The Mountains of Western NC has lost a good one.

[Ruger#3]

Thank you for posting, got a little misty here.
My Pap from the mountains of eastern Kentucky came from the same mold.
Incredible men from those mountains.

 

[whitetailfreak]

Hard to believe it's been a year. Pap is badly missed, but I was blessed to have his love and influence for 37 yrs of my life.

 

[mountainpass]

One more short video. This was Pap's last trip to Hazel Creek in June 2015. We had a Cemetery Decoration, and singin' at Bone Valley which is about 6 miles up Hazel Creel from where it meets Fontana lake, and about a mile from where Horace Kephart lived for a time and wrote "Our Southern Highlanders". Most all shown are family.

I recently re-read Our Southern Highlanders and I highly recommend it. There is a free download of it somewhere online if you like that sort of reading.

 

[Artfuldodger]

Sorry for the loss of your Pap. I remember you posting that picture of him with the bear a time ago. I'll bet he had some interesting stories of hunting, fishing, trapping, and life in general.

What type of cemetery is that, just a small family one?

 

[whitetailfreak]

Sorry for the loss of your Pap. I remember you posting that picture of him with the bear a time ago. I'll bet he had some interesting stories of hunting, fishing, trapping, and life in general.

What type of cemetery is that, just a small family one?

The cemetary is at Bone Valley about 6 miles up Hazel from the mouth at Fontana Lake. There is no vehicular access besides Park personnel who take us up to Bone Valley every June for a decoration and singing. Their Tahoe's are ferried over to Hazel Creek. No burials have taken place since the damming of the Little Tennessee in 1944, but I have a lot family buried here. We have replaced most of the original head markers with new ones that are legible. I recommend anyone interested in the history of this area to attend one of the Hazel Creek decorations. Last June, we had 200 people at Bone Valley, most of whom were tourists, and people who are intrigued by this beautiful area.

 

[LTZ25]

Very nice .

 

[Joe Brandon]

Kris I know this is months ago just now seeing this and watched your videos. Very touching. God bless your pal pal.

 

[Jeff C.]

Don't know how I missed this, but sure am glad it was bumped back up.

It's really strange that I was just watching videos today about the Appalachian life.

Thanks for posting it. I really enjoyed it, and listening to your GrandFather tell about his life there in those beautiful Smoky Mtns. and Hazel Creek.

 

[whitetailfreak]

Thanks fellas, I appreciate it.

 

[Moonpie1]

That's salt of the earth right there! Really enjoyed it! Got to looking at the pic with all of y'all on the porch. When you see ole Sparky again, tell him Moonpie said hello for me.

 

[whitetailfreak]

That's salt of the earth right there! Really enjoyed it! Got to looking at the pic with all of y'all on the porch. When you see ole Sparky again, tell him Moonpie said hello for me.

Small world moonpie. We're first cousins, I'll tell him.

 

[EAGLE EYE 444]

I saw this thread had some recent activity and was back up on the screen and I decided to watch the videos and read all of the replies again. I am glad that I took the time to read it again and see these videos again of all of these wonderful family members and I think that I would get along really well with all of these mountain reared people.

I really loved your Pap's stories and his sense of humor was awesome too.

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

The more I've looked at this thread, I seem to think I've run into this fine old gentleman. Is it possible that I ran into him digging ramps up on Big Snowbird early one spring?

 

[whitetailfreak]

The more I've looked at this thread, I seem to think I've run into this fine old gentleman. Is it possible that I ran into him digging ramps up on Big Snowbird early one spring?

That sounds about right.

 

[whitetailfreak]

A cool little update to this thread. I knew audio existed of my Pap and his brothers and sister singing at Fairview Church on Plott Creek in Haywood Co, NC in the early 1950s. After some digging and asking, I got ahold of a cousin up around Balsam and I got this in the mail today. 5 gospel songs sung in perfect harmony and of decent quality to be 67 years old.