The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-10-02
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WRITES OF MEMORIES
OF OLD DAYS IN DARE
California Resident Recalls Early
Years and Friends on Coling-
ton Island.
To The Editor:

To The Editor:
My "Coastland Times" for
Sept. 18th just arrived and l
enjoyed your editorial "Then
and Now" very much. But l am
scratching this little note to tell
you how much l enjoyed the
editorial or essay about your
father, l have kept that copy of
''The Times" although 1 usually
send them to my daughters. One
in San Diego, one in D. c. and
my adopted daughter in Japan.
They all love Dare County like
you do for they were all born
there, my oldest daughter Gin
D. c. was AZ years old Saturday
the 18th. 1t doesn't seem that
long since my sister and l came
from the Orphans Home in Vir-
GINA to Dare County. was only
Is years old. had no girlhood,
went from childhood into mar
riage and maternity, and here l
am 81 next month and a great
grandmother.
But my hurry about scribbling
this note. Cant find my best penn
and I'm very slow on my type
writer is to tell you I've read
the essay about your father over
and over. Although I did not
know your father, you could have
been writing about a man I did
know and said practically the
same things. This mans name
was "Uncle" John Meekins of
Colington, who was my uncle by
marriage to my mothers sister.
His wife, (my aunt had died be-
fore I went to North Carolina
and he was married to a lady
whom I land every one else)
called Miss Alice. Their house
was built with a path that led
down to the sound between Col
ington and Roanoke Island and I
can remember uncle John COM
ing up the path with loads of
fresh fish. (The only fish we ever
had during my 10 years at the
orphans Home was sailed herr
ing sent from Norfolk and Ports
mouth, Virginia in barrels) I
shall only be able to tell you one
thing right now that l remember
about my uncle John-when he
had eaten his supper he always
made little pallet" for him
self beside the glowing box"
heater that he had already
banked with "hard wood, took
book out of a book case he had
built behind the heater and pro-
ceeded to read himself sleepy
going to BID, (where aunt Alice
was already asleep for hours)
only when he woke up during
the night. Uncle John was a great
philosopher and being only
child myself l thought he was
a very wise sage. His little ceme-
terry was in sight of the windows
and I remember he told me aunt
Polly was there as well as aunt
Chloey (who was married to Mr..
Stephen Beasley) and also my
mothers first baby was there, as
it was born and buried there be-
fore my parents moved to Rich
mond, Virginia, where I was
born, the last of 10 children and
1 am the only one living. I'll
close by saying the first time I
remember ever seeing you Victor,
was at the home of my cousin,
Mrs. Mary Best and you were
with Ray Perry, who at that time
was an amateur artist-none of
us were married then, and l sup
pose Ray is still unmarried-I
met him in Philadelphia at his
sisters home, she has son who
is gifted as an artist as was Ray,
the son was in World War II.
l must end this, as 1 have many
things to do, l have just moved
into a new house trailer, 1858,
35 feet long that has all the lux
cries of the most modern home
or apt. (Has 4 tandem wheels, so
if I don't like my neighbors, or
the climate, ETC., I can quickly
move to another of the many
beautiful traitor parks in South
ern California; I've moved back
to this one three times since 1943
as it is near the Los Angeles Gen
eral Hospital where my husband
is X-ray technician in polio and
contagious deseases-four thou
sand people are treated every
day at this hospital, which is a
city by itself-they have 1900
! employees. All who work among
the contagious cases get month
| ly bonus. Best wishes,
c. FLORENCE HOPPER
(Mrs. Russell ND
4105 Valley Blvd
Los Angeles, 80, Calf.
Sept. II, 1858