Thursday, February 22, 1973
Additional “Reknown Citizens” players for the upcoming Donkey Basketball game are Roy Beverage, Joe White and Mike Cain.
Up in the Air
‘Twas nothing new, I know, for many, but I took my first airplane tour of the Greenbrier Valley Saturday, and it was most exciting. Son John and his family from Michigan flew into the Greenbrier Airport and invited me to take a little ride before coming on home, so up we went.
The Greenbrier was very green, with mush ice showing white; I never realized it twisted so. Concentrating on the river, I hardly comprehended we were moving so fast, – there wasn’t time to look at everything. There was the big loop in the river, the tunnel, then ahead was the Denmar Hospital, Hillsboro, got to looking at the mountains and missed Buckeye, and then quickly, Marlinton. Next we took a circle around the Buckleys, looking over the Huntersville side down to Watoga. Back over Marlinton again and on up the river. Over the old airport, a little aside to Edray, up to Clover Lick, Stony Bottom, Cass, the slanting saucers of the Observatory at Green Bank. The thin covering of snow made things show up clearly, without blanketing the landscape
Then up over Cheat Mountain! The stark uprights of the outlook on Bald Knob stood out in the deserted winter fastness – the few ghostly remains of the town of Spruce. The spruce trees were half covered with whipped snow and to the north all the trees were white against the blue from the frozen clouds of a few days before. It was beautiful!
Roads and trails showed clearly everywhere; they would lend themselves to cross country skiing.
Soon, over the Dry Branch area, then over Sharp’s Knob. The cover of winter snow was kind to strip-circled mountains. Williams River, then the long ribbon of the Scenic Highway, with not a track showing.
The crowning delight was to see the glades in one full sweep. My first visit many long years ago was made by climbing up the mountain- no road then – and struggling through the thickets, but never getting the whole layout clear. No camera and not near enough time to get all the looking I’d liked.
Over Droop once more and soon down again, with just about an hour elapsed. It was an experience not soon to be forgotten by me, but the grandchildren quietly slept through it all.
DEATHS
Mrs. Mary McClintic Hench, 82, of Marlinton; born at Huntersville, a daughter of the late Lockhart and Allie Slavens McClintic. Burial in Mountain View Cemetery.
Mrs. Nannie Emma McMillion, 70, of Renick; a daughter of the late James Calvin and Martelia Rose Williams. Her husband, Jesse James McMillion, preceded her in death.
Mrs. Cora Lou Bonnell, 88, of Hillsboro; born in Doddridge County, the daughter of the late Daniel and Mary Ann Pitts Willi-ams. Burial in the Center Point Church cemetery in Doddridge County.
Frank Patterson Slaven, 82, of Cass, a son of the late Ernest McClintic Slaven and Lula Johnson Slaven. Burial in the Hefner Cemetery at Neola.
Mrs. Zena Susan McMillion, 72, of Kieffer; born at Renick, a daughter of the late Luther and Mary McMillion. Burial in the Wallace Memorial Cemetery at Clintonville.
Nelson Anderson Bruffey, 75, of Aberdeen, Maryland; born at Hillsboro, a son of the late William and Martha Kerns Bruffey. Burial in the Bel Air Memorial Gardens in Havre de Grace, Maryland.