Reclaimed Memories

e decided in 1983 that we were going to build a home on the lot we had bought in 1975. We had thought that we would just continue to live in Marion and Joy's apartment, after we were too old to make the trips back and forth to the Glen. But we began to realize that the small apartment would not be really satisfactory over a period of years. We had some money saved and decided it would be just as safe if invested in property. So while we were in Florida in the spring of 1983 we had more fill dirt hauled than was necessary to bring the lot above street level, as required by the building code. We were told that it should be leveled and then stand and settle for a period of six months before any building was begun.

We had visited our friends, Eugene and Lyn Tutwiler, in Lakeland last year. Since that time they had bought property in Palatka and moved there. They were real vagabonds and owned homes also in Harrisonburg, Va. and in Ontario, Canada. They would spend their winters in Florida, autumn and spring in their ancestral home in Harrisonburg and during the hot summer they would go to Canada. We have visited them in four different homes over the years.

Easter in 1983 was April 3rd. We attended the morning service in the First United Methodist Church in Cocoa and in the afternoon went on to Palatka to stay with Lyn and Tut that night. They had a lovely home, with a separate apartment on the same lot. From there we journeyed on to Singers Glen.

Chena and Dottie took a little vacation trip north and stopped for four days with us. We were so happy to have them. I see by Troy's little book that Feedstone Mountain and Orkney Springs are listed as is the Country Store, so I judge that these were the places we took them to while they were with us. The Country Store is a tourist attraction because they keep everything as near like a country store of the early 20th century as possible. I could go in there and imagine that I was back in Bakers Run.

Lyn and Tut had returned to Virginia soon after we saw them in Florida. On July 3rd (Sunday) they took us to Lords Steak House, in Harrisonburg to help us celebrate our 54th wedding anniversary, which was the next day. Tut never would let us bear our share of the expenses when we were out together. That day I said to him, "Tut, you are always spending money on us.' He replied 'I don't know of anyone I would rather spend money an.' I have a lump in my throat as I type this. He was such a loyal friend!

While we were in Akron we took time out from visiting to go to Crown Hill, to the graves of my parents and Opal. Lanny and Mary with us on this July 13th. I think Elma went also.

The Thrash reunion was the next day and Joy and Marion were there. As usual it was hosted by Blossom and Ted.

This was the year of the first big Crislip reunion. It was held at the college in Philippi, West Virginia. There were 375 descendants of the Crislips, from several different states and from one or two foreign countries who attended. There were a lot of amateur genealogists there and I probably had as much history as anyone else on this family. Grandmother Thrash was a Crislip and I had the early booklet published fifty or sixty years earlier, as few others had. I got acquainted with Uncle Johnny Thrash's grandson from Chicago and his wife and daughter. We still write at Christmas time and occasionally during the year.

Rolan McQuain was the son of Hazel and A.J. and Jeanie was his wife. I had Rolan in my Junior Church for a number of years. Jeanie was a lovely Mormon girl from Utah, who converted to our faith. She was always so solicitous for her in-laws as they grew older. I think the older McQuains loved her more than they did their children. One time they were talking about this relationship while we were visiting. A.J. said, "Jeanie is better to us than any of the children." I said, "Then I would remember that." He knew I meant in his will, and replied, "Maybe you think I haven't." Jeanie got his almost new Cadillac in his will.

Jeanie and the two girls came for an overnight visit to the Glen August 23rd, 1983. We spent several nights with them after the deaths of Rolan's parents.

We worked on our house plans while we were at the Glen but they were not finalized until we talked with Marion, after returning to Florida on Oct. 18th. He suggested that we put the stairway outside and we have been so happy that we did. We received our building permit on November 10th. In December work went on apace and the septic tanks were put in and the primary slab poured.

Troy preached 19 times in 1983; 10 in 1984; five in 1985 and the last one he recorded was one in 1986. He may have preached more than that and did not bother to record them. I know the last funeral he had was that of our good friend, Beulah Baer, in 1986.

The Brady Trilogy  I  Reclaimed Memories - (1991)  I  Pop Troy's Anthology - ( 1992)  I  Kinfolk - (1994)