Time again for the
news to be sent in for the Hayman Holler and for another reunion.
I’ve been shut
in a lot this past winter, due to a flare up with my heart, and was sent by
helicopter to a Columbus Hospital. This wasn’t my first experience riding in a
helicopter. Several years ago, your grandpa Gerald, Keith and I were visiting
Don and Donna in Maryland, and we went to Gettysburg and flew over the
battleground. They would only take two passengers at a time, so Keith and Mark
went first. Don wanted to go, but neither Donna nor Gerald would go with him. So
he said, “Mom will go with me”, and I said “Sure.” We had a very
enjoyable ride, and when we came back and landed, here came Gerald and Donna
with their tickets. Bruce flew a plane to Gallipolis one time and Gerald got to
go with him. They flew up here over our house, but I was in Holzer Hospital at
the time and didn’t get to go.
I’ve got
arthritis in my knees and hips, and also learned I have Parkinson's disease. Due
to my medication, I get around much better now. I have been able to go to Church
and Sunday School regularly, but really miss going when I’m not able.
Howard and Emma
Jane Robinson took Linda and I on Memorial Day weekend for my annual trip to
visit my Dad’s and Mom’s and my Grandma and Grandpa Stover’s gravesites at
Creston, WV. Then we went to the Antioch Cemetery on Cow Run to visit Grandma
and Grandpa Casto’s graves -- my mother’s side. Then we drove up to the old
home place on top of Angerona hill. When I was ten years old, my Dad tore down
the house I was born in, and built a new one. The new home was where we had the
first Stover Reunion in 1936.Phyllis was just a baby and Lil was two years old.
It doesn’t look like the same place now. Our house burned down, and they have
a trailer home on the site now. Everything looked so different – it made me
sad to look at it. Then we traveled on to Ripley, had lunch, and then came back
home.
Last year I got to
go visit my sister Pete several times; she lives 18 miles back of Parkersburg.
She came down and stayed overnight with me two nights. I am 83 and she is 88,
but she is in better health and gets around better. She plays the harmonica, and
you should hear her play with Linda on the organ. She and I are the only ones
left out of a family of twelve children.
Lil took me to
Columbus in May for my pacemaker check, and we stayed overnight with Ted and
Sallie. While there we got to go to Eddie’s and Kathy’s to see my great
granddaughter, Emily Beth Hayman, and I got to rock her to sleep. I also got to
go to Parkersburg last August to see Sophia Rose, Kenny’s and Becky’s new
baby. They sure are sweet, just like the rest of my grandchildren; and, I’m
looking forward to a new one in November from Bobby and Annie. After we stayed
overnight with Ted and Sallie, Ted took Lil to the airport the next morning and
she flew to Atlanta to spend two weeks with Bruce and Lorna. Later that day Ted
and Sallie took me to Logan to meet Phyllis, and she brought me home.
On June 18th, I
got to go to the Carpenter Inn here in Meigs County to a high school graduation
party for Jonathan. It was real nice. I’ll let Bruce and Lorna tell about
that. So, I did get to go quite a bit, but mostly this spring.
I enjoyed everyone
coming and helping paint my house this spring – it looks much nicer now. I
want to thank Don, Ted, Keith, Rob, Mark (Beth’s husband), and Pete for
painting, and Lil, Phyllis, Linda, Donna, and Beth for their cooking and work in
the house. And, I want to thank Shane, Amber, and Logan for their part too. We
had a fun time. I’ll let Keith tell you more about that.
That’s about all the news for now, and the good Lord willing I’ll have more next year. Looking forward to the reunion and all of you being home.
Love, Grandma.