| By Dianne Starcher Weaver
There are great remembrances of visiting [great] Uncle Jack and Aunt Ocie near Leatherbark. I can almost taste the hot biscuits from
the oven of Aunt Ocie's wood stove, dripping with home-churned butter and fresh honey.
Uncle Jack was one of a kind. He could tell tales beyond compare, using his high-pitched voice for emphasis.
One night my brothers and I were staying over with them. Before going to bed, Aunt Ocie asked what we would like for
breakfast. I'm sure we all had a favorite in mind. When she asked
Uncle Jack what he'd like, he replied, "Well, I like brains
'n' eggs." I remember going to sleep that night scared to death I
would rise to a breakfast of brains and eggs.
Jack and Ocie Price Starcher
I don't remember my [great] Uncle Clell (Clelln) but [great] Aunt Lina (Liny) was one of the most influential people in my life. She exuded kindness,
especially with kids. We were always welcomed with hugs, kisses and
special treats. She could make apple dumplin's rivaled
by none.
We loved fishing off the foot-bridge at Aunt Liny's' and playing in
the creek. She was always right in the thick of things, playing
with us. We often stayed the night.
Come morning we would ask, "What are we going to do today?" She most often would say, "We're going to putter around the house for awhile," which meant making beds and cleaning house. "Then we're going to go outside."
Sometimes there was yard work or gardening to do, but mostly we
played. On hot summer days, she would go to the cellar for
jars of a favorite treat, home-canned grape juice, thick and sweet
poured over ice. Oh, to share one more glass with Aunt
Liny, sitting on the porch swing as she sang hymns and told Bible
stories.
"Waiting for French", front (L to R) Zona Mace Starcher, Clell
Starcher, Lina Mace Starcher; back, Clarence Mace and Lota Mace
"French comes home from WWI" (L to R) French
Starcher, Zona Mace Starcher, Clarence Mace, Lota
Mace Mace, Clell Starcher and Lina Mace Starcher
French and Zona (Zony) Starcher were wonderful grandparents,
really "good people," without a doubt. I cannot remember ever
hearing either one raise their voice. They didn't have to. They were
respected, because they were respectful. Neither had
tolerance for foul language or "cussin". Granddad's most commonly
used phrase to express discontent was "Shoot a rabbit."
My dad told a story about Granddad stepping off the back porch,
striking his head on the low-hanging roof. It struck hard
enough he saw stars. Granddad stopped dead in his tracks, shook his
head and said "Shoot a rabbit, Zony, did you see that
light?" Grandma replied, "French, you shouldn't talk like that in
front of the boys."
They too were "huggers" and "smoochers." If you didn't like hugs,
you shouldn't get within arms reach. If you did, you were
going to get hugged.
Granddads' favorite pastime was reading. If he wasn't building a
house or working in his shop making cabinets and furniture, he
had a book in his hand.
Louie Lamour and Zane Grey were his
favorites. Grandma loved reading too. The Bible was her
favorite, always on the table beside her chair. She rarely sat down
without picking it up and she loved reading out-loud to the
grandkids.
Granddad had a sweet tooth. He always had a stash of chocolate drops,
coconut clusters, stick candy and much more. Lucky
for us he wasn't stingy, sometimes handing it out before meals.
"If
we run out, we'll go get more," he'd proclaim. Dessert, any
dessert was his favorite food. There was always pie made from the
blueberries, apples, cherries and peaches, raised in his own
garden. I don't remember a breakfast he ate without molasses being on
the menu.
Grandma was also generous. She allowed me to play dress-up, not with
her old discarded clothing, but the good stuff. I could
dawn her Sunday best, from the hats down to high heeled shoes, white
gloves and all.
She would always pick a purse for me,
with a stick or two of Beemans, Clove or Teaberry chewing gum and a
fancy handkerchief, tucked inside.
"Nice hats" (L to R) Clell and Lina Mace Starcher,
French
and Zona Mace Starcher, lady in background unknown
I thank God for these wonderful people. It was a privilege to know
them and an honor to be loved by them.
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