MUSIC:
Betty grew up wanting to participate in music. She had piano lessons as a girl and practiced on the neighbor’s piano. So when we were old enough we were given music lessons. Dorothy Williams from Marysville was our teacher. Our family was a fixture for many many years, Raymond attended every recital. After the children finished, Betty took lessons again.
Betty and Raymond attended most concerts in which their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren participated . This was one of their secrets for building family.
Raymond grew up listening to Renfro Valley Music Barn on the radio. There were the weekend sing and the Sunday morning service. It was the Dolly Wood of its time. There was never a Sunday morning that our kitchen radio didn’t come on automatically with hymns from Renfro Valley.
When Betty and Raymond married they honeymooned in Renfro Valley. Later for an anniversary they took their family back to Renfro Valley and had a run in with fried oysters. Betty enjoyed fried oysters at King Fish. They were served clustered together in one roll about the size of an egg roll. She asked the waitress if the oysters on the menu were the large variety. The waitress confirmed they were so Betty ordered two. When the order arrived Betty was served two dozen oysters! To compound the problem, several of us had ordered two. Dozens and dozens of oysters covered our table. Raymond couldn’t work something out with the manager and he had to pay for them all.
Although Betty and Raymond were more of the “Joyful Noise” kind of choir members, they participated in the church choir for many, many years and since they were always on the go, they enjoyed practicing in the car during Cantata Season. We always looked forward to the Christmas season.
About 10 years ago they became part of the South Boston Opry family. Betty contributed slaw and attended faithfully. She was rewarded with a special section of seats, labeled “Slaw Queen”. Her children made lap robes with their special titles, Ma and Pa Slaw, and she used those to save a section for her entourage. Most of Raymond’s “Boley relatives”, and Betty’s "Prather cousins" were privileged to join her in that special section. After she started attending South Boston Opry, Betty became inspired and bought another piano to start practicing again. I don’t know if she ever got to join the playing, but she did in her dreams!
She was featured on this passed Thursday morning’s Salem radio show and her special Slaw Queen song, was played in her honor. We learned it was recorded so we’ll have an opportunity to hear it.
Somehow it was fitting that we sang hymns to her during her final hours. I wished we had thought to take a hymnal with us. Singing I’ll Fly Away with her two year old great grandchild, Abbagail, was her favorite moment during her last days. When the Great Grandchildren entered the room, she brightened and said, “I’ve been waiting for this.”
Quilting:
Betty didn’t start out a quilter, but along the way she discovered quilting. She was a traditionalist. She preferred hand quilting and was “very” vocal about it. Few achieve the volume of quilting she accomplished. Betty didn’t belong to just one quilting group, she belonged to two. With quilting groups came trips to explore quilt stores, Paduca quilt shows, and many award winning quilts. She was always there to help others learn to quilt, but few of us have her steady hand and beautiful stitches.
We know we have future quilters in the family because granddaughter, Lindsey, has employed Betty’s special quilting technique. When Lindsey was about 3 she attended quilting with grandma. On the floor she grasped the needle and caught she tongue between her teeth. That’s a Betty trademark.
One quilting friend remembers trying to hurry to a quilt class in Rising Sun, Indiana. Betty was driving through fog and when she hit a clear spot she sped up. A policeman noticed! She explained her situation and he couldn’t bring himself to give an 80 year old quilter a ticket that day. We’ve kept the warning for our family scrapbook.
She started out with the goal of one quilt per child; that was four. Then she expanded her goal to one for everyone in the family. Great grandchildren joined the family and the work began anew. Her last days were spent stitching Sun Bonnet Sue blocks for those Great Grandchildren who are yet a twinkle in someone’s eye.
Betty grew up wanting to participate in music. She had piano lessons as a girl and practiced on the neighbor’s piano. So when we were old enough we were given music lessons. Dorothy Williams from Marysville was our teacher. Our family was a fixture for many many years, Raymond attended every recital. After the children finished, Betty took lessons again.
Betty and Raymond attended most concerts in which their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren participated . This was one of their secrets for building family.
Raymond grew up listening to Renfro Valley Music Barn on the radio. There were the weekend sing and the Sunday morning service. It was the Dolly Wood of its time. There was never a Sunday morning that our kitchen radio didn’t come on automatically with hymns from Renfro Valley.
When Betty and Raymond married they honeymooned in Renfro Valley. Later for an anniversary they took their family back to Renfro Valley and had a run in with fried oysters. Betty enjoyed fried oysters at King Fish. They were served clustered together in one roll about the size of an egg roll. She asked the waitress if the oysters on the menu were the large variety. The waitress confirmed they were so Betty ordered two. When the order arrived Betty was served two dozen oysters! To compound the problem, several of us had ordered two. Dozens and dozens of oysters covered our table. Raymond couldn’t work something out with the manager and he had to pay for them all.
Although Betty and Raymond were more of the “Joyful Noise” kind of choir members, they participated in the church choir for many, many years and since they were always on the go, they enjoyed practicing in the car during Cantata Season. We always looked forward to the Christmas season.
About 10 years ago they became part of the South Boston Opry family. Betty contributed slaw and attended faithfully. She was rewarded with a special section of seats, labeled “Slaw Queen”. Her children made lap robes with their special titles, Ma and Pa Slaw, and she used those to save a section for her entourage. Most of Raymond’s “Boley relatives”, and Betty’s "Prather cousins" were privileged to join her in that special section. After she started attending South Boston Opry, Betty became inspired and bought another piano to start practicing again. I don’t know if she ever got to join the playing, but she did in her dreams!
She was featured on this passed Thursday morning’s Salem radio show and her special Slaw Queen song, was played in her honor. We learned it was recorded so we’ll have an opportunity to hear it.
Somehow it was fitting that we sang hymns to her during her final hours. I wished we had thought to take a hymnal with us. Singing I’ll Fly Away with her two year old great grandchild, Abbagail, was her favorite moment during her last days. When the Great Grandchildren entered the room, she brightened and said, “I’ve been waiting for this.”
Quilting:
Betty didn’t start out a quilter, but along the way she discovered quilting. She was a traditionalist. She preferred hand quilting and was “very” vocal about it. Few achieve the volume of quilting she accomplished. Betty didn’t belong to just one quilting group, she belonged to two. With quilting groups came trips to explore quilt stores, Paduca quilt shows, and many award winning quilts. She was always there to help others learn to quilt, but few of us have her steady hand and beautiful stitches.
We know we have future quilters in the family because granddaughter, Lindsey, has employed Betty’s special quilting technique. When Lindsey was about 3 she attended quilting with grandma. On the floor she grasped the needle and caught she tongue between her teeth. That’s a Betty trademark.
One quilting friend remembers trying to hurry to a quilt class in Rising Sun, Indiana. Betty was driving through fog and when she hit a clear spot she sped up. A policeman noticed! She explained her situation and he couldn’t bring himself to give an 80 year old quilter a ticket that day. We’ve kept the warning for our family scrapbook.
She started out with the goal of one quilt per child; that was four. Then she expanded her goal to one for everyone in the family. Great grandchildren joined the family and the work began anew. Her last days were spent stitching Sun Bonnet Sue blocks for those Great Grandchildren who are yet a twinkle in someone’s eye.
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