especially if you like clouds and rain! Actually, it was a very nice morning. While the weather may not have been perfect, the fellowship could not have been better!
Sunday morning dawned overcast and warm. A pleasant breeze from the west gently washed over the hilltop as folks began to gather around 9:30. We visited with one another, did some last-minute sprucing up of family graves and enjoyed the summer air. Shortly after 11:00 Dan Trent read a passage from Psalms and offered a prayer of thanksgiving and assurance. We began to share stories of our relatives who are buried at Central. I shared a brief history of my great-great-grandmother, Rachel Cornett Anderson, and how she donated the land for the Church from her dowry when she married my great-great-grandfather Nelson Anderson. Nelson felled timber from his land to build the structure and built the church pews and pulpit.
Jeanette Poole shared a story about my grandmother, Vella Hash Anderson. My grandmother asked Jeanette to help her move her cattle across the road. I can almost picture little Jeanette on her bicycle “herding” a bunch of old cows down Comers Rock road. Jeanette said that one of my grandmother’s cows climbed the bank and kind of settled there. She said Grandmother Vella “prayed” that cow back down the bank. Never underestimate the power of prayer! My grandmother knew this – as we all do. Sometimes, however, we forget – especially in times of turmoil when we need prayer the most!
Along about then a summer shower began gently falling and most of the crowd scattered and headed toward their cars. The rain did not last long and really did not pass through the leaves on the trees so those of us under them stayed dry. We continued to share stories for some time!
Some stories from “under the trees”
A few hearty souls decided that the rain was not going to dampen our spirits, so the storytelling continued. Anita Armbrister shared the story of a devastating fire in the Stevens Creek community (about 3 miles from Fries) at the home of Laura Church on September 15, 1928. Some of the victims may be buried at Central. Laura’s mother, Nellie Pugh, died in the fire along with severalchildren. A newspaper story is on the “Find a Grave” website: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159415054/laura-church. Anita’s great-great grandfather, Wesley Columbus Robinson, was a teacher at Grant where he walked each week. He had 2 pairs of wool socks and each week his sister, Ollie, would “unknit” one pair and reknit them so they would last longer (no thin spots!). Ollie was the switchboard operator at Comers Rock. As it turns out Freida (Parks) Mabe’s mother, Reba Cornett Parks, was the local telephone operator in the Flat Ridge Community. Don Bonham shared that the switchboard was located very near the Central Cemetery gate on Wilburn’s Mill Road. There is an old abandoned building just north of the cemetery entrance. Could this be it?
There were lots of good tales and I apologize for “scrambling” some details of these important events in in the history of our community. Speaking of telephones, here is an excerpt from the Richmond Dispatch from June 12, 1898:
“The Wytheville Telephone Company has extended its line to Crockett’s Depot seven miles south of Wytheville and has there made connection with the Grayson County system. By this connection all of the towns-Marion, Glade Springs, Saltville, Abingdon, Bristol, Rural Retreat, Groseclose, Atkins, Seven Mile Ford, the principal points in Grayson and some of the counties in Western North Carolina- are brought into close business and other relations. The connection at Crockett’s of the two systems means a great deal for this entire section.
A large and important mass-meeting of the citizens of Grayson County was held at Independence a few days ago, the object of which was the improvement of the railroad facilities of that prosperous county.
The Atlantic and Western Railroad Company offers to extend its system through Grayson if the county will vote $150,000 to the stock of the company. The voice of the meeting was largely in favor of the subscription. The company will not ask for one cent of the subscription until the proposed road is completed and the cars running.
It is proposed to submit the question of subscription to a vote of the people of Grayson at an election to be held sometime in August.” (Given the lack of railroad tracks in the Grayson County, I think we know how that vote went!).
After the Decoration
On Saturday, July 11, 2020 (two weeks after the Decoration) Richard Hodgkinson and I went to the Cemetery to clean it up in preparation for the next round of mowing. Jacob and Andy Funk (under the direction of Jason and Amanda, I’m sure) did an excellent job of preparing the Cemetery for our Decoration. They always do a terrific job, but they do a little extra for our celebration. Be sure and thank them if you see them in your neighborhood!
As you may know, there are two cattle guards at the gate to our Cemetery. The “lower” cattle guard is in good shape. Richard and I cleaned it out after lunch and discussed options for “smoothing out” the upper (rough) cattle guard. The upper guard is very rough and has broken “bars” with exposed rebar. We decided that a simple solution might be to fill in the “rough” guard with stone. We believe this will be easy to accomplish and is the most economical means to even out the bumps. This led us into a discussion about the ease of access to our Cemetery. I promised that I would ask YOU this question: “Would you visit the Cemetery more often if the entrance was smoother?” Please let us know. We want to encourage folks to visit the graves of their loved ones. We’d like to make it as easy as possible. To that end, I mixed up a sack of concrete and “patched” the broken rails of the upper cattle guard before I left. This should make things better until we can get the gravel “fill” in place. Here is a “before and after” comparison.
Final thoughts
Among “newcomers” to the Decoration this year were Anita Armbrister, Debby Thomas, Frieda Mabe, Robert Mabe and more. I apologize for leaving out some folks. No ill will is intended. Chalk it up to mental feebleness. It is encouraging to see “new faces” at the Decoration. Unfortunately, as so many of us old-timers move on, there are fewer and fewer of us to carry on this important tradition.
There are also fewer of us to support the work in maintaining the Cemetery. In recent years it has been difficult to find “strong backs” to perform the physical labor necessary to keep our Cemetery in tip-top condition. As a result, we must pay people to level leaning monuments and fill in sunken graves. This, in addition to the regular chores associated with mowing and trimming the grass, maintaining the fence and the general day-to-day upkeep of the grounds.
Thanks to the two dozen families who wrote checks to the Cemetery Fund. Thanks, also, to the folks who made cash donations on Decoration Sunday. We could not keep the Cemetery in such great condition without your continuing support. If you have not made a donation to the Cemetery yet, it is not too late! Please consider sending your gift to the address on page 1 TODAY. In this busy world full of distractions and commotion it is easy to forget about our beloved Cemetery. We rely on and appreciate your continuing generosity – especially during this financially difficult and uncertain year.
In memoriam:
Mr. Jimmie Ray Cornett of Troutdale died October 23, 2019. Mr. Cornett and his family faithfully attended Decorations for many years – including last year. He is survived by one son, Stephen and Missy Cornett of Flatridge, Virginia; sisters, Georgia and Gearl Dean Cornett, Nancy and Billy Johnson of Flatridge, Virginia; sisters-in-law and spouse, Nancy Anderson (Ray), Iris Russell both of Flatridge, Virginia and Linda Roberts (Curtis) of Comers Rock, Virginia; brother-in-law, Roger Cornett (Debbie) of Troutdale, Virginia; several nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Norma Jean Cornett, and son, Calvin Cornett. He was buried at Central on Sunday, October 27, 2019.
We also lost one of our trustees in 2019. Mr. Wilson (Will) Leonard passed away Friday, August 9, 2019. He was born April 29, 1937 to the late Woodrow Wilson Leonard and Juanita Lee Layton. Leonard honorably served his country in the U.S. Air Force and retired after 21 years of service. He is survived by his wife, Paula Watts Leonard and sons: Kevin Ray Leonard and Kirt Lee Leonard. In addition to his parents, Will was preceded in death by daughter, Diana Lynn Leonard and sister, Mary Louise Fuller.
Central Cemetery 