Hi, Folks! Meet Miss Dorothy & Miss Charity, two sisters who live on the outskirts of Mars Hill, North Carolina. I came to meet Miss Dorothy Coon & Miss Charity Ray through efforts to interview former students of the old Rosenwald School, a smaller structure that served as the education…
Hi Folks! Last week, I told y’all the legend of Celia Sams Tweed beauty. This week, I am going to give you the reality of her life. Although I do not know much at all about her childhood, I can tell you that she was born on June 20, 1822…
Hi Folks! For this week I am going to do something am little different. I want to do a two part series on Celia Sams Tweed, my great-great grandmother who was born in 1822 and died in 1883. Growing up in these mountains we love, most of our history has…
Hi, Folks! Meet Miss Mildred Shelton. It’s actually Mrs. Shelton but holding true to southern culture and respect, everyone just calls her Miss Mildred. I have known Miss Mildred the majority of my life but only from afar, as I went to school with her son, Shannon. Miss Mildred’s daughter,…
Hi, Folks! It’s good to be back home! I’m going to be all over the place a little bit with this one. If y’all would, please bear with me on this one. First off, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your heartfelt thoughts, prayers…
Hi, Folks. Meet Ealy Franklin Banks. She was the oldest child of William Duckworth Franklin & Nancy Bowman Franklin, having been born on January 17, 1827 in the Shelton Laurel Community of Madison County, North Carolina. I’ve heard that she was actually fathered by legendary silver counterfeiter Duck Shelton but…
Hi, Folks! There are a ton of tales and legends to be told about our history & culture. However, this week I have decided to do something simple. As the old saying goes, “The tales they could tell if these mountains could talk”. I’ve decided to let them speak for…
Hi, Folks! Last week I told y’all of my Uncle Obery Tweed’s challenge that was met by future North Carolina Speaker Liston B. Ramsey. I promised a follow up. To be honest, I have racked my brain on how to write the story. Here is what I came up with……….…
Hi, Folks! This week’s article is going to be pretty short. For some of you old enough to remember, it should remind you of the late Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of The Story”. Decades ago, the Shelton Laurel Community of Madison County, North Carolina was very remote and isolated. A…
Hi, Folks! Meet Miss Eller. Technically, her name is Ella Johnson Hensley but everybody just calls her “Miss Eller” out of respect and endearment. I’ve known Miss Eller most of my life and can honestly attest that she is one of the sweetest people on planet Earth. Heck, I’ve never…
