tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2136174817540284022024-03-13T14:09:29.213-04:00The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) BlogA genealogy/information resource blog for the descendants of John and Mahala McGraw of Wyoming County, WV.The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-84019411073158313142023-01-29T11:03:00.002-05:002023-01-29T11:18:27.220-05:00Steve McGraw Retires as Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Our cousin Steve McGraw is retiring as Roanoke County (VA) Circuit Court Clerk. Steve is the son of Jessie R. McGraw, son of Oza, son of Joel, son of Robert Lee "Jabo," son of John & Mahala. He is also President of the US McCraw Family Association and many of you have met him at our McGraw Reunions over the years. Congratulations on your retirement and many years of public service!</i></b></span></span></p><p>This article is from the January 29, 2023, Roanoke Times, you can see the original <a href="https://roanoke.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/casey-retiring-roanoke-county-democrat-endorses-his-republican-successor/article_695c6258-9f5a-11ed-81f8-2b89f5d54a46.html?fbclid=IwAR0QdN-cNIXMaLmU8Y6EtRVbpZe8KVq350ES_ywZBXu_RPE7jZVyA0xFw-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Retiring Roanoke County Democrat endorses his Republican successor</h1><h3 style="text-align: justify;">Steve McGraw has been a Democrat for at least 40 years, and Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk for more than 30. Friday, in his retirement and transition speech, he endorsed a Republican as his replacement.</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPRshEuz28wmUhv61xRK5SGHRZzNkAI7ViKNeg6aYg7PJ8g77s3UiuWr4yPvUxltS_0cvOIrbxi5seaHZyb7o6qpiDHFMhybPpCHMZCqzTrLrx4Pr3ZWIV8lIOWrLeJJ6HnybHXwLCuJvZE3LIO9jMqj7-Ij3qhmbSnuAC6l8anLbNY6VMPfRv_pHaHw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk Steve McGraw celebrates his retirement with family, friends and coworkers at a reception at Roanoke County Circuit Courthouse Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Salem. Scott P. Yates" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPRshEuz28wmUhv61xRK5SGHRZzNkAI7ViKNeg6aYg7PJ8g77s3UiuWr4yPvUxltS_0cvOIrbxi5seaHZyb7o6qpiDHFMhybPpCHMZCqzTrLrx4Pr3ZWIV8lIOWrLeJJ6HnybHXwLCuJvZE3LIO9jMqj7-Ij3qhmbSnuAC6l8anLbNY6VMPfRv_pHaHw=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">About 70 people who gathered in a conference room at the Roanoke County Courthouse on Friday counted themselves as friends, family and colleagues of Steve McGraw. The four-decade Democrat has been Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk since 1992, following two terms on the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">His last day in office is Tuesday. McGraw’s resigning and retiring with just under a year left in his term.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Wednesday, his longtime chief deputy, Rhonda Perdue, formally assumes the reins in the clerk’s office, at least through the end of the year. As a Republican, she’s running to succeed him.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">McGraw, 72, is backing Perdue wholeheartedly. For that reason, he carefully termed Friday afternoon’s gathering “a transition party” on the emailed invitations, rather than a retirement bash.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“We need to consider the future of this office and her name is Rhonda Perdue,” McGraw told the assembled crowd with utter seriousness. “For the past 26 years, Rhonda has been there to head up, manage and oversee many of our modern initiatives while working her way up to chief deputy clerk starting seven years ago.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It’s not every day that a Democrat endorses a Republican. In the current environment of deep partisan polarization, such an endorsement can easily be seen as an unforgivable act of political heresy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But there’s another way to look at it, too.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Isn’t it possible that, after working alongside Perdue for more than 25 years, McGraw believes she’s the best person for the job? And that he’s more concerned the office he’s exiting operates fairly and efficiently than he is about the political party of the person in charge?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That’s the kind of person voters often say they want in office — someone willing to rise above partisanship, to do the right thing.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">On Saturday, McGraw told me: “She’s the best possible person to take my place in that office. That’s all I care about.”</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGFdgjoxeMET4qkMZFRslhrVKzYybxrcedmwZ5LVD8jMbo1YfRYzCZKxqTXZ82AezzX50FQyOIiHm4XZo65nQNlSz0Kkks0MkFgBFGVmPd4EfaBS-_OS8MLCc0oYliRRx9TJouwyIkUqm5xOeedAgwcIHjMVkqR2ykUMd0k5Avy4DlYPB93hDnx77D3w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGFdgjoxeMET4qkMZFRslhrVKzYybxrcedmwZ5LVD8jMbo1YfRYzCZKxqTXZ82AezzX50FQyOIiHm4XZo65nQNlSz0Kkks0MkFgBFGVmPd4EfaBS-_OS8MLCc0oYliRRx9TJouwyIkUqm5xOeedAgwcIHjMVkqR2ykUMd0k5Avy4DlYPB93hDnx77D3w=w400-h266" title="Steve with his granddaughter, Penny." width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Before he got involved in politics, McGraw wore a number of different hats.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">He grew up in Roanoke’s southwest quadrant, in the shadow of Virginia Heights Elementary school. He graduated from Patrick Henry High and later Virginia Tech. Even later, McGraw earned a master’s degree.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For a spell he worked as a plumber’s helper; in another job he managed home deliveries of this newspaper.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At some point after college, McGraw spent three years as a social worker in child protective services. On occasion, tragedies he witnessed during that day job left him sleepless and emotional at night.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the early 1980s, McGraw owned a bar on West Main Street in Salem, The Barrel House. (Awful Arthur’s restaurant is in the same location now.) And he sold real estate as an agent and broker.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">All those endeavors brought him into contact with a wide range of people. So did his deep and longtime involvement with the Roanoke Kiwanis Club. Many of his closest friends are members, too.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">McGraw’s first venture as a political candidate was an independent bid for the Catawba seat on the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors in 1979. He lost that election. But later, as a Democrat, he won it in 1983 and again in 1987.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">McGraw considers former state delegate Dick Cranwell of Vinton his political mentor. Cranwell recalled McGraw’s losing 1979 race as “the scraggly kid from Catawba area who was going to take Roanoke County by storm.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Today, “I’d say he’s one of the best retail politicians I’ve ever met,” Cranwell told me. “He gets out and meets people from daylight to dusk. He’s as refined and skilled a political operator as they come … And he’s a genuinely good human being. I think that came across in retail politics.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“He’s a fighter,” said Dave “Mudcat” Saunders, another longtime McGraw associate. “Hell, he’s got three black belts in Taekwondo.” Saunders added: “He’s also one hell of a family man, and about as gracious a guy as you can find.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As county supervisor, McGraw formally opposed consolidation of Roanoke and Roanoke County, which county voters vehemently shot down in a 1990 referendum. Nevertheless, among his accomplishments were city-county cooperative ventures that seemed to make sense.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One was the development of the Smith Gap Landfill. Another was a local agreement among valley governments that allowed police to chase suspects into neighboring jurisdictions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">McGraw also championed construction of Spring Hollow Reservoir. To strengthen the valley’s water supply, it was later merged into the Western Virginia Water Authority, another example of city-county cooperation.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In 1991, McGraw challenged then-incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Elizabeth Stokes, a Republican seeking her fourth term in office.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The clerk’s post seemed attractive for a number of reasons. One of them was its eight-year term, the longest in American politics. Another was the not-insignificant annual salary (now $147,200).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But as that October came around, internal polling by Democrats suggested Stokes would cruise to reelection.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Three weeks before Election Day, McGraw leaked a state auditor’s report to this newspaper. It had quietly come across his supervisor’s desk months earlier. It found financial mismanagement in the clerk’s office under Stokes, though not to a criminal extent. Local TV stations picked up the story and ran with it. That was unusual in a clerk-of-court election.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Stokes fought back, but oddly. Publicly, she compared McGraw to Anita Hill, a whistleblower who earlier that year had testified to Congress that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her. On any number of levels, the comparison was a wild stretch.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ultimately, voters in Republican-dominated Roanoke County put McGraw in office by a few hundred hundred votes. He’s been Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk ever since. (He squeaked to victory in his last election, in 2015, by 37 votes.)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Rj9UjWSmtT8O7YHv4FldykdmZux88LQmMMYDoMeJ2ROGvj8yFPHORXqrRJs6pqdRhpCMWRae8Fr0BUKH7-dXMGnnTsag0SoyJDmVViz_NaE55thRevE__7Asu99G1Ae45fCZ03NARoVVcZFP5kKdAN_ME8ug6oP3McG_PUW9tfO7ocQIBxqgrLSuHA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Rj9UjWSmtT8O7YHv4FldykdmZux88LQmMMYDoMeJ2ROGvj8yFPHORXqrRJs6pqdRhpCMWRae8Fr0BUKH7-dXMGnnTsag0SoyJDmVViz_NaE55thRevE__7Asu99G1Ae45fCZ03NARoVVcZFP5kKdAN_ME8ug6oP3McG_PUW9tfO7ocQIBxqgrLSuHA=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">At Friday’s party, McGraw was humble. He told the crowd his success was due to the large number of friends, family and acquaintances who had backed him over the years. Basically, he meant the people who were in the room.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">“The old saying that ‘it takes a village’ could not be truer when applied to my career, beginning with those early days in 1979,” McGraw said. It began with “my first and always my most ardent supporter, my wife Sharon. … From that we developed a really strong cadre of volunteers over the years.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The couple has two grown sons, Steven and Robert. The former lives here in the valley with his wife, Kelly, and their daughter, Penny. Robert McGraw is married and lives in southern Maryland.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sharon McGraw, a social worker in Roanoke, is retiring as well. Leaving the rat race will give both a chance to spend longer periods in Florida, where they own a condo near Daytona Beach.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">They’re keeping their home in Catawba, though, and will be back a lot, visiting their granddaughter.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough to my village, to my co-workers, or to the voters of Roanoke County,” McGraw said. “It’s been quite a ride.”</p><p>-- <i>Dan Casey, Metro Columnist for the Roanoke Times</i></p>The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-64972058788897054472023-01-22T16:27:00.000-05:002023-01-22T16:27:13.666-05:00The 70th McGraw Reunion - Our Platinum Anniversary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEbHuIbftyEepf_PupArJkyDd3ntT05xVnwgoU2yhFUMcgO69QjdCpsaWw-LF5zsBQ62Jnf4ZEGBYxM4w1x7fo_Ye-kp90r_kn_U7kwn9EXsoibMEBxzO2vkqG38mvgiysf_AtzbIIQXF2Ana7YuAroTIMYXrW7iW1KdlNCiXnt2Hmh_LY3zuIgI_Xw/s1414/mcgraw%20reunion%20email%20header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="1414" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEbHuIbftyEepf_PupArJkyDd3ntT05xVnwgoU2yhFUMcgO69QjdCpsaWw-LF5zsBQ62Jnf4ZEGBYxM4w1x7fo_Ye-kp90r_kn_U7kwn9EXsoibMEBxzO2vkqG38mvgiysf_AtzbIIQXF2Ana7YuAroTIMYXrW7iW1KdlNCiXnt2Hmh_LY3zuIgI_Xw/w400-h148/mcgraw%20reunion%20email%20header.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><i>It's Our Platinum Anniversary!</i></span></h1><p style="text-align: justify;">Happy New Year!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We hope all of you had a happy holiday season, spent with family. It’s now 2023 and we are starting the countdown to our annual family reunion, held as always on the third Sunday in July. We only have 6 months to go and this year that third Sunday will fall on July 16th. This year’s gathering is a celebration of not only our 70th McGraw Reunion, but it is also a celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the opening of the Milam Methodist Church. The celebration of the opening of this church, founded and built by the Brooks and McGraw families gave rise to the Reunion tradition that we carry on today.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">With this Platinum Anniversary for both of these, we want to go a little above and beyond this year and that’s why we’re reaching out early to give you an idea of what we’re planning. In addition to our Sunday Reunion, we’re working on some additional activities for Saturday for those who may be interested in joining us. While plans are still ongoing, we would like to do some sightseeing of some places of family interest: some cemeteries, some spots of significance in John & Mahala’s life and Milam Methodist Church to name a few. If you have ideas or suggestions, we would love to hear them. You can contact us at mcgrawreunion@gmail.com.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One thing that we are definitely working on is attempting to have some repairs made to John & Mahala’s headstones at Pine Grove Cemetery. Both of them are falling into disrepair after over a century of service and as their ancestors we feel it falls upon us to do something to preserve these for future generations of our family. At our 2022 reunion last summer we discussed this with those in attendance and there was overwhelming support for this. We are working with a monument company to get pricing and a few people have made donations toward this work. We would love to have these repairs complete in time to include some type of ceremony to honor them and reveal the repaired headstones as part of our reunion festivities, but this like everything else is still in the initial stages. When we get a final quote for the work, we will share this with you should you wish to donate toward the costs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We are emailing this to everyone on our mailing list and posting it to our Facebook page. We will likely be reaching out a few more times between now and July as all of our plans start coming together.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One last item we wanted to share with you, this time about an event in 2024. Those of you who were at our last reunion heard the announcement, but the McGraw Reunion Association will be hosting the 2024 United States McCraw Family Association Reunion in Beckley. John was born a McCraw and changed our name. This Association is the group of descendants, like John (and all of us who descend from John), who belong to the line that descends from William Maccraw who is believed to be our first American ancestor. This is a Friday and Saturday event where we have lectures planned about family history and genealogy and discussion of the Association’s DNA program and our quest to determine William Maccraw’s true origins, be it Scotland or more likely Ireland. There will also be evening social events and a banquet where you can get to know cousins from across the United States. There will be more information to come on this as well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So please forward and share this email with your family and mark your calendars for July 16, 2023, for the 70th Annual McGraw Reunion. What can you get us for our Platinum Anniversary? All we want is for you and your family to attend!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thank You and we look forward to seeing you there!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://mcgrawreunionwv.com" target="_blank">The McGraw Reunion Website</a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/McGrawReunionWV" target="_blank">The McGraw Reunion on Facebook</a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.mcgrawreunionwv.com/contact-directions.html" target="_blank">Join our Mailing List!</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p>The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-58413914290113332602020-07-19T15:00:00.000-04:002020-07-19T15:00:02.651-04:00A Last SPECIAL AWARD and Thank You<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><u>THANK YOU ALL!!!</u></i></b></span></div>
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We'd like to thank all who followed and <i><b>especially</b></i> all who submitted to help us make this virtually the best McGraw Reunion we could have given the circumstances. If you liked what we did, we hope you comment on the posts or you can drop us an email to mcgrawreunion@gmail.com We'd love to be able to provide feedback to those who took the time to send in submissions.<br />
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We hope that we can all gather together next year in person at Southern WV Community and Technical College in Saulsville. Our relatives have been keeping this tradition alive for 67 years and you have helped to make sure it continues on through difficult times. John & Mahala's children and grandchildren lived through the influenza outbreaks of 1917-1919 and became our grandparents and great-grandparents. Hopefully someday out great-grandchildren will carry this tradition into it's next century. All of that starts with you continuing to have an interest in your family and your history and instilling that same interest in your children and grandchildren. Sometimes we don't realize all the things we want to know until there is nobody left to tell you about them.</div>
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To that end, one person went above and beyond to help us provide you with your yearly dose of family lore and he is always most generous in helping us with our Memorial Service.</div>
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<b>Thank You to Herk McGraw!</b></div>
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Herk is going to get a 2020 Virtual McGraw Reunion T-Shirt!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks everyone and we'll see you next year for the</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">68th Annual McGraw Family Reunion!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">(Good Lord willin' and the crick don't rise!)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As part of our normal tradition, we pass the hat to cover expenses and the cost of prizes and our website. There is no minimum and this is purely a voluntary donation. If you would like to contribute, you may do so by sending a check payable to the McGraw Reunion Association to:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Box 60</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">McGraws, WV</span></div>
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<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-41762072196273996632020-07-19T14:45:00.000-04:002020-07-19T14:45:07.028-04:00And our 2020 Door Prize Winner is....<div style="text-align: justify;">
Everyone liked last year's door prize so much, we thought we'd do the same prize again this year. A custom McGraw Reunion cutting board.</div>
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Every item submitted to be used in our Virtual McGraw Reunion received an entry into our door prize drawing. Per our usual procedure, everyone went in a hat, and...</div>
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<b>Our Winner Is.....</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX_J7Zala1XQDBk5i-Pxq7-U2RymlP0g6WcqHiip7XR1oO2mxlhSWayee606jmNbtf7UPnXTE_IVZI7BbktMCg_h2X2HK8C9aFI2uPMSYFaWSTmQG_A2a6fcHeXWKI3KefyoNhELCeaj4/s1600/IMG_5320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX_J7Zala1XQDBk5i-Pxq7-U2RymlP0g6WcqHiip7XR1oO2mxlhSWayee606jmNbtf7UPnXTE_IVZI7BbktMCg_h2X2HK8C9aFI2uPMSYFaWSTmQG_A2a6fcHeXWKI3KefyoNhELCeaj4/s640/IMG_5320.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">David McGraw!!!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thank you for helping make this Virtual Reunion a Success!!!!</span></b></div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-36021544586098024952020-07-19T14:35:00.000-04:002020-07-19T14:35:05.249-04:002020's Farthest Away Descendant is.....<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Juanita (McGraw) Beasley</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">All the way out in Delta Junction, Alaska!</span></b></div>
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<b>That's 3,935 miles according to google maps!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVF4O3-fVAxUbr1Ksk1-IXSkII93g-c3FmITqBKWQus3gY0Y-HF96-PlE5qKmi3_qO4CDP5G2PI1X1kwB8JOkI9wNc48Z2R-1bns7g-wHGb_D10vibkIM6SLO-K1fnK-dwzWbX-lUIsxN/s1600/Delta+Junction.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="368" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVF4O3-fVAxUbr1Ksk1-IXSkII93g-c3FmITqBKWQus3gY0Y-HF96-PlE5qKmi3_qO4CDP5G2PI1X1kwB8JOkI9wNc48Z2R-1bns7g-wHGb_D10vibkIM6SLO-K1fnK-dwzWbX-lUIsxN/s400/Delta+Junction.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Juanita (Nita) is the daughter of Danny G. McGraw</div>
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Danny is the son of Barbe and Stella (Eskins) McGraw</div>
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Barbe was the son of Gordon and Susan (Brooks) McGraw</div>
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Gordon was the son of William Harrison "Pole" and Pauline (McGinnis) McGraw</div>
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"Pole" was the fourth child born to John & Mahala.</div>
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Nita says that she's lived in Alaska on and off since 1983 because her husband is retired from the US Air Force.</div>
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Nita: "I wish that I was a story teller because I’d love to add memories of my great grandmother Susan McGraw and great aunties, they lived in Mullens all their lives. Aunt Norma was a high school teacher and after her retirement she taught piano. I have such wonderful fond memories of them but I was not blessed with the gift of the gab. I think my dad got a double dose 😁."</div>
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<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com1Delta Junction, AK, USA64.0377778 -145.732222163.9266523 -146.0549456 64.1489033 -145.4094986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-8468011077697821442020-07-19T14:25:00.000-04:002020-07-19T14:25:00.498-04:002020's Oldest McGraw Descendant is.....<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Daniel G. McGraw</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">at just over 80 years old!</span></b></div>
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This year's oldest nominee is the son of the late Barbe and Stella (Eskins) McGraw<br />
Barbe was the son of Gordon and Susan (Brooks) McGraw<br />
Gordon was the son of William Harrison "Pole" and Pauline (McGinnis) McGraw<br />
"Pole" was the fourth child born to John & Mahala.</div>
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"My last reunion was at the School with my Grandmother "Aunt"Susie wife of Gordon B McGraw." Danny was born in 1940 and is from Mullens, WV. He is a Vietnam veteran who served 20+ years on active duty in the US Air Force.<br />
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Congratulations Danny and Thank You for your service to our country!</div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-37144189573466587022020-07-19T14:15:00.000-04:002020-07-19T14:15:01.663-04:002020's Youngest McGraw Descendant is....<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2020's Youngest McGraw Descendant</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Steven Connor McGraw</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2po1UoBi6UsgB30EgETSW_hhfznoxToEHzF0M1BHOfIqDQBWH5RWX7W-10iDgaJ4HLnj3XAo98klhT6R_2VW-iIOsWlE7UPVbIN3cfXsLrKjimKRf1WGxaIk4Q_659x8qFVzuoiNYY3Y/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2po1UoBi6UsgB30EgETSW_hhfznoxToEHzF0M1BHOfIqDQBWH5RWX7W-10iDgaJ4HLnj3XAo98klhT6R_2VW-iIOsWlE7UPVbIN3cfXsLrKjimKRf1WGxaIk4Q_659x8qFVzuoiNYY3Y/s400/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Just under 3 months old!</div>
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Steven is the 4x Great Grandson of John & Mahala. Last year his brother Grayson was our youngest McGraw. His father and grandfather were also named youngest McGraw descendants</div>
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Steven is the son of Michael and Kaylee (Lafferty) McGraw.</div>
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Michael is the son of Brian and Robin (Estep) McGraw</div>
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Brian is the son of Michael and Patricia (May) McGraw</div>
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Michael is the son of Marvin "Jack" and Lois (Wittemann) McGraw</div>
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"Jack" is the son of H.G. and Pearl (McGinnis) McGraw</div>
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H.G. is the son of John & Mahala (Cozort) McGraw</div>
<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-909887753951399852020-07-19T14:05:00.000-04:002020-07-19T14:05:08.157-04:00Pinata Pictures!!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">It's Pinata Time!!!</span></b></div>
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While the adults hold their yearly memorial service, we take the kids outside to enjoy some more child-friendly activities. Each year we have a pinata as well as a treasure chest filled with toys for the kids to pick from. We thought we'd share a few pics from the past years for the young and the young-at-heart. We try to make sure there's always plenty of activities for everyone!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbxDi4rmWzuLdj-NB0wHhAyPkErXrlON7DpsDu26LS8L2lOJSOWhO0AwugHXvob6AM06XG2nDFHD0gGnT61LYjUfgdDIGHFM1_UjktnJ0mnO9Oaj1_9c3hVjI0XgtF7r_hjMey8YoMvLh/s1600/IMG_2595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbxDi4rmWzuLdj-NB0wHhAyPkErXrlON7DpsDu26LS8L2lOJSOWhO0AwugHXvob6AM06XG2nDFHD0gGnT61LYjUfgdDIGHFM1_UjktnJ0mnO9Oaj1_9c3hVjI0XgtF7r_hjMey8YoMvLh/s400/IMG_2595.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbleJaJzFUf1Ol4ew-0iLhfTW9NBLg2uXiQRp-j7WH0aV09Wvq06K6EHMA0SWmVXcl68D1NWGv2HDsegB-kuzFQA13L30S8iJK5wvoaqKtrFVQ0UFfKqypoJo6pYo_3Xy5BpcfifxZkMI/s1600/IMG_2598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbleJaJzFUf1Ol4ew-0iLhfTW9NBLg2uXiQRp-j7WH0aV09Wvq06K6EHMA0SWmVXcl68D1NWGv2HDsegB-kuzFQA13L30S8iJK5wvoaqKtrFVQ0UFfKqypoJo6pYo_3Xy5BpcfifxZkMI/s400/IMG_2598.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbRC8ItPx6jq3MmY8r1d-CY421f6hAsZMcZS6R7Th_57xWkxNBcZURoV1RDKo9gu7kUXo44ZSp7urIsTvdhXVbbRoQ_PNHg7qiJ9zQSpGtzPK9ozV7NLgbyXv4fCIRP33GksRwBiEHVmn/s1600/IMG_6698.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="320" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbRC8ItPx6jq3MmY8r1d-CY421f6hAsZMcZS6R7Th_57xWkxNBcZURoV1RDKo9gu7kUXo44ZSp7urIsTvdhXVbbRoQ_PNHg7qiJ9zQSpGtzPK9ozV7NLgbyXv4fCIRP33GksRwBiEHVmn/s400/IMG_6698.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BSddBdOpg_v30iKtEr6mMH3LIsmptXVdMGArSXwjVxr_f18DnY5qNAAuQDntBKgJkww3-AyQcYkHxQgexs8pjcYQItAedLxuZc85C7xR9x7Npmd65FlBeM8p92It9t3TY-bhRrWXsFKv/s1600/IMG_6699.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="320" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BSddBdOpg_v30iKtEr6mMH3LIsmptXVdMGArSXwjVxr_f18DnY5qNAAuQDntBKgJkww3-AyQcYkHxQgexs8pjcYQItAedLxuZc85C7xR9x7Npmd65FlBeM8p92It9t3TY-bhRrWXsFKv/s400/IMG_6699.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-20295146740787629552020-07-19T13:55:00.000-04:002020-07-19T15:37:33.869-04:00In Memory Of...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In Memory Of Those We Have Lost</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since We Last Gathered</span></div>
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Every year at 2PM, after we have stuffed ourselves from shared tables packed with everyone's best, we take a moment to remember those who are not among us. Those family members we have lost over the past year. This year, as he has for many years, Reverend Cousin Herk offers a prayer and blessing for those lost.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Memorial Prayer by Herk McGraw</span></div>
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Our most gracious heavenly Father,</div>
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we appreciate and thank you for all that</div>
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you have given us.</div>
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Today we especially thank you for those</div>
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who have died this year. They were</div>
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precious to us. Let us pause a minute</div>
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to remember them...................................</div>
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We are thankful for this reunion and those</div>
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who keep it going. It is a fun and</div>
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satisfying time to remember our ancestors.</div>
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We ask that you be with those around the</div>
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Nation who cannot be apart of this celebration.</div>
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Hold them close to your heart, oh Lord.</div>
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All this we thank you for, in the name of your</div>
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son Jesus Christ. Amen.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Benny McGraw</span></b></div>
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<i>August 26, 1942 – April 10, 2020</i></div>
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Benny was the son of the late Walter and Opal (Spence) McGraw. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kaye (Lambert) McGraw, his parents as well as his sister, Sharon (McGraw) Brown. He is survived by his children Sherri L McGraw, Michelle R. McGraw and Amber McGraw-Bolick, grandchildren Whitney Herman and Johnathan Walter Self as well as 7 great-grandchildren, Taylor I. McKinney, Jacob A. Bolick, Damien N. Bolick, Michael J Bolick. Alana M Herman, Parker Herman and Braiden Herman. He also survived by his brother Larry McGraw and three step-daughters from Kaye: Angela Cook, Crystal Griffith and Kelly Wray.</div>
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You may leave condolences for the family by clicking here:</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/beckley-wv/benny-mcgraw-9124642">https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/beckley-wv/benny-mcgraw-9124642</a></b></div>
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Photos Courtesy of Sherri McGraw</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Dakota Michael Richardson</span></b></div>
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<i>May 20, 1992 ~ June 30, 2020</i></div>
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A native of Beckley, WV, Mr. Dakota Michael Richardson was the son of Jesse Nelson Richardson, and Michelle Lea Sneed. He was a fun loving, kind hearted soul that loved to game. He took his work passion for diesel Mechanics after his Pops, Frankie Funderburk. He was a best friend and hero to his sisters. He loved his Mother and spending time with his family and friends. His greatest hero was his Paw Paw. </div>
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Surviving are his wife, Chloe Richardson of Charlotte, NC, his sisters; Makala Richardson of Kermit, WV, Jessica Richardson of Belmont, NC and Erica Funderburk of Elizabethville, PA, and his brother; Dalton Funderburk of Rock Hill, SC. Also surviving are his Maternal Grandmother; Alma (Brown) Sneed of McGraws, WV and Paternal Grandparents; Betty and Steve Richardson of Glen Rogers, WV. He is preceded in death by his Paw Paw, James Sneed. </div>
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Condolences may be left for the family at: <a href="http://www.whitesellfuneralhome.net/">www.whitesellfuneralhome.net</a></div>
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And while not a descendant, we would like to take a moment to honor:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Dan McGrath</span></b></div>
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<i>1962-2019</i></div>
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Dan was the Chief of the Thomond Sept of the McGrath Clan in Ireland. Through DNA research done by the US McCraw Family Association we know that through our first known American ancestor William MacCraw we descended from the Clan McGrath through genetic links as far back as the 1200's. Last year, the Clan McGrath hosted an International Clan Gathering in Dungarvan, Ireland. The descendants of John & Mahala were well represented at what would be the largest clan gathering in all of Ireland in 2019. He was a gracious and welcoming host, a friend to all, a visionary leader and will be greatly missed by all the members of the Clan across the world.</div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0McGraws, WV 25913, USA37.6709463 -81.463159812.148911799999997 -122.7717538 63.1929808 -40.1545658tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-47182790617492411642020-07-19T13:40:00.000-04:002020-07-19T13:40:00.155-04:00Recipes From the Past - Answers Revealed!<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">Recipes From the Past</b><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Answers taken from the McGraw Reunion 60th Anniversary Cookbook</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lemon Fluff Jello Salad</b></span></div>
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1 3/4 Cup Evaporated Milk</div>
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1 4 or 6 oz Lemon Jello</div>
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1/4 Cup Lemon Juice</div>
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1 Cup Sugar</div>
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1 3/4 Cup Hot Water</div>
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2 ½ Cup Vanilla Wafer Crumbs</div>
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Chill unopened can of evaporated milk until icy cold, 3-4 hours. Dissolve gelatin in hot water and chill until partially set and then whip until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and sugar. Mix in whip chilled milk until light and fold into gelatin mixture.</div>
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Line bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan with vanilla wafer crumbs. Pour mixture over crumbs. Chill until firm. Cut into squares or leave in pan to serve. Serves 12.</div>
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– Letty McGraw</div>
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(from Peggy Weishaar)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Best Gingerbread - (Mama's Recipe)</span></b><br />
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Cream together:<br />
½ cup Shortening<br />
½ cup Sugar<br />
1 Egg<br />
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Mix together:<br />
2 ½ cups Flour<br />
1 tsp Salt<br />
1 tsp Ginger<br />
1 tsp Cinnamon<br />
½ tsp Cloves<br />
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Mix 1 ½ teaspoons soda in 1 cup hot water and 1 cup molasses. Mix alternately flour mixture and liquid. Bake at 350 degrees until tests done.<br />
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– Grandma Mary McGraw<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Angel Biscuits</span></b><br />
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5 cups Flour<br />
1 tsp. Soda<br />
3 tsps. Baking Powder<br />
3/4 cup shortening or margarine<br />
1 Package Yeast<br />
2 Cups Buttermilk<br />
½ cup Warm Water<br />
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Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Cut in shortening. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix with milk and into dry ingredients. Cover and let rise until doubled. <br />
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Roll out on floured board ½ to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut biscuits and place on greased baking sheet. Let rise until almost double. Bake at 400 degrees about 12 minutes.<br />
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– Buena McGraw Cook<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fried Tomatoes</b></span><br />
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Drippings from breakfast bacon<br />
3 half ripe tomatoes<br />
Mix Together: 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup meal<br />
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Slice tomatoes about 3/8 inch thick and roll in flour mixture. Drop into hot bacon drippings and brown on one side, turn and brown on other side. Place on hot platter and serve while hot.<br />
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While the ingredients listed in the recipes are pretty accurate, the quantities would certainly vary depending on how many people are being served.<br />
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My mother and Aunt Mary never bothered to measure ingredients for anything, they just put in a pinch of this or a shake of that until it tasted right to them and the finished product was always good.<br />
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– Martha and Holroyd Brooks<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Stuffed Peppers</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mama's Recipe (Mary McGraw)</span></b><br />
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2 cups Ham, chopped or 6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled<br />
6 Peppers, steamed<br />
2 medium Onions<br />
4 Medium Tomatoes or Tomato Juice<br />
6 Medium ears of corn, cut off, whole<br />
½ tsp. Dried Basil or 2 tops fresh Basil<br />
2 Tbsps. Sugar<br />
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Saute onions in 1 tbsp oil, add tomatoes and cook down. Add corn and remaining ingredients. Fill peppers and back at 375 degrees until peppers are tender.<br />
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– Fern Harris<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Corn Pudding</span></b><br />
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1 can Corn<br />
2 Eggs, slightly beaten<br />
1 tsp. Salt, dash of Pepper<br />
1 cup Milk<br />
½ cup or small Onion, chopped<br />
1 Tbsp Sugar<br />
2 Tbsps flour<br />
1 Tbsp melted Butter<br />
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Combine ingredients, pour into greased 1 1.2 quart casserole. Set in shallow pan; Add about ½ water to prevent scorching. <br />
Bake at 350 degrees to 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.<br />
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– Julia Z McGraw (Mrs. Darrell McGraw )<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mac's Fudge</span></b><br />
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1. 9 X 13 Pan<br />
2. 6 Qt Heavy Pot<br />
3. 5 Cups Sugar<br />
4. 3 TBS Flour<br />
5. 4 TBS Cocoa<br />
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Blend above ingredients well<br />
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6. 1 can condensed milk<br />
7. 13 oz evaporated milk<br />
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Bring to a low boil constantly stirring for 7 minutes<br />
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8. Add: 1 stick of butter-allow to melt and a splash of vanilla<br />
9. Add: 16 oz Marshmallows<br />
10. Add: 2 18 oz jars of Peanut Butter(we use regular Jiff, not crunchy)<br />
11: Stirring constantly and pour into 9 X 13" pan (we spray the pan and add wax paper)<br />
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– Gerald McGraw<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Snake Eye Candy</span></b><br />
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2 lbs. Confectioner's Sugar<br />
1 Stick Oleo<br />
1 tsp. Vanilla<br />
1/4 cup Evaporated Milk<br />
Peanut Butter<br />
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Mix by hand sugar and oleo. Then add vanilla and milk (a small amount at a time) and mix. When it feels right (not too soft), put on a large piece of wax paper sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll out with rolling pin. Spread peanut butter all over and then by corner roll into a large roll. Cut slantwise and wrap each slice in saran wrap.<br />
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– Rita and Horace McGraw<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Apple Cake</b></span><br />
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1 1/4 Cups of Flour<br />
Pinch of Salt<br />
2 Tsp. Sugar<br />
1 Tsp. Baking Powder<br />
½ Cup Butter (1 Stick)<br />
1 Egg<br />
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Combine above and beat in 2 Tbsp of milk. Put dough in bottom of 8 x 8 pan. Place sliced apples on top of dough.<br />
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Combine and sprinkle the following on top:<br />
3/4 Cup Sugar<br />
2 level Tbsp. Flour<br />
2 Tbsp. Butter<br />
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Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.<br />
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– Lois Wittemann McGraw<br />
(Mrs. Jack McGraw)<br />
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Mary's Stack Cake<br />
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1 cup Sugar<br />
2 Eggs<br />
1 cup Margarine<br />
2 tsps Baking Powder<br />
1 tsp each: Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg<br />
1 cup Molasses<br />
½ cup Buttermilk<br />
1 tsp Soda<br />
Applesauce<br />
about 5 cups plain flour; enough to make stiff dough<br />
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Sift together all dry ingredients. Cream sugar, molasses and margarine. Add beaten eggs. Add alternately flour and milk. Chill for atleast an hour.. Roll to bout 1/4 inch thick and cut out with serrated pie pan or plate. Bake on cookie sheets at 350 degrees until barely brown. Cool and stack with spiced (Cinnamon and Ginger) Applesauce. Let set several hours before serving. <br />
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– Mary McGrawThe McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-54985265222495389542020-07-19T13:25:00.000-04:002020-07-19T13:25:01.315-04:00McGraw Brothers by Jorea Marple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmaagHoYlinTR1s2KbcMexacIeabD0P5ARJEOAInlScluH9jrB26FufIvl1Je7IpaIK_Uf2j3vtLZBGU1GvGKrgrrv1Z7K9Fvvd-9rOPgeOYRE_Iv2hVxF6IX02tKDd_D4XlGaI40wpPr/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1155" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmaagHoYlinTR1s2KbcMexacIeabD0P5ARJEOAInlScluH9jrB26FufIvl1Je7IpaIK_Uf2j3vtLZBGU1GvGKrgrrv1Z7K9Fvvd-9rOPgeOYRE_Iv2hVxF6IX02tKDd_D4XlGaI40wpPr/s320/13.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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This spring a new book was released detailing the lives of two of our own. Darrell V. McGraw, Jr., and Warren McGraw. Written by Darrell V's wife Jorea Marple, an educator who has lived most of her life on the public stage as well. The book starts with their raising in McGraws and follows them as they enter the political scene in West Virginia and become rising stars and then eventually part of the establishment in the Judicial, Legislative and Executive branches of state government.</div>
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Jorea has graciously allowed us to share a portion of this book with you here today. It was released this spring and a big promotional tour had been planned to get the word out, but like with our reunion, the Covid-19 outbreak was an unforeseen detour. While this kickoff was delayed, you can still get a copy if you wish to do so. It is on sale at select bookstores in the Charleston area and you can also get a copy from Amazon by clicking the following link:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/McGraw-Brothers-One-Blood-People/dp/057862916X/"><b>https://www.amazon.com/McGraw-Brothers-One-Blood-People/dp/057862916X/</b></a></div>
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After the excerpt, we have a little more about the family as well as a couple of stories that were shared with us for the Virtual Reunion.<br />
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<b>Thank You, Jorea!</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reproduced by permission from Jorea Marple, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">McGraw Brothers: Of One Blood Are All People (Jorea Marple, 2020), 244-246.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright Jorea Marple, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The "McGraw Brothers" Family</b></span></div>
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While the book focuses on Warren and Darrell's careers, there are in fact 4 McGraw brothers who were born to Darrell V. McGraw, Sr., and Julia (Zekany) McGraw. Tim and Mark round out the quartet. Darrell V, Sr., is the son of William Hereford "Fud" McGraw, who was the son of William Harrison "Pole" and Pauline (McGinnis) McGraw. "Pole" was the son of John & Mahala.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXo2XxL8meKYxc8R2l_JZHJIQkk4rbTiAUuzgnNBIiFLxw7u2mC8UQkksLuzneXraMQJK48K5S5KTtj4kEQ5FEyTTgYlq-QvG8tKzJN5xX5IKzWbYIxi0DxjujGuZggONHDyE-Ajgourd/s1600/3+McGraw+Brothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1039" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXo2XxL8meKYxc8R2l_JZHJIQkk4rbTiAUuzgnNBIiFLxw7u2mC8UQkksLuzneXraMQJK48K5S5KTtj4kEQ5FEyTTgYlq-QvG8tKzJN5xX5IKzWbYIxi0DxjujGuZggONHDyE-Ajgourd/s400/3+McGraw+Brothers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 of the McGraw Brothers (L-R: Tim, Darrell, Warren) at our 2015 Reunion.</td></tr>
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In the 1970's Julia worked with Darrell to produce the first of our family histories. Compiling family lore with research from other family members like Dwight and Herbert McGraw (from the H.G. "Dad" line) the ubiquitous multi-colored covered booklets were distributed for years. </div>
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We had 2 different people submit memories about the family. The first is from Patty Byars:</div>
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"My best memories of the McGraw family are when Darrell, Sr., and his wife Julia were at Sabine Grade School. Darrell was the principal and Julia was my 2nd grade teacher.</div>
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One day a friend of mine was swinging on the restroom bars, that went across the the top of the dividers that separated the stalls. She went so high her knee broke the back of the commode. Of course, everyone ran out of the restroom. When I wouldn't tell on the person that broke the commode, Julia gave all the girls 2 slaps with a paddle. I got to talk to Julia one day in the nineties and she still remembered that day.</div>
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Julia also sent me a copy of the booklet that has the family history in it. It's a green booklet. I was in West Virginia last year and attended the McGraw Reunion. I'll look forward to seeing it on my computer Sunday."</div>
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Our second story comes from Herk McGraw, who is first cousin to the McGraw Brothers:</div>
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Following our move to St. Albans, about 14 miles west of Charleston, I would spend most of the summers, between '43 and '49, with Grandma and Grandpa McGraw. Darrell V., Warren, and I had many days of “frolic” and “devilment.” (snicker, snicker) On this day Darrell V., Warren and I were in a big discussion as to whether chickens could really fly - other than jumping off the ground a foot or two and gliding a few yards.</div>
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Wellll, this called for an experiment. Sooo, we ran to the chicken yard, grabbed a couple of hens, and headed across the creek and up the hill on the other side of the road to Uncle Pate's house. When we reached the spot as far as we dared go we pitched the two hens in the air. Instead of flying they just glided to the ground with a big thump. We never knew if those hens ever laid eggs again. Luckily neither Grandpa nor Grandma saw it or if they did they ignored it. I'm figuring they didn't see it. We never knew if those hens laid eggs again.</div>
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That's my story and I am sticking to it.</div>
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Herk McGraw</div>
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<b><i>LAST MINUTE ADDITION:</i></b></div>
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We found a pic of all 4 brothers that was shared a few years ago by Portia (McGraw) Mullins, daughter of Mark McGraw. This picture was taken in 1999 at their mother Julia's 85th Birthday Party.</div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Julia died on February 11, 2004, at the age of 90.</span></div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-65781044560198414462020-07-19T13:10:00.000-04:002020-07-19T13:10:00.452-04:00Game Time!! Recipes From the Past<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Recipes From the Past</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Can you match the recipe to the cook?</b></span></div>
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Since the 1 o'clock hour is traditionally meal-time, we have a quiz for you. Can you match the dish to the person who brought it?<br />
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Try your hand at these and in a half hour we will post the answers AND share the recipes so you can try these at home!<br />
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<b>Mac’s Fudge<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Letty McGraw</b><br />
<b>Apple Cake<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Grandma Mary McGraw</b><br />
<b>Angel Biscuits<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Gerald McGraw</b><br />
<b>Corn Pudding<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rita McGraw</b><br />
<b>My Best Gingerbread<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Julia McGraw</b><br />
<b>Stuffed Peppers<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Buena Cook</b><br />
<b>Snake Eye Candy<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Grandma Mary McGraw</b><br />
<b>Mary’s Stack Cake<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Martha and Holroyd Brooks</b><br />
<b>Fried Tomatoes<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fern McGraw</b><br />
<b>Lemon Fluffy Jello<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lois McGraw</b>The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-11936129154261981192020-07-19T12:55:00.000-04:002020-07-19T12:55:00.211-04:00From Then 'til Now by Patty McGraw<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">From Then ‘til Now</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span> attended my first McGraw Reunion in July, 1969, at the John McGraw Grade School gym, a month before I married Mike McGraw. </div>
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Mike told me about his family and their reunion, but until I had attended I had no clue what I was in for. </div>
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You see, I suddenly realized I was in trouble. I had never seen so much food in all of my life. I was about to marry a man whose family were all good cooks and I, as the old saying went, couldn’t boil water!</div>
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So began my experience of learning to cook. I watched and learned from my dear Mother-In-Law, Lois McGraw.<br />
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I remember watching her cook for the reunion. She would start cooking the Saturday before the reunion. She made Shake ‘N Bake chicken, macaroni salad, and baked beans. Lois liked baking and would make the best desserts. Her homemade chocolate pies, lemon pie, cherry delight and apple cake desserts were delicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjxG9iFzkjtks3izYKqxfo4Aop5s-_YPe0OoPojnwlb33fx8lwl7oiZyV_BfCg5lIaFO6ZvdWF8wy-7PpmiDVjB18yiLbcJ0mZ0Tvq7JMbRSFbJyf22YD17RZwCUCymCJ_v_3rvn8wIgE/s1600/664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="780" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjxG9iFzkjtks3izYKqxfo4Aop5s-_YPe0OoPojnwlb33fx8lwl7oiZyV_BfCg5lIaFO6ZvdWF8wy-7PpmiDVjB18yiLbcJ0mZ0Tvq7JMbRSFbJyf22YD17RZwCUCymCJ_v_3rvn8wIgE/s320/664.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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From Lois, I learned to make Mike’s favorite dishes. Before she passed, she would call me and say come up and help me cook whatever she was cooking. She would say, “You need to learn how to make this.” I can truthfully say I have very fond memories of my Mother-In-Law.</div>
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During the 1970's, I watched as Mike’s Aunts prepared for the McGraw reunion. His Aunt Galena and Aunt Wilda would start baking cakes and pies early in the week for the reunion. </div>
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At that time, Galena still had the store and Post Office in McGraws and was working. Wilda would walk out to her store daily to see how many cakes or pies Galena had made. If Galena said ten, Wilda would go home and make eleven so she could say she had made more. Thing was, sometimes Galena would tell Wilda she had more than she really had - that’s sisterly love and competition for you!</div>
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It would take several men and boys to help carry in the food Galena and Wilda had prepared for the reunion.</div>
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Mike’s Mom, Lois McGraw, his Aunts: Galena McGraw Kerns, Wilda McGraw Shumate, Naomi McGraw Sadler, and Rita Riley McGraw were all good cooks. Their food was homemade from scratch and prepared with love. I learned from the best and I did learn to cook!</div>
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Fast forward to July 19, 2020, fifty-two years since I attended my first reunion. Instead of serving our usual reunion food, we will be sharing a virtual meal. This will definitely be a first for everyone. My Brother has attended our reunion twenty-plus years. His comment about the virtual reunion was “We (he) couldn’t eat the food.” Sorry, Steve! </div>
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After this Covid-19 event, I would hope and pray that next year, the good Lord willing, we will once again meet the third Sunday of July, for the 68th McGraw Reunion. I hope to see you in person in 2021.</div>
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Sincerely,<br />
Patty McGraw<br />
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P.S. I will be cooking!<br />
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com2McGraws, WV 25875, USA37.6712669 -81.46480799999999112.149232399999999 -122.77340199999999 63.193301399999996 -40.156213999999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-84805224524775794242020-07-19T12:45:00.001-04:002020-07-19T12:45:04.040-04:00Rawmeat and Bloody Bones by Herk McGraw<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">“RAWMEAT AND BLOODY BONES”</span></b></div>
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Quite frequently when I was a little “bud” I would spend the week-end with my grandparents and sleep with uncles Paul and Leon. Before we would go to sleep they would usually tell me the story of “Rawmeat and Bloodybones”for their benefit.</div>
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Rawmeat and Bloodybones was a man that had been riding illegally on a coal train car and fallen off at full speed. Now, he chased little boys. They would hear him coming across the corn field, on the porch, coming up the steps, and into the bedroom. Then they would grab me and say, “gotcha!” It scared the bejebbers out of me.</div>
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Sundays were spent at my grandparents for dinner after church. We did not have a car so we walked the mile or so to grandma and grandpa's. On this day in the summer we were walking home after the big day. The moon was full and it was a clear night. Mom and Dad were carrying my sisters (twins) who were still in diapers. I would run ahead of them until I got too far and Dad would say, “Wait on us.” I was running ahead as we were passing the little church. There was a slight curve to the right past church with trees on both sides of the road making a tunnel.</div>
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As I got to the the entry of that stretch of the road the moon showed through the moving leaves and I could see ole Rawmeat and Bloodybones. Dad didn't have to call me back because I stopped dead and ran back to him. He dropped his hand and and I grabbed hold his finger. I walked through that tunnel</div>
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knowing old “Rawbones” could not get me.</div>
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It was like holding on to the Lord's finger and “walking through the valley of death with no fear.”</div>
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That's my story and I'm sticking to it.<br />
Herk McGraw<br />
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(Administrator) It's a good thing nobody told Herk about the Polk Gap Monster!<br />
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"Polk Gap/ Polk Hollar Monster”<br />
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A bigfoot like creature usually referred to as the "Polk Holler or Polk Gap Monster" has been reportedly seen in Wyoming County near Maben, and Glen Rogers. It has also been reported to roam the area of Twin Falls and Saulsville. Witnesses claim they have seen a large bipedal animal of great size with a broad back and long arms and legs.<br />
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One witness said “I couldn’t put an exact size on it but it was a lot larger than any man”.<br />
<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-21686275945380361752020-07-19T12:35:00.000-04:002020-07-19T12:35:04.591-04:00New Shoes for Easter! by Steve McGraw<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">New Shoes for Easter!</span></b></div>
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<b>by Steve McGraw</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">L</span>ooking back some sixty years, I now realize that growing up in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia in the 1950’s and 60’s could have resembled those scenes of American families as depicted in classic Norman Rockwell paintings unless, like us, you had very little money. So, to be completely honest, our lives were more like those we saw in the old “Little Rascals” TV shows where most people – and especially the kids – were poor and always trying to figure out how to make the most out of whatever was available.</div>
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One year, the consequences of our frugal lifestyle came into play beginning with the important event of attending the annual Easter service at Connelly Memorial Baptist Church. My older brother, Tony and I really got dressed up, struggling with stiff, button-up shirts whose tight collars seemed too small for clip-on ties, and included wearing shiny black lace-up shoes on that special day. Unfortunately, I had experienced a typical pre-teen growth spurt and discovered that I had outgrown the previous year’s Easter shoes at the worst possible time; Easter Sunday morning.</div>
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Fortunately, there was a Pic-Way Shoe Mart on our way to church and it was open on Easter Sunday mornings – a rare and amazing coincidence! So, frantically, my father, mother, brother and I all piled into our ’57 Chevy, zoomed down Norwich Hill, flew across the little bridge over the Roanoke River, beeped the car’s horn repeatedly as we navigated through the Shaffer’s Crossing railroad tunnels, and finally skidded into the Pic-Way parking lot as all four doors on our car popped open simultaneously. Wearing only thin socks on my too-big feet, I dashed into the store with my family and, with help from my parents, quickly found some shoes that fit our price range, shoved them onto my cold feet using a silver shoehorn while my father handed over the cash to the clerk, ran back out to our car and barely made it to the church on time...but I looked quite spiffy in my brand new shiny black lace-up shoes.</div>
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Proud of my shoes and very happy with all the compliments that I received on them from family members and friends, I decided to wear them to church each Sunday after Easter. That worked fine for the first couple of weeks, but one Sunday it was raining really hard, and I wore my new shoes from our house to our car, from the car to the church, from the church back to the car, into my cousins’ and grandparents’ homes and back out to our car, and finally from our car back into our house.</div>
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So, when I got home after having done a lot of walking and running in the rain – and maybe a little mud puddle stomping and splashing as well – in my new shoes, I carefully took them off and placed them on newspaper to dry next to our house’s open gas floor furnace grate and turned up the heat. A few hours later, I was horrified to discover that the shoes’ thin soles had separated into multiple layers of what looked like disintegrating paper, and the bottoms had also separated from their formerly shiny tops.</div>
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My shiny new black lace-up Easter shoes were now ruined and unwearable, but what did I expect for $2.00?!</div>
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Remembering simpler times. May your new clothes, your new shoes - and especially your fond old memories of days past along with thoughts of better times to come - last you a lifetime!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsfeN1AxNLouH7MFNPkjwf-mkbK8eg_L6vS4hFxKeX73BfhTM-gSqsMVU_1vXjOk8mymAOH-SWD6DWhWhGCq1_YUP6vgeKy7E9xXwZ5q4cZB_ARF-3aMln6LEjQqZ8cnJ3grDdkFHXeoH/s1600/Steve+Lynne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsfeN1AxNLouH7MFNPkjwf-mkbK8eg_L6vS4hFxKeX73BfhTM-gSqsMVU_1vXjOk8mymAOH-SWD6DWhWhGCq1_YUP6vgeKy7E9xXwZ5q4cZB_ARF-3aMln6LEjQqZ8cnJ3grDdkFHXeoH/s400/Steve+Lynne.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve with Lynne (McGraw) Goroncy from our 2015 Reunion.<br />Steve won the Visions of West Virginia quilt that Lynne hand crafted as our door prize!</td></tr>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0Roanoke, VA, USA37.2709704 -79.941426637.068804400000005 -80.2641501 37.4731364 -79.6187031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-55323244112595322312020-07-19T12:25:00.000-04:002020-07-19T12:25:01.116-04:00My McGraw Reunion Story by Marla McGraw<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">MY MCGRAW REUNION STORY</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I</span></b> remember well the first time, my future husband Scott, brought me to visit his family and home in Southern West Virginia. It was Spring time and the cherry trees were blooming at the West Virginia State Capital. We stopped and walked under the falling cherry blossoms hand in hand. It was pure magic. As we drove further South, we entered the steep green mountains their sides covered in stunning rhododendron blooms with their sweet perfume. Somehow, he must have arranged it all so that I would fall in love with the beautiful place that he came from. I met his family, his parents Mike and Patty, his two brothers Brian and Jeremy, and his aunts and uncles. They were all so warm and welcoming. It was very easy to become a part of their family. </div>
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As the years passed, I came to find that Mike and Patty were never so happy as when their house was full with their 3 sons and their families. Especially when it was the McGraw Reunion Weekend. Patty would be cooking all week to prepare wonderful food for everyone to enjoy. The fridge and stove top so full that you could not possibly fit anything more. She makes the most delicious food! All of the last minute details being hurriedly sorted out: picking up the ice, opening up the college, setting up all of the tables, loading two cars full of food to take over, photo albums, sign in sheets, door prizes and flowers for the entry tables so that they were ready when the family members began to arrive. </div>
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Mike loved the reunion. I think he loved it so much, because his father Jack, loved it so much before him and Mike loved his family more than anything. He loved seeing his kids and their families, the cousins, aunts, uncles, and the family he had never met before. It made him happiest when there were young people at the reunion. He enjoyed everyone reminiscing and catching up with each other. He wanted the McGraw reunion to live forever, for the family to have a place to gather and remember all those that came before them. </div>
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It is hard, but Mike has passed on now. I am so lucky that he was my father in law. He was so generous and kind and never wanted to be in the spotlight or be recognized for all that he gave. He had a gruff exterior but was really a teddy bear inside. I miss him a lot, but I think I miss him most at the reunion. I miss his booming voice getting everyone’s attention for the blessing of the food and as he guided the family through the other activities of the day. Patty still works tirelessly on the reunion and now my husband, Scott, has taken over the reins and guides us through the activities of the day. I know Mike would be so proud of Scott and so happy that the reunion still lives on. Mike loved to hear about all of the family history Scott had been researching and bringing back to life so that the future generations will know about John and Mahala and the lives that they lived. </div>
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Unfortunately, this year we are unable to all gather together, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but we can still set aside time to celebrate the McGraw Reunion and our family. On this McGraw Reunion Day, please take some time with your family and share your memories. Remember the past reunions and all those that came before you. Pick up the phone and talk to a family member you haven’t seen lately. We need each other to help get through this difficult time. Visit the McGraw Reunion Facebook page and leave memories for other family members to read. Share your history and your lives with each other. It is a very special gift. Please take time today to count your blessings and recognize what a wonderful family the McGraw family is. I know I am so blessed to be a McGraw, with such a wonderful husband and family. I hope this post finds you all healthy and well and I look forward to seeing you at the McGraw Reunion next year.</div>
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Take care,<br />
Marla McGraw <br />
07/12/2020 <br />
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-48104936049775880682020-07-19T12:15:00.000-04:002020-07-19T12:15:00.738-04:00My Friend Marvin C. "Jack" McGraw by Herk McGraw<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>MY FRIEND MARVIN C. “JACK” McGRAW</b></span></div>
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As well as I remember Jack was a short heavy set fellow. At least he was shorter than my dad. I guess I liked him because he was short like me. He was always laughing or smiling when I was around him. He seemed like a fun guy. He was a favorite around our house.</div>
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Mom bought me a army uniform when I was 6 or 7 years old. I was proud as punch and wore it all the time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Jack" in Milwaukee, WI, with his future wife Lois Wittemann.</td></tr>
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Jack had joined Uncle Sam's Army and was home on leave. Whenever I saw him I would always salute and he would salute back. On this day, I was in my uniform in the front yard when I saw him coming down that old dirt road toward Ravencliff. We lived on the left side of the road and he had his left hand on the steering wheel. I jumped to attention with a salute. He had a great big smile and tried to salute me with his right hand and he couldn't get it where it should be with his head toward me so he saluted with his left hand. After he went back to camp I wrote him a letter, with Mom's help, and he answered it.</div>
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We had moved before he returned home and I never saw him again. But I will never forget the short little guy who saluted me. He was my friend.</div>
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That's my story and I am sticking to it.<br />
Herk McGraw<br />
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(Administrator: Herk remembers Jack as a short fellow. The below picture was shared by "Mack" McGraw's son Gerald (Jerry). It was taken by his mother Rose and while we don't have a date we think it was taken in the 1950’s. Without looking at the list of people under the picture, can you guess which one in the picture is Jack?)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QmT5qlLnZhREqsLK5cAg-gU-e4iIWrwqbZnC8AItjfUBRPLqb2sEfm8zYqMLPmD12MPZKfTln_yptK3kTU1MrGCuvI4jwdfXgmciCa0940ZINzt18XaTl_X46u431nnDH5gZaw8db8m_/s1600/Image+%252832%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1600" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QmT5qlLnZhREqsLK5cAg-gU-e4iIWrwqbZnC8AItjfUBRPLqb2sEfm8zYqMLPmD12MPZKfTln_yptK3kTU1MrGCuvI4jwdfXgmciCa0940ZINzt18XaTl_X46u431nnDH5gZaw8db8m_/s640/Image+%252832%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Horace McGraw, G.C. "Jake" McGraw, Earl McGraw, Huey McGraw, Robert C. Byrd, Dennis Mack McGraw, Jack McGraw, Woodrow McGraw, and unknown.</td></tr>
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An Article from the Raleigh Register about Jack's wartime exploits...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack admiring the hole shot out in the rudder above the windows where he sat.</td></tr>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-69580177691782698842020-07-19T12:05:00.000-04:002020-07-19T12:05:02.437-04:00Photographs from David McGraw & his sister Lynne (McGraw) Goroncy<div style="text-align: justify;">
David and Lynne have very interesting connections to John & Mahala in their family tree. They are the children of the late Carl & Elizabeth (Yardas) McGraw.</div>
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Carl was a 'double' grandson of John & Mahala. Carl's father was Luther McGraw, son of H.G. 'Dad' McGraw. David says: "My GrandFather Luther Carl McGraw (SR) was killed when my Dad was very young. Fortunately, "Dad" McGraw took in my Father and Grandmother Pauline Nichols McGraw. Perry "Earl" McGraw married Pauline and raised my Father."</div>
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Earl was a son of Okey "Oak" McGraw, and THAT is how he became a 'double' grandson!</div>
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A few years ago Lynne, sent us a short article from the Wallowa Oregon newspaper about her Dad, Luther Carl McGraw. It's from 1944 or '45 when he was in the Army Air Corp. This article talks about the McGinnis' family. Not only did John & Mahala's son Lewis (Bum) settle in the Enterprise/Wallowa area, but H.G. (Dad's) wife Pearl was a McGinnis and her brother Benjamin Harrison McGinnis moved there as well.</div>
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Carl ended up moving to Pennsylvania after the war and getting married.</div>
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Earl was a teacher among other things and Lynne shared some pics of him teaching in Mullens.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm96DzQWL87tjw17iAi40axzik9drNb4PYnR2ziYJ2hgSqSMSxuGhSf2rSuEuqizwoDL72HnWZZVwNCE7yyUarWAF-CW7_X0bIL3EG7uIVSJQDJKsYINRJ4anF4952Mzp6puMSawx9W-h/s1600/Perry+Earl+McGraw+teaching+in+Mullens+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="847" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm96DzQWL87tjw17iAi40axzik9drNb4PYnR2ziYJ2hgSqSMSxuGhSf2rSuEuqizwoDL72HnWZZVwNCE7yyUarWAF-CW7_X0bIL3EG7uIVSJQDJKsYINRJ4anF4952Mzp6puMSawx9W-h/s640/Perry+Earl+McGraw+teaching+in+Mullens+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHObu07PbKnN6uOofjJf0s-bou7Db5SqvKk5cTX_e9tHTa1iLZuCXn8Uk3ghs8ClYRrfWsSHG9BeR56HLL5cwXZVrW8dzpffERV0vAubrFYZrFu_n8MADiT7YwJgkvUy8CYqX1G2_PB05/s1600/Perry+Earl+McGraw+teaching+in+Mullens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="1600" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHObu07PbKnN6uOofjJf0s-bou7Db5SqvKk5cTX_e9tHTa1iLZuCXn8Uk3ghs8ClYRrfWsSHG9BeR56HLL5cwXZVrW8dzpffERV0vAubrFYZrFu_n8MADiT7YwJgkvUy8CYqX1G2_PB05/s640/Perry+Earl+McGraw+teaching+in+Mullens.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a shot Lynne shared of Earl and Carl at Earl's house on Church Street in Mullens. David remembers Earl as "a loving person , with whom I enjoyed fishing, doing woodwork, and visiting family and friends. Earl was my GRANDFATHER..."</div>
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David sent a few current snapshots of his family to share. "Bonnie and I are blessed to have 2 sons, 2 daughters in law and 4 grandchildren. My Sons are Perry David McGraw and Chad Earl McGraw. We did not have to travel far to pick out these names for our sons."</div>
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Perry is standing behind his Mom and Chad is standing behind me.</div>
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Left to right:</div>
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Seated = Lauren McGraw, David McGraw, Bonnie McGraw, Natalie McGraw, and Beth McGraw</div>
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Standing = Elizabeth McGraw, Rebecca McGraw, Andrew McGraw, Perry McGraw, and Chad McGraw</div>
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David says in closing: "As a child, I have many wonderful memories of time spent in McGraws. I was blessed to have close ties with family members from both clans of Luther and Earl."</div>
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Regards and stay safe,</div>
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David Earl McGraw</div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-69031591749125740012020-07-19T11:55:00.000-04:002020-07-19T11:55:03.502-04:00The Day Milam High School Burned - Herk McGraw<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><u>THE DAY MILAM HIGH SCHOOL HOUSE BURNED</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OgYmKNKoIlW13tYpUzKJXZQRsRTMPZSzuhWwDltG_jZ53mWSWfRJZVG3ky4cBRmZ_ZZWXOlrOMG4E1AKe8eUO1cW35L2Vg108emyE7zU78zN0mLTew1AWTds8cDGQ467sUmiBsYwtIF_/s1600/Milam+High.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="447" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OgYmKNKoIlW13tYpUzKJXZQRsRTMPZSzuhWwDltG_jZ53mWSWfRJZVG3ky4cBRmZ_ZZWXOlrOMG4E1AKe8eUO1cW35L2Vg108emyE7zU78zN0mLTew1AWTds8cDGQ467sUmiBsYwtIF_/s400/Milam+High.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><u>The Milam High School Class of 1923</u></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">S</span><span style="text-align: justify;">chool was out, "teachers let the monkeys out," the gang sang as we took off for home. It was the last day of school in 1943. I had just finished the 3rd grade and we were moving the next day.</span><br />
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My grandmother Dean, Aunt Phyllis, and Uncle Conley had come to help Mom pack to move. We lived about a quarter mile down the creek from the school on a little plot where the bridge crosses the creek to the water plant now.</div>
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Mom kicked Conley and me out of the house so they could get the packing done. We were on the hillside across the creek between the creek and railroad looking at something when we looked up and saw black smoke rising from the direction of the school. We ran home to tell Mom. She said it was probably Uncle Oak's chicken house. Naturally we had to go see and Mom said OK. We took off up the road. When we hit the turn at Ed Kerns' store, post office, and service station we could see it was the school house.</div>
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The Mullens Fire Department, I suppose, was already there. The men were rigging the hoses to pump water from the creek where it comes under the bridge.</div>
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About the time they got the water running a lady ran over the hose on her way to the post office. The pressure on the hose caused a weak spot to give way and water went everywhere. The firefighters went crazy stopping the pump and installing a new section of hose. They got the water running and guess what, here came the lady headed for home. This time the hose held.</div>
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Conley and I watched for awhile, got tired and hurried home to tell Mom it was the school burning. The big story in the family was that Uncle Darrell 's typewriter had burned in the fire.</div>
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That is my story and I am sticking to it.</div>
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Kenton Herford McGraw, Jr. “Herk”<br />
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We have a whole page on our website with information about The Old Milam High School</div>
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To check it out <a href="http://www.mcgrawreunionwv.com/milam-high-school.html" target="_blank"><b>CLICK HERE</b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jq3d4przD2cwosFv_dh4z__XSxVTIK9lMEqLCid6TL5uPpyaJYDil7OtywVrV4OFUNdGGqVyY8BVwYf-SCp3bOOYnFFj0cTUxrYN5ROxpplOLLm_PaMtIz2S37_oYkbA56Nermg_iy55/s1600/Milam+School+Burns+Article.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="871" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jq3d4przD2cwosFv_dh4z__XSxVTIK9lMEqLCid6TL5uPpyaJYDil7OtywVrV4OFUNdGGqVyY8BVwYf-SCp3bOOYnFFj0cTUxrYN5ROxpplOLLm_PaMtIz2S37_oYkbA56Nermg_iy55/s640/Milam+School+Burns+Article.jpg" width="516" /></a></div>
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Picture Courtesy of Lynne (McGraw) Goroncy</div>
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1977 Milam Reunion - Hawaii comes to McGraws</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5aL2pai4S1YnnTew9uRn0yfvXeJ-XDsk9xzb8j8tM1QYnzfA23X5apEqyENZpCI_253tIBqB77Kffr37zAkzWU11RrsMeK5xFRV_xjIbOnlz3LBxnOYSL4oxRPqYVvPBFxx7cAdp_036/s1600/Hawaii+comes+to+McGraws+WV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="691" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5aL2pai4S1YnnTew9uRn0yfvXeJ-XDsk9xzb8j8tM1QYnzfA23X5apEqyENZpCI_253tIBqB77Kffr37zAkzWU11RrsMeK5xFRV_xjIbOnlz3LBxnOYSL4oxRPqYVvPBFxx7cAdp_036/s400/Hawaii+comes+to+McGraws+WV.jpg" width="327" /></a></div>
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Back Row L-R: Marvin "Jack" McGraw, Galena (McGraw) Kerns, Horace McGraw</div>
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Front Row L-R: Naomi (McGraw) Sadler, Mabel (Unknown)</div>
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<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-20625579768095061262020-07-19T11:45:00.001-04:002020-07-19T11:45:07.107-04:00Southern WV Community College - From Humble Beginnings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3vOVsJQVnNo56yCwzqkCELbCfmdmbSuyBPIczzgVzvjaBKhhbpNDP-xo1WvyhyphenhyphenuQby0ZdX6dC6o76fpxvoqnyX8ZkXAtR5oFvYYO-VBa91v0DYHvfH71GGVDlxf1WbaTH-lSC6CguVZI/s1600/Scanned+Documents-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="627" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3vOVsJQVnNo56yCwzqkCELbCfmdmbSuyBPIczzgVzvjaBKhhbpNDP-xo1WvyhyphenhyphenuQby0ZdX6dC6o76fpxvoqnyX8ZkXAtR5oFvYYO-VBa91v0DYHvfH71GGVDlxf1WbaTH-lSC6CguVZI/s1600/Scanned+Documents-page-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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Submitted by Jeremy &Amanda McGraw</div>
The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-10813350594871322482020-07-19T11:35:00.000-04:002020-07-19T11:35:10.399-04:00McGraw Reunion Reflections From the McCoys<div style="text-align: justify;">
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!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">McGraw Reunion Reflections from Alan McCoy</span></b></div>
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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!</div>
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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. </div>
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Some fond memories: </div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Finding arrowheads in plowed fields. The flat land beside Horace and Rita’s house was always good hunting. Hope you are well, Joe!</div>
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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.</div>
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The food!! I miss all the country cooking. Can’t seem to get my New England friends interested in green beans cooked country style.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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The swimming hole! Out behind the school was a great gathering place for all of us. First thing was to check for snakes though.</div>
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All of the great storytelling. The McGraws of my grandparents' generation were remarkable storytellers and great humorists. </div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Also came down a while back to see Mike when he was battling his cancer and we took this picture:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSYOXjd9FiwFIRSCi9ap4zCw407ib-TQcSaO6VDQCh79t8Jv5HHCpXJQb4xcpRVEVjHcTuDoBrRtnqLwFwVy0WTH6XH7L3MLyzu8WOdaK5BW38FBqbv8Jz82VCsShQDALE8q9s3rcdACS/s1600/Mike%2526Patty+AlanMcCoy.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="598" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSYOXjd9FiwFIRSCi9ap4zCw407ib-TQcSaO6VDQCh79t8Jv5HHCpXJQb4xcpRVEVjHcTuDoBrRtnqLwFwVy0WTH6XH7L3MLyzu8WOdaK5BW38FBqbv8Jz82VCsShQDALE8q9s3rcdACS/s400/Mike%2526Patty+AlanMcCoy.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-0c331502-7fff-21a0-ad04-0a999152b598"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best to everyone and looking forward to 2021!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Photos from Rachel McCoy</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(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.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">These were taken in 1968. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Galena bought a trailer to accommodate us McCoy’s and parked it in front of her house in McGraws.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsIEr2JwWFKabE4KdwPrvOuISeb-Tj-97DhdS9c7IN1IYdpC3wIxoJMAJcBqlYrQ7qnbEbrJKNQ4w44YGqMW3Fcnqy-bgyXE7l7GpdeQp56clYJsD_a22qp0LXqwCRTMt_W0kj_k0PNuP/s1600/IMG_1541+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsIEr2JwWFKabE4KdwPrvOuISeb-Tj-97DhdS9c7IN1IYdpC3wIxoJMAJcBqlYrQ7qnbEbrJKNQ4w44YGqMW3Fcnqy-bgyXE7l7GpdeQp56clYJsD_a22qp0LXqwCRTMt_W0kj_k0PNuP/s640/IMG_1541+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Left to right: me, Jane behind Galena, Nancy Hash, Karen and Jean.</span></div>
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Below: a few others of me in the General Store</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCWVSp21Hb_7lPqTCnFf3fPv8kbOLtRpVlwS6fAjZHHX6-8oSoaRZTiOSSeNgDTdA0TZ6HqRzVpKEwJAIVPgcyHKiEOLwTlkmpryaJbOwunxzKGtfLrlD3anOMWtu2exieFyF0SFGqXps/s1600/IMG_2229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCWVSp21Hb_7lPqTCnFf3fPv8kbOLtRpVlwS6fAjZHHX6-8oSoaRZTiOSSeNgDTdA0TZ6HqRzVpKEwJAIVPgcyHKiEOLwTlkmpryaJbOwunxzKGtfLrlD3anOMWtu2exieFyF0SFGqXps/s640/IMG_2229.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmliduCil2X1iG6b4MMSqfu07h5CsZXm5v6eVt_aLRlqPam6E08jLoHbbJ4HZ_8Nmvotf0gUcSE1aF-C1yxhcDmTDpaHxn3sU2JU7m93W-G4ZuK4YxNIjYYeGEFGLiLXlSMSLB1Wzge_f/s1600/IMG_2231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmliduCil2X1iG6b4MMSqfu07h5CsZXm5v6eVt_aLRlqPam6E08jLoHbbJ4HZ_8Nmvotf0gUcSE1aF-C1yxhcDmTDpaHxn3sU2JU7m93W-G4ZuK4YxNIjYYeGEFGLiLXlSMSLB1Wzge_f/s640/IMG_2231.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-32466364224386002992020-07-19T11:25:00.000-04:002020-07-19T11:25:00.121-04:00"COLORED Seated In Rear"/Change Needed - by Steve McGraw<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVcQPXZmlayBSVP74-e1CZWaxVBD27fS_8D35A_NrkgTrumu9Obkmvkw7txXn0IpT8UlBEsE3o98ygkEnBg8Kp9TS-BvviNXtbX8Rts816cS2XIxLqUQCJEgxbmi3A0SaTef9x56n1am7/s1600/4ad12c8399e3d762-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVcQPXZmlayBSVP74-e1CZWaxVBD27fS_8D35A_NrkgTrumu9Obkmvkw7txXn0IpT8UlBEsE3o98ygkEnBg8Kp9TS-BvviNXtbX8Rts816cS2XIxLqUQCJEgxbmi3A0SaTef9x56n1am7/s400/4ad12c8399e3d762-photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve McGraw with his wife Sharon in Dungarvan, Ireland</td></tr>
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Steve McGraw is the son of Jessie R. McGraw, son of Oza, son of Joel, son of Robert Lee "Jabo," son of John & Mahala. In addition to serving as the Roanoke County (VA) Clerk of the Circuit Court since 1992 Steve is also the past President of the US McCraw Family Association (USMFA). As you may or may not know, John changed his and thus our family name from McCraw to McGraw in the late 1800's. It was Steve's DNA that the USMFA used when it proved our link to the Clan McGrath in Ireland. </div>
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Last summer at the International McGrath Clan Gathering in Dungarvan, Ireland, Steve was awarded with our Clan's highest award, The Medal of Echthighern. The award, was named for our ancestor who was the brother of the Brian Boru who was King of Ireland and is given as recognition for contributions to society and enhancement of the McGrath name.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZCP0cGpY-O45W3fdUMRtSNIrOYDOPc-LiXNPSTMDclKct1hnwUFQRGMT94zgCx37ZVPaLHc3pwuqbvgzj-7NhzUDHhtHRMsemx3MAoKurH6FNIQoFcZfLgIwJnlIUaitm8rdbzebFkTo/s1600/medal+of+E.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZCP0cGpY-O45W3fdUMRtSNIrOYDOPc-LiXNPSTMDclKct1hnwUFQRGMT94zgCx37ZVPaLHc3pwuqbvgzj-7NhzUDHhtHRMsemx3MAoKurH6FNIQoFcZfLgIwJnlIUaitm8rdbzebFkTo/s1600/medal+of+E.PNG" /></a></div>
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Steve submitted this lesson he learned about racism from</div>
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his father at a very early age, "and it stuck..."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczQyKFRW_XEpEN4VI8gkyFeacX-c62xKp_kUIxFpSMlSQzLhtNKG2t7jvaB9mJr57RoNuLlCwm_TvRhjNd-hrstuylCRc5kF4x6DMEky9LpxI9QZNVi9x-GX7KC3tS-s_gnMcitgWiKiD/s1600/Seated_in_rear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="600" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczQyKFRW_XEpEN4VI8gkyFeacX-c62xKp_kUIxFpSMlSQzLhtNKG2t7jvaB9mJr57RoNuLlCwm_TvRhjNd-hrstuylCRc5kF4x6DMEky9LpxI9QZNVi9x-GX7KC3tS-s_gnMcitgWiKiD/s320/Seated_in_rear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">CHANGE NEEDED</span></b></div>
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It was a glorious mid-morning in the summer of 1955 in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia, and I was about to embark on one of my all-time favorite adventures – riding the bus with my dad at the wheel! I could hear the bus – my dad’s bus – laboring up the hill and approaching the stop at the corner of Berkeley Avenue and Dudding Street where my mother waited patiently with me while I danced in place beside her. </div>
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At age five, everything was a wonder to me; robins bobbing for worms on the fresh-cut lawns, hummingbirds swooping around flowers, battling each other for sips of nectar, and the distant sounds of Norfolk and Western coal trains chugging along the nearby Roanoke River. </div>
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My mother held my left hand tightly as my right hand gripped a brown paper bag – containing two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, each expertly wrapped in wax paper – that would be lunch for my dad and me later that day. How much better could life be?!</div>
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Finally, the huge red and white Roanoke Safety Motor Transit Company bus loomed up before me and came to a stop as the accordion doors opened, revealing my dad sitting behind the big black steering wheel, grinning at me and waving me aboard. </div>
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“Come on up, Stevie!” he laughed as my mother half-lifted me up to the first step, let go of my hand and reminded me to use the worn brass handrail as I climbed up the few tall stairs to the top of the landing.</div>
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“Back by 4:00?” she asked my dad.</div>
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“Yep, see you then…you know what to do, son…” my father reminded me, making sure that I was securely in place behind him on the side-facing seat before he waved at my mother, closed the door, shifted the bus into first gear and expertly balanced the clutch against the gas pedal in order to pull smoothly away from the curb. Now the adventure began.</div>
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In particular, I enjoyed riding up and down the hills, the bus performing like a slow roller coaster, making my stomach feel funny and quickly changing the outside view – sky, trees, roads, buildings, houses, sky... At the designated stops, whenever there was a future passenger standing in wait, my father would bring the bus to a halt, open the door and welcome each one with a “hello” or a “good morning;” he even knew some of them by name, and some of them knew him, too. </div>
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To the immediate right of the steering wheel was the windowed fare box fitted with four round slots in the top and a hand crank on the side, and passengers would drop special tokens or the correct coins into the box as they boarded the bus. Occasionally a passenger needed change, and a chrome coin changer was mounted next to the fare box for that purpose, allowing my father to take their bills and give them the coins in return. In addition, if a passenger had a paper transfer slip, my father would place it on the spindle projecting from the bus’s dash. It was all very orderly, and the coin changer – where quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies would magically appear from the bottom of each chrome tube with the push of a small lever - was my favorite. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve's Dad's magical coin changer.</td></tr>
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When a passenger wished to get off the bus, he or she would pull down on an overhead strap mounted along either side of the ceiling of the long vehicle, making a brief, low buzzing sound at the front of the bus to let my dad know that he needed to stop at the next opportunity. </div>
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This morning, everything seemed to be going fine until the elderly black lady got on the bus. As she struggled to climb up the stairs while carrying a large shopping bag, my father said the usual hello to her and she responded in kind with a smile, carefully dropped a token into the fare box and then took two careful steps backward to settle heavily into the side-facing seat across from me at the front of the bus. She nodded and smiled at me, then closed her eyes and appeared to fall asleep almost instantly as my father shut the door and moved the bus on down the street.</div>
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A few stops later, a white businessman – wearing a coat and tie and shiny shoes - got on the bus, dropped some coins into the fare box, gave a surprised, stern look to the sleeping black lady, and then whispered something into my father’s ear. My dad’s reaction was immediate, and it startled me as he half-rose in his seat to most of his 6’4” stature and sharply admonished this new passenger, “If you don’t like it, you can sit at the back of the bus!”</div>
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This new passenger was equally startled by my father’s reaction to him, and he hurriedly walked to the center of the bus before dropping sharply into a front-facing seat there. A few blocks later, the businessman pulled down hard on the overhead cord, creating a long, loud buzzing sound and then released the cord with a snap. </div>
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When my dad brought the bus to a halt, the disgruntled passenger exited from the side door, probably not wanting to walk past my father or the black lady sitting at the front of the bus. Eventually, the black lady exited the bus in a neighborhood where others like her lived, and the rest of the day went as usual with most of this adventure still being fun for me and my dad. </div>
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When we stopped for a late lunch on a quiet, tree-lined street, the bus was empty and my father moved to the seat across from me as we enjoyed our sandwiches, and dad shared water from his thermos with me. </div>
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Finally, I had to ask the question that had been burning inside me for the past couple of hours; “Daddy, why did you get so mad at that man?”</div>
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My father stared at me for several long seconds, probably trying to decide how best to explain the situation to me, and then he pointed at a sign centered up over the bus’s front windshield.</div>
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“See that sign?” he asked.</div>
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“Yes.”</div>
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“It says: Colored seated in rear…” he explained, “…and the man who got on the bus wanted me to make the black lady move to the back of the bus.”</div>
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“Why?” I asked innocently, not understanding the true gravity of the situation until years later, by which time my respect for my parents had continued to grow as I recalled similar memories of my father and mother.</div>
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“Ignorance,” my father said.</div>
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“What does that mean?” I asked.</div>
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“It means that some people think they are better than other people, but they’re not – we’re all the same on the inside…” he said, “…and never forget that, son…”</div>
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“OK, daddy.”</div>
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The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com1Roanoke, VA, USA37.2709704 -79.941426637.068804400000005 -80.2641501 37.4731364 -79.6187031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-88337787518298636032020-07-19T11:15:00.002-04:002020-07-19T11:15:00.193-04:00Shared Photographs<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shared by Lynne (McGraw) Goroncy</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG33El_7XiFi_xsM8rSGLS4tbwJzmjfolDuZpzEBMUOJJG97qFKm-El4Etqql0BdlxudPfOOKBsafYEdSxcRwr5Hmxf-btTIsOFlTfM6jNfR3DJnyv7tmRlxO41gB6tnV5EAwekQ64UYG/s1600/HG+and+Pearl+McGraw+anniversary_+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="659" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG33El_7XiFi_xsM8rSGLS4tbwJzmjfolDuZpzEBMUOJJG97qFKm-El4Etqql0BdlxudPfOOKBsafYEdSxcRwr5Hmxf-btTIsOFlTfM6jNfR3DJnyv7tmRlxO41gB6tnV5EAwekQ64UYG/s640/HG+and+Pearl+McGraw+anniversary_+%25281%2529.jpg" width="505" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">H.G. and Pearl McGraw at their 50th Wedding Anniversary Party </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPQ02pihqViHxe-hMreQA3Pv_NPxxYq4SbZ3SPN52Uo7zmzW8aJtOECAtUcyAvadUgl0oFXc3_TEp2ghzJyTln2R6lX4abX5hsdaHIMAySmacMXqjCsY4duUb2M0wUvMWZWCmim_9uwt_/s1600/Horace+and+Rita+Perry+and+Paulines+house+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="817" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPQ02pihqViHxe-hMreQA3Pv_NPxxYq4SbZ3SPN52Uo7zmzW8aJtOECAtUcyAvadUgl0oFXc3_TEp2ghzJyTln2R6lX4abX5hsdaHIMAySmacMXqjCsY4duUb2M0wUvMWZWCmim_9uwt_/s640/Horace+and+Rita+Perry+and+Paulines+house+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horace and Rita (Riley) McGraw at Earl and Pauline's House</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfp_p3oT1u6e59An5RWYi1U8PLBghRVvLsqpGeh0WIr5m-g2oOG1Zd93mTSFCApU53davVBbxujF2Px89Uy5ksnD00SUINQduo-EHURjucNp8HZtDjHFlhLuHCGm-E3uHifZyX25JEihzS/s1600/Perry+Earl+McGraw+teaching+one+room+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1206" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfp_p3oT1u6e59An5RWYi1U8PLBghRVvLsqpGeh0WIr5m-g2oOG1Zd93mTSFCApU53davVBbxujF2Px89Uy5ksnD00SUINQduo-EHURjucNp8HZtDjHFlhLuHCGm-E3uHifZyX25JEihzS/s640/Perry+Earl+McGraw+teaching+one+room+school.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perry Earl teaching at a one room schoolhouse.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shared by Darrell V. McGraw, Jr., and Jorea Marple</span></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shared By Colleen (McGraw) Hagy</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPOOXkVVTKg0bfGdKfKjiJBua7xpJmcbzaUiGwXFZegCR__mDm4ZW1rJBESZAbQFNgcwrROtJ95y5JyazTuBCRXHCOTFXYsxXcKUltGLJHazYdhrVzOQDsOAoScMR7getlxAGk10N72Lp/s1600/FB_IMG_1589161259202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPOOXkVVTKg0bfGdKfKjiJBua7xpJmcbzaUiGwXFZegCR__mDm4ZW1rJBESZAbQFNgcwrROtJ95y5JyazTuBCRXHCOTFXYsxXcKUltGLJHazYdhrVzOQDsOAoScMR7getlxAGk10N72Lp/s640/FB_IMG_1589161259202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colleen McGraw Hagy, Clifford Chandler Hagy. bottom row: Colwynn Ford Hagy, and Penelope Jean Hagy. </td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shared By Kelly (McGraw) Blankenship</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXLWQxj5BXITX9Xmmp4iNL-kLtYGjG2mjeZ_IRvK_NPnUwJjciK8cx6t0WXdXmCxn5SCbBaXzfLrHNUu5_2kNvbz9LrgVM37dKvqSWiTi3Qn_t0OgjZ1TyuFQaf1dH5thz4md_Je7X13x/s1600/IMG_1218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXLWQxj5BXITX9Xmmp4iNL-kLtYGjG2mjeZ_IRvK_NPnUwJjciK8cx6t0WXdXmCxn5SCbBaXzfLrHNUu5_2kNvbz9LrgVM37dKvqSWiTi3Qn_t0OgjZ1TyuFQaf1dH5thz4md_Je7X13x/s640/IMG_1218.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Larry L McGraw- son of Walter and Opal McGraw -</span></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">With daughter - Kelly McGraw Blankenship</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shared by David & Bonnie McGraw</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3qdXp7Yh1dmxtYxiOi5Gb9ay2A1dtt5ImPPjtQkBnCrDAEqj-cidopiTcoLluRXlTOTJ5GTptZnOSzrRLEAkpFak0cK80bsGAk1V9bz_ud25rtGkkexknUjA77OHBA4kfttFp550PKZ3/s1600/IMG-5810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3qdXp7Yh1dmxtYxiOi5Gb9ay2A1dtt5ImPPjtQkBnCrDAEqj-cidopiTcoLluRXlTOTJ5GTptZnOSzrRLEAkpFak0cK80bsGAk1V9bz_ud25rtGkkexknUjA77OHBA4kfttFp550PKZ3/s640/IMG-5810.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David ran into a relative at Harbor Freight. Bonnie said they were both big windbags.<br />
Thanks for sharing some silliness!!!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shared By Marla McGraw</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gzBZByirK7C0ZNvlsQS30j4xQiavxav7OMNb1sVO0PJJmyoOaNGMkbEyBPF20RF5obm4auId3sTjNVntITC1tGm3TH9ri9SIb4xiHxAMXpQzm67K11kifVi8rTusvxaM72m2HVyvkllo/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gzBZByirK7C0ZNvlsQS30j4xQiavxav7OMNb1sVO0PJJmyoOaNGMkbEyBPF20RF5obm4auId3sTjNVntITC1tGm3TH9ri9SIb4xiHxAMXpQzm67K11kifVi8rTusvxaM72m2HVyvkllo/s640/image+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timothy McGraw, son of Brian & Robin (Estep) McGraw who graduated from Wyoming East High School in June!</td></tr>
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<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-55823576260355082812020-07-19T11:05:00.000-04:002020-07-19T11:05:00.403-04:00The Church in the Wildwood by Herk McGraw<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">THE CHURCH IN THE WILDWOOD</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">OLD CHURCH</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">POST OFFICE, TIPPLE</span></b></div>
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<i>There is a church in the valley by the wildwood</i></div>
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<i>No lovelier spot in the dale</i></div>
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<i>No place so dear to my childhood</i></div>
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<i>As the little brown church in the vale</i></div>
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<i>Oh, come, come, come, come</i></div>
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John McGraw (Beige) had two sons Harrison (Pole) and Horace Greeley (Uncle Dad) who still lived in the McGraw hollow. HG married Pearl McGinnis and Harrison married her sister Pauline (Pliney) McGinnis. A third son, Okey (Oak), lived on the hill overlooking the school and the Post Office. We lived three tenths of a mile down the road from the school.</div>
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In the late 19th Century Pearl and Pauline decided there should be a church in the community. At their insistence Uncle Dad built a small building for it about half way between his house and Milam High School– now John McGraw School. The small congregation called it a Non-Conformist Chapel. Pauline and Pearl being, sugar sweet and fiery Scot-Irish lasses, “suggested” the congregation become a Methodist Denomination. It did! (1)</div>
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I remember the membership being thirty-two to thirty-six with an average attendance of fifteen to twenty. It had three windows on each side with a small platform over each for oil lamps for night meetings. A large oil lantern with a big globe on it was used near the pulpit. Grandpa Fud and Grandma Mary kept all of them. The little church was the center of our worship community.</div>
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Sunday Services usually consisted of a short program with some singing before Sunday School classes. Singing was always a great time for me. Janet Meredith, or Mom (Nora) would hum a note and start the song. We would sing the first stanza only. “Church in the Wildwood” was my favorite.</div>
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One Sunday Uncle Leon and I were standing beside each other. I was singing away with gusto when Uncle Leon looked down and said, “Herford your book is up side down.” Made no difference to me I kept right on singing. All of the congregation singing sounded so beautiful and perfect. (I would like to have a recording of that little congregation singing now. I bet present day choir directors would cover their ears.)</div>
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Every so often we had a visiting Preacher deliver a Sermon following Sunday School. He (no women preachers then) would always have an altar call. It seemed longer than the sermon. (I went to the altar more times than a dog has fleas).</div>
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After the service the Preacher was invited to have dinner with Fud and Mary's family. That was a fun time because all us grandchildren would be there with our parents.</div>
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The playing was a highlight but the dinner was special and interesting. The women served the men and boys over twelve at the first table, us children at the second, (left-overs from the first table), and the women last (all the left-overs). Well, that didn't last long with eight screaming cranky bellies. The women decided to give us a plate, send us to the front porch, and call the men in. It satisfied mine and those other seven bellies. When the meal was over it was back to the front porch for the Preacher, Grandpa and the dads, and playing for us.</div>
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Once a year or when the older folks felt it was necessary, a revival would be held and there would be standing room only. The service was not over until Grandma (Sister Mary) had prayed.</div>
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There would always be a group of young “men” standing around outside waiting to walk the girls home. They would be talking and smoking and what ever else they did. One night I was standing at a back window with Uncle Leon and one of the “good ole boys” blew smoke in the window.</div>
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Across the road from the little church was an open field with sloped sides that was used for outdoor activities in warm weather. I remember one particular Easter while us young ones were in Sunday School the old folks hid Easter eggs in that field and when our classes were over we were turned loose to find them. When all were found Grandpa Fud would divide the eggs evenly among us younger ones. It was a hoot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigx2eJB5m07ktpPcVQnedpdbMaZnk5lxx691LUiTQwy9q2YDeJEuEMDCD7pqKOL0Cl1MXzof6yMI_YpK6CD87bVhgaJ2QL9xi1c6Wf21gXosziWsIycQHQjP8Ot_e3QBkDHD3mNqggYW5y/s1600/Old+Milam+Church.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigx2eJB5m07ktpPcVQnedpdbMaZnk5lxx691LUiTQwy9q2YDeJEuEMDCD7pqKOL0Cl1MXzof6yMI_YpK6CD87bVhgaJ2QL9xi1c6Wf21gXosziWsIycQHQjP8Ot_e3QBkDHD3mNqggYW5y/s640/Old+Milam+Church.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">THE NEW CHURCH</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">POST OFFICE, MCGRAWS</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Come to the church in the wildwood</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Oh, come to the church in the dale</i></div>
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<i>No place is so dear to my childhood</i></div>
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<i>As the little WHITE church in the vale</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Many years later I came to visit my grandparents and while I was there Uncle Darrell came by with a special cinder block for Grandpa to look at. They discussed its use for a new church building. I was disappointed of course. I liked the little church building and could not vision a new one.</span><br />
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The plans and building of the new church was hatched by Uncle Dad and Grandpa Fud. They got a group from the church community and raised the money for the building to be built. Many of the church community and the community at large jumped in and built the building and the congregation built the Church. It is a neat building with indoor plumbing, a kitchen, Sunday School rooms, a beautiful sanctuary and a bell tower but no steeple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR15t8ynPx3jhpfkTXMIrWP9eWZGxEin7YrVAxakUzK-zPjnq8KvnRa8xQui0-7GQ2Kqj8_aPpYoLWDRBlSYc8vqeD0Nc8_h_aElFbWordq3yaHdbA_1Z7G6tO2YvcwqgLnm-U7LWbWIOr/s1600/New+Milam+Church.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR15t8ynPx3jhpfkTXMIrWP9eWZGxEin7YrVAxakUzK-zPjnq8KvnRa8xQui0-7GQ2Kqj8_aPpYoLWDRBlSYc8vqeD0Nc8_h_aElFbWordq3yaHdbA_1Z7G6tO2YvcwqgLnm-U7LWbWIOr/s320/New+Milam+Church.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div>
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Daniel “Mack” McGraw oversaw the block work. (1)</div>
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Wm. Harrison “Harry” McGraw oversaw the wood work and finished out the pulpit area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B-LPZaQAUaqxZgLZHwt4omd9OExtNWjqVRrqvI6DtdFUpzCZNJ8j3taqXuAtwaORmpH5dlryDCGmjO-AD6LKmYCnN0kR2vgtps6xi3C8kn4VgBdqSTe-WMKHicKrfOe8rXHBoTGy74VG/s1600/IMG_0609.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B-LPZaQAUaqxZgLZHwt4omd9OExtNWjqVRrqvI6DtdFUpzCZNJ8j3taqXuAtwaORmpH5dlryDCGmjO-AD6LKmYCnN0kR2vgtps6xi3C8kn4VgBdqSTe-WMKHicKrfOe8rXHBoTGy74VG/s640/IMG_0609.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Several years later my little family, Dot and Cathi, came to visit Grandma Mary and Grandpa Fud, and we attended Sunday School in the new Church. There was a discussion regarding the strength of prayer and God's response. Grandpa Fud got up and began to witness how the congregation had prayed for a new location and how God had come through and they were able to buy the lot behind John McGraw School.</div>
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Time for contention to arise! As usual, in most any conversation objection to any statement is called for. Wilda McGraw said, “Fud, you know I told you that y'all could have the lot beside Ed Kerns' Store but you wouldn't have it. Grandpa said, “Judge not or ye shall be judged,” and sat down.</div>
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Many, many years later at a family gathering it was decided that Fud and Gertie's families would buy and install a steeple on the bell tower. I believe Shelburn “Doc” Brooks oversaw the purchase and installment of the steeple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Wy3fXbbyhxdMNZp_O8k7EOiew5K7uOOOqv8B5KmwSjqIb3crhqvzX5URDSwk18MMhnM9xGZdfDXoGcDhUPZl2GbaLxAUJk2gxfYVPDL5xe9xACMt9kcrKPOI6jq3AEwjRed6tmht_PUJ/s1600/IMG_0611.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1600" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Wy3fXbbyhxdMNZp_O8k7EOiew5K7uOOOqv8B5KmwSjqIb3crhqvzX5URDSwk18MMhnM9xGZdfDXoGcDhUPZl2GbaLxAUJk2gxfYVPDL5xe9xACMt9kcrKPOI6jq3AEwjRed6tmht_PUJ/s400/IMG_0611.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In 1992 Harry McGraw's wife Verna McGraw and daughter Jennifer McGraw-Beckette made the pulpit paraments in Harry's honor. They were consecrated by Pastor Bill Brooks on July 19, 1992. (4)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz6HPWKFoS5awhledfzMz05aTt75J7v-JttG4ygq03WoK4IETu1mbW1Q2KWgS6ZC5wOKs58oOjZmEZsInorMpnzbNeHlYCuU6g_Hke7ANI2NQ5njIpIsmSKGbdyKECKPlgx-ygh_DAwDD/s1600/IMG_0602.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1082" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz6HPWKFoS5awhledfzMz05aTt75J7v-JttG4ygq03WoK4IETu1mbW1Q2KWgS6ZC5wOKs58oOjZmEZsInorMpnzbNeHlYCuU6g_Hke7ANI2NQ5njIpIsmSKGbdyKECKPlgx-ygh_DAwDD/s400/IMG_0602.jpeg" width="270" /></a></div>
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A couple years ago KennyMcGraw and Adam Hicks painted the steeple for the first time. (3)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMPXjjFppoFkP61TAoHa_iCYG1qdWsgfP6cCiwjadFExmz26pVUK02PhYOqn27UUVgMFNuvAKBMqWtMVgQAiJRQjpk6C9evAF_WTem4c1z5uB0J28OfYPYoZ5BIhYu2ZeVHKvJOqUQxk0/s1600/a1c04a0bde5214357b1898e452bb72ae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMPXjjFppoFkP61TAoHa_iCYG1qdWsgfP6cCiwjadFExmz26pVUK02PhYOqn27UUVgMFNuvAKBMqWtMVgQAiJRQjpk6C9evAF_WTem4c1z5uB0J28OfYPYoZ5BIhYu2ZeVHKvJOqUQxk0/s640/a1c04a0bde5214357b1898e452bb72ae.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's my story and I'm sticking to it.</div>
Herk McGraw<br />
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<i>Want to hear The Carter Family sing The Church in the Wildwood?</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Ojam9JA7I" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></div>
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Acknowledgments<br />
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(1) I wish to think Darrell V. McGraw, Jr. for his assistance and contribution.<br />
(2) Darrell V. and Julia Z. McGraw, The John McGraw Family, 1975<br />
(3) Kenny McGraw<br />
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(4) Patty McGraw<br />
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(Admin-Photographs courtesy of Patty McGraw and Brian McGraw<br />
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<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213617481754028402.post-45121808267802761292020-07-19T10:55:00.000-04:002020-07-19T10:55:00.638-04:00Welcome to the 2020 Virtual McGraw Reunion!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Church and Family</span></b></div>
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As I attend church this Reunion Sunday, sixty-seven years have passed since the McGraw family first came together to worship God and celebrate family at the Milam Methodist Church in McGraws. </div>
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Sitting in a church pew that once held past family members, I am reminded of the value they placed on God and family and the heritage they left behind.<br />
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It was very important to them to build a church in their community to worship in. They came together as a family to build the church donating their time, talents and money.</div>
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In this church and their homes, they raised their children and grand children to honor God, country and family.<br />
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This year, as we celebrate the 67th McGraw Family Reunion virtually, may we continue to honor our ancestors and may we instill the values of God, country and family heritage in our children and grand children.</div>
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Prayers, </div>
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Patty McGraw </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A BLESSING FOR THE MCGRAW REUNION</span></b></div>
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For many years, the McGraw Reunion was a picnic on the grass at Milam Methodist Church. The church was founded and built by the descendants of John & Mahala McGraw. The congregation may be smaller than it once was, but almost every first and third Sunday of the month McGraw descendants and their families still arrive at the small country church to worship. </div>
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We asked Jason Stewart, the current Pastor of the Milam Methodist Church, if he would offer a blessing for our family to kick off our virtual reunion.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgQm_XyDVkZpqfu4qbuvgFngbsqELZs4HzjeUWxEvsmKg4VtMEAR-kAYy9N2rR1729-yGT9sgz_iOhyH7Xgw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Thank You to Jason and his wife Carla for all they do for our church</div>
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and for providing with this blessing today!</div>
<br />The McGraw Family Reunion (WV) Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11228806676384299875noreply@blogger.com0