PATRICK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM NEWSLETTER
Vol. XXII No. 1 Winter  2008

  Publication of the Patrick County Historical Society, Inc.
Post Office Box 1045, 116 West Blue Ridge St., Stuart, VA 24171
Ph. 276-694-2840 - Website: www.patcovahistory.org   Hours: 10 a.m. to  2
p.m., Tues.-  Sat.

       In Memory of William C. "Bill" Staples, 1922 - 2007  & W. Curtis Carter
1919 - 2007
 Dedication  
   This newsletter is dedicated to two of our longtime board members and
friends who passed away in the fall of 2007, William C. "Bill" Staples, Jr.
and W. Curtis Carter.

    Our friend Bill Staples had served as treasurer of the society for more
than two decades until illness forced him to turn over those duties in early
autumn of 2007. Bill, ever the picture of health and vitality despite his
octogenarian status, had dealt with cancer over the past two years gracefully
and with a sense of humor.  He was one of the most active members of the
community and involved in numerous civic organizations in addition to the
Historical Society including Stuart Rotary and the Boy Scouts. He was a great
fan of Virginia Tech sports also.
    Although born in Lynchburg and residing in Roanoke during his early years,
he was a graduate of Stuart High School and Virginia Tech. Bill was from a
family whose roots go back to the earliest days of Patrick County. Bill served
honorably in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and returned to
Patrick County to serve his community just as honorably. Many young people got
to know Bill when he drove the county bookmobile in the 1950s and later.
   W. Curtis Carter was a native of Patrick County whose first work involved
helping his father run the depot for the D & W Railroad in downtown Stuart.
Curtis served in the Army Air Force in WWII also and finished his career as a
supervisor at V.R. Williams’ wood flooring plant in Stuart.     Curtis  was
active in his church and with the Boy Scouts. He served on the Patrick County
School Board and the regional library board.  As a stalwart with Stuart Rotary
Club, he achieved perfect attendance for more than fifty years. Curtis had a
difficult time with cancer over the past few years, but he kept a remarkably
positive attitude despite his illness.
   Anyone who got to know either Bill or Curtis would soon realize they had a
genuine interest in and were very knowledgeable about history, especially that
of Patrick County. They were both exceptional people who served as active
members of the Historical Society.  It was a privilege to know them and serve
with them on the society’s board of directors over the years.
   We send our heartfelt condolences out to their families and to their many
friends. They will be sadly missed by all who knew them.
Annual Meeting
   As in past years, the society held its annual general membership meeting in
November of 2007. Randle Brim, a writer from Asheboro, North Carolina,
presented the story of the "Flat Rock School Fire of 1957." Several victims of
the school fire attended the meeting and added special meaning to the program
with inspiring stories of how they survived and yet continue to deal with the
severe and disfiguring injuries they received.
    Although it took place in a small community south of Patrick County in
North Carolina, the tragedy affected school fire and safety codes statewide.
Our own board member, Ararat resident Barbara Clement, attended the Flat Rock
School, though not at the time of the fire. At the conclusion of his program
Brim presented to the historical museum a copy of his well-researched book on
the fire and its aftermath.
Large Donation Received
   Before the formal membership meeting, a representative from Primland Resort
presented a check for $1,000 to the society. This contribution was in part for
John Reynolds’ assistance in writing a historical guide for the resort.
Several of the museum’s photographs donated by Barbara Clement will be used
in the guide also. The booklet is designed to help visitors become familiar
with the history of the Primland area and of the county in general. The
society expresses sincere appreciation to Mr. Primat, owner, and to Steve
Helms, general manager of Primland.
 Board of Directors  & Officers Elected  
   At the fall meeting, those members present elected a board of directors for
2008. They are: Barbara Ayers, Henry Ayers, Barbara Baughan, Barbara Clement,
Virginia Collins, Philip Cooper, Beth Ford, Larry Hopkins, Ella Sue Joyce,
Eunice Kirkman, Callie Ruth Price, John Reynolds, and David Sheley. The
society welcomes new board members, Carolyn Beale, former director of the
Reynolds Homestead, and Joanne Hill, visiting teacher for Patrick County
schools who also writes feature articles for The Enterprise.
   Officers elected for 2008 at the board’s January meeting were: Henry
Ayers, President; Larry Hopkins, Vice-president; and John Reynolds, Secretary.
Fortunately, David Sheley, who took over as "interim treasurer" during Bill
Staples’ illness, has agreed to serve as treasurer for the coming year
also.
Board Approves Donations to Schools
    The board approved giving copies of its new edition of Patrick County
Yesterday: Vintage Photographs of Local Life and Culture to all schools in the
county. (It had previously donated copies of the History of Patrick County,
Virginia to each school.) In addition, the society plans to give a college
scholarship to a deserving Patrick County student in the coming year.
 Book Sales Continue
   The society has a limited number of copies of the revised and updated
Patrick County Yesterday books mentioned above for sale. Please note that
previous printings of this book have sold out quickly. They are only $10 each
at the museum or $13 by mail.
   The hardback edition of History of Patrick County, Virginia remains
available, and O.E. Pilson’s Tombstone Inscriptions of the Cemeteries of
Patrick County and several other books on local history and genealogy are on
hand as well.
   A number of new items have been added to the museum’s collection over the
past year and have been displayed where space was available. We realize that
many of our members do not reside in the county and cannot visit the museum
very easily, but with internet access our website site can be very helpful. As
has been done for many years, we try to provide basic assistance to anyone
with questions about their ancestors from our extensive collection of
information on Patrick County families. 
Reminder & Closing Comments
    As a reminder, if you wish to remain on our mailing list and support the
local museum and its preservation efforts, we would appreciate your annual
membership dues of $10 per year- if you did not remit them last fall. The
"life membership" level remains $100 for an individual.
   You may send dues, contributions, or any other correspondence to the
society at  P. O. Box 1045, Stuart, VA 24171. Our website can be found at
www.patcovahistory.org. Our goal is to keep the museum open for everyone while
preserving part of the rich heritage of the county. We wish all our members
and friends a healthy, happy 2008. Thanks for your continued interest and
support!