| When I was small, about four years old, I was pushing someone in the swing on the front porch. There was no railing around the porch. Every time I pushed the swing I would back up closer to the end of the porch. I got to close and stepped right off the porch. I landed on my hands to break my fall. I was in a lot of pain and someone helped me into the house and I lay down on the couch. It seemed like it took forever for mom to return with her parents from Harlan.
Mom later took me to the doctor or hospital. There was a hospital in Black Mountain that was owned by the coal company. I had broken my arm. A few yards beyond the house and railroad tracks was the side of the Brittan�s Creek Baptist Church which faced east towards the other houses and the coal mines at the end of a row of about twenty house. There was a road and bridge that led into Kenvir from the highway. The road went past the church, over the railroad tracks and the creek beyond and bearing to the left was Brittains Creek the only holler in Kenvir. This holler was not too long. There were about six or seven houses in the bottom across the creek on the left side of the road. The road forked after these houses. There was a road that went to the left of the fork, which was an old wagon trail that led to the top of the mountain and the State Forest lookout Tower. The fork to the right ran down a gentle slope that now had the creek on the right side. There were about three homes here. The creek and the holler continued up the mountain to the top with another holler leading off to the right behind one of the houses across the creek. This holler was named after the Brittain family that settled in Mount Pleasant, Harlan County, Kentucky in the 1800s. To the left of the road in front of the church was a road that led to the coal mines. There were houses on the left and right of the road and railroad tracks. Behind the houses on the other side of the railroad tracks was another small road that was referred to as the alley. At the end of the rows of houses was the coal mine of the Peabody Coal Company where everyone worked. The coal company owned the #30 and #31 mines and the area, from Red Bud to Dizney was collectively referred to as Black Mountain. Later, Black Mountain was the town that supported the #30 mines and Kenvir was the town that supported the #31 mines. In the 1950s, when holidays came around and the other children came home there would be two to each bed and some on rollaway beds or slept on the floor. The children James and Rebecca Woods Hale were Polly, Irene, Ernest Lee (Unt), Willie, Chick, Margaret Ann, Wanda, Alice Ruth (Tootsie), James Hale, Jr. (Bug) and Barbara Sue (Sue Baby). There were ten living children and two who had died shortly after birth. Those two were Phillip and Annette. Jim Hale was a very religious man. He was always quoting the bible and singing church songs. I was Papaw Hale�s favorite granddaughter, until mom's sister Alice (Tootsie) had her first child, Brenda. By that time I was a teenager and had moved to Louisville. Brenda became his special granddaughter. James Hale said grace before every meal whether there was a full table of people or just him. The oldest daughter would have breakfast ready for everyone each morning. James Hale had very strong beliefs which were taught from early childhood. His beliefs were, no dancing, no drinking alcohol, no listening to rock & roll music, go to church whenever there were services, and follow God's 10 commandments. As his children grew up and had their own children he would let slide the wearing of shorts and short sleeve dresses or shirts (these were sins for women mostly). There was never to be any dancing in his house, and no watching American Bandstand. The church taught that dancing was a sin because John the Baptist was ordered by the King to be beheaded at the request of dancer. Papaw was always happy and singing church songs. He would teach us the bible by referring to passages that pertained to daily life. He was always giving one of us a big hug and telling us how much he loved us. By us I am referring to his children, grandchildren. His answer to all difficulties was that the Lord would take care of everything. He loved God and going to church. The Church was on the other side of the railroad tracks from his house. The singing of the choir could be heard from the front porch of his house. There were church services on Wednesday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning. Sunday school classes were before the mid-day sermon and evening sermon was held again around 7:00. I went to his church a few times but I liked my church at Dizney better. Continued . . . . |