treated as compared to a genius to figure out because of why. And so it's really difficult. That's what I call institutional racism. It's difficult to because it's so subtle.Unknown Speaker 26:56 It is very subtle. Now it'sUnknown Speaker 26:58 over. And it's, it's you know, and it's hard to detect. And when you do figure it out, there's practically nothing you can do about it. Because it's so entrenched, because you're dealing with bureaucrats, right? So it's really hard to do something about it. So it really is a difficult. I don't know, I think that I think the Destiny Yes, I taught American literature this semester. And the thing that I teach is that the thing that was left out in the Constitution was freeing the slaves. And by not doing that anymore, they almost it was Thomas Jefferson wrote that into the DeclarationUnknown Speaker 27:34 of Independence, they took it out. Yeah, I just want to understand.Unknown Speaker 27:37 And the reason and by doing that, like read the Civil War. Down thing had done that. So it's really so tragic that opportunity after opportunity to deal withUnknown Speaker 27:49 and but they haven't. And I thinkUnknown Speaker 27:50 to a large degree. It's probably just because I'm a southerner. But I think to a large degree, the South has dealt with the problem better than other parts of the country center, because we were forced to do that. Because it was the same situation that they got in South Africa, like, where it was institutional, had to be taken out all the laws. And so it was kind of purged in the south. And I think to the north, that never happened.Unknown Speaker 28:20 That's the that is the thing that, you know, when I went to school, I went we went to North Carolina, it was terrible to walk into the Southern Railroad Station. And in engraved in the cement was colored entrance. And on the other side was white entered that bus station the same way we see in West Virginia, we could sit where we wanted to on the bus, you said where you wanted to on the tree, not necessarily where you want to want to train because especially those going south what you'd had to change. And we would go to I had caught the train here go into green tomorrow, and I'd have to change in Lynchburg. And there was no place you just maybe one seat for the blacks and then have black own and they didn't use the word black color don't like and then whites on the other side. And I had a lot of experiences that were just really really devastating. They could have been but and demeaning. But the thing about I guess this experience at hand when I would visit my grandmother in North Carolina, actually so some hooded man one night, I actually had a chance to see a cross burning. But the thing that I understood about it was that they not only persecuted the blacks, but the poor whites that weren't treating the badness, right? I never knew that before. See, I just thought they will have to all black people. And thenUnknown Speaker 29:49 general purpose aUnknown Speaker 29:51 purpose hate group because this particular crosses burn for some man who had deserted his wife and his children. And it seems that they rode him up the river on a pole or something, and that type thing. And it's just really, and you would that go into the back. And that's not anything you read about is something I experienced, go into the seat because in a small town, they knew everyone, they call my mom, my grandmother, aunt Mary. And some of those people come and drink coffee but aren't Mary. But then if I went to the theater and cared my friends, we'd have to go upstairs to the balcony, which really, you can see the movies better, but they didn't realize that they didn't see now you're paying for that you pay for the balcony now. But see that some of them were so short sighted. And when I when I did my practice teaching, that was the only time I rode a bus in green tomorrow, because the President said We walk to town. Don't ride those buses. And But see, we didn't have cars like girls have cars now. So we had to catch the bus to go to do our practice it. It wasn't too far. But it was too far for us to try to eat our breakfast and get just walk to school, you know, to do practice. And he was man for punctuality, we had to be there on time. So it made a difference. But it those experiences are it's just really something and I'm happy to match you and didn't have to go through that.Unknown Speaker 31:13 You feel in terms of all this. I kind of as I sit here and talk to you, I kind of get two feelings. First feeling is is that that you you've been well educated, you've been very successful. You've raised two wonderful daughters. We've not spoken enough about your husband?Unknown Speaker 31:36 No, I'm telling you about him.Unknown Speaker 31:40 And you use that you've lived a rich full life. And you you've managed to overcome everything that has happened.Unknown Speaker 31:49 That's whyUnknown Speaker 31:55 there's it's it's like there's this this real frustration or anger or something that's back there that you you really resent allUnknown Speaker 32:05 this frustration because you see it constantly. Even now a little three Intermot. You see, you can see law three and damn it. And there's some good people. What's your process? That's the most frustrating thing? I thought it was gone.Unknown Speaker 32:19 You see it coming in? I mean, you don't have to be a wizard to say it. You know, IUnknown Speaker 32:24 always taught history. Thank you. So you did too. And my birthday is February the toy. And I always was so happy that my birthday the same day of Abraham Lincoln. Then years ago, everybody was praising Abraham Lincoln, then all of a sudden in one of these classes where you really have someone who's gonna get the nitty gritty. So I'm gonna say well, yes, he did free this lays but he did it to say that, say the union, he didn't do it because he loved black people.Unknown Speaker 32:56 If I could save the Union, that's right, leaving the slaves as slaves. If I can save it by frame half, if I can save it. So it wasn't that you're right.Unknown Speaker 33:09 But those are the see. That's the thing about it. See, when you were younger, you didn't get all these things. After I started delving into the education and reading all these things, that's the best one I almost lost respect for him. I didn't lose respect for him. But I almost did. But because he was in a position he did all the right things for the wrong reason. That's right. That's exactly right.Unknown Speaker 33:30 You know, one of the things in my American Lit class, we started seeing this Ken Burns series the Civil War. Yes. All right. In my American I used last week I usually the first tape causes of a civil war.Unknown Speaker 33:53 Yes, and that just irritates. Okay. So youUnknown Speaker 33:58 see, these are all white kids. And I saw that nice. And my Bonus Question on the test was and I said, I said that's gonna come from the film. And we talked about it and I said, this one image. So that's what's so powerful about TV and video, I said this one image of this man is back if if nothing had ever been written about slavery, if nothing ever been written about. So all you would have to do is see this one and the guy would have to do is see this one image to realize there's something fundamentally wrong with an institution that does have to be right. And it was really a shock to them. Because I think most white people have the idea that slavery was like, bootcamp, you know, you know, not real, not real pleasant, but not terribly bad. And this when they see something like that, they go, Oh, wow, it was worse.Unknown Speaker 34:56 That's right. You know, the Underground Railroad. Did you see that? Don't television. Now that's the type thing that many of our students might see and relate to that in a different way. You see, they haven't had the experience of knowing what it was like, and that type thing. But now in our church, we have Black History Month activities. We, of course, observe Martin Luther King Day. And we try to involve the students in those things, too. So they'll, and you'd be surprised at the number of students in fact, what before integration, we had classes in black history. And then we'd have contests and that type thing. And those are things that, that helped him to learn about the heritage, that there was some good people along with many of the bad people.Unknown Speaker 35:45 You know, all these black history courses, I think it should be mandatory that black history be taught inUnknown Speaker 35:49 schools, in all schools, schools,Unknown Speaker 35:53 just important. It's important toUnknown Speaker 36:03 be mentioned in myUnknown Speaker 36:04 history. No. And that's the thing we've been, we have tried so hard to get them to buy books, and to adopt books that have some black history. And because when I taught history, they didn't have anything in that American history book. I taught in eighth grade, I taught American history in eighth grade, not one I don't think they had revolution.Unknown Speaker 36:23 Oh, it's likeUnknown Speaker 36:26 13 original colonies.Unknown Speaker 36:28 And I don't think I even was able to memorize.Unknown Speaker 36:32 I had trouble rememberingUnknown Speaker 36:33 Delaware. Well, I see. Let me ask you a question about we didn't talk about your your husband went to school. AndUnknown Speaker 36:44 yes, he finished that he finished, he worked in Washington during the war, and with the French government. And then he came, we came, went up last summer. And then we came back and he started working at Paige funeral home, he worked at Patreon home for well, the Mr. Page owned it, and he and his wife, and then he died. And then at his death, he just told his wife that if my husband stayed with him that her death that we would inherit the funeral home, and we did. And he worked for 45 years as mortician. And well, in fact, when he died in was really and I guess it still is the only black business around, you know, here in well, it's of course, there's some black. Yes, he was black, too. And there are some black lawyers and you know, some doctors and that type thing. But as far as businesses, and at one time, we had a lot of black businesses, we had restaurants and places like that,Unknown Speaker 37:45 in a way do you think integration kind of maybe hurt the black business community by taking business away?Unknown Speaker 37:54 It could I think in a way it might have. And then those people who own those businesses died, you see that too old, and they just didn't take them over that type thing. And we had like mutations, beauty parlors, and all the businesses. So it was very, very, you know, kind of look at your business. But that didn't. As far as mortician and a few and direct. And it didn't affect us as far as the bodies were concerned because most blacks want to be very bad black. But there are a few who go to a few of them like other white people. And, of course, he worked very hard he was on. He's one of the trustees at the McDowell County Library. And he worked with the hood for Woodmont section. And well Jan, no, no, he died in August 5 1989. And so it's just windows. Well, it was leased for a while. And as Gregory has it, he his father was one of the founders, I think of it, he wasn't a founder. He was one of the first morticians I think at the Kimball funeral home and Kimball many, many years ago. In fact, that's where my husband did his apprentice work up there. And in Campbell, and he is from Williamson. He has a funeral home there. And it's doing quite well. And that's all right.Unknown Speaker 39:21 Are Is there any significant difference in funerals?Unknown Speaker 39:27 No, there really isn't because there was a new funeral home out where the fan and funeral home is now in Wales, and to me and of course, you know, you get distraught about certain activities and in business and they started a funeral home out there and my husband did a lot of embalming for them. And he of course has helped you know, some of the others and vice versa. They may have Pam in pinches. So there's really no different not that much difference but I think it's just one of those family things as tradition that I've always gone this place and it's where I want to go. And now since pre needs are in style. You know, people go in, they make the arrangements for earlyUnknown Speaker 40:06 prostate cancer to just go in and do everything. Yeah. SoUnknown Speaker 40:10 a lot of people are doing that now yearsUnknown Speaker 40:11 ago, I had where Kenya, so I thought I was going to be there. But I, I spent six months and they cure me. Well, that'sUnknown Speaker 40:17 wonderful. I guess. So, as you can see, I'm doing reallyUnknown Speaker 40:29 you've been in such an interesting position, teaching what this whole project is about as women. And you've kind of had access to everybody, you know, as a teacher,Unknown Speaker 40:40 I guess, I think so in a way and,Unknown Speaker 40:43 you know, to the white community and community both what I guess in terms of now terms of things that happened just in the past in general, how do you see things in the coalfields in the past?Unknown Speaker 41:04 When you know when it's just amazing in? Yeah, it was a very prosperous place. They had a company store, and the company store, you could go and buy anything you wanted from hardware to menswear, and gear, West Virginia. And they had lovely clothes. In fact, they had the lady who was in charge the latest department there would go to New York just like they go from, you know, other big stores, and anything you want. And you tell her what you wanted, she would get it for you. And we had churches, plant churches, they had one drugstore and of course, they had black business. They had barbershop muta, Paul, shoeshine Paula, restaurant all in one big building. And then they had a they have tennis court there a years ago, of course, you know, and then they had a bowling alley, too, in that same area. It was just a recreational area they had. Of course, we could meet at the drugstore and have our little social activities that were theaters all around, you know, the different communities had their own theaters. And, as I said, life was spent in many school activities. And I can remember when we almost every Friday night, they'd have a dance and have a live band for 20 Fasten admission. And the parents were chaperones, my mother would be right there along with the other people, we mock to it. And parents would get together and sit up in the balcony and talk and watch us dance. So there weren't a lot of that going out in cars, because very few. My father always had a car. But I'd never even learned to drive until my older daughter was born because I was never interested in it. He was where he worked in the mines. My stepfather. He was a coal miner. And so he worked in the mines, and he died with leukemia. Yes, he did. No, I'm not sure. About that. I know. And but he was retired when he passed. And so it's just one of those things that they will and they had train, they had a train that ran about two or three times a day. They had buses. AndUnknown Speaker 43:15 your father was a coal mine.Unknown Speaker 43:17 My stepfather wasUnknown Speaker 43:21 you managed to good private school? Get a good was now was that because of your grades? Because of his able to really sacrifice. I mean, brothersUnknown Speaker 43:33 and sisters, I just had one sister, okay, I just had one sister really have to sacrifice. I don't know how much sacrifice and they had to do because I got scholarships. And then of course, I'm sure he did. You know, they weren't making a lot of money, but they were doing very well. And as I said, it's just one of those things that you It's really amazing. And it's almost scary. When you go back to guarantee all the devastation all the many of the houses have been torn down. There's nothing There's now one store. Of course, it's better than nothing at all. Very nice convenience store. And of course, they still have a post office. But it was they even had a drycleaners they had they now have a video store up and of course they didn't have videos when I was living there. But they and of course the health clinic is is an it's verb are very well managed. And it's a very nice place. But I think that I think about it and I just feel so bad about the fact that USDA would just pull out and leave the people like they are and they didn't seem to care. They tore down houses that have just been recently built. They own them and of course they had the people had option to buy and many elderly people bought the homes, the houses they were living in, and now they're strip mining and it's just really terrible. It's sad, but youUnknown Speaker 44:59 I grew up in a mining family. And and now that part of the mining family that you grew up in this term strip mining, yes. Right. And then your present reality wasn't teaching and teaching children in the coal fieldUnknown Speaker 45:13 and trying to get them weed job fires trying to get them to to qualify for something other than coal, man, you tried to diversify. That's right.Unknown Speaker 45:21 Spent how many years? Have you spent diversifying?Unknown Speaker 45:24 510 20?Unknown Speaker 45:25 But at least 20? Since the 70s? Early? Yes, yes. We were tryingUnknown Speaker 45:31 what do you see, I guess the already an ample amount of stuff to do your storefront. I'm sure you have. What do you see as the futureUnknown Speaker 45:47 I just don't know, I didn't really bothers me to think about it. Now with Tron in some instances with many of these programs that the school has now. They have programs like that, they tried to individualize a small group work, working with small groups on parenting and things like that, we have a very progressive mind and superintendent of schools, and, and some people that are trying to do things that will help them with working with even different organizations try to help in any way that they can. And so now, of course, I have more organizations and I have time to keep up with. But I'm a cancer survivor, I had cancer and 83. The same year, I retired in 83, and was sick before I didn't even know the school started. But I work with a Cancer Coalition and with a Cancer Society. And we tried to, you know, get a lot of material out to people who are survivors and who are who really have it and there was no group. Well, we have we have a very active group, we have a very active group, we have in fact, our board met last night and I didn't get to go because I had been we went down to Charleston just last week before last to get them to lobby for non smoking in public buildings. And we you know, that type thing, so we're just really, you know, quite busy with that type thing.Unknown Speaker 47:18 Your your, your chance here if you sum up your life and or your observations, one one big state cattle know what what would you if you if you had one statement you wanted to leave the world with.Unknown Speaker 47:44 If we can just get the people to realize the seriousness of some of the things that have been going on, and get them to develop a positive attitude toward change. I think that it would be a better community and get more people to cooperate with the different projects that have been designed to help them think that and that have been designed and are being designed to help them make this community a better community. I think they would be very successful.Unknown Speaker 48:14 One of the things you strike me as a person that's probably got a real subtle sense of humor. What's the funniest thing that you've heard? In living and working? Funny story you've got that you get from school or growing up or from?Unknown Speaker 48:30 I have so many I don't know how to eliminate them. No, it's down and difficult. Really can't think of anything right now. Well, I do remember this. You remember, you know, history just goes in cycles. And I shall never forget when I was at well, Tesco you know the strip and was Sperber Babbitt, very stylish. And I heard all this commotion on the hall and sometimes somebody ran room and said, misaligned there's a stripper outside stripper. Yes, streaker outside, and it was one of the students madman however, I wouldn't dare claim him if he were if he was one of my students. But anyway, he ran under my window, and not any of the students had a chance to see him. So they were so disappointed. He went well, yes, because mitten the birth few people saw him before the principal caught him. I don't know. There's just so many actual funny things that happened. I can't right now. I had no idea of what it would be like so I would have prepared one if I had thought about it. SoUnknown Speaker 49:38 it's been a wonderful interview. So we'll go ahead and we'll stop. Like you've got placesTranscribed by https://otter.ai