Blog: By Karen G. Bruce

I WAS BORNED A COAL MINER’S GRANDDAUGHTER BUT MY DADDY JOINED THE NAVY

What you’re about to read is all true, to the best of my recollection.

            I never lived in Grundy, Virginia but I was born there because my daddy was overseas at the time.  Mama went to stay with her parents so she would have a little help with my brother, Kenny, who was almost 3.  My husband’s name is also Kenny and my dad goes by Ken.  Yes it’s a little confusing but I usually say Kenny, brother Kenny or daddy to keep it all straight.

            Grandma Lessie and Grandpa Fred lived in Belcher’s Fork, which was at the mouth of Harmon, which was close to Convict Hollow.  The mouth of Hoot Owl wasn’t close but I used to like to say that.  They used terms, like ‘hollers’ and ‘mouth of’ which I didn’t think much about when I was little but now I think they’re kind of funny.  Grandpa worked in the coal mines his whole life and Grandma took care of him, even until the end when his lungs were full of coal dust.  He was only 68 when he died.

            Grandma grew up in Prater and Grandpa grew up in Sandlick, all close to Haysi.  You have to go over Big A mountain to get there.  I asked my aunt Sandy one time what the A stood for and she said Big A$$.  She was being smart. 

            Grandma’s parents were Louisa and Wiley Viers.  Wiley was a farmer and also a furniture maker.  Louisa was pronounced Lou-i-zee.  Louisa died when Grandma was only five years old.  Her siblings were oldest to youngest; Josie, Charlie, Jessie, Mary, Alta (pronounced Al-tee), Lessie, and Myrtle.  Wiley, trying to raise a passel of children, got married again to a lady with two daughters.  This very wicked stepmother had two very wicked daughters.  Grandma would tell me horrible things they all did to make her and her siblings miserable.  Of course when Wiley was around they were all sweet as pie.  The stepmother eventually got sick and asked for forgiveness on her death bed for being so mean.  Wiley married again and had two more daughters. 

Grandma was a looker when she was younger and had all kinds of fellas come to call.  She told me one fella was so overcome he chased her around the dining room table, trying to kiss her.  Wiley wouldn’t let them cut their hair but Grandma and her younger sister, Myrtle, cut their bangs secretly, always wearing it pulled back in a barrette when they were around their daddy.  That was pretty much the extent of them ‘acting out.’ 

            Once Lessie met Fred, she was smitten.  Grandpa’s parents were Jason and Martha Raines.  Jason was also a farmer and a carpenter but instead of building furniture, he built houses.  He said they would cut timber and send the logs down the Levisa river.  Grandpa’s mother, Martha, died when he was a teenager.  Jason married again, and Fred didn’t take very kindly to his new stepmother so he moved in with his aunt and uncle.  Mama said that Jason was a rounder, meaning the ladies really liked him and he liked the ladies. 

            Once grandma and grandpa got married, they got pretty busy and had six children.  There were five girls; Betty Lou, Joyce Sue, Wanda Gay (my mama), Eula Fay, Sandra Kay and then wonder of wonders, a son was finally born, Garry Fred, aka Buffer.  We liked to compare him to the other Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.  He was spoiled and rotten and only ten years older than me.  He was a long haired, guitar pickin’, drum playin’ cutie and absolutely the coolest uncle ever.   He wasn’t much older than my oldest cousin Donnie, Betty’s son.  He liked to pick on and aggravate Donnie, calling him names.  Donnie told on him once and said Garry called him a Bass turd. 

            My Daddy’s family was from around Deel but they moved around a lot.  Lottie was a beautician and had her own beauty shop.  Cecil was a coal miner too but he also had a lot of other jobs.  I didn’t get to spend much time with them when I was younger because they moved to Florida the year I was born, in 1965.  I made up for it later and spent a lot of time with them when my children were young. 

            Granny was a hoot!  While my husband, Kenny, was working at the racetrack covering the Daytona 500, the boys and I would stay with Granny.  By this time she was a little forgetful.  She could remember the past but not one minute to the next.  The kids would all try to play tricks on her but she would laugh as big as anyone else.  One of our favorite things about her would be her language.  For example, someone else would say, “Who let that fart?”  Granny would say, “Which one of you fellers let a crack?”

            I think I get my personality from my Granny.  She loved to laugh.  Her maiden name was Looney.  Lottie Looney.  You had to be happy with a name like that.  Granddaddy was more of sour pus.  Granny said it was because he didn’t have a daddy and he was picked on a lot when he was a kid.  He learned to fight back or he would be beat up.  Granny said she married him because she felt sorry for him but I know she loved him a lot.  They had five kids.  Oldest to youngest were:  Ruby, Kenneth (my dad), Patrick, Charles and Jerry.  I have lots of cousins on my daddy’s side too but we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with them growing up. 

I’ve attached some photos to let you know who I’m talking about. Let me know if you like my blog and if I get enough response, I’ll add to it.