Cousins and Kin: One Family's Photo Album, Part 2
Viewer Eva Mae McCleland shares some photos and memories of her family
Dear Family and Friends,
Thought you might enjoy these. Oh, how I wish I had been more careful
with pictures through the years!
Picture #1: Joyce Holiday, Uncle Tolbert and Aunt Ethel Holiday, Don
Tolbert and his father Don Holiday at Don and Joyce's house in
California.
Picture #2: Aunt Ethel (with her beautiful hair) and my brother
Jarrett. Jarrett is named after our father and grandfather (Judge J. G.
Campbell). Aunt Ethel is my father's sister and Judge Campbell's
daughter.
Picture #3: My father Jarrett Gardner Campbell (changed his name to
James for whatever reason) and Bill Alcorn. Bill was married to Helen,
one of the twin daughters of Uncle Tolbert and Aunt Ethel. Bill (and
most of my first cousins) are around my parent's age because my father
was born when his mother was in her 40's. I don't know where the
picture was taken.
Picture #4: This is my Aunt Eva (another of the Judge's daughters) and
Uncle Carmen Hughes and his family. The picture was taken in Vicco,
KY. Left to right: Arcie, Aunt Eva, Uncle Carmen, Mom Hughes, Dad
Hughes, Duke and Teed. I have no idea when or where it was taken. Aunt
Eva and Uncle Carmen lived in Richmond for years. Aunt Eva was a
beautiful woman inside and out, and I'm proud to be named for her and my
mother's sister Mae.
Picture #5: My mother, Ella Campbell and me, Eva Mae. This was taken
on the long walk to Aunt Ethel's house. The picture was taken in the
fall of 1941. I would love to have a picture of that house (on Cedar
Street in Hazard Kentucky). It was a wonderful house. There was a
single car detached garage that was at street level. The main entry to
the house was down some steps and then down a long sidewalk where this
picture was taken. The house had a long porch that ran around two
sides. I spent many happy hours stretched out in a swing on the front
porch reading library books. That was when you could check out as many
books as you wanted. You had to write the full name of each book on
your card. I read all the Little Colonel and Nancy Drew books. If
memory serves me right, Uncle Tug (daddy's brother) and Aunt Helen lived
there after Uncle Tolbert died. I have very vivid memories of Uncle
Tolbert playing a dulcimer in the evening.
Picture #6: My father in his uniform in 1941. I have no idea where the
picture was taken.
These pictures are of me, taken in a studio in Hazard Kentucky. I don't know what studio was
around then but will try to find out. The mother/daughter picture is me
and my mother! I'll bet you figured that one out. Mother probably made
the dress. She used to sew just about all our clothes. I was thrilled
to get Dora Elizabeth or Sally Sue's* hand-me-downs because they were
store bought. Shows you what I knew. I always thought Sally Sue was
one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. Of course she was
older than me and probably didn't know I was alive. She collected small
hand blown animal figures. They were kept in a cabinet with glass doors
in the living room. Their sofa backed toward a big window. It was a
wonderful place to hide and I used to hide and listen to the things that
children weren't supposed to hear. I was terrible to eavesdrop. Mother
knew this so once when I was listening in she decided to teach me a
lesson. She told whomever she was talking to, "I don't want Eva Mae to
know, but she's adopted." I was traumatized. I came by it honestly
because my father was a nosey person, too.
Dent retired from the Hazard Post Office. They live on Galley Street there in Hazard. The street was named after Betty Jo's parents who used to have a grocery store. In the
recently re-released History of Perry County, it lists them as having made a contribution to helping publish the book in the first place. Dent and Betty Jo raised dachshunds for years.
My parents brought one across the United States as a pet for my children some 30+ years ago.
Their son Doug is now an attorney. He showed a bent for arguing his case when he was just a small child. For years he wanted a pony and his parents kept saying no. One afternoon
Dent was reading the paper. Doug came up and stood beside the chair. "Dad, can I have a rope?" "Sure," Dent replied. "With a pony tied to the end of
it?" That's all for now. Have a wonderful day!
*Dora Elizabeth and Sally Sue were daughters of Judge Campbell's son Tug
and his wife Aunt Helen.
I finally have a picture of my grandfather, Judge J. G. Campbell, to
go with the picture of my grandmother found elsewhere in this "My Cousins" section. It is the only picture I have ever seen where he looked like a person
and not a public figure. It was sent to me by cousins Dent and Betty Jo Holliday.