As I sit and study I wonder who will be gone from our midst (Reunion) next year. My Aunt Irene Tipton and I have just gotten home from a visit with our relative, Eula Jolly, of Lewisburg. (About 8 miles from Maysville) She and her husband, Jim Jolly, have been coming to the Craycraft reunion since the beginning. Jim has been in bad health for a few years. He took seriously ill and died in a Maysville hospital, sometime the first of April. She is not alone as she has four sons and one daughter. One son, Doug, is a Baptist preacher in Mason County This is a very caring family. Eula Jolly is a granddaughter of Charles Richard Craycraft. Her dad was Willie. We hope she and her family can come this year.
On January 22nd at 3 o'clock we lost another one of our Craycraft's, Helen Goodpaster. Our pride and joy came down with a massive stroke. She lived about two weeks but never regained consciousness. We miss her so bad. She and I had a little beaten path from my house to her house. We used it often times during the day, if our folks did not find us a job. We were as close as sisters. Uncle Matt and Aunt Mary were mighty good to us rowdy kids. Edd was sort of rowdy. He took after his uncle Oll. They were a mighty close family, very caring. You never heard them fuss about anything or loud word.
On December the 18, 1994, I lost my only brother, Bob. That was one big shock. He never missed a Craycraft reunion. He enjoyed people. He loved his family, and especially the grand and great-grand children. Our Mother died when Bob and I were two and four years old. We were very very close and reared, by wonderful grandparents and a host of Aunts and Uncles and a bunch of cousins.
On October 20, 1995, my half brother, Raymond, died suddenly, another bad shock. After he got sick he came about every night to see me and ate his supper. I missed him very badly. So you see what I am saying, I wonder who will be gone next year. Stella and Sam, Uncle Ott and Aunt Manda's children, now live in Middletown, Ohio. They have lived there several years. They came to the Craycraft reunion, when they were able. I had a little path going to see Stella I sure did love them and wish I could visit her more often. I do wish she could enjoy better health.
Hope to see you at the Craycraft reunion.