We just live somewhere else. They might as well have been in different states. its more home to me than anywhere ever will be. Like to have all the money I spent in those places back! Wouldnt trade it for anything. Now kids go to Harlan County High School which consumed Cawood, Evarts and Cumberland High Schools. He is easygoing for a security guard and handsome in a salt-of-the-earth way. Alfredia Miniard Kenney February 10, 2023 (91 years old) I am simultaneously entertained and offended. Bertha was proceeded in death by her mother Eveda Williams and her father George Adams She is survived by her husband Danny D Little, her children Christopher Shawn Little, Rosalie Peral Brown, Chadwick Darrel Little, and Aaron Daniel Little. Thanks for the great story. The folks in Brookside were surely Harlan Countians as was the chief gun thug, Basil Collins. We cant include any counties on the Ohio River. I grew up in this wonderful town, going for summers and Christmas in Atlanta. 10 Grandchildren and . LOL. They pity Harlan. We have mountains all around us. (She died in 1995, and I am so glad to have such good and often funny memories of her.) Im on the state Corrections Commission, so Ive seen her name. I lived in Cumberland for 2 years from ~ 1974-1976. Fantastic post, though. Someone told me that the best way to commit suicide was to stand around in Smith and act like youre counting money! John Interment was at the Orleans Cemetery.. Bryan Bantam, 93 years of age, or Alma, NE (formerly of Orleans), passed away Sunday, September 12, 2004, at the . It tends to work to my advantage. I still tell people I am from Harlan because it brings instant recognition. My Mom moved to Cumberland from Pike County when she was 10. About 1,000 people lived there when I was a kid. I thought Harlan was great as a kid but my wife told me if I ever wanted a divorce all I had to do was move here to Harlan. Took the jury about 5 minutes to find against us, lol. I love your blog, it is a great read. We rarely hung out with anyone from Evarts or Cumberlandin those days, they had their own high schools. So if you have a iota of respect for you mom and dad, grandma and grandpa you will correct this mess and actually write something that isnt from fifty years ago. Stalwarts, outlanders, pretenders, loathers you left one group out. Our Story; Our Locations; Our Calendar; Contact Us; Directions; Send Flowers; Call: Evarts 606-837-2119 Harlan 606-573-3030 Loyall 606-573-2132 Tri City 606-848-5455; First, much of what I wrote is tongue in cheek. I visit very often, as my father still lives there. These folks are Harlan Countians, but they dont like it. Offended by the possiblility that outsiders will use them to measure the intelligence of my people. Harlan County was fighting for the right to have a union. My Mom taught at Evarts from 1951 to 1980. Have lived in SC for the past 25 yrs but everyone who knows me knows where I come from. I USE TO WORK IN THE COAL MINE AT THREE POINT, CRANKS AND HARLAN. They had two fabulous sons who have college education with degrees in medical field and other fields. I went to Business College, married my daddys cousin (you had to know that was coming didnt you). My mother drove through Brookside to go to work every day, so I also know the strike was real. I was up at Holmes Mill just a few months ago. I appreciate your comments but must, of course, defend myself. Oh the cheese made the best grilled cheese, My wife from Ohio and my 2 children even loved it. And hell, I was taken at knife-point down into the creek at Hall when I was in 6th grade. We got segregation in those years, and I never knew the difference, we all got along. We know at least one person whose mother was really their grandmother, and sister was their mother. Went to JACHS then moved to Indiana an I havent went home in a long time. More than 450 new Canadian obituaries add each day. We update obituary links daily as a public service, without charge to families or funeral homes. We also had to carry our water from a water-pump in buckets, so the new bathroom was a good conversation subject with its only use was the bathtub that we would heat water to bathe in. Loved your blog and thought it to be an accurate description. Dont say we are not eastern Kentuckians because we dont speak your slang, or live the life that people from harlin county do. Lots of good folks from across the mountain.. I suspect its mostly because they didnt care much for Hustler, at least not publicly. I lived across Pine Mtn. People may had been living on Government cheese when you grew up and the first may had been like a amusement park, but all that has changed. I was rather disappointed to read all about my competition Garys Lounge. No matter where Ive traveled in this great country, I never fail to meet someone that is either from Harlan, or knows someone that lives there!! Obituaries; Photos; Podcasts; Scene; Maybe they just didnt have much else to do. Ive often heard that anywhere you go on Earth you can find someone from Harlan county. ha! .I didnt think to ask them while they were alive. And of that i am very proud. Nominally a documentary about the 1973 strike by Kentucky mineworkers, the 1976 Oscar-winning Harlan County U.S.A. observes the evolution of a movement, made urgent . My husband is a retired coal miner. I have never been to a Harlan County Bears football game, but I have been told that the team enters the field to Brad Paisleys You will never leave Harlan alive song. Go help someone else. Funny thing is, thats what my kids do, even though they live in a small city with a million things to do. My dad grew up in Evarts. I was born in Pike County but grew up in Flatwoods in Greenup County. I know that area, well, too. . John. Dad was born and raised there. My Dad was a coal miner, was on oxygen from 2007 until 2010. And a little c.r.a.z.y. I was born, raised and still live in Pike County. Janice and I were both switchboard operators and admissions clerk. LO Born and raised in Cumberland.I live in Florida now loved your article.Proud of my roots! I would have loved to have had that McDonalds there when I was kid. She was a great homemaker and was full of wit, wisdom and love. Russell was a coal miner for 18 years.Mr. Its called age, my friend. So so sad to see that head of the Holler non existent now, all overgrown. If we meet anyone else from Eastern Kentucky, we can get instant acceptance with a simple I grew up in Harlan. Translation: Despite appearances, I will kill you if necessary. Loyallhad a school, a railroad yard, one stop light, a movie theater (at one time), the Corner Store (a genuinesoda shop), a gas station, a barber and a couple of stores. By the way, Cumberland had the Novo Theater and the drive-in theater as well. There she met my father and I was born in 1952. Local obituaries for Harlan County, Kentucky 531 Results Friday, February 24, 2023 Add Photos 1 Memory Debbie Elaine Absher Debbie Elaine Absher, 72, of Bean Station, TN, passed away. If someone tells you that he or she is from Harlan, they could mean any town from Pathfork to Holmes Mill to Cumberland to Cranks. Georgetown Telegraph Obituaries 1811-1813 (enter "obituary" in keywords) Harlan Daily Enterprise Obituaries - (11/17/2005-Current) at Genealogy Bank ($) Henson & Rich Funeral Home Obituaries in Harlan KY. Kentucky Death Index 1911-1992 at familysearch.org. We like being the badasses of Eastern Kentucky. These are the folks who stayed in Harlan. Always. The other side was the Lounge, a long, narrow open room with a dance floor. Now, people in Carter County pretty much sound like us, but they have that Interstate. Whitley County has an interstate so are they still Eastern Kentucky? No worries. Great story and oh so true, every word of it. She was one of my favorite. She was born on August 13, 1960, in Benham, Kentucky. I know that area well. Goodbye Fleming, Nicholas and Robertson Counties. I dont know. There arent running gun battles anymore like the famed Battle of Evarts many decades ago. You hit the nail on the head ~ Love this! His name was Wiley Holmes. I had friend in Sunshine growing up. Tons of great memories and good friends. I lived there 6 years and worked in the mines . Were the last group thatcan openly derided. I was in Harlan last October, visiting my aunt that still lives there and yes, my sister and I had a lovely stay at the Comfort Inn! Trivia: He was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. And they didnt. No complaining here though. So translation you perhaps do not have no prospect of progress which would mean you do have prospect of progress.. you are right few have paid you such complements. I have been gone from Harlan now for 40 years, One thing I will say is you are accurate in your writings of Harlan. Also attended and graduated from Loyall High, where I was cheerleader and fairly popular. Both our families are made up of longtime coal miners and school teachers. My Dad taught English there for a long time (Mr. Creech). We mourn with the family of Basil Collins for this great loss. Stumbled across your post. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Spent a lot of time at the top of the hill up Watts Creek. Their isnt anyone who acts the way you have described them in this concoction, Nor is the area the way you have presented it. They deal with a drug problem that I cant imagine. I have a 95 year old aunt who still lives there. Eastern Ky is not privvy to divorce is it?? Thanks again for the trip back to the Harlan of my youth! I didnt know, but thats before my time. Raised with his brother Dale and cousins. On future blog give Watts Creek a mention. In fact, when I was down there on business a couple of years ago, I saw a couple hanging out in front of rock store. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. She was the daughter of the late Robert and Della Mae Hall Price. | Coal Troll's Blog, https://thetrivialtroll.com/2012/03/10/adventures-in-hitchhiking/, ALL ABOARD THE NERVE GAS TRAIN! Sometimes, these people would show up to help us. When he grew up, he moved west to Colorado and became a hard rock miner for the next 40 years. I have lived here all my life and even tho at times i feel like due to work i may have to leave, i doubt i ever could. Our client was suing the City of Sandy Hook. The old structure is still up there on Pine Mountain. I wanted more for my kids and wife. Small town life can be hard or easy. We moved here from a comfortable city life to having no electricity (a new three bedroom house with one bath and hardwood floors. Like anywhere else, you have to hope to you dont cross paths with the bad ones at the wrong time. producer Cinematography by Film Editing by Production Management Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Anne Lewis . This is the first time I stumbled across you blog. I had him for a health class. Thats pretty much the consensus of people I know. Guy Enos Bobby T. Jessie W. Finis Marvin W. Burley . Been back very few times. Barbara Kopple as Director. We have accents which are obscured by our penchant for mumbling. Pingback: ALL ABOARD THE NERVE GAS TRAIN! February 23, 2023. We like that its called Bloody Harlanby some folks even though that name is based upon events which occurred 70 years ago. My people have been there for over 200 years, since before it was Harlan. Click a name to view the obituary. They find it hard to believe we had no fast food restaurants. And Misty, April and I grew up together. God do I ever remember the Government Cheese and all the other free food provided by the gov. ENJOYED YOUR ARTICLE, WOULDNT TRADE THE PLACE I GREW UP FOR ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD . Everywhere I go here in Ohio I run into people from Harlan or people who have relatives from there and some still living there. 1976 Harlan County U.S.A. (Documentary) Self - Mine Foreman (as Basil Collins) Edit Personal Details Alternate Names: Basil Collins Edit Did You Know? I have no other information on these two at this time. He was born April 13, 1930, in the town of Kickapoo, Vernon County, Wis., to James and Helen (Larson) Drake. He was the hardest worker I have ever known. I have lived in Evarts since age 7 this is my home (sals Branch) I had your mom in home Ec. I dont believe Ive ever been called a mooron before. We used to be territorial based on our schools. ! Whatd I say? It is funny how people from all over the Country know where you are talking about when you say you are from Harlan Co. and many of them visibly tense on that statement. But they dont always leave. Brought back alot of memories. Are we still allowed to be in Appalachia? McCreary just has that Eastern Kentucky feel to it. I know you as a Harlan Countain and also as a fine person. Its a kind of mountain street cred. What did he end up doing after the strikes? Outlander here Born at HARH, raised in Grays Knob- attended Hall Elementary and Junior High, JACHS and then got out to attend UK. His name was Arthur Johnson, he was from Cumberland, but lived at Never mind. I made another U turn and started back toward Harlan at a much slower pace and was directed to take the Loyall turn off. My mother grew up in Cumberland and knew tons of Creeches from up that way. Black lung finally got the best of him but legally these days black lung doesnt exist. They were pretty quick to tell you that they were from Harlan. Maybe they never left. That hurts everyone. Trust me on this one. You went up 119 to the Loyall turnoff, and youre absolutely right: Any Harlan Countian who turns the corner at Pineville changes languages! Ive never known anyone who didnt wear shoesand I knew some pretty rough characters. Im from Loyall. 1750 Hwy 213. He worked at Eastover for several years after the strike until Duke closed the mines. as differences, real ones, but the rest is a little over stated, like JUSTIFIED, eh? I was born and raised in Liggett. My Grandfather/Grandmother was Floyd/Janie Clark. I think we also went to RC Bottling Plant at Loyall. Fleming County has beautiful, rolling hills, but they arent mountains. My grandfather worked in the Sunshine mines in the 20s and 30s. You probably know others of my family, like my sister Lisa, that worked at the Enterprise for years and now works for Corrections and lives in Georgetown; or my cousins that went to James A.Cawood, Ruth Ann and Gary Cox. My mom grew up in Cutshin, my dad was from Martins Fork, they met at The Court Cafe. I owned a genteel little social club called THE CLIFFHANGER up on pine mountain, and had some of the finest folks i ever knew as customers, although mostly they considered the Garys crowd a little on the gentler side. I am Wayne Middletons daughter. I lived in Rio Vista until I was 12. She is survived by her sons, Nicholas George Ingemi Matthews and Eugene Christopher Hanc. [citation needed] She only worked sporadically after that, in guest roles on Fantasy Island (1984), Murder She Wrote (1985), Hardcastle and McCormick (1985), and Blacke's Magic (1986). Dad was a good friend of Norman Yarboroughs. The rest of us (that includes me) hate the image of Harlan Countians as violent, uneducated hooligans. I loved growing up there and go back frequently. My Uncle Ralph Leonard was Pastor at the Baxter Methodist Church before it was moved. A miner was killed by a company foreman. It was originally the Bays Motel. Thanks for the kind comments. Now, sadly, its a way of life in the mountains. U may or may not remember it and I also did alot of the fencing around the many many acres he and ur moms own. I went to college and had personal and professional opportunities that pulled me away. Cats and Harlan Countians have 9 lives. I believe they graduated for there on 83. She went back to Harlan as soon as she was discharged. My mother drove through Brookside to go to work every day, so I also know the strike was real. They had four children..and not once did he ever treat me nor my older brother like step-chilldren. I grew up in Sunshine too. Ishas Smiths 2nd cousin. My kids do that, too. I didnt want to leave. Miner Curtis Cress, 34, says towns. He told me if I stayed there I would either be an alcoholic, like him to survive, or I would end up dead. Some of these folks do leave Harlana lot of them, in fact. We have live all over Eastern Ky, moved south to the Carolinas, then back to eastern Ky for a couple years. I still have family in Cawood and Baxter but I dont get up there much.. Jennifer, I moved to the Tampa Bay area when I was four and a half. Born on. Moo-ron. I graduated in 1964. In Atlanta, some of the New Yorkers that worked with me at the ad agency used to continually ask me where I was from just to hear me say it. If youre spending the night in Harlan, you probably have family there anyway. Were about the same age. Check out some of my other posts. . He had a lot of money. I was raised over the mountain at Little Laurel. We were driving down the road from Pineville toward Harlan and I was looking for the turn off to get to sister Normas place. We werent eligible for cheese, either, but my Dad would get it anyway! I got cussed up and down over it! I knew Lisa vaguely. Im not sure where you found this, but most folks realize that some of it is tongue-in-cheek. Kathy believed in the Pentecostal Faith and loved the Lord. I am so grateful to the educators in Harlan who worked so diligently to open our minds, expand our thinking and develop our talents especially in music. Even though they have visited my homeland many times, they remain baffled by it. Ruby did you know a family named Clark? He's lived in Harlan County ever since. He was born on August 21, 1964. I lived in Harlan and Loyall. We still have relatives in the area. Good old Mikes drive in, where one of Harlan Countys finest young men threatened me with a belt when I stepped in to defend a younger friend. My dad was one of them, outside Tommy Lees barbershop. These are small town people just like in every small town. Harlan was born and raised in Council Bluffs, IA. My momma cooked on a coal fired cookstove. SO neat to see my family talked about on here! There is a bleak side to Harlan, as anywhere else. Robertson County is the toughest to exclude. Congrats on a good job describing a little bit of what most folks cant imagine happened. I have enjoyed these old memories!!! Used to go to Cumblin every Fride and satdy nite. Still have family there. Were originally from Letcher County and had to leave in 1995 due to the coal mines shutdown. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in . She laughed. And to the ones that moved away (say to the north) or wherever, it shows very little respect and class to put down the place you came from. Some escape, but most dont. I have been told that he worked harder than 3 men. Robert Basil (Bob) Sydney, NS. FR. You are so right, except I dont know anyone named Lonzo. Today, theres not much there for anyone, unfortunately. I had Mrs. Williams for health, would it be your Mom? 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