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Just
as I might do when “crashing” the Spiker Family Reunion on Memorial
Day weekend, I’m dropping by to reminisce about how important
education has been for many years to the residents living in the
“loop” beginning at White Oak going toward Holbrook, then toward
Oxford and back to White Oak. Many of the families early on saw that
their children went to college.
It was a
surprise to me, however, that my great-great-grandparents, H. B. and
Elizabeth Tharp (whose children and grandchildren all died young) had
a son George who attended West Virginia University.
When
I was working once on a public television documentary about WVU, my
parents (Max and Lucille Cox DeBerry) thought I should have a letter
George had written to his parents – to hang on my office wall.
My
father thought this was a typical letter from a college student:
George seemed glad to share his grades; gave a lot of information
about how “good” he had been and, of course, he needed money! We all
thought, though, that young Mr. Tharp was inclined to be a bit
extravagant!
George must have also passed the Spiker home site in his travels as he
was growing up in the curve of the road between Summers and Holbrook.
Note: the address on his letter is definitely “Holbrook.”
[Transcription of Envelope]
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West Virginia University
Morgantown, W.VA.
FALL TERM begins first Wednesday of September.
WINTER TERM begins fourth Wednesday of January.
SPRING TERM begins second Wednesday of March
COMMENCEMENT on second Thursday of June.
If not called for in 10
days, return to P.O. box 35
Morgantown, WVa.
Postmark:
Morgantown, WV - March 22, 1882 - WVA |
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The letter bears the same information as on the envelope along with
the State Seal and a scroll extolling West Virginia University.
Also preprinted, except for only a line of insertion of the month and
day was Morgantown, March 21 1881. George must have acquired
this stationery during the previous term since it was postmarked 1882.
(continued at right) |
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[Transcription of Letter]
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Mr. H. B. Tharp
Dear Father and
Mother:
Your letter recd yesterday. it found me well. glad to hear that
you were all well. You said that you had forgotten something about
my reports. I send them all to you as I have no use for them
now. Please preserve them. I come back to my old subject
again and ask for more money. I will haft to get me some things
and have no money to get them with. I need a suit of clothes, a
hat, a pair of shoes or boots and some shirts & soc. Please send
soon as convenient I have paid Mrs. Johnson $80. eighty dollars on
my board -- the other boys (75) $75. I have no news I believe to
write: except the Rev. Mr. Hughes will give a lecture
tomorrow night at the "Young men's Christian association"
this is an association composed of students only, of course they
all don't belong. there are about 40 of us belong to it. This is
the same Hughes that used to be elder on our circuit. I hear him
preach every Sunday and am in his Sunday school class. The first
time he saw me he came to me and asked me if I wasn't related to
Timothy Tharp he said he could see the Tharp in me.
Yours
Gor T. Box 35 |
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NOTE: In Bradford Spiker's THE GOOD-WILL COMMUNITY A HISTORY
OF HOLBROOK, W.Va. 1814-1945 under THE WALNUT GROVE METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH, he writes: "A few of the ministers who
preached in the school were, T.B. Hughes."
Also according to RITCHIE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA CEMETERIES -
THROUGH 1993 published by the Ritchie County Historical Society:
George M. Tharp was born July 26, 1862; died December 22, 1884, almost
exactly six months after Lillie Missouri Gay Zinn was born; and he was
buried in the Auburn Community Cemetery.
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Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley -- There's still time to
participate in the October family competition. Stop by the
Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley -- We've all been enjoying the
creative and beautiful scrapbook pages Melanie Fouse has contributed to
our website. Now you can learn more about her creative talents by
reading her personal
Submitted by Mary Lucille DeBerry -- The West
Virginia issue of the on-line literary journal: Hamilton Stone Review #
16, Fall 2008 (edited by Meredith Sue WIllis: Shinnston native,
successful novelist and creative writing instructor at New York
University) showcases one photographer and 46 writers associated with
the Mountain State. I'm pleased to be among the poets. Two of my four
short poems are "set" in the Holbrook community: "Autumn Walk" and "To
My Great- Great-Grandmother." The other two are "set" in Harrisville but
relate to Holbrook traditions: "The Cat's Meow" and Memorial Day." To
access the fall photographs, stories, nonfiction, poems and
contributor's notes, go to