In the same envelop with the hymnology were the minutes for the 84th annual session of the Iron Hill Association of the United Baptist Church, held in 1987 when Pawpaw was 91. There is tribute written to him on the last page for his years of service. He served as clerk to his church, Old Oak Springs (I think in Ashland, KY, but not sure) from 1928 until very near to his death at age 97 in 1993, and served as the clerk to the Iron Hill Association from 1951 until his death.

Pawpaw was a bit of a hell-raiser when he was very young--family legend has it that he ran a still with the sheriff of Johnson Co. , KY until he 'got saved.' Nannie used to talk of them courting at corn huskings, bean stringings and such. She'd get a dreamy, far-off look in her eyes, gently shake her head and say "Law, that man sure could play the banjo." He foresook all secular music when he joined his church, and all accompanied religious music, which he referred to as 'the songs of Zion.' When he was in his late 80's, my sister would occasionally leave her fiddle at their house to see what might happen. He did, in fact, pick it up once or twice, but it had been so many decades that he no longer knew how to play it at all.

I got my Dad to reminiscing (spelling) some before I left this past Sunday morning to head back to North Carolina. He talked about the church services he remembered. Said one or two or three might get up to preach, and when Pawpaw or another elder thought they had gone on long enough, he'd just stand up and commence to singing. Soon others would join in, and the preacher would just have to stop.

I noted to Dad that while Pawpaw sang and whistled all the time, I never once remembered hearing my grandmother sing. Dad's somewhat ascerbic comment was "She always got drownded(sic) out."

This prescious hymnology I now have in my possession is too fragile to use. Apparently both song books are now out of print. I have just sent an e-mail to a United Baptist researcher with a website asking if he can recommend a hymnology currently in print that would include many, if not most of the same songs.

Janie