Seacrist Family Reunion

My few days at the old home place were just wonderful. So many of you have asked about it.  To you it might not have meant a lot but to me it will be another lasting memory. Family members that I had not seen in too many years, all products of Henry and Lydia Seacrist. I'm not sure of the numbers but there were between 50 and 60 of us there. Many more that would like to have come but distance, jobs, health and simply age got in the way.

Most of the ones of us from out of the area stayed at the same motel,The Country Inn,located about 15 miles from Holly Grove. The service there was outstanding, allowing us to have as many guest as we wanted, whether it be the pool, a good breakfast or the use of the kitchen area or the meeting room just to visit, and that we did, all of the above. There were no special shows or events to attend, even if there were, our interests were each other. You could see and feel the love that surrounded every person there. Four of my five children, two daughters in law,my only son in law, six grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, and more nieces and nephews then I can count. Each and every one has a special place in my heart. Some I grew up with and baby sat with them when they were young, some baby sat or grew up with my kids, Juanita, the niece who is my guardian Angel made it possible for me to go, along with her daughter who did the driving and her great granddaughter, eleven years old was by my side all the way, making sure I was safe. 
 There was music and singing, my eleven year old granddaughter could belt out a song when you could talk her into it.

The mountains are so so beautiful.  We were not far from the beautiful gold dome of the state capitol. Then there was Holly Grove in contrast, not much change since I last saw it, one year ago, the house looks so lonely, the front porch still there, much smaller then it seemed years ago. As tears welled in my eyes I could see my brothers singing  hymns there on a Sunday morning. I could almost feel the cool rain water on my bare feet,in the low places in the front cement walk that my dad had made. The peonies and snow ball bush that my mother had planted as far back as I can remember are still there. The house is in bad shape and probably won`t be there too much longer. Nobody lives there now. The woman that lived there lived like a hermit, always depended on others to do things for her and her grandson told us that she wouldn't pay to have any work done. She was a hoarder and the whole place is awful inside, at one time there was even a copperhead in the pantry. She passed away in a nursing home and I have heard that she had a million dollars or more in the bank. Needless to say there is a lot of fighting going on in that family. I'm not "mean mouthing" her, she was my cousin and I cared very much for her.

I was tour guide for different groups that wanted to see the cemetery as well as other places of interest, mostly things that are no more. Our picnic at Coonskin park had to end after two thunderstorms, that's when we ended back in the meeting room at the motel. There was family there from Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan, West Virginia, Indiana and New York. Lots of stories and laughs crammed into 4 days. The best of any vacation is getting back home. Can`t be away from my BEST FRIEND RICHARD for very long, as well as the rest of my Waterford family.