Some Mountain Stories from the wilds of Western NC....

Misc. Mountain Stories

      I remember as a little girl my mother and I would "go uh visiten" on the mountain there in Yancey County N.C.  It took an hour to get there from our house.  You would have to cross through the mountain through Madison County and go up Highway 19.  After you drove a stretch on Highway 19 you would turn right onto the road beside an old two story farm house.  Granny's house was still a good 30 minutes up the mountain from the  highway.  We would always stop at Buster Fender's store before we went on up to Granny's.  I would get a Browie to drink and some candy. 

      Before we went on up to Granny's we would stop and see Arnie Pate.  Arnie was a veteran of World War II.  He fought in Europe.  He was also a worker for the TVA.  He played the guitar, and he sung at my Granny's funeral when she died.  I can remember Arnie Pate playing and singing, "What a day that will be." on his front porch.  I remember him praying with my mother and praying for me.  Arnie Pate was a one of a kind fellow, and he probably never knew it but he touched my life.  I know that he prayed for me and the sure does mean a lot.  

      Another person we often visited we Lil' Marget.  Lil' Marget was my mother’s aunt so that made he my great aunt.  Lil' Marget lived in a small house with an old school bus attached to the back of it.  In the spring, summer, fall, or winter so would always have a fire going.  She dipped snuff and had about 20 cats. 

      Every time we or anyone else ever seen Lil' Marget she was in her own words, "Just bout dead!"  She would say, "Now youngens let me tell you about my spell lass nite.  If wuz a big un'.  I though I'ze haven a heart attack sure as the world!"   When I was five years old and I heard her say that I really took it to heart.  We later stopped on down the road to see Alice Ramsey.  She asked us how Lil' Marget was doing, and I remember saying, "Well Lil' Marget is just bout dead!  She had a awful spell lass nite!   I thought they were all crazy cause the just started laughing. 

      Lil' Marget always had a boy friend that lived with her too.  The last boyfriend that I can recall living with her was Lil' Lester.  He some pet pidgins, which interesting enough survived the cats.  Lil' Lester had a daughter that was obsessed with non other that Boy-George.  Not really obsessed, she had his pictures all over her wall---- totally oblivious to the fact that Boy-George was not partial to the "fairer sex."  I always thought that a little funny.

The view from behing Granny's house..................

Granny's rock in the tobacco field.........................