The Long and the Short of It

“The long and short of it” about sums up the physical stature of both sets of my grandparents, although with each pair their sizes were reversed. With my grandparents Beck, my grandfather Edson Thomas Beck was tall and slender with a full head of white hair. He held many professions in his lifetime. He worked on his parent’s farm and “made” post in his youth. Later he wrote deeds, wills, and kept “books” for two large companies and did taxes. Folks often referred to him as Squire Beck. He was also a lay speaker and started the Mount Hope church along Route 31 between Jones Mills and Somerset. Grandma Anna Nichols Kalp Beck was a short more petite woman who loved to cook and read the Bible. Her quilts were utilitarian with blocks of thick wool and tweeds fastened to a flannel back with yarn knots. They were mostly made for warmth and not for fancy designs. As a Pentecostal, she often prayed in tongues. When a flood roared through Melcroft, Granddad tore down their large farmhouse and built two smaller houses in Indian Head along Back Creek; one for him and Gram and one for his older daughter Estella and family. Estella’s home had been destroyed by the flood, almost drowning her and her daughter Shirley.

My grandparents Ray and Rebecca Rugg Miner were exactly the opposite. My grandfather Ray was short of stature, but he was an unbelievably vibrant man. He worked the coal mines at night and did the chores of his small farm during the day. His vitality was remarkable. I don’t understand how he managed to rest raising eight kids. He was a quiet and hard-working man.

Gram Miner was as hard working as he was. She was several inches taller than Ray. She was a stout woman, very capable of raising those eight children, cooking, baking, and gardening. Her ability to sew clothing and quilts was nothing short of amazing. Although she only finished fourth grade, her creativity was remarkable eking out the needed money and food. She would make Christmas gifts from scraps of wooden apple crates and leftover pieces of leftover material. She even fashioned a Christmas tree from a strand of wire and pine branches. Her hair remained black until she was into her eighties.

I wish I’d taken the time to listen and remember more about these wonderful people.