McGraw Reunion Reflections From the McCoys

We are combining 2 submissions into a wonderful tag-team post by First Cousins Alan and Rachel McCoy. We'll start with Alan's reflections and follow up below with Rachel's photographs!

McGraw Reunion Reflections from Alan McCoy

I am the son of Rosseey, grandson of Hallie McGraw, great grandson of HG. Was planning to come this year thinking that maybe I could figure in one of the prizes, coming from Massachusetts!

My first home was above Galena’s garage in Ravencliff but our family moved away while I was young.  We came back every summer for an extended stay and my memories of our time in McGraws is magical. My closest friends/cousins were Mike and Patty McGraw - Patty was my age-, Horace Blankenship-Wilda’s grandson-, and Gerald and Dennis McGraw.  Michael John, Gerald, Horace Eugene and I were fast friends and we had many adventures.  Home base was usually either Ed and Galena’s store or up the holler at what Grandad's house (I am old enough to have memories of Grandma and Granddad!). One of the things I loved was that we moved around from home to home as it really was a place where raising kids was a shared enterprise and the notion of kinship ran deep. 

Some fond memories: 

Fishing trips with Uncle Mote “Moteypote” Sadler on the Greenbrier or Indian Creek, He also had a great V nickel collection and mini balls that we loved to look at.  He taught me to shoot a shotgun out behind the house and got a good laugh as the kick from the gun set me back.

Delivering groceries to wonderfully remote homesteads with or for Ed and Galena. When I was sixteen and just barely had my license Galena asked me to take some groceries to a customer in her truck.  I told her I didn’t know how to drive a stick shift.  Her response, “It’s time you learned.”  So off I went.

Finding arrowheads in plowed fields.  The flat land beside Horace and Rita’s house was always good hunting. Hope you are well, Joe!

Hiking the railroad bed and crossing the trestles. Always an element of danger there.  As kids, Mike, Gerry, Horace and I camped out and crossed the big trestle up the holler at night. Don’t try this at home.

The food!!  I miss all the country cooking. Can’t seem to get my New England friends interested in green beans cooked country style.

For no good reason we used to hop a ride on the bread truck that went from McGraws to Saulsville and then make our way back on foot.  Don’t ask me why that was a big adventure. Maybe it was the lure of the  bright lights of Saulsville.

My first paying job was at about eight or nine years old when Dutch Shumate paid us to fill in potholes in front of the Donald Duck Supermarket… I got two quarters!  McGraws had two stores.

The swimming hole! Out behind the school was a great gathering place for all of us.  First thing was to check for snakes though.

All of the great storytelling. The McGraws of my grandparents' generation were remarkable storytellers and great humorists. 

Going up the holler to Daniel ‘Swepea’ Sizemore's house.  He had a pet groundhog who lived under the porch ( Buttercup?”) and a monstrous pig we used to get in the pen with on a dare.  Beautiful spot, I could go on forever.  Often thought of writing a collection of stories as there is so much rich material.

We stop down every so often.  Last time was last summer on our way to the McCoy Reunion at Chief Logan SP. Interesting to see the little park and the nature walk that has been created (near the school). Shoutout to whoever is behind that.  Wish the school could be put to good use.

Also came down a while back to see Mike when he was battling his cancer and we took this picture:

Best to everyone and looking forward to 2021!

Photos from Rachel McCoy

(Rachel is the daughter of Gene and Mary Ann McCoy. Gene was Rossey's brother and she was also a grandchild of Hallie and great-grandchild of H.G.)

These were taken in 1968. Galena bought a trailer to accommodate us McCoy’s and parked it in front of her house in McGraws.

Left to right: me, Jane behind Galena, Nancy Hash, Karen and Jean.

Below: a few others of me in the General Store

This photo was taken in 1972 by Mike McCoy, in front of Galena's house in McGraws. From left to right: Debbie (Ross' 1st wife), Karen, Drew, David McGraw (yes?), Alan McCoy, Ross (I'm on his shoulders), Jane & Jean. All of us kids of Gene & Mary Ann.