SPIRIT OF JEFFERSON Farmer's ADVOCATE -- THURSDAY, JULY 14. 1988 | 7
#
Bill Theriauh
Dial 876-3321
I had driven by them plenty of times
during the last decade. The long, squat
building made of hollow red block; the
apple orchard behind it; and the white
two-story frame farmhouse on the cor-
ner of Job Corps Road and Halltown
Pike. I guess I passed them so many
times that I really didn't see them
anymore.
Then about three weeks ago, I was
rattling down the same back road in
my old pickup, my camera bouncing
along beside me on the seat. The ap-
ple trees were laying on their sides,
leaves turning brown. This time I
stopped.
There was half a roll of unused film
in my camera, so 1 got out and stroll-
ed around. The only sound was the rus-
tle of the leaves and the click of my
camera shutter.
I walked past the rows of weed-
choked, open doors and broken win-
dows and torn shades. Click. Past the
old Gulf gas pump and the empty
garage and the big, outdoor ther-
mometer nailed to the window frame.
Click. Click. Housing for migrant
workers, I guessed. Probably built in
the '20's or '30's. Click.
Pausing at one doorway, I peered in-
side. Sunlight filtered in through the
hole in the sagging roof. Shadows of
leaves danced along the crumbling,
sheetrock walls and across the floor.
The floor was covered with ptaster dust
and bottles, yellowed scraps of old
newspapers, and a rusted dish
strainer. A faded, red plaid workshirt
lay in one corner. Worn out remnants
of another time. Click. Click. Click.
My imagination conjured up visitors
of the Great Depression, or at least the
movie version of The Grapes of Wrath.
A young, thin Henry Fonda leans
against the door jamp, rolling a
homemade. He scratches a kitchen
match on his jeans, lights his
cigarette, and flips the smoking
wooden splinter into the dusty road.
"I'll be back before dark, Ma," he
says, and strides off through the
orchard.
A car swished by on the pike, and a
-little voice in the back of my head
brought me back to earth. There's
nothing special here. Just an old
building where ordinary people lived
for a while and did an ordinary job.
Across the road, the tall, dark windows
of the old farmhouse stared down at
me, like arched, empty eyes telling me
to move along. You've got other things
to do. You're busy.
Sheepishly, I climbed into my truck
and drove away, giving the scene one'
last glance in my rear view mirror.
Two weeks later, I was on that road
again, heading hack from Charles
Town. I'd had those photos developed,
and the envelope lay on the seat, mix-
ed up with the other stuff I'd bought in
" town. It was Saturday, and there were
lots of things to do at home. It wasn't
the kind of day you want to spend look-
ing at the scenery.
I pulled up to the stop sign, checked
for traffic, and rolled through the in-
tersecUon. About half a mile down the
rosd I stopped, vaguely puzzled. It was
the kind of feeling you get when you
listen to the water faucet drip for hours
and then realize you can't hear it any
more. I turned the truck around and
headed back the way I'd come.
I knew before I got there that they
were gone. The corner where the far-
rehouse had stood was an empty patch
of dirt. The field across the road was
KEARNEYSVILLE
empty too. Only the Gulf gas pump re-
mained, perched like a tombstone next
to a freshly filled grave.
I shuffled through the photos, glan-
cing up occasionally to make sure that
they were now only images on sheets
of paper. After a while, I put them
away and headed for home.
Now when I look at the photograph
of that empty, broken window, it's
with mixed feelings. A small part of
our life has disappeared, and I mourn
its passing. But orchards, like people,
don't live forever. Businesses that
don't thrive eventually die. This one
will probably be replaced with a sub-
division, and a different kind of life will
emerge.
We bear a lot these days about
preserving our heritage -- about sav-
ing part of our past for the future. But
to grow into our future we also need to
give up part of our past.
The farmhouse, and the orchard,
and the mingrants' quarters are gone.
Yet their image and memory still re-
main. Perhaps someone else will
glance at those photos years from now
and recall a little bit of our presenL If
they do, they'll be a little bit richer for
it.
Window Into the Past
MANNINGS
and
and Brooke,
mother, Mary
Friday visitor
Monday nnight
dams, Orchard
Md., was.
sister, Elda Ott.
Trevor
visitor of
and Amy,
the weekend
Pauline Adams,
Chaney were
Turner,
Rinker, Patisha
visitors of
Richard and
Farm.
and Trevor,
of Raechael
y nihgt
Philip and
/
Adeline Oden.
Susan Ott was a visitor of Kathy
Mose and family, Cavalier Trailer
Park.
Pauline Ott and Patisha Shirey were
Thursday visitors of Eva Davis,
Hostler's Road.
Michael Dillow, Dorothy Dillow, and
JoAnn Dillow, Nicole and T.J., drove
to Ray Brook, N.Y., arriving Friday
evening to visit Ronnie Dillow, retur-
ning home Sunday night.
Lisa Chicchirichi was a Friday even-
ing visitor of her mother, Adeline
Oden.
Rhonda Short and Tonya Jenkins
and sons were Monday visitors of
Ludelle Ott and Linda Diliow.
Ludelle Ott returned to her home
Monday from Jefferson Memorial
Hospital.
Mifflin Ott was a visitor of his
mother, Elda Ott.
Dorothy Stone, Pine Grove, Va., was
a visitor of her mother, Mae Detrick.
Deana Souers and Devan were
Saturday evening visitors of her
mother, Janie Sowers and sons,
Ranson.
Eddie Stone was a visitor of his
grandmother, Mae Detrick.
Ludelle Ott, Mae Detrick, Martha
Ott, Cora Wiley, Robert Wiley, and
Willara Smallwood are on the sick list
and need your prayers.
through Ju-
Mfllville
Town
Md.
Town
Ferry
Junction
Ferry
Md.
Town
:Uon
Town
Harpers Ferry
Patients
Mary Carroll, Charles Town
Marie Skarwecki, Charles Town
Christopher Duwel, Summit Point
Scott Jackson, Harpers Ferry --
Robert Thomassen, Charles Town
Shawne Harlow, Harpers Ferry
Betty Wean, Kearneysville
Kathy Davis, Ranson
Nellie Pierson, Charles Town
Hannah Woodworth, Big Pine Key,
Fla.
Fern Clayton, Harpers Ferry
Avery Baird, Charles Town
John Walls, Charles Town
Daniel Walters, Summit Point
Bertha Manuel, Harpers Ferry
Lydia Davis, Ranson
Andrew Youngs, Harpers Ferry
Percy Pearson, Charles Town
Lois Hill, Charles Town
Virginia's Pride
is Naturally & Locally Grown
It1 Our Own Feed Lots.
round Beef ..............
of fresh meats available at all times.
[ " I[
Out Our Pnces.
,'pecials this week are:
md Bee00r ............ lb. s1.19
• k ......... lb. '1.39
Patties ..... ,b. Sl.69
rloin Steak lb. s2.99
Sausage lb. $1.79
..... lb. Sl.2g
=b. Sl.29
D 725-2060
Country Meats
51 Tuscawilla Village Shops
One mile west of Charles Town
Mrs. Wallace Welsh
Dial 876-6845
Twenty members and friends of
Grace United Church of Christ of
Kearneysville and ten guests from the
Christ Church in Shepherdstown at-
tended the retirement dinner for
Pastor Melvin T. Hamm, who served
both congregations from 1947 to 1956.
The dinner was held at Hoffman Home
for Youth near Gettysburg, Pa., where
Rev. Harem has been director since
leaving the West Virginia charges.
Grace Church presented him with a
personalized gold cross pen/pencil set
M I LLVI LLE
Miss Dorothy Lake
Dial 535-2261
Mrs. Chris Kellcan, Virginia Beach,
Va., spent the fourth of July weekend
with Mrs. Clifton Kelican and family.
A fourth of July picnic was held at
the home of James and Sally Lilla.
Those attending were Mr. and Mrs.
Don Ott and Kim, Stacey Hough, Tam-
my Talton, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ott
and Van, and his friend, Steve, Mr.
and Mrs. Tyrone Ott and family, Rich-
mond, Va.; Mr. and Mrs. Vernon
Mathena, Woodstock, Md.; Mr. and
Mrs. Darrell Engle, Stafford, Va. ; Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Waugherman and
children, Thurmont, Md.; Mr. and
Mrs. Lee Ballenger and family, Mrs.
John Milton, John Casto, Pat Hubbard
and daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin
Lilla, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Lilla, Curtis
and Sonya, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kid-
wiler, Mr. and Mrs. Neil Banks, Bob
and Nick Clauser, Mrs. Sam Patter-
son, Vince, Jennifer and Tony Lilla.
DOt Lake spent Sunday with Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas Lake, Brunswick, Md.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kelican were
Thm-sday evening visitors of Mrs. Clif-
ton Kelican.
Mrs. Walter Davis and children,
Ridgeway, W. Va., spent Saturday
visiting with her mother, Mrs. Betty
Chapman and Mrs. Clifton Kelican.
Miss Ann Whipp has opened up
another store again in what we always
knew as the Keystone area. Ann was
in the store business a number of years
until the building that she owned and
operated her grocery store from was
condemned after the last flood we had.
The folks in the community say,
"Welcome Back.' ....
Mrs. James Lilla and Vince, Jen-
nifer and Tony Lilla, spent the
weekend with Mrs. Barbara Harris,
Woodstock, Md. They also attended
the Wilt family reunion.
to wish him well in his retirement. He
and his wife were presented a gift of
luggage from the Home and tickets for
a later trip to Scotland.
ATTENDS GRADUATION
Becky McDonald and Amy and
Ginger Creamer visited'with their
sister and family, Barbara and Henry
Wilson in Cerro Gardo, Ill. They also
attended the high school commence-
ment exercises of their niece,
SarahBeth Wilson.
NEW GRANDSON
Jackie and Dorothy Payne proudly
announce the birth of their fwst grand-
child, a grandson, Joseph Jackie Wilt.
He was born June 24 in Jefferson
Memorial Hospital to their daughter,
Donna and proud dad, Jeffery. He
weighed in at 5 pounds and 4-% ounces.
Paternal grandparents are Mary Wilt
and the late Joseph Wilt, Charles
Town. Maternal great-grandmother is
Nellie Danberry, Beckley, W. Va.
SYMPATHY
From the community to the family
and friends of Sadie Winston who pass-
ed away this week. Born May 18, 1887,
in Stephens City, Va., she came to the
Kearneysville area where she has
resided for many years. Sadie was I01
years old and up until a few years ago,
she was an active worker in the com-
munity and will be remembered by all.
Sympathy goes to the family of
Yvonne Carper by the death of her
mother, Emma Mac Griffith. The
Carper family resided for many years
in the community before moving to
Ranson.
PICNIC
The date of the Evergreen 4-H Club
has been changed to Sunday, July 24
due to other commitments. Members
will be contacted by their leaders. A
reminder that all 4-H project books are
due in the last week of July. The date
of the Jefferson County Fair is August
29 through September 3. Entertain-
ment this year will be The Girls Next
Door and Helen Cornelius.
RECEIVE AWARDS
The Jefferson County Chamber of
Commerce held their awards banquet
at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown.
Honored were local businesses who
are new in the county and for those
who expanded. In our area Dennis and
Kathy Voorhees accepted for the
Kearneysville Post Office for the new
building erected in the spring. Aceep-
ring for Telecommunications Industries
Inc., located in the Bardane Industrial
Park was Robert Mclntyre, manager,
Present also from TIt were Tresa Wig-
gins, June Bageant and Kelly Colbert.
Another firm in the industrial park,
Texas Stock, was also given an award.
Guest speaker for the evening was
John Harter, local news announcer for
Channel 7 in Washington, D.C.
Thought: Remember the dry season
is upon us and practice safety when
lighting fires, burning trash. Protect
our land and animals. Be sure that
your pets have plenty of water and
shade.
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Whitmore Lumber Company "tTJ
300 North Mildred Street -- Charles Town, W. Va.
Phone 725-2004 00NTRY
Hardware
