When watching the evening news today, I saw an image of coal barges lined up at the docks at the USS Mon Valley Steel Plant. Of course the news segment was about the White House blocking the sale of USS to Nippon Steel. My mind wandered to to dad's career at the Robena Prep Plant. I didn't think that it was still in operation but I searched for more information. I found that the Robena deep mines closed in 1983, but plant continued to operate until 2017 processing coal from surface mining for Consol Mining. It seems that reclamation of the site began many years before 2017, most likely mandated by local concerns about environmental damage from seepage from the three large slurry ponds and other surface contamination. Dad took me out one Sunday afternoon to inspect the dikes and berms around the ponds. We had to hop into one of the big company trucks to traverse the dirt roads around the site. I read a couple of articles about the ongoing l...
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Gina, when did you say "Mrs. DeHaas's" birthday was? I'll send her a card (maybe).
The Porters
There was Frank, and Frankie, and Hester, and there was "Grand-dad (Hester's father What was his last name?)". Granddad had a pickup truck. Did Granddad have a farm? (You old guys must have been there). What was their dog's name?{Brandy} . What kind of car did they have? (Fords or Dodge?) Can you say "Predestination" ( as a Catholic how do you make sense of those Presbyterians)
Lena
When you think about the Porter's how can you not think about Lena! ( was there a relationship?) Lena and some sailor? (Kristin I know you made fum)
Standing on the Corner
I remember that corner! (among other things walking Mary Dell home from school, sitting on the porch at Ann Titus's we had that corner covered!). Do you remember the night Aunt Grace put her car (a Dodge) up the telephone poll at the curve there at the bottom of the hill on her way to the "West-End Bar"? She tired to use the windshield washer (below freezing) .
Hester's dad's name was Hickman. Granddad Hickman. He did own a farm somewhere I think but I don't believe that I was ever there.
Brandy Porter was Hester's dog but I never would have remembered that if you hadn't mentioned his/her name, Brian.
I don't know what kind, or even what color, cars Frank and Hester drove.
I can say Predestination, but it's a doctrine that I don't really understand. The sense that I make of those Presbyterians is that some of them are pretty good folks, Hester being a case in point. Grandma was a Presbyterian also so I would venture to say that some Presbyterians are saints! I've always thought that would be a religion worth looking into as it influenced someone as kind, gentle, loving and wonderful as Grandma was but I never have.
I don't remember anything about Lena and a sailor. I do remember how thin she was. How briskly she walked and how well she carried herself. I think I remember red hair too.
I don't remember Aunt Grace putting her Dodge up the telephone poll. Were any of her kids with her? Did she get hurt? Did she call our house for help? Must have been an awful night for her....
The corner was very special to Ann Titus, Barbara and myself. We held court on Ann's porch many, many times with lots of people. Kids used to cruise the corner to see who was there.
I do remember Lena and her red hair and how she walked. I do not remember a sailor. Didn't Cubby DeHaas live in that house for a while after he was married?
I remember Granddaddy Hickman's constitutionals and how he walked. I was never at the farm. Hester always called him Daddy.
Hester, LaDonna and mother did have a great friendship. I don't think that Mother kept up her end when she moved to KY. Maybe Bri and Jeff know better.
I always thought that Frankie drove a stick shift because he squealed the tires so much. It was an automatic - wonder how many transmissions he ruined?
I went back to the corner lots while LaDonna still lived there - to visit with Barbara. I followed LaDonna to her many houses in Uniontown - visiting when I went to Ginny's.
I agree completely with Gina about Hester and Gram - good people.