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| Big Branch News by Diane Fugate 6-2-03 Hello!! I hope everyone had a safe week. There were a lot of family reunions this past memorial day weekend! I went to Two myself and had a great time meeting family I hadn't seen in a long time. I got to meet all of my cousins and all of their families. I also got to meet my husbands family at his reunion and heard a lot of family stories about when they were all little. I think I ate too much though. I couldn't help it there was so much good one couldn't pass that up!I want to say congratulations to Thomas Fugate who graduated the 8th grade. Thomas is my oldest son and I am very proud of him. He worked very hard this year and after graduation our family took him to Pizza Hut to celebrate. Pizza is his favorite food and he loved it. I would also like to say Congratulaions to Tabitha Craft from South carolina on her high school graduation. Tabitha's ky family went to spend this special day with her this past week. Tabitha is a very sweet girl and very smart. The whole family is very proud of her!! Well, How are your gardens doing? I think my tomatoes have had too much rain. Other than that things seem to be coming a long for us. We shall see. haaa. Dale Fugate of south fork and Phoebe Hamblin of Jackson went to South Carolina last week to Tabitha's graduation. They had a great trip and got to see a lot of things on the way! Dale brought us back some Homemade Jelly. I am really glad that they got to go and spend time with Phoebe's daughter and see her grand daughter graduate. The kids are out of school and the first week went fairly smooth at home. It was mostly catching up on sleep and watching movies til Dawn haaa. Now its.. "I'm so bored..and There's nothing on TV." I plan to keep them from getting bored by working some in the garden and around the house. I am not so mean that I would make them do that their whole summer vacation though. We plan to go camping and go to cave Run and do some fishing. I hope all of you have a great summer and a safe one! I guess thats all for now. Stay safe and Happy! God Bless you all!! Diane Dumb Betty News by Linda Fugate 5-21-03 Hello again to all. I was going to plant a few tomatoes, but the weather has been against me all the way. The ground is so wet and every time we think it is going to dry up, it rains again. One thing we really don’t need for awhile is more rain. I would like to give a great big thanks to Joe Combs and also to his supervisor Randy, sorry I couldn’t remember his last name and I apologize for that. Randy sent Joe Combs to fix a road through the creek for us to cross and he did an excellent job and I want to thank both men . Thank you again. Thomas Lee Fugate had a birthday the 16th of May, and his mother Diane grilled out on their new grill. The food was delicious along with the cake. Thomas got lots of nice gifts. I think his best was his power water gun. My grandchildren Cody and Tara always come up on Tuesdays after school, and we have so much fun together. Now that school will be letting out , they will be coming on Monday evening and staying over night. They are so sweet and so well behaved. All the kids want to come up here and play. My neighbor Mina Shepherd is doing just great these days. Her hip is healing good, but her ankle swells quite a bit. That don’t stop her though, she has her walker and gets around the best she can. My oldest son Ronnie that lives in Nebraska, gave me some upsetting news. He said he wanted to go to Iraq and work for a large electricity co. to help with the rebuilding of Iraq. I got pretty worried until he called and said he changed his mind. It is so unstable over there and I am glad he isn’t going. We are having a family reunion on sat. the 24th at the city park and hope to see all the cousins we haven’t seen for years. Have a great week and enjoy life as it comes. Big Branch News by Diane Fugate 5-4-03 Hi Everyone! I haven't had time to write a lot these days, but I made time now. I sure hope everyone is doing fine and is enjoying this weather. I guess I will start off by wishing Sandy Fugate a very happy birthday! Sandy is a fine lady and works real hard. I have never seen her without her smile and she is always there whenever she is needed. So if you know her and see her out wish her a happy birthday!! Also a happy birthday to Linda Fugate who lives on up the road. She is another fine lady who is constantly smiling and giving encouragement. She raised her children and now has grandchildren who just adore her! So A very happy Birthday to Linda!! Also to Phoebe Hamblin who celebrates her birthday on the 7th! Phoebe you have a great Birthday and I hope you never change because you are one great lady!! I wanted to wish a welcome home to Hazel Howard also. She has been ill but is now home and doing fine. I saw Bill out earlier this week and Hazel also planting their garden. They always have a big garden and we get a great big helping of green beans from time to time from them. They are sure good people. William Fugate celebrated his 13th birthday April 12th. He got a load of water guns as presents and we had a big water fight. Then it went from water guns to buckets of water and guess who got soaked? Me... again..haa. But it was fun and he had a great time. Dale Fugate and myself are attempting to build a homemade grill. We have been trying for two years and finally got the foundation dug out. whew! Hopefully it will be finished in a couple of days. Good food on the horizon! Gary Fugate and Sidney Miller worked on the road last week. It was a sight what the rain had done to it. It drives a lot better now though. Adam Miller came in from Chicago yesterday for a visit with his brother Sidney and Dale Fugate and family. Adam is a good man and just loves it here. So we are glad to see him and will try to keep him as long as we can. I will say goodbye for now and wish each one of you a great week!! God Bless you all!! Diane DUMB BETTY BRANCH NEWS by Linda Fugate 4-25-03 Hi everyone, hope all of you stayed pretty warm for the winter. Now that spring is here there are a lot of hard workers getting their vegetables planted for some good eating in the winter months. I am not one of them, cheaper and easier for me to buy what I need. Sounds like on the lazy side doesn’t it? I have three dogs as my pets and they keep an eye on this place and me too. I believe if someone tried to do any meanness around here, they would get a hole in their seats, if you know what I mean, ha. Pays to have good dog to watch your place. The creek we drive through here on Dumb Betty is in sad shape. The county sent someone out to fix it but they just piled the creek gravel in heaps in the creek and also took some up by the road, why they did that, I’ll never know. I think they sent someone that didn’t know what to do. Wish I had a loader I would hire someone to drive it and maybe they would do better job. Last year the county did an excellent job and I was bragging on them. Not much to brag on this year. There has been quit a few four wheelers coming out of here. People just love to drive up these hollers and have fun, enjoying the day. Hope you all have a happy Easter . MOUNTAIN LIFE with OH NAPIER 4-19-03 This is my secret place. I no no one no's where it is at in Breathitt County. I have room for six and one dog. There is can food to feed us up to six months before we have to come out of ground. My grandpa taught me well about how to survive. This is my bunker. Only women allow. Make your reservations at ohnapier@lycos.com---Hillbilly From Heaven Big Branch News by Diana Fugate 1-15-03 Hello to everyone! I sure hope everyone is staying warm during this COLD spell we are having. It sure moved in quick, but then again this is January. I want to send our sympathies to the family of Delphie Campbell. We lost Delphie recently. She was a good woman . I remember her when I was little. She always gave us a great big pear off of her tree when ever I came down passed her house. Our hearts and love go out to her son Sewell Campbell. Sewell is a good man and he sure loved his mother. I want to say a Happy belated birthday to Ron Hamblin! We hope you have many more great ones! Everyone on this side is doing well. Luther Campbell has been busy taking care of his horses and I recently saw Bill and Hazel Howard at walmart with their son Carl. Pauline and Willy Young's grandchildren came to visit us and both have grown to be fine young men! I think these cold days have brought out the spring fever in me. I can not wait to see the sunshine and all those flowers growing again. I miss those warm spring mornings when the air is crisp and sweet smelling. But I suppose I must get through these January days first. I think thats about it for me this week. I hope you all have a great week ahead! GOD BLESS YOU ALL! February 2003 Big Branch News by Diane Fugate Hello everyone! I hope that everyone is staying warm and safe in this awful weather. It is winter though and a lot of this is to be expected. I can remember when the snows were so deep and took a long time melt away when I was little. That was winter! So cold that we could skate on the creeks and slide down the hills a lot faster than we can now. My kids still make their fun in the snow. Even though their snowmen dont stand as tall and are gone the next day or two. HA Ive seen a lot of the plow trucks and salt trucks come up South Fork since this spell has come through. Ive seen them late into the night before a storm is suppose to hit us. I want to thank them for trying to keep our roads clear.James Paul Caudill has been clearing the road up this way. We sure appreciate him a lot! Bless his heart he is out there right after a snow storm hits and I know he's got to get cold. But he still clears that road and hill off. I wanted to say a big hello to Ervine Fugate from Haddix!! He has been ill and in the hospital but hes home now. Ervine is a great guy and never sees a stranger. His brothers and sisters have been going up to his house to sit and talk and enjoy each others company. Everyone sure does think the world of Ervine and we hope that he gets his strength back soon! Sidney Miller's daughter Gayle came up last week to cut everyones hair. She does a fine job! A real professional. It was good to see her. Thanks to her everyone up this way looks real good!! Ha.. Hopefully when it gets warmer I can travel around and talk to more folks and get some good scoops for you all up this way! I will close for now and be back soon with more from Big Branch! God Bless you all! Have a great week and stay safe and warm! Diane Fugate HARDSHELL NEWS by OH Napier JAN 5 - 2003. I can barely drag my leg off Tenn. It is pouring down the rain. Glad I knew these hills as I found an old fashion graveyard which has a couple graves with a house like building over them. My problem is feeding my horse. He has to eat. Reckon the dead won't mind him walking around on the graves to get him some grass. This rain is making it sprout. As soon as I can crawl off I am just going to turn him loose to eat and I am going to crawl in on top of one old grave, build me a little fire inside the house building to dry out. Still got a little smoke, moonshine and beff jerky in my saddle bag so I will survive. Hardest problem is I need to relieve my self and that means I have to walk off this hill to the hollar. If Tenn. takes off with my rifle I will follar him to hell. I need my gun and my horse. I still ain't made it to Hardshell and we still got a distance to travel. I ain't far from Jackson but I made it around the town and miss the JSP. I just heard that train again. Tenn. better stay off the tracks as I heard last week in the Jackson Times a train killed a horse. I found a paper back around the bend while ago. As I was reading it outloud I scared old Tenn. so bad he broke to run. Now my leg is bleeding again, it is raining and getting dark and I must releive myself, my horse has to eat and I must sleep. God be with this old broken shot up outlaw to night. Please I need you and keep that posse away one more night. Mountain Life By OH Napier 1-15-03 This baby is headed to war if there is one. So happy to know that Robert Bowling from Canoe Breathitt County will be driving it. This machine is called an Ammo Carrier but Robert calls it a "CAT." Good luck Robert nice talking with you on e-mail you are leaving soon. You can contact me on my new webpage @ http://www.ohnapier.bravepages.com/Frontpage.htm YOUR BOOK is in the mail. Hope you enjoy it. Mountain Life by OH Napier 12-27-02 Don't this remind a lot of us in many places of this or similar buildings such as the toilet, outhouse or what ever you want to call it.I remember the cold mornings so well as my family had one until I was 25 years old. Use many red and white corn cobs and sears and robuck catalogs. Actually in the summer the outhouse was a place of refuge for me. I even made friends with the spiders and the waspers. Still in the winter time esp. the dead part of winter I didn't stay long. There are not as many as they use to be as modern day society has come into the mountains but for me to this day, I feel a lot secure in an outside toilet than being in a house with ten people. This picture is wrote about in my book "Hillbilly From Heaven." They are available at Jiffy Mart, Berry Shouse's--and are by mail for $20 and $5 shipping to OH Napier-box 392- jackson, ky 41339 HARDSHELL NEWS 12-27-02 by OH Napier This beef jerky I am eating this morning from my favorite store "Jiffy Mart" is keeping me alive. My horse is still alive as I had him climb the mountain real hard. I should have thrown my rifle away but it don't hurt him that bad. I am riding the Tenn. Stud. We already been through that Ark. mud., then went on over into Tenn, now we are in Breathitt county trying to get around Jackson and headed toward Hardshell. Been a rough ride and I do wish a little sunshine would come out but then a gain I would be easier to spot. I have a little moonshine to help and I am getting closer to home. I believe I have a bullet wound in my leg but it has quit bleeding and it is all dry. Why did I have to be an outlaw? I could have settled down and maybe one day have made judge but I let wild things take me away. I loved every minute of it and still trying to get along with the steal plate in my broke hip. This cold weather makes it worser and every step Tenn. takes hurts me more, but I must stay on my horse as I sure can't walk through these mountains. I love my horse and my gun. Even with a broke hip I can take a couple out of the posse if they catch me. I have been leaving pepper behind me that nice old lady gave me down in Tenn. She said the blood hounds cannot trail u when they sniff it up their nose. She was right. I heard that train going down the railroad track. Lord help this old broken down outlaw, Just about 29 miles and I will be home in Hardshell. There is were I want to be buried at. Let me have this one last request. OH Big Branch News 11-13-02 Hello everyone! Sorry its been too long since I sent in the news. I have been busy around the house but Im sure most of you know how that goes ha. I would like to begin by sending our love and prayers to Thelma McIntosh who recently lost her husband Chester. Chester was a good man and he'll be missed. I would also like to say a great big GET WELL to Linda Fugate who has been sick this week and in hospital. I hope she comes home soon and is stronger. This cold and Flu season has just been awful. Most everyone I know has had this flu or virus going around. Gary Fugate had it last week and is doing a lot better now. Never missed a day of work bless his heart. Its sure hard to get rid of. A lot of people have been putting up plastic around windows and doors and getting in their wood. Making ready for bad cold weather. Dale Fugate and Sidney Miller worked all this week getting ready. Dale and her sisters went to the harvest dance at Lees College this past Friday. She said they had a great time there. Thanksgiving is coming up soon. I hope it finds all of you together with your families and friends. Its a time to be thankful for what we have and for our families. I love Thanksgiving! Family and friends getting together and having that turkey and laughing and just making good memories. Its a good time. I hope this finds all of you well and I will be back soon with more. God Bless you all. Dumb Betty News 12-29-02 Hi again from Dumb Betty br.. We had a bad time when the first snow came. First of all we thought we were lucky that electric didn't go off, but we were kidding ourselves. The electric went off the next day. Not so lucky after all. We have never been too lucky when it comes to electric,especially when a storm comes. Summer is same way. Neighbors Mina and Imogene had no electric or heat so Ted and I helped them by getting kerosene heater for them. They were so glad. We also went to town and got breakfast for them and lots of hot coffee. Noticed all the xmas decorations going up. If you want to see some beautiful lights, just come up to Fred hardin's. He has went all out this year and done a fantastic job of decorating his whole place. I know I sure can't beat it. Funny that right after Thanksgiving dinner was over, 19 turkeys came off the hill and just lounged around for awhile and later flew in trees to roost. They must have known Thanksgiving was over. I have company coming in for the holidays. My son Raul and his family will be here the 20th, they live in Nebraska. Its a long drive for them but they want to spend the holidays with Cinda's family too. I just can't wait to see the grandchildren ( Deidra and Joseph), I know they have grown a bit since I last saw them. The creek is so high that we have to walk across the swinging bridge and it is freezing out there. We have had a lot of rain and hope we don't get any for awhile. People that have never lived across the creek and never had to use a swinging bridge don't know the hardships of trying to get to the other side. Remember to be good, Santa is watching. MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Dumb Betty News By; Linda Fugate 11-7-02 I am finally back with more news from Dumb Betty br. Hunting season is here and so far a few have been lucky to get a deer this year.Billy Bo Fugate got his first deer during the youth hunt and he was so happy. His brother Russel wasn't so lucky but will be able to hunt again to try his luck and get that big buck he dreams of. Their father Gene is waiting for a big buck too but in the meantime thanks to Billy Bo they have venison for a few meals. Mina Shepherd is doing very good, she is home and don't have to go back for treatment on the cancer. The dr.'s said they got all of it.Her hip is healing fast and she was told that by spring she will be able to plant a garden. She is one lucky person and is blessed with her family and many friends who visit her. She has visitors everyday to check on her. She is a great person to know. We have had some sad news in the last few weeks. First Sam Allen passed away and last week Chester McIntosh passed away also.This area was saddened by their loss. There are a few places for sale up this way. Irene Spencer is selling her place . the late Hazel Hudson's family is selling her place and the homeplace of South Hudson has been sold which was recently owned by Lonzo Neace. Gardens are all gone now and I am surely going to miss the tomatoes, they were very good this year. The cold weather has set in and another winter on its way,,,brrrr. I don't much care for the cold and I try to stay in as much as I can. The bad weather hurts these old bones. Elections are over and hope all the winners do a good job for the next four years. congratulations to all of them and we expect them to do their best job possible of improving Breathitt co. and the city for the good of the people here. I had a few trick- or -treaters, well really only five of them. Thomas,Monroe and Jessica Fugate and Amos and his brother.Diane and her mother Lizzie Thorpe and Dale Fugate. I didn't think anyone would come here but sure got surprised. I should have known because Diane brings her children every year even if she has to walk over her. Diane bless your heart!! My grandchildren Cody and Tara came to visit and brought their costumes for me to see. Cody was the Green goblin and it was scary. Tara was Barbie and she was a doll . I got to take pictures of them. they bring their costumes every year so I can take their picture. Have a great week and remember to always enjoy life and be happy. by: Linda Fugate Big Branch News 10-26-02 Diane Fugate Hi again! I hope every one had a good week. I would like to say Congratulations to Pearl David Hudson and to his new wife Crystal! They were married October 26th at the Rehobeth Church on South fork. David is the son of Danny and Sandy Fugate from Big Branch. He is the grandson of David and Mae Caudill of southfork. It was a beautiful wedding. Pastor Tommy Haddix performed the ceremony. There were a lot of family and friends that came to share this day with David and Crystal. So we would like to wish them all the best in their new lives together! A very Happy Birthday to Sidney Miller of Southfork. He celebrated his birthday by being able to see his great-nephew David Hudson's wedding. He also received a surprise from his nieces and nephews at the wedding. They all surrounded him and sang Happy Birthday to him. Later at home his niece Dale Fugate made him a birthday cake and his nephews Larry, Gary.. niece Dale and Gary's family all watched him blow out his candles and again sang Happy Birthday to him. So Sid is truly loves by his family! Larry Fugate came in to visit wednesday along with his grandson David Wayne from Indiana. It was a great visit and we were all happy to see both of them! I think that the best thing in the world is knowing that family is always important. Family will always be there during good times and bad. You are truly blessed if you have family that will stand by you and show that you are never alone. I think the weather is trying to turn cold on us pretty quick. Even though we still have Indian Summer to go through I think that we may be in for a very cold Winter season. I hope that all is ready for this. Getting in the wood and coal and all the fun things that are associated with that. It is hard work but getting an early start on things will put the ease on it. I hope each of you have a great week! I would like to say Hello to a good friend from Pennsylvania! Hello Ada! I hope you enjoy this! God Bless you all!! Big Branch News 10-26-02 Diane Fugate Hi again! I hope every one had a good week. I would like to say Congratulations to Pearl David Hudson and to his new wife Crystal! They were married October 26th at the Rehobeth Church on South fork. David is the son of Danny and Sandy Fugate from Big Branch. He is the grandson of David and Mae Caudill of southfork. It was a beautiful wedding. Pastor Tommy Haddix performed the ceremony. There were a lot of family and friends that came to share this day with David and Crystal. So we would like to wish them all the best in their new lives together! A very Happy Birthday to Sidney Miller of Southfork. He celebrated his birthday by being able to see his great-nephew David Hudson's wedding. He also received a surprise from his nieces and nephews at the wedding. They all surrounded him and sang Happy Birthday to him. Later at home his niece Dale Fugate made him a birthday cake and his nephews Larry, Gary.. niece Dale and Gary's family all watched him blow out his candles and again sang Happy Birthday to him. So Sid is truly loves by his family! Larry Fugate came in to visit wednesday along with his grandson David Wayne from Indiana. It was a great visit and we were all happy to see both of them! I think that the best thing in the world is knowing that family is always important. Family will always be there during good times and bad. You are truly blessed if you have family that will stand by you and show that you are never alone. I think the weather is trying to turn cold on us pretty quick. Even though we still have Indian Summer to go through I think that we may be in for a very cold Winter season. I hope that all is ready for this. Getting in the wood and coal and all the fun things that are associated with that. It is hard work but getting an early start on things will put the ease on it. I hope each of you have a great week! I would like to say Hello to a good friend from Pennsylvania! Hello Ada! I hope you enjoy this! God Bless you all!! Big Branch News, Diane Fugate 9-25-02 Hello everyone! I hope that each of you had a good week. With this virus going around I would think that most of us have spent the time sneezing and coughing. This sure has been a rough time for the cold and fevers. I had a great surprise this week from family members. I walked into the home of Dale Fugate and Sidney Miller Saturday and was greeted by " HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" I was so surprised that they could pull this off without me knowing about it. I want to thank Linda Fugate and Phoebe Hamblin and Dale Fugate for the great meal that was served. Also Sidney Miller and David Leveridge for not asking how old I was. Kidding... Also to My husband Gary and children for keeping a great surprise secret. Also thanks to Shanna Castro and lil Tara and Cody Castro for singing so pretty and giving me a great big Happy Birthday hug. We would like to ask that you remember Ina Prater in your prayers this week. She is in the hospital and having a rough time. Ina Prater is my great aunt and a wonderful woman. She and her family need prayers to get them through this. Prayers can always do wonders. I think that if you have the love of a good family and friends you are truly blessed. You can live your whole life on a see saw, Having your ups and downs. You can also keep friends and make new ones along the way. They will help you through those days. When our time is up in this world we will have the knowledge and the relief that we can say, " I know this person to be a friend". And if the person responds in the same way, then you surely have lead a good life indeed. I wish each and every one that reads this a good life with many friends and family that thinks you are special. Even though YOU may not think so, they would always see the special in you. Cold weather will soon be here and I hope all is getting ready for it. Winter proofing your home and your plants. Though I think we will see a few more warmer than usual days ahead. It never hurts to be well prepared. And with this I will say goodbye for now and God Bless you all! Big Branch News Diane Fugate 9-14-02 Hello all! I am sorry that I haven't written much lately. I have been very busy working on two rooms that we are building on. I never knew how much work went into to just building a place! My thanks go out to OH Fugate who came up to help and to my brother Duane for helping also. They stayed almost til 1:00 in the morning finishing up. And was back bright and early the next morning. My thanks to these two fellas! Dale Fugate and Sidney Miller had a great big hand in it as well. Also to my brother's girlfriend Sonya who stayed til late helping with insulation. It is good to have a good family and friends. I may have to fix a huge Dinner to thank them! Samantha Fugate celebrated her birthday Sept 9th. Samantha is the daughter of Danny and Sandy Fugate. She is a very sweet and loveable young girl. Happy belated birthday Samantha!!Also to Fred Campbell who celebrated his birthday on Sept 13. Fred is a hard working boy and we just think the world of him. I have to say a Happy belated Birthday to my sister in law Opal Fugate! So many birthdays! Its hard to keep track. Chester McIntosh has been very ill and in need of our prayers. Chester is a good man, always working in the garden or around his house. The whole thoughts of this past week have been on the attacks of Sept 11th 2001. A terrible day that no one will forget. I think everyone remembers where they were or what they were doing that morning when it happened. It was so good to see our County remember that day and come together. We have great people in this County. Hard working folks. I will for now say goodbye until the next time. I hope all will have a safe week. God Bless! Big Branch News 8-28-02 Diane Fugate A great big hello to all of you from Big Branch. I hope all of you are staying out of this heat. It has been awful. The evenings are cooler now and thats nice. A nice southern summer breeze is always welcome. I saw Bill Howard this week and he said that all is well with him and his lovely wife Hazel. I also saw Pauline and Willy Young for a brief moment they looked well. I haven't been able to get out as much so I haven't got a lot to report this week. OH! Dale Fugate will be celebrating her birthday Monday. So if any of you see her out and about wish her well. Dale is a very sweet lady and very hard working. Julie Hamblin is also celebrating a birthday this month. Another fine lady that is never without a smile. Phoebe Hamblin of jackson came to visit Dale this week. They sat and talked and laughed and had a great time together. I do think thats about it. I hope to have more next time to report. I hope that all of you have a safe and happy week. God Bless you all! Smith Branch News 8-26-02 By: Bobby Thorpe All is well this week at Smith Branch. We would like to remember the Clifton Cliso Campbell family in our prayers. Cliso passed away this week. He was a fine man and will be missed. It has been a rainy week but we are fortunate to have rain. If we remember, we didnt have much last year. people in the area are beginning to do their canning getting ready for old man winter to set in. Looking forward to the 25th Anniversary of the Honey Festival this weekend. The parade should be interesting also along with the crafts, food, and entertainment. Well until next week, drive safetly during the Honey Festival weekend. Big Branch News 8-2-02 Diane Fugate Hello to all! Well it is August once again and that means school time. The kid's vacation is now officially over much to their dismay. I hope each one had a great summer off. We all need to remember to watch for the kids early in the mornings now while they wait for the school buses. Also, watch for them in the evenings as they are getting off the buses. Dale Fugate got a new puppy about two weeks ago. Its name is Buttons and it is cream white with a lot of fur. She has been busy giving flea baths. It seems to love its new home and Dale. Brenda Jones, the daughter of the late Tempa Miller, has recently lost her father to Cancer. Her father lived in Tennessee and she has been going there to be with him. Brenda needs all of our prayers to keep her strong during this time. She had lost her mother Tempa three years ago and her grandmother a year ago. She is going through a great ordeal at this time. All of our love and prayers go out to her and her children. I saw Danny Fugate and Sandy Fugate cutting their grass today. They have a beautiful place and take real good care of it. Danny looked a bit sun burnt but Sandy looked like she was enjoying the sun shine. Copper Tone Danny!.. Just kidding. HA I think thats about it for now. I will try to have more for you later. I hope you all have a great week! God bless you all. Freeman Fork News 7-24-02 Hello All! The weather sure has been hot! Many people are going on vacations. It won't be long till school starts! This summer has flown by. Lisa Cole and Harvey "Peanut" Turner was married last week in Tennessee and there was a reception for them last Saturday. Congratulations! Pamela Gabbard is back from the tour with Richard Jett. She said she was so glad that she went that she enjoyed herself. Roger and Florence Deaton seem to be doing good. There is always someone there with them. I havent heard anything on John Randell Turner's condition but as soon as I do I will inform everyone. Della Smith had a terrible car accident last night! They transported her from KRMC to Lexington. They said she had head trauma. We need to keep her in our prayers. Martha Stamper is recovering very well. I havent heard if Wilkie Helton is driving bus this year or not. He is now 62 and he may retire. He has been driving the bus for 34 years in the Breathitt County School System. Until next time GOD Bless and take care! BIG BRANCH NEWS 5-02 BY DIANE FUGATE Hello this is the latest in the Big Branch area. The breathitt county cleanup has begun this year. There is a location for south fork residents at the low water bridge. People have already begun to bring things over. There is quite a bit there and more to come I think. One of our residents, Sidney miller has worked very hard last week cleaning up and taking things over. I think this is a good thing for all the residents of Breathitt County. This keeps the garbage and Junked up areas from getting any worse and it keeps our county clean. IN THE BIRTHDAY DEPARTMENT..... We have Sandy Fugate, a very hard working lady celebrating her Birthday on April 30. Also, Thomas Fugate will be celebrating his 13th birthday on May 16. Lets all wish them a very Happy Birthday!!!! Last week was a good week to be working in the yard or in the Gardens. Bill Howard was taking full advantage of this. He worked in his garden and in his yard all day. He then rested on his front porch and enjoyed the warm spring evening. Also I have seen many four wheelers out and about. Spring is a good time of the year!! I hope you all enjoy your spring days. Have a good week. Thank you all. County Cleanup Begins Southfork news 5-02 By: Bobby Thorpe, Jr. Breathitt County residents have begun the task of once again cleaning up in their communities. On South Fork, the drop off area at the Big Branch Bridge is beginning to fill up. After looking at the garbage pile and watching the "scrap metal hunters" remove recycleable material from the dump, I wonder home much money yearly we as citizens of this county can recycle and open some type of recreational center for our youth. Also I noticed that refrigerators still have the doors attached to them which is a danger to our children. Only 3 screws hold the refrigerator doors in place so it would not be a big task to remove them. I would like to see volunteers get together during our district cleanups and ban together to beautify our county. Would it be a good idea to be able to transport this waste to a certain drop point year round to keep our county clean? Keep up the good work citizens and lets beautify our county. BIG BRANCH NEWS (5-12-02) Hello once again from Big Branch on South Fork. Well, I have seen a lot of people out doing their flower gardens and there are some very pretty ones. Dale Fugate has been very busy this week. She has planted a lot of Tomatoes and a lot of peppers, with some help from her family. She is feeling a lot better. She had hurt her foot and it took her awhile to get over that. Now she is out and about all the time, taking full advantage of this spring weather. Gary Fugate spent two days last week in the hospital. He is doing fine now and is back at work. The cleanup effort in Breathitt is surely going to be just that this year. There seems to be more this year than last year. Once again the dump site for southfork residents is the low water Bridge at Big Branch. Let's all do our best to keep this county looking clean and something that we can be proud of. BIRTHDAY NEWS A happy belated Birthday to Linda Fugate of Southfork. She celebrated her birthday last week. Also to Phoebe Hamblin of Jackson. She also celebrated her birthday last week. This week Thomas Fugate will be celebrating his 13th birthday. A very Happy Birthday to all. I hope you all have a great week and enjoy this weather and remember to vote May 28th. God Bless you all. Diane Fugate Freeman Fork News 5-12-02 The roads on Freeman Fork are much better than they ever have been! After the flood 2 weeks ago the road was fixed back. There are more things that the county could do to make it a better road but at least they did come and repaired it. We have new neighbors on the creek. Dickie and Helen Abner moved on the creek after they lost their home due to a fire. We welcome them to the creek. There were many mothers on Freeman Fork who celebrated Mother's Day: Edith Stamper, Matilda Johnson, Jesse Banks, Lizzie Deaton, Martha Stamper, Nelwood Wheeler, Helen Abner, Virgina Stamper, Pamela Abner, Wanda Hoagland, Cindy Mosley, Ella Turner, Irene Turner, Pamela Gabbard, and Tina Helton. We hope their day was great. There has been a lot of sickness on our creek. Roger Deaton is sick we all need to pray for him. Fred Stamper seems to be doing better. I visited with Roger and Florence last week and they told me to tell people to keep them in their prayers. Cindy Mosley called and said that her family were doing good health wise. When traveling Freeman Fork you will always see Pamela Abner and her 4 daughters walking in the evening. I stopped and spoke to them and they said they all were ok. Until next time God Bless and Take Care. BIG BRANCH NEWS 6-24-02 Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good week. All this pretty weather has kept me outside working. The children seem to enjoy it also. Each summer we try to have the kids a campfire and roast hotdogs and marshmellows. We will all sit around the fire and swap stories. Some scary and some funny. The kids like to throw in one or two of their own which seems longer and longer as it goes on. HA But they enjoy it. Thats whats on the agenda for the rest of the evenings at our house. They won't be children forever and they will always remember that time around the campfire. In other news... Dale Fugate, Phoebe Hamblin and David Leveridge, went to Salyersville this week. They went to Butcher Holler, the childhood home of Loretta Lynn. They had a great time. They met Herman Webb, Loretta's brother. They took the tour of her home which took them back at a time when things were a lot different than now. Dale said that her song "Coal Miner's Daughter" was true to form, because in it she describes the home exactly. I am glad they got to go. Herman Webb still lives down the road from their old place. Dale got a special treat, a great big hug from Herman Webb. HA They said Loretta is their favorite singer from when they were small. Its good they got to go together. We have seen a few snakes out this year all ready. Two big copperheads. Be very careful, especially in the evenings when it is cool outside. Watch the kids around bushes and wood piles too. Snakes love to hide there. Some folks have been getting the moth balls and spreading it all over. We have our supply in. Just be very careful. You all have a great week and be good to one another. God bless you all. BIG BRANCH NEWS 6-5-02 Hello all! I hope that your week went well. I think a lot of this hot weather we have been having is just a glimpse of what we will get this summer if not more. We have had a few rains that lasted a good while so maybe that will help. We recently visited Hardins Cemetery on South Fork and it looks really nice. Someone has done a very good job cleaning it off and cutting the grass. I for one do thank you. I have a lot of family up there and really appreciate the hard work it must have taken. The children are out and about this week. Please be sure to watch out for them while driving, for they may not watch out for you. We had two visitors up on the hill this week. Fred Campbell and his little brother Amos Campbell came to spend the night with Thomas and William Fugate. They had a real good time playing footbal and basketball. We also had a water balloon fight, that I most certainly did NOT win. It was a nice time for the children though and that is what counts the most. Sidney miller and Dale Fugate visited Phoebe Hamblin in Jackson this week They checked out some of the flea markets and found some bargains but it was too hot for them. They called it a day. We would like to express our sympathy to Omar Campbell's family and would hope you all would remember them in your prayers. They have suffered a loss of a family member and need our thoughts and Prayers. God Bless you all !!! BIG BRANCH NEWS 5-02 BY DIANE FUGATE Hello this is the latest in the Big Branch area. The breathitt county cleanup has begun this year. There is a location for south fork residents at the low water bridge. People have already begun to bring things over. There is quite a bit there and more to come I think. One of our residents, Sidney miller has worked very hard last week cleaning up and taking things over. I think this is a good thing for all the residents of Breathitt County. This keeps the garbage and Junked up areas from getting any worse and it keeps our county clean. IN THE BIRTHDAY DEPARTMENT..... We have Sandy Fugate, a very hard working lady celebrating her Birthday on April 30. Also, Thomas Fugate will be celebrating his 13th birthday on May 16. Lets all wish them a very Happy Birthday!!!! Last week was a good week to be working in the yard or in the Gardens. Bill Howard was taking full advantage of this. He worked in his garden and in his yard all day. He then rested on his front porch and enjoyed the warm spring evening. Also I have seen many four wheelers out and about. Spring is a good time of the year!! I hope you all enjoy your spring days. Have a good week. Thank you all. County Cleanup Begins Southfork news 5-02 By: Bobby Thorpe, Jr. Breathitt County residents have begun the task of once again cleaning up in their communities. On South Fork, the drop off area at the Big Branch Bridge is beginning to fill up. After looking at the garbage pile and watching the "scrap metal hunters" remove recycleable material from the dump, I wonder home much money yearly we as citizens of this county can recycle and open some type of recreational center for our youth. Also I noticed that refrigerators still have the doors attached to them which is a danger to our children. Only 3 screws hold the refrigerator doors in place so it would not be a big task to remove them. I would like to see volunteers get together during our district cleanups and ban together to beautify our county. Would it be a good idea to be able to transport this waste to a certain drop point year round to keep our county clean? Keep up the good work citizens and lets beautify our county. BIG BRANCH NEWS (5-12-02) Hello once again from Big Branch on South Fork. Well, I have seen a lot of people out doing their flower gardens and there are some very pretty ones. Dale Fugate has been very busy this week. She has planted a lot of Tomatoes and a lot of peppers, with some help from her family. She is feeling a lot better. She had hurt her foot and it took her awhile to get over that. Now she is out and about all the time, taking full advantage of this spring weather. Gary Fugate spent two days last week in the hospital. He is doing fine now and is back at work. The cleanup effort in Breathitt is surely going to be just that this year. There seems to be more this year than last year. Once again the dump site for southfork residents is the low water Bridge at Big Branch. Let's all do our best to keep this county looking clean and something that we can be proud of. BIRTHDAY NEWS A happy belated Birthday to Linda Fugate of Southfork. She celebrated her birthday last week. Also to Phoebe Hamblin of Jackson. She also celebrated her birthday last week. This week Thomas Fugate will be celebrating his 13th birthday. A very Happy Birthday to all. I hope you all have a great week and enjoy this weather and remember to vote May 28th. God Bless you all. Diane Fugate Freeman Fork News 5-12-02 The roads on Freeman Fork are much better than they ever have been! After the flood 2 weeks ago the road was fixed back. There are more things that the county could do to make it a better road but at least they did come and repaired it. We have new neighbors on the creek. Dickie and Helen Abner moved on the creek after they lost their home due to a fire. We welcome them to the creek. There were many mothers on Freeman Fork who celebrated Mother's Day: Edith Stamper, Matilda Johnson, Jesse Banks, Lizzie Deaton, Martha Stamper, Nelwood Wheeler, Helen Abner, Virgina Stamper, Pamela Abner, Wanda Hoagland, Cindy Mosley, Ella Turner, Irene Turner, Pamela Gabbard, and Tina Helton. We hope their day was great. There has been a lot of sickness on our creek. Roger Deaton is sick we all need to pray for him. Fred Stamper seems to be doing better. I visited with Roger and Florence last week and they told me to tell people to keep them in their prayers. Cindy Mosley called and said that her family were doing good health wise. When traveling Freeman Fork you will always see Pamela Abner and her 4 daughters walking in the evening. I stopped and spoke to them and they said they all were ok. Until next time God Bless and Take Care. Freeman Fork News 5-27-02 Looks like there are many pretty gardens on Freeman Fork. I have seen many people cutting grass and working in their gardens. Flowers are blooming and they are beautiful.There has been a lot of sickness on Freeman Fork. Roger Deaton is still sick. He seems to be feeling some better. One of Randy and Kim Turner's infant sons is sick, John Randall. Martha Stamper has been going to doctor also. Lets keep these people in mind when we say our prayers. We have a proud graduate on the creek, Mr. Joshua Helton. He graduated from Highland-Turner Friday. Congratualtions Joshua we are very proud of you. Now that school is out we will see more children out so be careful when driving.Until next time God Bless and Take Care! BIG BRANCH NEWS 5-27-02 Hello All! I hope everyone had a good week. I think this cold spell that we have had is almost over. I hope the frost that we got last week didn't do any damage to your gardens or flowers. Well, school is finally out for the year and most of the children are awaiting that long over due rest and fun in the sun. Time to vacation and spend time with their families. Several families have already gotten visits from relatives from out of State. Memorial Day weekend has brought a lot of people back to Breathitt County. Adam Miller and his lovely wife Mabel and grandson TJ came in from Chicago today to visit family. Adam grew up here in Breathitt County and went to school on Smithbranch Road along with his brother Sidney Miller. I think Breathitt County holds a lot of roots for many people that do not live here any longer, and usually find their way back. Memorial Day is a day to remember those that we have lost and to remember what they meant to us. It is also a time to remember those that we hold dear to us now. Our family is our link to life. We have to cherish those with us now. In other areas..... Sidney Miller has worked on the Prater Noble Cemetery this week, cleaning it off and cutting the grass. He is a good man. If you see him around, say a big hello to him. Dale Fugate went to several graduations this week. Her Nephew Mike Hamblin graduated 8th grade at Jackson City School. Mike is a very hard worker and smart as he can be. We are all real proud of him. Congratulations Mike!! That is about it for now. I hope you all have a great week. Have a good Memorial day. And REMEMBER to vote on Tuesday May 28th. God bless you all !! Douthitt Park Nice Place for Family Fun and Excitement 7-12-02 Jackson, Ky. Ever since this beautiful park has opened, it has become the meeting grounds for friends and families alike. This beautiful local park offers things for everyone. From the spacious baseball field to the multi-court basketball facilities, to the very plush soccer fields. Douthitt Park also offers kiddie playgrounds, as well as blacktopped walking tracks and a boat ramp. If you need to get out and spend time with your family, there is no better place to go than Douthitt Park! Local Fisherman Lands Huge Fish 7-10-02 Slade, Ky. Local fisherman Ian Chapman shows off his catch of this huge 11/2 inch Blue Gill, he recently landed near Natural Bridge. Not to worry folks this fish was released safely back into the water to tempt another great fisherman who would dare reel this monster in. Way to go Ian, from all your friends at Breathitt Online. BIG BRANCH SOUTH FORK NEWS 7-5-02 Hello all!! I hope each one of you has had a great week. I know that it has been very hot and the rains seem to have made it even more humid. But this is Summer and it makes a big water hole or swimming pool seem like paradise. I know that we have enjoyed going to Linda Fugates to swim in the water hole and have fun in the summer sun. I hope each of you had a great 4th of July. The fire works in town were great! My children really enjoyed them. And the cookouts and cold watermelon just made it more of a good time. We had a great cookout with Sidney Miller and Dale Fugate this week. Phoebe Hamblin and David Leveridge of Jackson came and her daughter Sharon Craft and family came all the way from South Carolina to taste Dales Grilled Chicken. We had fireworks all the way up to midnight. We celebrate the 4th because we are proud of who and what we are. AMERICANS.. We have a lot of freedoms here in this country and should be very proud of our heritage. Our prayers go to the men and women over seas at this time. They are there keeping us free and seeing to it that we stay that way. Our prayers are also for Tony Turner's family. Tony was very respected in these parts and we are thankful to have been able to call him one of our own. I hope each one of you have a good week !! God bless you all !!! Freeman Fork News July 2, 2002 The weather has been very hot and there has been lots of rain. On the pretty days I see neighbors cutting grass and weedeating. Some neighbors stopped by to see John Randell Turner and they said he was having good days and bad days. I see Crystal Deaton and Don Deaton staying at Roger Deaton's alot. I also heard that Joan Sandlin from Morris Fork was bitten by a copper head. Martha Stamper is doing much better since her surgery. Please keep these people and their family in your prayers. I seen that David Wheeler has bought him a new trailer to use when he goes camping. I think his family will enjoy that. There has been a lot of people riding their 4 wheelers on these pretty days. I have heard many people getting things out of their gardens. There has been some birthdays on the creek...Happy Birthday to Jon Travis Hoagland, Anthony Helton, and Don Deaton. We have a new neighbors on the creek. Travis Hoagland has moved a new mobile home on the creek. We would like to welcome him back home. One couple is getting married in our community... Lisa Cole and Harvey "Peanut" Turner. They are going to Tennesse to get married next week. Congratulations and Best Wishes! Until next time God Bless and Take Care! Smith Branch News July 20, 2002 By: Bobby Thorpe, Jr: Hello from Smith Branch Ky. Not much has been going up here just trying to beat the heat. The Hardin Cemetery Memorial Service and Family reunion went very well this year. We had a wonderful Memorial Service and Dinner afterwards. Tommy Haddix officiated the service and Janet and Allie Jordan along with Kendra Thorpe sang some beautiful songs. It was also good to have my good friend Ervine Fugate attend the service and the reunion afterwards. We will be having the next one in the Fall of 2003. We will keep everyone posted on the dates. I have been busy teaching CPR courses. Anyone wishing to take a CPR course feel free to contact me at 606-666-9361. People on the holler have been killing a lot of copperheads this last week. Glad that there hasnt been any sightings of rattlesnakes. Please remember William Campbell in your prayers as he has been sick and in the hospital this week. Also remember Aunt Mina Shepherd as she is now home I hear recouperating from a broken hip. I am getting ready to hit the campaign trail in the next 2-3 weeks for my bid for the office of Breathitt County Coroner. I will be visiting you all hopefully in the near future. Well thats all from Smith Branch Ky for this week. God Bless each of you! Big Branch News, July 19th 2002 Hello all! I hope you all have had a good week. It has sure been hot and humid. I think the rains are good for the gardens but it sure makes it hotter when it goes away. Not a whole lot to report this week. I think it's been too hot for anyone to get out and do anything. There were some that ventured out though. Linda and Dale Fugate along with Sidney Miller and Linda's grandchildren, all went to Buckhorn Beach this week. Also Phoebe Hamblin and David Leveridge from Jackson went as well. They had a really nice time despite the heat. Dale said the water was great. Jeffery Hamblin went also and had a ball! Linda's grandchildren Jonathan and Tasha are visiting her for awhile from Nebraska. I think they really like going to their grandmothers.Dale is in a painting mood this week. She is going to re model her bathroom area. And guess who gets to help her? Lil Ole ME ! I can't wait! Gary Fugate has been on vacation last week and all of us. Dale, Sidney, and our family went to Natural Bridge for the day. Had a great time there. Dale and I went on the Sky lift and held on for dear life. HA... but it was gorgeous there. We made it down alive. HA.Dale has lost her small black dog .. Pepper. Sidney has been looking for him since July 4th. Pepper did not like the fireworks we had that night here and decided to run away. But we will keep watching for him. School will be starting very soon once again. So please watch out for the children getting on and off the buses. I guess that is all for now. You all have a great week! Diane Freeman Fork News 8/17/02 It has been sad in the community of Freeman Fork. We have lost some dear and precious friends. We lost Martha Stamper to her battle of cancer. Martha was the widow of Bud Stamper and the mother of Herman and Homer Stamper. She was 87 years old. She was a dear person. She was like an angel on Earth. We also lost Mr. Roger Deaton to his battle of cancer. He is the husband of Florence Stamper Deaton. Roger served time in the army. He is also has a brother that is living.. Jim Deaton. Also we lost Cora Elaine Adams Barrett to her battle of cancer. She is the wife of Ernest Barett, the mother of David Ingram, Andrea Barrett, Ronn Barrett, and Mikie Barrett. She is the grandmother of Jordan Turner, Bradley Barrett, and Katlin Barrett. She was such a sweet person. She has lots of brothers and sisters living. She is the daughter of Merdie and the late Alice Adams. Please remember John Randell Turner in your prayers. This little boys is very sick. It was nice seeing all the kids going back to school with smiles on their faces. The kids on this creek or getting so big. Pretty soon we wont see a bus going up. We have gotten some rain. This weather has been beautiful. Please keep this community in your thoughts and prayer and until next time may god bless you! Dumb Betty News By; Linda Fugate 8-15-02 Hi everyone, I live at Dumb Betty Br. And there have been a lot of happenings over the summer here on Southfork. My neighbor Mina Shepard fell last month and broke her hip in 5 places but is doing very well at this time. She has been walking on a walker due to the tender care of her daughter Polly who has been here since her mothers fall. Polly lives in Ohio and she plans to stay until her mother is walking good. Congratulations to Bob and Sue Fugate’s daughter Wilma for having twin boys, each weighing 5lbs. Sounds like they are healthy little babies. Now there are 2 sets of twins in their family. Wilma’s cousin Jennifer has twin girls. The creek has been a busy place this summer with lots of people going swimming. What is better on a hot day but to jump in the creek, and while you’re at it might as well wash the car or truck too. Heard Sam Allen isn’t doing too well at this time, we send him well wishes. There have been a lot of remodeling going on over the summer all up and down Southfork. The places are looking real good. Fred Hardin sure has done a lot of work around his place and he had a lot of help from Edith too, wish I could do the things they do. Sure is pretty up there. Donna and Gene Fugate brought me some tomatoes and corn and said their garden isn’t doing too well. Neither is mine, my tomatoes are still green. Well you have a nice week and enjoy this nice weather while it lasts. Big Branch News 8-14-02 Hello To All! I hope you all had a great week. The first week of school is over and so far so good. The children are not out playing as much now. My little cousin Jonathan cam to spend the night Friday and he said that school is school. so I guess all goes well there. HA Dale Fugate is finished her remodeling for a spell. I got to help paint which was fun. I got more paint on me than the walls, but it turned out well. She and her uncle Sidney Miller went to Ohio with her sister Phoebe Hamblin and David Leveridge last week. They visited Phoebe's son Mike Hamblin there. They all had a great time. Bill Howard is doing well. I saw him this week on his front porch, taking a break from the heat. Bill is a good man and his wife Hazel is a good woman. She is also a very good cook. We had a visit from Danny Fugate and his family this week. His grandson gave us all a great big hug and a wave when they left. The county road workers were up our way yesterday, cleaning out the ditches. Which really needed it. Our thanks go out to them! IN THE BIRTHDAY DEPARTMENT THIS MONTH... Dale Fugate will be celebrating her birthday on August 27th. Dale is a hard working woman that has more energy than one can master. She is also one of a kind and makes great Lazana! So Dale you have a great Birthday!! Thats about it from Big Branch. I hope each one of you have a good week. God Bless you all! |
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