By Rosalyn Queen
Today I am going to take a trip down memories of Thanksgivings past. In the pic you will see Granny and Pop as we all referred to them. They were Olive Riffle Queen and Bennett Queen. They came to Clarksburg in the early 1920s from Braxton County. They moved to the East View section of Clarksburg and remained there until their death. They lived in a modest little farm house and raised their four children Bessie Heater, Fray Queen, Sr, Ruby Keister and Thelma Harlan. They also raised their grandson, Fray, Jr. Their modest means of living meant fresh biscuits every morning and corn bread every evening for dinner. They always had a cow and chickens and a large garden to supply their daily food needs.Their cellar was always full of canned vegetables from their garden.
I remember in preparing for Thanksgiving a grocery list was made and contained the traditional turkey. Just about everything else, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potatoes, the green beans and the traditional potato salad came from the garden or the cellar. Thelma always made an apple cake, using apples from the tree out back. Nothing complimented the meal like Grannies hot biscuits smothered with her blackberry jelly. We usually sat down to eat around noon and then we cleaned the table and put all the goodies in the pie cupboard for all the cousins to piece on as they came and went throughout the day.
Being a city girl, I had never been around when pigs were butchered. The tradition with the Queens was to butcher the Friday after Thanksgiving. What a mammoth task this was. Not one ounce was wasted. I saw where pork chops came from, how hams and bacon were cured. I saw the fat rendered to lard and even the skin was roasted to pork skins. Now we were ready to face winter.
Getting back to the actual Thanksgiving, the Queens were very faithful people. No meal was ever started without grace. We all bowed our heads while Grannie or Pop offered up the prayer. We often called upon the children to add what they were thankful for. As I look back now, I realize how nice it was not to have to compete with the I Pads. Back then Thanksgiving did not have to compete with Christmas. We got over one before we started the next.
Granny and Pop were very instrumental in my feelings now for Thanksgiving. I never bow my head to pray grace without thinking of them. I truly know that it was from their hearts that they gave thanks for all their blessings on Thanksgiving.
I truly hope that you will bow your heads this Thanksgiving and be thankful for all this year has brought to you. Share your blessings with those less fortunate than you.
From my house to yours Happy Thanksgiving and until next week “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”