feel that I should add a page to
Troy's manuscript. I believe a few reminiscences and explanations, from my
point of view, might be helpful to any who might read this book.
As I typed his work into the computer I recalled vividly many things that we experienced together.
A quick examination of his book will show the reader that it is divided into
distinct sections, which are not related in any way. The first section entitled
"Pioneers" is partly fiction, as he explains in the body of the work. Troy
has a real talent in writing "word pictures," partly due to his imagination
and partly to his study of maps of all descriptions. The first four and one-half
pages are certainly not to be taken as authentic materials for a genealogical
study, but as interesting reading, with a background of tradition. After
his note on page five, the names and dates he gives have been researched
by us, and are from my "Kinfolk" book.
I enter the picture in his "Life Changes" section and some of the events
he relates are incidents that I recorded in my "Reclaimed Memories." Some
of these we both recall because they were so funny and some because they
had a great impact on our lives.
I think my favorite section is the "Poetry and Song" section". I have always
loved poetry and Troy's musical ability was what attracted me in the beginning.
We had a good time reviewing his "Diary," and laughing at some of the entries.
I began to make use of it during our first pastorate in Cairo, West Virginia
As you can understand from this reading, I was a very happy mother of two
sons and I just HAD to preserve a record of some of their early accomplishments.
I make no apologies for this; it is easily understood by any doting mother!
Although Troy preached considerably more than 5000 sermons, only a record
of fifteen remain. I think this was probably all that he ever typed. Some
of them I remember vividly. Of course many of his outlines were used several
times, especially in revivals. He was a good evangelist and held many revivals
in West Virginia, Ohio and Virginia. While president of Shenandoah College
and Conservatory of Music he preached in all but three or four churches of
the Evangelical United Brethren Denomination, of the entire Virginia Conference.
He preached somewhere practically every Sunday! Those four years were the
hardest of our entire ministry. It is a source of satisfaction now to receive
literature from the school, and to know it is growing and progressing in
every way, in its Winchester location. It is now Shenandoah University and
received one gift of more than $3,000,000 from a single supporter last year (1991).
I think the last three sections, Joshua Green, Holy Hilarity and Fifty Years
Ago, would be interesting to anyone who reads for enjoyment. They show Troy's
ability to paint “word pictures."
