My Story
There is always a story connected to a life. Maybe it is true, and maybe it is not. Memories seem to be altered over the years. So, this is part of my story, and it is my memory of life. It may not be accurate, but it is the way my memory has it stored.
I was the first granddaughter on the Dunnington side of the family. Then 3 1/2 months later twin boys were born to my aunt Kathryn. Later, Sally Ann had 2 daughters. I remember the boys teasing me and tickling me a lot and I really did not like it much. Some of it was fine, but enough was enough.
My brother Skip, is 4 1/2 years old than me. He skipped the first grade so he was 5 years ahead of me in school. We did not share much due to the age difference. Frank and Billy Dee are older than Skip and the three of them plus another cousin, Southard, seemed to hang out together and go places. So, I felt left out of that crowd. I mean I was younger than all of them (a baby) and female. So I would not fit in under the best of situations.
I had Buck and Dudley, the twins born after me. I really enjoyed being with them but did not feel like Kathryn (mother of Buck and Dudley) and Will her husband, liked me at all. I have no clue why I felt that way.
I remember my mother telling me much later in life that when I was three months old, I had the mumps and chicken pox at the same time. She said my dad was overseas, and the doctor did not think I would make it through the night so he spent the night, watching over me.
I remember going to my (Granny) great grandmother's house called Poplar Hill. It seemed so far away to a small child. Then we would get to turn onto the property and poplar trees lined the very long entrance. We would always go to the side entrance, which would take us to Granny's bedroom. She would be sitting in a rocking chair. Somewhere in the room, there was a container of hershey kisses because I remember her always giving me one or some. She had a piano. I remember being told that at age 5 I sat at the piano and played a song or two. I had never done this or had lessons. They were a bit shocked and at some point, I had lessons with a lady who lived on High Street not too far from the Robert Taylor family in Farmville, VA.
Not far from Poplar Hill is Farmville Lake. I believe three families purchased it and the land around it. My grandparents, Dr. Fraser, and Cat Cox all shared it. My grandparents had a cabin high and could see the lake. (it was a small lake, but to me it was huge). There was a small cabin, I think built for Frank and his mother, Dolly. Frank's dad died in the war, I believe. There was a cabin with possibly 4 doors for the servants. There was a covered place for my grandparents to park their cars. Down the hill was an outhouse and small building for a servant for the other cabin. The other cabin was shared by the sisters and their families each summer. On my grandparents' side of the lake was a dock for them. They had two boats, my grandfather's which had a small motor for fishing and there was grandmother's boat (that was a row boat). On the other side of the lake was a beach area with a beach house to change clothes and use the bathroom. Someone put lilies in the pond and they mulitiplied faster than rabbits and the ground under them was really ukky.
Dr. Fraser taught me to swim but I was never a great swimmer. I was afraid of water getting on my face for many years.
Just far enough out was a dock for swimmers to swim to and be able to dive.
Oh how much I loved the house at 908 High Street (my grandparents) and Poplar Hill. There are many chapters that could be written about those memories there.
One of my best friends was Tom Baldwin. He was close to my age. Our parents were close. He had a sister named Margaret Baldwin. We would go out to their grandfather's place (called Pop) and swim in the pool. One day, I wasn't there. Tom drowned. He was a very good swimmer and could dive to touch the bottom. As memory has it, the pump was on, and he went to touch the drain and the pump kept him under. Margaret his three year old sister, and his mother tried to pull him away. All of the adults were devasted with his death. We, as children, were not allowed to talk about Tom. But then Margaret was to be my best friend. I really liked her, but no one would talk to me about Tom, where was he, why did he go away, etc. Later, another child was born, Ann Baldwin. She never got to know her brother.
Another close family was the Robert Taylor family. Betty Baldwin Taylor and Tom's father were brother and sister. Betty and Robert had 3 children. Bob was a year older than me and Caroline was maybe 2 years younger, and Elizabeth was maybe 3 years younger than Caroline. They lived about a block from my grandparents on High Street.
The majority of this side of the family were involved with the tobacco business in one way or another. So smoking was always part of the life there. For some reason, I did not smoke and don't smoke. I guess my body said enough is enough. Now at 5:00 PM every day, a servant at my grandparents always rolled out a cart with a variety of alcholic beverages and mixers. In this house, CHILDREN COULD BE SEEN BUT NOT HEARD. And at 6:00 PM dinner was served. After dinner, I remember my grandfather going into the living room to watch the news.
As one would walk into the den (the most used room), there was a chair with a basket of toys in it. I remember being allowed to play with them behind the chair or take it to another room like the living room.
We had a lot of family in Farmville, VA. We moved when I was in the 2nd grade. Looking back, I can see that was the best decision for our family but at the time I was not happy about it. We would visit often. Every year for the tobacco convention, I was taken to my grandparents to the lake to stay while my parents and Aunt Dolly went to the convention. At the lake, it seemed bedtime was earlier for my grandparents. So, I would take the row boat out and row around the lake all by myself. I have always felt more at peace with the life when I am on water. To this day, I am drawn to water.
Once in a while, we would visit my dad's family. I never felt I knew them well because of the closeness of the Dunnington side of the family. I really wanted to get to know those cousins, but that was not the story. My dad had 4 sisters and he was in the middle of the order of children. Faye had two daughters, Karen and Linda. Linda is about a year older than I am and Karen a couple of years older. I wanted very much to be around them. They were GIRLS and I could try to learn from them. But they preferred Skip. They were always very nice to me as were their parents. Faye was always so much fun to be around. They lived in Richmond, VA and still do and are kind of close to the house they lived in that I remember.
Martha was the youngest of the Sprye side of the family. She and Buck had 2 boys, younger than me. I enjoyed them alot also. One year I remember they went to Durant Island with us. That was a lot of fun.
Johnsie and Margie (the two older sisters of my dad) lived with their families on Long Island. So, I really did not know them. I remember Barbara (now called BJ) came through Rocky Mount, NC to visit. I also remember Bill Donovan coming through and visiting. Johnsie and her husband came to visit.
I was born in Farmville, VA to India and Walter Sprye. I have an older brother, Skip. When I was in the 2nd grade, we moved to Rocky Mount, NC. We were very close to the Dunnington side of the family but did not see the Spry(e) side of the family as much.
My father, my mother's father and grandfather were in the tobacco business. Smoking was just a part of life and thinking there was an option of not smoking was foreign until I hit the age to try. I never started smoking. I felt I inhaled more than I needed. It is amazing that lung problems did not seem as much of a problem for those in the Dunnington family as in other families.
I enjoy family and friends but have learned that others aren't focused that way. Each person must respect others. They don't have to enjoy their company. I have tried to learn how to respect people that think differently than I do without judging them. God made us all different and I believe He did that for a reason. I also believe He created everything. Others may distort what He created but He is the creator.
Please feel free to add any information you have by emailing me, Kathy Goebel.
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