Currituck Calls, Home Demonstration Newsletter, 1961

I wish I could give credit to the woman who put Currituck Calls together. It may be Daphne W. Yon, who was listed as editor of the January 1961 newsletter, but there is no guarantee that she was still newsletter editor three years later.

Currituck Calls: The Voice of the Home Demonstration Clubwomen

Late Summer Edition, 1964

August is here—the last month of summer! As always, we remember the many things we planned to do this summer and as usual, we find that the time has passed too quickly and many have been neglected. Perhaps, we have done some unexpected things, though. Maybe we’ve been on a trip we didn’t plan or had guests we didn’t expect, or met some new friends. We find that, after all, it’s been a good summer and we hate to say “goodbye” to beautiful summer days and vacation even as we look forward to autumn pleasures and plans. This can be a lovely time of the year. Let me share with you a verse of John Keats’ “To Autumn.”

Where are the songs of spring?

Ay, where are they?

Think not of them—thou hast thy music too:

While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue,

Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn

Among the river sallows,* borne aloft

Or sinking, as the light wind lives or dies;

And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

Hedge crickets sing; and now with treble soft

The red breast whistles from a garden croft,

And garnering swallows twitter in the skies.

Currituck Calls Congratulates

--Our own Publicity Book, which won a blue ribbon at Homemakers’ Week in Raleigh. Of course, credit goes to Fay Forbes, County Public Relations Chairman, and Clara Reese Whitehurst, of Shingle Landing Club, who compiled the book.

--Pauline Munden, who won the Auslew Gallery Award with her sculpture “Mockingbird” at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show in July. Pauline’s pictures also caused much favorable comment at the show.

--Margaret (Babe) and George Twiford of Waterlily on their 50^th Wedding Anniversary, which they celebrated on July 12. Friends called to wish them well and brought lovely gifts to this popular couple.

--Ann and James Ferebee’s son, Jimmy, who recently married Diane Humphries. We wish them much happiness.

--All other lucky summer brides and grooms. May you all have many years of happiness and good fortune!

Over the Back Fence

At the Conjock Club meeting, Estelle Walker had a watermelon cutting in her back yard during the social hour. Everyone enjoyed the delicious melon and discussed the film on the Dismal Swamp, which Mrs. Sanderlin showed to the group.

Members had planned a picnic at the beach for their August meeting, but remember “the best laid plans of mice and men, etc.” Anyway, it was later decided to have the annual outing on the canal bank. Alethia Spry and Joann Ringer each made a freezer of ice cream while Mildred Hill used the “Currituck Calls” recipe for pound cake and contributed a fine cake. Estelle Walker, as usually, had prepared fun and games for both adults and children, and the members and their families were well-fed and well-entertained and enjoyed the time together.

Crawford members have developed an interest in various pets recently. Gail Sawyer has a pet coon. She says he’s quite tame and likes everyone in the family except husband Clifton. (Wonder if Clifton is a coon hunter?)

Carol Keaton has a bear who is a visitor to her garden almost every night. (I don’t think he would qualify as a pet, though.) She says they might have bear meat in the freezer soon! Carol is doing a lot of canning and freezing, and her pantry is fast filling up.

Mary Ann Hardesty says that sunglasses work wonders when you peel onions. If you are one of the “cry babies,” you might want to try this.

Mary Outlaw of Grandy Club has frozen 23 quarts of blackberries, picking them herself from the ditch banks. She says she picks berries with one hand and uses the other to brandish a fire poker to fight snakes! She says she had a green snake to wrap himself around the poker but fell off. Looks as though Mary is a real brave woman who loves blackberries.

The Barco’s Drive-In and Market seems to be very successful and keeps Norma, Ralph, Elizabeth, and Wendell busy as well as their very efficient employees.

Gibbs members are very pleased to have Bessie Hughes home after her stay in the hospital. They miss Donna Fay Brickhouse at the meetings since she is now working.

Louise Cahoon is having some valuable help this summer with her three daughters helping her paint their home on the inside. They have recently enlarged one of the rooms by taking in part of the breezeway. Louise also finds time for copper tooling. She recently exhibited at the Norfolk Arts Festival and the Chesapeake Art show.

Another Cahoon, Bernice, is a great one with copper tooling, too. The electric fuse box for their home is in her daughter’s bedroom so she made a copper tooled picture and placed it over the box. This is the same size as the box and adds to the room’s decor.

Gladys Fisher of the Jarvisburg Club may develop a new career for herself. She has been refinishing furniture this summer and an antique dealer who has seen some of it is trying to get her to go into business. Those little first graders at Griggs would surely miss you, Gladys!

Gladys Sawyer says she is glad to find out when to plant onion seed. She has been planting them in the spring and the onions have been small. After reading the article by our farm agent, Mr. Hardesty, in the daily paper, she learned that onions should be seeded in September. Now she will plant her seeds this fall and hope for nice, big onions next summer. See, we can always learn something useful from the Extension people!

Among the Knotts Island members, who have been busy freezing vegetables and fruits this summer, you would certainly find Mattie Capps and Mildred Strawhand. These ladies will have good meals this winter, I’ll bet.

Clara Irving is improving from her recent illness. Everyone hopes she will be completely well by August 29 when her son, Paul, and Josey Ammons of Virginia Beach will be married.

Edith Waterfield will use her good personality and charm in her new job with a real estate firm where she recently began work. Watch to see real estate values rise!

Poplar Branch Club members always welcome visitors with open arms! If you don’t believe it, come to one of their club meetings. Ida Lee Saunders or Daphne Yon would just love to count you as their guest!

Thetis and Howard Forbes have enjoyed a visit from their daughter, Rosalyn, and her family this summer.

Members are glad to have Mrs. Carrie Walker back for a visit. She now lives in Charlotte but Poplar Branch still claims her.

The club thanks Tillie Barnhard for making the Clubhouse sign which will be displayed soon. Thanks also to Stan Wilkins and Ralph Saunders for putting up the storm door.

The members enjoyed a family covered dish supper at the clubhouse for the August meeting. Everyone ate lots of good food after enjoying games together.

Pearl Thomas of Powells Point Club has enjoyed visits from all six of her children and their families this summer—not all at the same time, however!

Ruth Walker’s absence from recent meetings have been noted by her fellow members. They hope she will soon be back with them. She’s missed!

Members enjoyed a wonderful day together recently when they drove to Norfolk and visited the McArthur Memorial. They had a delicious luncheon at one of the department store tea rooms and saw a good movie in the afternoon. Of course, they got in a little shopping! Those attending were Frances Doyle, Ethel Sawyer, Ella Dunton, Zelda Sumrell, Inez Dowdy, Doris Newbern, Becky Newbern, Joy Sawyer, Gladys Fisher (Jarvisberg), and Mrs. Sanderlin.

Shawboro’s Thelma Morgan is always busy and yet she always has time for so many things. Her daughter, Patsy, with her four children was home for a visit during Bible school, but Thelma took the children to Bible school, taught the older girls to make beautiful pajama bags and even helped in the church nursery. She is always willing to go help! Elizabeth Harrison, who works at a marina in Coinjock has sold twenty Swedish weaving towels that Thelma made. See what we mean?

Waterlily members are pleased that Mrs. Cora Basnight is able to be out of the hospital. She is with her son and his family at Bertha.

Nettie Sears has been busy taking care of her garden produce. She has put up beans, tomatoes, and pickles among other things. Nettie still found time to take her girls fishing the other day. The bottom of the boat was slippery and when she reached for the rope to start the motor, she fell flat! She was sore the next day, but not really hurt, except for her pride. When she told her husband what had happened, he said, “I suppose you busted the bottom out of my boat! (Don’t worry, Nettie; he could see you weren’t hurt.)

Bill and Zorado Snowden have been busy beautifying their lawn and Sound bank. They also planted the kind of grass that will conserve their land.

Clarine Doxey, Anna Mae Sargent, Rosalie Jones, Audrey Bunch, and Phyllis Peters of the Soundside Club have been taking their children to Elizabeth City each day for swimming classes. We should have some good swimmers!

Phyllis Peters has had lots of guests this summer from Ohio, Washington, Baltimore, and various places in Virginia.

Jean Mathews is taking advantage of her husband Carson’s vacation to finish the den. They are also installing an old-fashioned Ben Franklin stove and a brick hearth.

Glad to hear that Olive Bateman is recovering nicely from an operation.

Shingle Landing members and their families enjoyed their outing at the Elizabeth City pool.

Phyllis Evans’ husband, “Pug”, went out to cut the grass one day. Beside the fence, the mower stopped abruptly. When Pug examined it closely, he found the reason: a snake was wrapped around the blade and nearby were thirteen rattles!

Graythel and Alva Coppersmith have started their new home on Cooper-Garrett Road in Moyock. They hope to be in by Thanksgiving.

Virginia Edwards’ members were happy to have Edna Creekmore’s daughters, Edna Newbern from Florida and Mary Elliott from Norfolk at a recent meeting.

Margaret Harrison and Alice Scaff have both been hospital patients this summer. Margaret still is, but is expected to be home soon. We are glad to know that Alice is home and much better.

Mrs. Sudie Winingder recently moved to the Sanderson Apts. In Moyock, and has been welcomed to the Club. New ideas always come in with new members and we can use all of them that we can get!

The August outing for this club was a tour of the Norfolk Harbor and luncheon at a motel restaurant. This was the result of Mrs. Sanderlin’s travel demonstrations in July.

County Capers

The new county library signs on the highway were painted by John Snowden Jr. of Maple. Isn’t it a good job? The lumber and posts were donated by the Ferrell Lumber Co. and Frank Aycock put them up. Hal Ward (Manteo) built the check-out counter and desk shelves for the library. Thanks are certainly due these citizens for their public service.

Alton Taylor, Post Master at Currituck, has been jokingly complaining when it’s time to mail out issues of Currituck Calls, but when his wife Gladys used a recipe from it and made him a fruit cocktail cake, he decided it was well worth the effort and time required to mail them.

We are asked to remind all of our Club members to be very sure that we make all visitors welcome when they stop and attend services at our churches. Some of our people attended in another state and only the minister spoke to them.

You might ask Daphne Yon how she acquired that expensive-looking hairdo on her trip—or you might ask Ethel Smith if she enjoyed shopping in Baltimore.

Grace Forbes (Jarvisburg) has made a set of needlepoint pictures for each of her children and their families. She framed the ones she made for her son in the frames that have been in the Forbes family for a hundred years.

Alice Flora (Shawboro) put her club craft training to work when she attended the Baptist Children’s Camp at Chowan this summer. She taught crafts to the children there.

Gladys Fisher (Jarvisburg) has been quite excited about the twelve running tomato plants which her brother gave her. She recommends them to anyone liking tomatoes, says they bear meaty fruit with few seeds.

Ask Margaret Jarvis and Faye Forbes about missing the subway in New York while the group was at the World’s Fair. An interested gentleman told the others to get off and wait for them and someone else said to stay on and meet them later. Everyone enjoyed the tour; even birthdays were celebrated and a Miss America was chosen. Molly Winslow could tell you about this.

Currituck’s group who attended Homemakers’ Week in Raleigh decided to make Elma Midgett of Dare County an Honorary Currituckian. All of us enjoyed having her with us the entire time. It was also very nice to have Mrs. Gilbert English share the room with Mrs. Sanderlin and Thelma Morgan, and we wonder if she would like to be an Honorary Currituckian, too?

Eva Sawyer (Jarvisburg) has put out many new iris this summer so she will be able to enjoy them in bloom next spring.

Fern Davis (Waterlily) has been taking care of the Frankford fishing lodge nearby, renting boats, etc. She also has been entertaining lots of company of her own this summer and in between time, canning tomatoes, snapbeans, berries, and making pickles. Then, too, she likes to ride on the back of the riding mower—or let’s say she used to like to! One day husband Russell invited her to ride down to the lodge on the mower with him. Going down was fine but coming back Russell turned a curve too fast and Fern rolled off. Bet she rides in a car next time!

When Jeannette Williams returned to her home in Massachusetts after a visit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brumsey of Currituck, Mrs. Brumsey went with her. On the way they visited Barbara and Millard Smith in New Jersey and they all went to the World’s Fair. Mrs. Brumsey went on to visit another daughter, Ann Leary, in California where she enjoyed a wonderful trip. However, she still says there is no place like Currituck!

Marilyn and Jack Raisor and Phyllis andPug Evans (Shingle Landing) attended the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. They also visited “The Hermitage” while there.

Edith Justis’ granddaughter, Kathy Austin, who is eight years old, was much impressed at the June Club meeting (Waterlily) when the flag was the subject of demonstration. She made a drawing and colored an American flag which was very neatly done.

Doris Newberg and daughter, Becky, and Joy Sawyer had a bit of excitement on their way home from Florida. While eating at a restaurant in Georgia, three Cuban boys who were walking from New York to Florida stopped in to eat also. They had flags, signs, etc., and so befuddled the young waitress that she completely forgot to serve Doris’ party their dessert. Since it was banana pudding, Doris is still bemoaning the fact that she missed out on her favorite dessert!

The attractive Currituck name tags which caused so much favorable comment at Homemakers’ Week this year were made by Janet Hill of Elizabeth City. Thank you, Janet. We enjoyed wearing them.

Vacation Trips

Janet and Milford Sawyer (Crawford) with their family enjoyed camping out on their vacation trip. They, with Margaret and Marvin Doxey, went to Kerr Dam and camped out starting on Friday. Then on Monday, Doris and Tim Hendrix and Mary Ann and Jerry Hardesty met them. They kept in touch by telephone before the second party got there so they would know where to go. All the families had a fine time.

A group from Currituck went to Williamsburg on a tour. Everyone had a wonderful time even if there was a little misunderstanding about the time of the departure. Lucille Shackley says she’s glad the bus had to stop for a traffic light after it had pulled away. This delay just did give her time to run and catch up with it. What do you supposed would have happened when the bus got to Moyock and tried to put Lucille off?

Bernie Sawyer (Powells Point) enjoyed an extended trip this summer with friends. Their destination was South Dakota, but many points of interest were visited along the way.

Carolyn and Dukie and children (Crawford) enjoyed an overnight visit with Marie and Walter Smith in Laurinburg while on their vacation. They toured the Battleship North Carolina and also went into the mountains of Virginia.

Roy and Eva Sawyer (Jarvisburg) had a wonderful cruise to Bermuda—with only one day of sea sickness! Elizabeth Dannelly (Jarvisburg) is spending the summer with her grandmother in Texas. Mattie Wright has spent some time at Virginia Beach while Blanche Poyner described her trip.

The group from Currituck who attended the Homemakers’ Week enjoyed their “vacation trip.” Sometime when you have loads of time around Raleigh, get Mrs. Sanderlin to take you to a special place to get a steak dinner. She will! Ethel Sawyer, Inez Dowdy, Thelma Morgan, Helen Walker, Daphne Yon and Elma Midgett (Dare County) can vouch for that.

Recently Hazel Beasley and Ruth Dowdy stood in line 50 minutes to visit Pres. Kennedy’s grave. Later they toured Air Force One. Hazel’s son-in-law, Joe Chappell, is First Flight Engineer on the President’s plane.

Eddie and Ruth Dowdy visited their daughter, Grace Cummings, in Springfield, Ill. Margaret Dowdy went with them.

Elma White and daughter, Sharon, of Knotts Island joined friends from Norfolk to tour some of the places of interest in the city. They visited Old St. Paul’s Church, the Myers House, the McArthur Memorial, and the Norfolk Museum. Other Notts Island travelers were: Catherine Etheridge and family, who visited the Great Smokies and saw “Unto These Hills” among other places; and Audrey Cooper and her family, who went to the Skyline Drive and other places in Virginia.

Bertie, Gordon, and Marsha Erickson have recently visited Florida. Edith Hampton (Soundside) and son Russ also had a trip to Florida.

Fern Davis (Waterlily) with her house guests, Hazel Crain from Portsmouth and two grandsons from Richmond, drove down to the Wright Memorial and on to Buxton. Everyone walked to the top of the Hatteras Lighthouse except Fern who had done it in February with guests. Said she hadn’t lost a thing up there and didn’t intend to go back. It’s not that high, Fern!

Ida Upton (Shawboro) and her husband visited her niece in Charlotte and then went on to Asheville for a few days. Hilda Forehand (Shawboro) visited relatives in New York. She says Mary Jo and Bill loved the subway rides.

Jerry, Jennie, and Audrey Bunch, Clyde and Ethel Smith, and Daphne Yon visited Jennie and Jerry’s son, Glenn, in Baltimore. Glenn was a wonderful host and guide. While there, the group visited Fort McHenry where the Star Spangled Banner was written, Annapolis, Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, Washington, and the World’s Fair. They also stopped in Williamston on the way home.

Vivian Etheridge and Madeline Sawyer (Shawboro) visited Vivian’s daughter, Jeanne and Stanley Meiggs in Washington, D.C., recently. Mattie Beasley (Knotts Island) went to visit her daughter, Carolyn and Ike Meiggs, who also live there.  Now Madeline is in Limestone, Maine, visiting her son, Will, and his wife, Lois, and grandson, Johnny, where Will is stationed as an instructor in the Army.

*Sallows is a fell (area of uncultivated high ground) in the English Lake District.