Memories . . .

So many memories run through your mind when your child has a birthday. But July 24, 1958 when my only daughter, Jo Hannah Chrest, was born brings back special ones.  They go back to the days I told you about, when times were really tough, like when I made my first trip from Holly Grove, West Virginia that I wrote about. 

A few years after returning home, my husband Hector Chrest Sr. was able to find a pretty good job, driving a truck, hauling coal from high on the mountain to the Kanawha River where it was loaded into barges.  As a young boy he had always wanted to be a truck driver.  We finally were able to buy a nice house.  It was new three bedrooms and bath, full basement, more then we had ever dreamed about.  We had our three sweet little boys but Hector and the boys wanted a little girl.  After giving it a lot of thought we decided to try one more time.  It wasn't long until the obvious happened.  Of course back then you had to wait to know the sex. 

Things were "looking up" until Feb 22.  The day started like everything was wonderful.  There was a heavy snow on the ground.  Hector and I were up early getting breakfast and packing his lunch, the boys still asleep.  There just seemed to be a special closeness as he was leaving.  We held each other a little longer.  I watched as he cleaned the snow off the car until he left.  The whole morning seemed to go so well as I started the laundry.  The boys were up getting ready for school.  It just seemed that "all was well".  The school was just across the corner from our house.  The same one that I had gone to as a child.  It was about 10:30, as I was making up the bed.  My mother and a neighbor came in.  I said the usual thing "come on in and have a seat".  They didn't say a word.  I knew something wasn't right, but never dreamed what they had to tell me.  Mother finally spoke "Hector has been killed"!!  A train had hit his truck as he was coming across after dumping his load of coal.  My first thought was I can't handle this.  Then I looked at those three little boys,9, 8 and 6 and my growing tummy and realized I had no choice.  I had something to look forward to, knowing that a part of him was yet to be seen.  When Jo Hannah was born and they said "it's a girl", I didn't believe them.  I just didn't think I could have a girl.  The saddest part is that he never got to see the little girl that he wanted so much.  She was the first granddaughter on the Chrest side of the family and was named Hannah after Hector's mother and Jo after his only brother.  She was everybody's little Princess.  She fell in love with Clyde Rorrer when she was a young teenager.  After they were married and had three children, Clyde decided he had had enough of coal mining and went to Medical School and became a very successful Doctor.  They have been married thirty six years and have three beautiful grandchildren and live in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. 

Strange how when bad things happen, we never know how many other lives it may involve, or change.

email from Aunt Lois
dated July 24, 2012