The Lewis Mountain Widow

By John W. Stoneberger © 1990

Issue: August, 1990

Old Time Religion In The Blue Ridge - Turn of the century preaching in an open air meeting on Lewis Mountain in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Circa 1900. Notice how the logs were used for pews, also how elegantly the mountain people were dressed. Cross cut saws were used to fell huge trees and make a clearing so outdoor services could be held. Front Cover photograph of August 1990 edition.I once read the standard version of the Bible through and in the 58th chapter of Isiah, I found these words:

"In the day that you will feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the needy, then get down on your knees and say, 'Where is this Lord God that made heaven and earth?' Then will I answer and say, "Here I am!"

My grandmother, Cora Virginia Roche, born January 19, 1868 and died September 16, 1936, came as close to living the 58th chapter of Isiah as anyone I ever knew. She was the real backbone of our spiritual heritage.

She was born a Keckley, married a Reynolds, a man of fine character and reasonable wealth, who died and left her with three children. In 1892 she formed a union with John Scott Roche whose wife had died and left him with seven children.

Grannie moved from Lost River, West Virginia to Lewis Mountain near Elkton, Virginia where they bought the Slaughter property of over 1,000 acres, with the large well-built pioneer home made from well crafted hand hewn logs, with a large fireplace in both the living room and extended kitchen. At this location they finished raising their combined family and seven more children of their own, my mother Elizabeth being one of these.

Cora Virginia Roche, January 19, 1868 - September 16, 1936.Every mountain seems to bear a lovable character: Moses got his calling on Mt. Horeb, Rev. Bob Childress on Buffalo and Cora Roche on Lewis. There were more signs of God reigning in that mountain age than in our present times of modern technology. People gave with love even if it was a piece of cornbread or a baked sweet potato.

They knew that giving was the life blood of mountain life, without generosity life would have been almost impossible. It was by the giving of labor, milk, food, seed, and sharing of animals, tools and guns that they were able to survive. They knew the joy of sacrifice without a thought of reward. It seemed the rugged mountain life brought out the noblest quality in people.

This couple knew that in the Highlands of Scotland many a man had worked a lifetime, died and left a will of his earthly possessions which consisted of two oxen, a plow, bed, table, four chairs and four books. In Scotland, much of the crops went to the king and his men; little was left for the tenant. The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia offered high hopes of prosperity with rich natural resources of fertile soil, good timber, abundant water, lots of bluegrass grazing land and meadows. Fruit like apples, peaches, cherries and chestnuts were plentiful, along with wild game and trout. It was like the Garden of Eden to Cora and John Scott Roche.

Grannie and Grandpa had brought their education with them into the mountains, now their main concern was how to bring education to their children.

Grandpa was a man of good judgment in business work and management, with thirty men peeling bark in the spring of the year, keeping a four mule team with harness and wagon in shape to haul year around. Looking after the cattle, fencing, patch farming, he was a busy man.

Rev. Frank Persons, Episcopal Minister who lived in the John Scott Roche home for years and preached on Lewis Mountain.Grannie was just as busy with labor, plus she saw the great lack of knowledge in the mountains for both church and school.

She was well acquainted with the Great Mother Church of England, (The Episcopal Church) and here she sent for help.

Reverend Frank Persons, a very congenial young minister was sent to live in the Roche home and conduct all religious services for the community. A chapel was built onto the house and used until the number of people required a larger meeting house. Later, after Grandpa died April 10, 1917, she gave ten acres of land with timber along with the use of her saw mill, to build the new Saint Andrews Roche Mountain Mission. There were eight or more Episcopal missions from Simmons Gap to Big Meadows, also several mission homes staffed with registered nurses. These homes were used like hospitals, much food and labor came from the local mountaineers to help maintain these stations of mercy.

The missions were under the supervision of Arch Deacon Frederick W. Neve. The Episcopal Church also had a high school at Yancy, or Lynwood, Virginia, plus a large Blue Ridge Industrial School at Dyke, Virginia.

In the early days of Grannie's life on Lewis Mountain, before the mission was established, she had her family organized so each sister had a younger child to care for. A book could be written on how a sister learned to mother a younger brother or sister and the love that developed to last a lifetime.

The real purpose of it was so Grannie could set her home in order, and saddle a horse in the morning to ride through the mountains to help a mother give birth, wait on the sick, or shroud the dead. She could do the work of a midwife, maid, cook, nurse, minister or care for the dead.

They say "To be loved, needed and wanted is the greatest calling on earth." Grannie had all these things and used them well.

Grandpa was known as the mountain profit, but one day he came under conviction and found his faith and called for the Bishop of the church to come hear his confession, pray with him and baptize him. Carrie Mackley, an Episcopal teacher lived in his home in 1916 and made a record of the event in her diary. I have a copy of that diary.

Grandpa died April 10, 1917. He was older than Grannie and she lived on as a widow until she had to leave Lewis Mountain when the Shenandoah National Park took over her estate in 1934.

I read a lot where writers mention poor widows. Grannie was twice a widow - 1890-1892 and then from 1917-1936 when she died. One thing I would love to declare - she never was poor!

She believed her Bible and knew riches and honor could walk hand in hand with loving and giving, along with bold living.

A cousin told me when the men came with the big truck to move her from her home on Lewis Mountain to Rhodesville, Virginia, as the fellows struggled with a heavy camel back trunk, the bottom fell out and they discovered it was filled with jars of money! At this time she had been a widow 17 years.

A lot of people had moved out of the mountains by 1934, as high paying jobs like coal mining, steel making and other industries had called them. One young family was left near Grannie who owned no home, had little money and no place to go. Grannie bought them a home with 20 acres of land.

This fine family later gave her back every penny of her gift plus many kind deeds, favors and presents. I like to think of the widow who was blessed for making the Profit Elijah a cake with the last bit of her oil and meal.

Grannie gave both room and board to ministers and teachers for years. She helped raise dozens of children, fed large numbers on holidays and weekends. At funerals, church picnics and mutton feasts, she fed hundreds. What I liked about her, she gave from the top of her barrel.

Yes, Grannie, we do believe those who will feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the needy will be blessed by God and this is pure religion, the kind the true mountaineers love.

Your Hillbilly grandson, John W. Stoneberger

Author's Note... I have a deep gratitude for Arch Deacon Frederick W. Neve, Rev. Frank Persons and Deaconess Carrie Mackley, along with the Episcopal Church, who were very relevant in working with the Lewis Mountain people of Greene County, Virginia. In the early 1900's.