Welcome to desertlilydarla

[Jo McDonald]

I missed the post that said she was one of our cousins --- Her Dad and I were first cousins.This morning I had a personal message from Darla - and I was so surprised.  Sorry I missed the post - I hope you didn't think that we were all running backwards to keep from acknowledging you.  lol lol   Rest assured,  I am so glad that you are a new member. !!!!  Sending you a Workman-Arnel Hug.

[desertlilydarla]

Thank you Jo,  for that hug.  I needed that.  Not to may family members left around here.. They have all moved to Elk Falls.  Mom, sisters Debbie Wright and Nancy Nuttall bought houses there.   And my brother Arlin just bought property down by the falls and Joy bought land just off the old highway going in to Elk Falls.  And my sister Lura will be moving there sometime around the end of the year.

Well, I'am the only one without property there. My husband say's there are to many trees, and not enough mountains.   But I would still like to find some land there. 

[desertlilydarla]

Do any of you in Howard now a young girl named Marlena Wright,....she lives there in Howard...graduated about 2 years ago from West Elk High.  She lives with a Billy Taylor...I thank.

[flo]

darla, you mention that Joy bought property just off the "old highway going into Elk Falls".  I mentioned to some friends a few weeks ago that I seemed to remember that when I was a teenager, the highway went a different route into Elk Falls.  Am I right or did I dream it. I remember a big iron bridge right on the curve - on the way into Elk Falls there was a sign that said "Hail Mary, full of grace, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death" then after you crossed the bridge, a sign that said "amen".  Was this real?? They didn't seem to know anything about this so I figured it was a figment of my imagination or a dream. 

[Janet Harrington]

Do any of you in Howard now a young girl named Marlena Wright,....she lives there in Howard...graduated about 2 years ago from West Elk High.  She lives with a Billy Taylor...I thank.

Yes, I know her.  She lives with Billy Tyler and they both live with his mom, Christy Tyler.  I think she is still working at Toot's.  They have a baby girl together.  Is she related to you?

[desertlilydarla]

Yes Janet , Marlena is related to me.... she is my sisters youngest daughter. I haven't seen her since her last few months of pregnancy...... If you see her could you please till her that her aunt Darla in Ca. say's hello. Till her to send her auntie a picture of Kayla .   And she is Ms. T's cousin also....I don't thank Ms. T or Marlena knows that.   Marlena is Teresa and Sherri's 4th cousin and 3rd. to Jo McDonald thru Joe Arnel.  So she works at Toot's....is she making the fudge monkey's?    I can just smeeell and tassste the chocolate on that there fudge monkey from here.  Yum Yum Yum!!!  You don't thank that is sugar free do you?  Probably not.

[desertlilydarla]

Flo, I  talked to my mother who was born and raised in Elk Falls, about the signs. she said that she remembers them too. ...... You were no dreaming.. You must be coming from Longton side of Elk Falls?  one of the old iron bridges was the Wild Cat.  No much left of that one anymore. I have a few pictures of that bridge, that I took last January of 2006.    My sister Joy's property is on the corner of Osage and 11th st.    If you are coming in from the west side, from Howard  you turn right at  Prudence Crandells memorial flags.  It's  only a few streets down which is part of the old highway.  My mother said that a long time ago most of the streets didn't have any names...  Joy  bought 16 lots which is about an acre. Still wooded.  She just wanted a place to park a travel trailer when she comes out to visit from PA.  My mother bought her parents  old house that was falling down in 1988 or 89 from Kenny Edwards.  She has totaly restored it....  And we have a family reunion there every three years.
My sister Debbie bought one of the first  homes built in Elk Falls..  I believe it was the R.H. Nichols place.  The first settler,..first home 12x14 in which the first convention was held and is is west of the Lord station on Highway 160.  He was also the first lawyer that settled in the Elk Falls.  She has been working hard to restore the place. OH you got me started....... I need to get back to my house work and get all these SLAH boxes put away.   All fun and no house work done makes for a unhappy husband

[flo]

Darla, thank you so much for letting me know I haven't completely lost all my faculties.   

[frawin]

Talking about Elk Falls, I too, sorta have some roots there.  My mother graduated in the class of 1935.  My great aunt & uncle (Lon & Pearl Green) lived in the house directly west of the O&B Oil Company when they moved to town from the farm.  Aunt Pearl and my grandmother (Ethel Green) were sisters and they married brothers.  My grandfather was Evert Green  The girls were children of Ky and Lucy Morris and he helped build the mill that was there at the falls.  There is now a replica of it at the pottery shop which was made by Bob Stanley of Augusta.  Bob's wife and a cousin of mine were sisters.  The house that I mentioned that was west of the O&B Oil Company is now where Steve Fry lives there by the pottery shop.  Also, the wood and the rock wall in the cafe there at Elk Falls is the material from the barn and foundation of the Morris home which was directly south of the cafe.  We sometimes take Mother down there when we are home and she enjoys talking about the days that she lived 5 miles north of town, walked or rode a horse and the fun that all of them enjoyed.  It is fun to go back every year to the alumni gathering and see some of the people who still come back every year for it.

On a side note, I mentioned to Mother that I had seen the picture of the river over the iron bridge there on the south side of town on the old highway and asked her if she had ever seen it over it.  She said "yes, many years ago".
Myrna

[desertlilydarla]

my grandfather Orwill Perrin Lewis also work on the mill by the falls.  Grandpa Orwill and Grandma Gertrude Lewis us to have a bath house on the hill next to the falls.  Does she remember a picture of maggie and jigs on the side of the bath house?  I have been to the pottery shop many times when I come to visit my mother.  She is Nina Jane Lewis, Arnel and she is living in Elk Falls now.  She talks alot about the old dance hall and all the fun things that the  kids use to do in Elk Falls .   Uncle Orwill Jr. use to have a very large tunnel on the top side of the basin where he use to hide and play around.

Steve and Jane Fry sale wood planks to have your name ingrave on, to put on the  old iron bridge.  It's though the Friends of Elk Falls.  I hear that no boards wash off the bridge during the flooding.   mother says  that the cafe is close again.   A nice place to stay in Elk Falls is the Sherman House Bed and Breakfast.  My family stayed there last year for a reunion, Steve and Jane cook a great breakfast.    And every year they do a Out House contest the Sat. before Thanksgiving, about a 1000 people come to town to check it out.   It is so heart warming to know that so many people are starting to fix up the old homes in that town.    I will ask my mother if she remembers any of your family.  My mothers parents are Owill Perrin Lewis and Gertrude Ellen Rose, Lewis and mom's sisters are  Mary Lewis , Royse --Bealah Lewis,Kinsey- Evalena Lewis-- Maragaret Lucile Lewis, Hagins--Adalaide Lewis, Ransbottom---Ethel Lewis , Lewis- and Uncle Orwill Perrin Lewis Jr. and sisters again Lolla Belle Lewis, Shults--Gertrude Lewis, Beaumont and last is my mother Nina Lewis, Arnel, Duckett