Knotts was "Bred, born and raised a Democrat ..."
Ninety-five-year-old Eucle Knotts of Minnora is Calhoun's Democrat of
the Year.
The active, young-for-his-age, West Fork native will be representing
the county at the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Celebration in
Charleston on October 9.
Knotts was selected by the county Democrat Executive Committee to
give Knotts "recognition for the work he has done for the Democratic
Party."
"I was bred, born and raised a Democrat," said Knotts, who said he is
excited to attend the event.
"Those Republicans have a 'class' of their own. I've always been from
the working class, working people," he said. "I'm shocked a lot of
West Virginia people think the Bush bunch will look after their
interests."
Knotts said he grew up in the rough and tumble days of Calhoun
politics. "People took it more seriously than they should have,"
recalling the county's political families. "They'd do anything to win,
even having people vote at two different precincts."
"One old timer from around here was prosecutor Bee Hopkins. "I think
he even moved into the county courthouse and lived," he recalled.
Knotts, who was busy putting shutters on his mobile home last week,
now lives on the family farm near his birthplace. He was one of seven
children of Howard and Vena Westfall Knotts, all descendent's of
Calhoun's pioneer Knotts family.
"Dad once had a store along this road," pointing down at State Route
16.
"I can remember when it was a horse and buggy cow path, lots of mud.
In the 1920s it got upgraded and they began to put in some bridges. In
the 30s they used prison labor, chain gangs, to knap rock on the
road. Where Reip's Store use to be was the prison labor camp."
"I moved my dad's old log barn and have been restoring it," said
Knotts
Knotts attended a two-room school on Sear's Run (Warden Bailey was
one of his teachers), while hunting skunks and possums to make
money. "I shipped the hides in the mail and got paid, while working on
the farm."
In 1931 he married "Velma, one of the Vannoy girls from over at
Russett. She died not too long ago." They had three children Debbie
Frye of Canal Fulton, Ohio and Bob Knotts of Frederick, Maryland. A
son, Calvin has died.
Knotts went to work on the PA Turnpike during the depression, and
continued his work life at Goodyear in Akron, retiring in 1972. He and
his wife returned to Calhoun and lived at Millstone for several
years.
Knotts said he would take time-out from his participation at the
Minnora CCCOA Senior Center to participate in the
Jefferson-Jackson celebration.
"I really feel honored at this time in my life to be recognized as a
life-long Democrat," he concluded.
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