Sands of Time

Sifting through the sands of time
Finding things of yours and mine
Gathering a unique selection
Called the Crabtree-Stanley Collection.

Searching through old record books
Among the many places that we looked
Turning back through endless ages
Getting lost among faded pages.

Rolls and reels of microfilm
Until our eyes were tired and dim
Writing letters by the score
Calling cousins up galore!

To our forefather’s resting place
In solitude of dawn’s gray light
The tombstones beacon me to come
They tell their names and when they died.

In this peaceful resting place I recall
Thing’s of my mother’s recollection
When they were young on Crabtree Fork
I call it the Crabtree-Stanley Collection.

Fannie Lane Steele

Continue reading

Many of our members have requested suggestions on how to do genealogical research in Virginia records. The following is an attempt to list the highlights of records that are available throughout Virginia.

Individuals using Virginia records are very fortunate, as few of the records dealing with Virginia citizens have been lost due to fire or other catastrophes. The majority of the records in the courthouses of all the 99 Virginia counties are virtually intact.

Continue reading

Your Name

You got it from your father
It was all he had to give
And right gladly he bestowed it
Its yours as long as you may live.
You may lose the watch he gave you
And another you may claim
But whenever you are tempted
Be careful of his name.

It was fair the day you got it
And a worthy name to bear
When he got it from his father
There was no dishonor there.
Through the years he proudly wore it
To his father he was true
And that name was clean and spotless
When he passed it on to you.

Oh, there’s much that he has given you
That he values not at all
He has watched you break many toys
In the days that you were small.
You lost the knife he gave you
And you caused him many a pain
But you’ll never hurt your father
If you’re careful of his name.

Its yours to wear forever
Yours as long as you may live
Yours perhaps some distant morning
Another boy to give.
And you’ll smile with pride and
pleasure
As you look down on that baby there
Its a good name and a clean name
You are giving him to wear.

Author unknown.

Continue reading

Problems and Fun of the Family Historians

Every family has at least one
In this case you may count three
Plus the others who informed us
Of the twigs upon the tree.

When they listed all the children
Failed to note where they belong
Was it this one?  Was it that one?
All named Rawley, Sam or John!

When they didn’t give their grand-dad
Or the one who was his wife
What a problem was before us!
Couldn’t tell to save your life!

We have gone to lonely graveyards
For a name, a place, a date
Just to verify a grandpa
And his second unknown mate.

We have searched in courthouse attics
For the records hidden there
In the files and in the boxes
Fragile papers, old and rare.

Hunting, searching, looking, leafing
For a glimpse into the past
History was in the making
And for us our lot was cast!

Hazardous, the jaunts we’ve taken
Climbing fences, fording streams
Barbed wire, chiggers, poison ivy
Swinging bridges and bad dreams.

Parting bushes, chalking tombstones, Microfilms, a hundred reels

Husbands wondering if ever,
they would get some home-cooked meals

Books and folders, jumble, clutter
We have made a great collection
Deeds and wills and land appraisals
Now its called Stallard Connection.

Tell us, now the data’s gathered, Plus the pictures old and dim
Have we failed to have the right one,
Hanging on the proper limb?

Gladys J. Stallard

Continue reading

I went Back Home Today

I went back home today,
Where I was born and raised
Anticipation filled my soul
Nostalgic memories I embraced.

As I arrived upon the scene
I was filled with disillusion
I did not recognize the place,
My mind clouded with confusion.

There was nothing left but weeds and thorns,
Where once our house had stood
And the garden spot where we once toiled
Grew locust, briars and sourwood.

Where was the yard where we used to play,
And the path to the bubbling spring?
Where is the barn and the chicken coops?
The split-rail fence and the apple trees?

I turned to leave and looked around
To take one last glance and behold!
It was all there as clear as day,
The scenes of long ago.

A log house fastened sure and strong,
Against the winter’s wind
The field of ripened, golden grain
Lay lazily glistening in the sun.

Pa’s weather-beaten rifle,
Leaning against the old porch rail
Just waiting for the culprit
That spilled the milking pail.

And children’s melodious song,
Floating upon the morning breeze
The pungent smell of firewood smoke,
Filtering through the trees.

Mama calling from the doorway
In a voice so sweet and clear
It rang out to the hills above
“Its supper time, come here!”

I stood there spellbound in a trance
Reliving days gone by
Awakened by a teardrop,
Slowly trickling from my eye.

We hear the words, “You can’t go back”
That is what most folks say
Inside my heart I know they’re wrong
I went back home today.

Fannie Lane Steele

Continue reading

Dear Ancestor

Your tombstone stands among the rest;
Neglected and alone.
The name and date are chiseled out
On polished, marbled stone.

It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn.
You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born.

Yet each of us are cells of you
In flesh, in blood, in bone.
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
Entirely not our own.

Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
One hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
Who would have loved you so.

I wonder if you lived and loved,
I wonder  if you knew
That someday I would find this spot,
And come to visit you.

(Author Unknown)

Continue reading

Ancestor Song

I am a wandering pilgrim
A Stranger here to roam
I don’t know where I came from
And  don’t know where I’ll go.

Did my ancestors come from Ireland?
Or perhaps from Spain?
Was my great, great, grandmother
A lovely Indian maid?
Where oh where, and from whom did I descend?
I don’t know where I came from
and don’t know where I’ll end.
Oh, what blood through my veins doth flow?
Is it the blood of royalty?
Is it from friend or foe?

Did my great, great grandfather
come over from afar?
Was it England, France or Germany?
I wish I knew just where.
From what nation did I descend?
Perhaps they were great warriors,
Tell me who were my kin?

Were they leaders of nations?
Or leaders of the flock?
Did they contribute to society?
Or cast a stumbling block?
Could have been famous writers,
Who lived the way they pleased,
Or maybe bounding seamen,
Who sailed the seven seas.

I think they were rugged, brave frontiersmen,
Woodsmen who paved the way,
Into this great land of ours,
In which we live today.
What can I tell my children?
What can they tell their sons?
When they ask these same questions
The way that I have done?

Fannie L. Steele

Continue reading

I Will Not Stay

I will not stay

Beneath a sun-baked mound,

Though you should plant me deep;

And tuck the dust and roses

’round my chin

For that long final sleep.

I’ll shed the flesh and bones

From off my soul

Where so long they have clung;

And Iwill be

a million clouds away

Ere the last hymn is sung.

Beloved, do not weep;

nor let one tear

Fall down to touch the roses

on the sod,

For I’ll be strolling

Through a lovely garden,

Hand in hand with God.

By Dorothy Hall Witt

Continue reading

Nancy Clark Brown Hays

Nancy has an abiding and deep interest in people, particularly in Southwest Virginia, their lives and their history.  Her aim is to preserve the Appalachian heritage in such a manner that our children in future generations will know as much as possible about their origin and be proud of it.

Untold hours have been spent reading and transcribing microfilm records, digging through books and papers in courthouses and library archives.  Miles have been covered while recording names and dates in long forgotten, overgrown cemeteries. Interviews with aged men and women have yielded priceless memories and knowledge.

Nancy serves as the Special Focus Editor for the Appalachian Quarterly and assisted with The Heritage of Wise County Volume  II, from selecting photos, to lay-out to whatever needed to be done.  She has co-authored several volumes of genealogy including the famous Stallard Connection and The Descendants of William Addington.  She has also published several volumes of county records, such as census and marriages.  She was Co-Editor and Co-Publisher of The Southwest Virginian magazine of history and genealogy.

Nancy is our resident story-teller, if you’ve got a topic, she’s got a story. No story’s too big…no story’s too little.  She has published several of her stories from the unpublished manuscript, “You Can’t Get There From Here,” in the Appalachian Quarterly.

Nancy is married to Cecil Brown and they live in Longford Kansas, but she also has a home in Wise County where she comes often.  Nancy is a Wise County native, born and raised in Pound before moving to Wise where she lived until she married Cecil.  Her mother, Violet Clark still lives in Wise.  Nancy has four children, three step-children, three grandchildren, and seven step-grandchildren; and two step-great grandchildren. (Update: After the death of Cecil Brown, Nancy is now married to Hays).

Continue reading

It is with much sadness and regret that we at Wise County Historical Society bring you this sad news.

Our beloved member and friend, Dorothy Hall Witt and first President of the Historical Society has passed away on January 2, 2011.  She was not only  a member of our Historical Society, but our friend as well, and will be sadly missed.

We, the members of the Wise County Historical Society, would like to take this opportunity to offer a tribute to our first president, Dorothy Hall Witt. Without  her foresight and perseverance the Historical Society of Wise County would not exist today.

Dorothy Hall Witt our distinguished first president and charter member of the    Wise County Historical Society was instrumental in  the compiling and publishing  of The Heritage of Wise County and The City of Norton, Volume 1 and 2, among  other publications.

She was also instrumental in the establishing of the Wise County Historical Society. She served as the President of the Historical  Society the first years of its establishment.

While helping on the Lee County Book Committee in the creating of the Bicentennial History of Lee County Virginia published in 1991, Dorothy felt the need for the same in Wise County, and was instrumental in forming a group of Wise County historians who published their own Heritage of Wise County and the City of Norton Volume 1 in 1993. She was Chairman of the Book Committee and was elected President of the Wise County Historical Society when it was organized.

For the past 8 years Dorothy has served as recording secretary for the Wise County Historical Society and has worked a day or two a week at the office in the courthouse. She also is the editor of the Aging Gracefully segment of the Appalachian Quarterly published by Wise County Historical Society. She along with her friend and co-worker, Wanda Rose traveled over the county working on volume 1 of Wise County and the City of Norton, and installing lifelines for disabled and the elderly, she became interested in interviewing older people, which was the birth of Aging Gracefully in Appalachia.

Dorothy’s heritage is completely Appalachian as her father was a native of Lee County and her mother was a native of Russell County. Dorothy was born in Norton, grew up in Powell Valley, graduated from East Stone Gap High School, lived in Coeburn for twenty years and has lived in Wise for the past 33 years. She completed several courses at Clinch Valley College in English, Creative writing and Appalachian culture.

Dorothy worked for 14 years for the Department of Social Services, then worked as a medical transcriptionist and secretary at Wise Appalachian Regional Hospital for 19 years, retiring in 1989 to travel and pursue all the volunteer activities in which she was interested.

She has two sons, Hal Addington of Pinckney, Michigan, and Tim Addington of Atlanta, Georgia, and one grand-daughter, April Addington, a sophomore at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Dorothy is married to Harold Witt and they reside in Wise.

Dorothy is a dedicated member, wife, mother, and grandmother. She is good company and has a great sense of humor.

Continue reading