Elias Honaker was a fine man I heard through other family members. A hard worker, he always believed that everyone should shoulder his or her own weight, having a severe disgust for laziness. By photographs, I can clearly see he was a very good-looking man. From the description of this wonderful man, he was hard on the outside and a softy inside. He loved dearly watching his bees in operation; he would pull a chain up and watch the bees busily making the honey that he would be eating for the winter. He had a huge beehive and a deep respect with a relationship with his bees. They never attempted to harm him as he took the honey. So tamed, he did not have to shield himself with protective gear often times. Our great-grandfathers are most often born too early for us; we miss the people of the yesterday years.

Now for another grandfather. . . Grandma Ruby�s grandfather (Elijah Boyd). Tragically, he was murdered as a very young man operating as sheriff for Swords Creek, VA. He was only 33 years old; on Dec. 3, 1883, his life was taken away with pain and brutality. A mob of drunks literally beat him to death! I have heard rumors of the reason for the murder, but I think it all stems in the devil�s brew begetting evil! (It was rumored there was gossip he had been fooling around with another man�s wife. Clothesline gossip destroyed an innocent man! In the finalization of the brutally beaten man, after he was laid to rest, the truth leaked that it was all a lie). Elijah�s son barely 12 years old went to work on the railroad to support his mother and family. C.W. Boyd was an honorable man, just like his dad. Elijah had raised his son right. The mother called Octavia, she was a stern woman I heard, and believed in serious hard work. It is rumored that she married again to a man by the name Keen. After that, she appeared to vanish from the family log. I heard another rumor that her ultimate death was drowning in a flood. If anyone has any knowledge of this terrible event, let me know.

Another grandfather I never knew, Gabriel Jessee was a great-great-great grandfather. A fine man as well, I hear. Very honorable, and his photograph on my computer desk shows the wisdom in his face. He married Nancy Lou Wallis, a woman of determination and strength; she also deserves credit for Gabriel�s accomplishments. There is just too much to write here, he is splashed all over the family forums and the area he lived raising his family. We are very proud of all the accomplishments. He lived to be 83 years old. Nancy Lou�s parents were (James R. Wallis & Mary Lea �Polly�).

William Lilburn David Gillespie, another paternal great-grandfather. He married Lydia J. Kendrick, they were both humanitarians. (Bill) Gillespie was a one-room teacher for the farmer�s children that were forced to walk many miles to the public school. Feeling deeply for the cause, Bill and two other teachers set up the one-room schools assuring that the children learned, working around the farmer�s need of their children as helpers on the farm. Often times he would supply the essentials such as paper/pencils if the child could not afford. We understand the farmers of the old, they are paid yearly for the products, and money will be short at the middle of the year or at the end. However, every one of the children, girls as well boys loved teacher Bill. (Their daughter Mary J. Gillespie Breedlove, turned out like her parents, she was always there for others in health crisis, she delivered many babies in her years, I would say countless. As she aged with grandchildren, she was known as �Granny Breedlove� throughout the counties. Bill raised his family as Mormons; eventually many fell away taking up their own chosen branch. Our grandfather John likely kept his Mormon teachings, because there are comical tales of the strictness with his daughters. ROFL. He always was seen coming across the hillside with his huge switch if one of the daughters were late coming home. He was a good man though, I loved him. He was a hard core on the outside and mushy inside. He would always walk to town claiming he needed flour or sugar, bringing me backs a bag of chocolates. (Upon remembering the huge hand handing me the little brown bag of chocolates, his hands always liver spotted, suddenly I recalled an important part of the gesture, where was the flour or sugar? He held nothing but that little bag of chocolates! God Bless him, he walked all the way for me the chocolates! The trip down the railroad track was measured at 2 and half miles. What a love he had for his granddaughter! That love nevertheless, could turn into fury eventually! Together we would sit on the porch while our mother cleaned his house. We came there on weekends to visit and do the work he could not. He was now alone after losing our grandmother. Grandpa John, (often times we called him �the ole man� adopting the name from his children), he always sat on the porch swing reading the paper. Feeling neglected, I would fiddle with the grapes that hung over the side of the porch, breaking off a string of grapes for marbles. They were green and hard, yet not ripe. He would stomp his foot growling, �Stop that! Don�t pull off the grapes like that!� I would mumble any excuse promising I would not do that again. I would watch him reading the paper suddenly bursting into giggles. The small gold frame glasses resting on the huge nose sent me into giggles. ROFL. I would roll literally on the porch laughing! Finally he had enough, leaping up with his newspaper, he let me have it, slapping me on the head with the paper with the question, �You going to stop that?� (HA) I only laughed harder. He yells loudly now, �Get in there now and help your mother, GO NOW�! Mom came running to see what was going on and upon hearing, she burst into laughter! The grown up laughing had him even madder! ROFL. Eventually Mom warned me I had better stay away from him allowing him to cool off!

SO MUCH MORE I WILL BE ADDING!

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