FAVORITE FAMILY FOODS & GRANNY KILGORE'S BUTTER ROLLS by Johnny Kilgore

Food is such an important part of our culture, especially in the South.  I can recall growing up in the early 1950’s, when making a living was a struggle, and the simple food on the table reflected that struggle.  We grew most of our food, and preserved it by canning.  Peas, snapped green beans, tomatoes, pickled peaches, and cucumber pickles were regular staples.  As our quality of life improved, though we were not aware of that fact, the purchase of a family freezer  replaced canning for keeping food for future use.  Okra was there for the taking during the coolest of weather days if we so desired.  The food was prepared and preserved much differently.  Then came the purchase of a larger freezer, which provided the space for almost anything it was desired to keep for any  duration of time—breads, meats, vegetables, nuts, ice cream….the list was virtually endless.

In my early childhood days, the meals were simple for the most part—peas,  potatoes and cornbread.  Fried chicken was reserved for Sunday dinners (the noon meal).  Eventually that changed.  From the freezer could be taken pork chops or a roast, or maybe, catfish.  The possibilities were available  just by lifting the freezer lid.  Of course, the food did not magically  appear in the freezer.  It either had to be purchased from a store or grown on a farm, harvested, and prepared for freezing.  There was expense and time involved with whatever came from the freezer.

 Presently, as we return to the home of my youth during special holidays, the foods most requested by our children are my mother’s green beans and creamed corn— all made possible during the winter months because of a large freezer.  But the emphasis is on the importance of food and the pleasure of being together as we sit around the table enjoying all our favorites.  

Our family has favorite recipes that my wife has discovered and perfected during our 47 years of marriage.  The most notable ones are special chicken sandwiches, an authentic Italian spaghetti sauce, and Whoopee pies. Our children would fight over the Whoopee pies when they were small and they always want the spaghetti when they come home.  

Granny Kilgore

When I reflect on my Granny Kilgore and her cooking, I remember very little. But there are some special memories of the watered-down hot chocolate and the cat head biscuits. During one of my visits home, I was looking through a cookbook from Oak Grove Church, and there was a recipe of Granny Kilgore's.  I don't remember her making the recipe for butter rolls, but my cousin, Patricia Phelps put the following recipe in the cookbook as a memorial to Granny Kilgore. 

GRANNY KILGORE’S BUTTER ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup milk  

1/2 cup Crisco

2 cups sugar, divided

1 stick butter, melted

lemon or vanilla flavoring

2 cups water

DIRECTIONS:
Mix flour, milk, and Crisco forming a dough. Chill.  Roll out chilled dough on floured board.  Spread with melted butter and 1 cup sugar.  Sprinkle with lemon or vanilla flavoring.  Roll up and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Place in an oblong pan.  Mix 2 cups water and the other cup of sugar.  Bring to boil and pour over rolls.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until done and browned.

I think it is a special thing that we have Granny Kilgore’s Butter Roll recipe as a remembrance of the hours and hours of work she put in, raising and feeding a large family.   I hope some of the family will try this recipe, and remember its source.  It is another way of acknowledging our Kilgore lineage.  A very rich heritage it is.  Enjoy the butter rolls.

Appendix: 
November 3, 2014
Since the original posting of this article, I cooked Granny Kilgore's Butter Rolls.  The turned out beautifully.  It is a very sweet dessert.
Here are some photos.

  

VISTING OUR COUSINS ON THE ALABAMA GULF COAST by Johnny Kilgore

My wife, Pat and I recently took a trip to LA (lower Alabama) with a group of friends from the church  where I am presently serving as music director.  Our specific destination was Orange Beach, Alabama, residing for five days and nights in one of the Nordic Villas on Romar Beach.  There were twenty-three of us staying in one of the huge houses on the beach. It was a beautiful setting overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  The five days were vacation time.  It was also a time of cementing friendships as we all met together during the evenings for a prepared meal, a devotional time, a singing time, and a game time.  Otherwise, everyone was on their own during the day, which leads me to the reason I’m writing this blog.

We have Kilgore Cousins living on the Alabama Gulf Coast!  The cousins living there represent two lines of the Kilgore family—the Dolly Kilgore Gordon/Sherer lineage and the Ruby Kilgore Chadwick lineage.  Aunt Dolly’s granddaughter, Judy Cordes Tatum, lives in Orange Beach, and has a small boutique called “Sweet Dreams.”  Judy’s mother was Jackie Gordon Gentry.   Her shop is located in beautiful  SanRoc Cay Marina.  Across the courtyard from Judy’s shop is JG Gordon Interiors, a store owned by another one of our cousins, John Grant Gordon. 

John Grant is the  great- grandson of Aunt Dolly.  John Grant’s mother, Miriam, also lives in Orange Beach.  If you are ever in the area,  I know they would love to see you.  The cousin from Aunt Ruby’s part of the Kilgore family, Nelda Chadwick Schultz and her husband Ken, live in Gulf Shores,  Ken and Nelda resided in the Dallas, Texas area until his retirement last year.  After retirement, they moved back to the place of his roots, Baldwin County, Alabama.  

It was arranged  by private Facebook message that we  cousins get together for breakfast during our visit.  After much back and forth messaging, I was not completely clear as to  what we were going to do.  John Grant had to go to Vegas on Wednesday,  Judy had suggested Monday morning.  Ken Schultz couldn’t make it on Monday.  I suggested Tuesday, but some didn’t see the message in time, and I thought Monday was still on. Nelda also thought Monday was on.   When Pat and I got to the Fiddlefish Restaurant at 9:00 am, no one was there.  Nelda called that she was running late.  When she arrived, no one else had shown up.  Nelda called Judy and John Grant and they thought it had been changed to Tuesday.  Nelda and I never received that message.  Judy came right on after Nelda’s call, and we sat down to order,  and talked while we were waiting for our food.  John Grant came in about 10 am.  Miriam was working, so she did not get to come. It is amazing how things were so mixed up, but was still a good time seeing Nelda, John Grant, and Judy.

(from left to right) Nelda Chadwick Shultz, John Grant Gordon,
&Judy Cordes Tatum at the FiddleFish Restaurant

Since Nelda knew that Ken could not make breakfast on Monday, she invited Pat and me for lunch in their home on Wednesday.  I rang the doorbell at 11:30 AM, and Ken and Nelda answered with a smile and a hug.  Nelda showed us her lovely home.  It is so open and airy…. a very comfortable, welcoming home.  After the tour, we sat down at the kitchen table as Nelda served us a beautiful plate of chicken salad, pimento cheese sandwiches on pumpernickel bread, fresh mixed fruit, all garnished with mint leaves and a small green onion.  As beautiful as the plate of food was, it tasted even better.  As we ate, our conversation went  back and forth on subjects like retirement, family history,  children and future plans. We left the Schultz home about 3:00 PM.  Very special time it was! 

The remainder of the week proved to be just as delightful as the first part of the week.   We left Orange Beach about 8:00 AM on Friday and headed home.  It had been a very good week for us. We look forward to being part of this week next September.

BLACKBERRY SUMMER by Johnny Kilgore

picking blackberries
one berry at a time.

Around mid-to-late June , it was blackberry picking time.  I have wonderful memories of those times, living in the country as a young boy, making a trek through a field, bucket in hand, in search of a wild blackberry patch.  Usually the berry patch was located in an out-of-the-way, obscure location known by someone  in our family.   

Sumac Bush

When picking wild blackberries, protective dress was required—feet covered with shoes and socks, legs covered with long pants, arms covered with a long-sleeve shirt, and  head protected from the sun by a big brimmed straw hat or a bonnet.  The needed apparel for berry picking made a hot, humid summer day feel even hotter.  Even with proper precautions, it would still be a certainty that hands would come in contact with briars, inflicting their pain. Being pricked by the briars would result in an unexpected, excruciating  foreign needle into the skin—not pleasant at all.  Until the briar was carefully removed, there was no more berry picking.  Even after removing the briar, the hand would still feel lingering pain.  Caution was used as the berry picking continued until the bucket was full.   Many times clothing would be snagged by the berry briars which would not turn loose so easily, serving their purpose and preventing the beautiful, plump blackberries  from going into the  bucket.  Picking wild blackberries was an obstacle course. For a child, it was easy to be slowed down.      

Watch out for snakes!

The blackberry patch would be “wild” in every sense of the word.  Many times, other wild plants intertwined with a lush and green blackberry patch.  Taking notice of any invasive plants around the berry patch was a part of the ritual.  There was one plant that displayed a lace-like white bloom which indicated that snakes might be near.  Snakes could be hiding within the thick foliage.  There would be the wild, smooth Sumac bushes standing tall among the berries or bordering the patch.  But even worse than the fear of snakes and briars,  there was the ubiquitous  “red bugs”.   These tiny, red creatures called chiggers would hop from the plants to you as you plucked a berry from the vine.  These microscopic little creatures embedded themselves in the most private of places, creating a most annoying and painful itch.   The chiggers would have to be removed, but sadly, not before they had done their diabolical work.   It was a nightmare to a little boy.  Chiggers were certainly the most menacing obstacle to picking berries.

Watch out for Red Bugs!

Berries need to be black to be ready for picking!

Watch out for briars!

So why pick blackberries under so adverse circumstances? Because It is one of nature’s special fruits  to made the most delicious desserts.  The berries were free for the picking, only costing your time and effort. Although it was work in the hot sun, the end result was a delight to the palate.  There is nothing quite like a homemade blackberry cobbler!  It was worth all the labor.

Today,  commercially grown blackberries can be purchased in the local supermarket.  Sometimes blackberry cobbler will be found on the dessert menu of restaurants.  Recently, I went back to the home place in Winston County, Alabama and went to a wild blackberry patch, where I filled a bowl with some wild berries.  I returned to my Birmingham home  with berries in hand, place them in the refrigerator for safe keeping, and a day or two later,  created a blackberry sauce that I placed on top of a shortcake.  It was delicious. Life moves on, but my love for blackberries stays constant both in memory and in reality. 

I close with this most important thought.  In addition to the delicious benefits from those childhood berry picking days already mentioned in this article, there was one additional major  benefit that trumps the others.  And what could that be? The most important benefit was the family working together, picking together, talking together, and learning together.   In spite of the snakes, the briars, and the chiggers, we picked berries as a family.  Nothing can top that.  What a memory!  One relived every time I eat blackberries.

  

FAMILY ICE CREAM MEMORIES & RECIPES by Johnny Kilgore

Tomorrow, Friday, July 4th, we celebrate our country’s birthday.  A major part of that celebration involves food.  There will be gatherings with family and friends, grilling hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or ribs, and enjoying special desserts, especially ice cream.

As part of my fun childhood memories of the Fourth, homemade ice cream  on this special day comes to mind.  Such memories evoke joyous, reflective emotions.  We did not have the treat very often, but the Fourth was the exception.  

Making ice cream did involve work.  Packing the ice cream maker with ice and salt, turning that crank until it could not turn anymore, and letting the ice cream set for a while before opening the top of the container were all important steps to perfection.  Wow!  That vanilla ice cream was the best on a hot summer day.  It was much better than any you might buy in a grocery store.

There are other ice cream memories as a child in the Kilgore household—mainly, when it came a winter or a spring snow.  When those rare weather snows came, it was an exciting time for us children. Nature had provided the frozen base for those exciting activities, that of building snowmen, making snowballs, and eating snow cream.  The snow ice cream was  truly special.  We did not have to turn a crank for an hour.  We did not have to add salt to the ice.  We did not have to let the cream set.  Mixing the needed ingredients of milk, sugar, and vanilla flavoring provided  a magical wintry treat.  Wow! It wasn’t even the Fourth, but it was a time of fun and celebration.

But during normal everyday times, I can also recall homemade chocolate ice cream mixed and placed in ice trays to freeze in the refrigerator.  We did not have to get out a hand-cranked freezer, bother with ice and salt, and work at making it freeze.  The refrigerator did all the work for us.  My mother would mix all the needed ingredients together to create something wonderful—homemade chocolate ice cream.  Wow! It tasted like those chocolate ice cream bars on a stick one could buy during those days.

And now, as a mature seasoned adult visiting the home of my roots, there is always available  for my consumption, store brand ice creams, all kind of choices —chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, black walnut, or any combination thereof.   Love those Snicker ice cream bars. But none of those offerings compare to the ice creams of my boyhood days made by the hands of a mother who knew how to mix it all together to make “homemade”.   Tastes change and ice cream recipes come and go, but the memories do not.  

In carrying on the family tradition, my wonderful wife has some tried-and-true ice cream recipes that I truly recommend for any occasion.  Those recipes are followed by some personal remarks in italics.   They are quite tasty, and any guest will be impressed when you serve them ice cream made by your own hands. The first three recipes are not my wife's, but I thought they sounded good enough to try, so I've added them to the list.  They all use the refrigerator to freeze the cream.  Enjoy, and have a happy Fourth of July 2014.

VANILLA REFRIGERATOR ICE CREAM

1 1/2 cups half & half cream or whipping cream
1/2 cup white Karo syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 can evaporated milk (chill in freezer until partially frozen)
1/2 cup sugar

Mix cream, Karo, vanilla and salt in large bowl.  In small bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light.  Add egg mixture to cream mixture and stir.  Beat evaporated milk until thick like whipped cream.  Fold into egg and cream mixture.  Pour into a plastic container, cover and place into freezer.  When partially frozen, beat again and return to freezer, “Frozen” add grated chocolate to taste.  “Fruit” add fresh or canned fruit to taste.

STRAWBERRY REFRIGERATOR ICE CREAM

1 pint fresh strawberries
1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk (such as Eagle Brand)
2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil.  Wash, hull, and pat strawberries dry.  Puree in a blender.  Combine strawberry puree with milk in a large bowl.  Fold in whipped cream.  Pour into foil-lined pan.  Cover with aluminum foil and freeze 6 hours or until firm.  To serve, peel off foil and slice ice cream with a large sharp knife—or scoop from pan into dessert dishes.  Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

EXTRA PEACHY REFRIGERATOR ICE CREAM

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups half & half cream
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed mile (such as Eagle Brand)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
2 cups finely chopped fresh peaches (about 1 pound or 4 medium peaches)

In a medium saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over half & half.  Stir over low heat about 3 minutes or until gelatin dissolves.  Cool slightly.  In large bowl, combine gelatin mixture with remaining ingredients.  Blend well.  Turn into a 13 X 9 inch pan.  Freeze about 1 hour or until a firm mush.  Break into pieces and turn into a large chilled bowl.  Beat with mixer till smooth.  Return to pan.  Cover and freeze until firm.  Makes about 5 cups of ice cream.

TRINIDAD BANANA SHERBET

1 large can evaporated mile
1/2 of a 6 ounce can of limeade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup toasted sweetened coconut
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas
few drops green food coloring

Pour milk into an 8 cup container.  Freeze until ice crystals form around the edges.  Transfer milk to a large chilled mixer bowl.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  Combine limeade concentrate, sugar, coconut, bananas, and food coloring.  Fold in whipped milk.  Turn into pan.  Freeze until firm.

(This is a good, unusual recipe to serve special guests.  Add a cookie to finish it off as a special treat!)

MOM’S PINEAPPLE SHERBET

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 eight ounce can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 envelope Dream Whip

Combine sugar, salt, juices, and pineapple in a bowl.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  In another bowl, gradually stir milk into Dream Whip.  Stir slowly.  Slowly stir Dream Whip mixture into the fruit mixture.  Freeze until mushy.  Place in a chilled bowl.  Beat well. Freeze until firm.

(Thelma Colvin, Pat’s mother made hundreds of makings of this while Pat was growing up.  It was always frozen in an aluminum double ice tray without the ice cube inserts.  Pat has lots of memories with this recipe and has made it for us through the years.  It is a very refreshing dessert.)

OREO COOKIE REFRIGERATOR ICE CREAM

3 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
2 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup coarsely crushed Oreo cookies
2 cups whipping cream, whipped (do not use cool whip; it must be real cream.)

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks.  Stir in milk, water, and vanilla.  Fold in cookies and whipped cream.  Pour into aluminum foil-lined 9 X 5 loaf pan, or other 2 quart container.  Cover.  Freeze 6 hours or until firm.  Scoop ice cream from the pan to serve.

(This ice cream is wonderful and great for company.  It is my favorite.)

PINK CONFETTI SHERBET

2 ripe bananas, mashed
juice of 2 medium oranges
juice of 2 medium lemons

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
3 tablespoons cherry juice

Combine bananas with the orange and lemon juices.  Add sugar, milk, water, cherries, and cherry juice.  Mix well.  Pour into a loaf pan and freeze.  Remove from freezer and break into chunks in a large mixer bowl.  Beat until smooth.  Return to freezer, covered, and freeze until firm.

(This is a very festive cold dessert.  I truly love the cherries in this.)

STRAWBERRY FREEZE

2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/2 cup sugar (or 12 packets of sugar substitute)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Whirl all ingredients in blender or food processor, or you can mash until smooth.  Pour into freezer tray or an 8 inch square metal pan.  Freeze 3 hours or until firm.  Refrigerate about 30 minutes before serving.

(This is very good when you are watching calories.  It can be made with a sugar substitute and it is still good.  This is one of my favorite desserts.  It tastes like one of those expensive strawberry fruit bar popsicles.) 

A VISIT WITH COUSIN CELIA

Celia at one of our early Kilgore Cousins Reunion

DATE: Monday, June 9, 2014

CHARACTERS:  
Johnny Kilgore

Beatrice Kilgore

Pat Shubert Kilgore

Celia Spain Johnson

PURPOSE:

This is a short journal of a special day I spent recently—a day visiting my first cousin, Celia Spain Johnson of Hampton Cove, Alabama.  My wife Pat was away with a group of ladies from our church, so I decided to visit my mother in Nauvoo, Alabama during this time.  I went up there  on Sunday afternoon.  The plan was to visit Celia the following day.  I had worked it out with both Mother and Celia.  Since our drive would take us right by my brother Ricky’s home, we picked up his wife Pat to also go with us.  

FAMILY BACKGROUND:

Celia is the third -born daughter of Ted and Ruth Kilgore Spain.  Ruth was one of my Daddy’s older sisters. She had four daughters —Frances, Annette, Celia, and Joan. Joan was my age and my childhood playmate when the Spains lived in the Nauvoo area.  During those formative years, my father was Forest Ranger of Winston County and Uncle Ted was his assistant.  They both led busy lives  because Winston County was almost totally forest land  interspersed with small farms.  The timberland needed much attention and care because of the threat of fire, and the reality of consuming wild fires. Ted and my father were “on call” both day and night.

When Papa Virge Kilgore died in 1949, the opportunity came for Ted Spain to purchase a house and some land owned by Granny Kilgore.  I think the reason might have been to help Granny  financially. This is the same house that my Aunt Ruby and Uncle Johnny lived in from 1944 to 1947 before moving to Birmingham.  Ted and Ruth purchased the property and house behind Jess Lawson’s place sometime in 1950. This is the present-day property of the Carl McKeever family, another part of our large family. At the time,Ted and Ruth lived in Poplar Springs. They lived in the house approximately 18 months before moving to Guntersville, Alabama where Ted acquired a job as Forest Ranger of Marshall County, Alabama.  

When my Uncle Carl and Aunt Lois McKeever returned from the coal mines of West Virginia (I think it was in 1951), they lived with Granny Kilgore, and then moved into the house owned by Ted and Ruth.  In 1954 that house burned and the McKeevers lost all their possessions.  Ted and Ruth lost all their investment in the purchase of the house, as well as their income from  the rental of that house.  Very few in our family know the large impact that fire had, not only on the McKeevers, but also on the Spains. I can personally remember coming home from school and being told the news of that fire.  It was one dramatic and tragic time for all affected.   At some point the property changed hands, and the community helped build a new home for the McKeever family.  

After the Spains’  move to Guntersville, we only saw them during special family gatherings, decorations, or short visits.  As a teenager, I can recall my brother Mike and I staying a whole week with them during the summer.   We had a wonderful time.  

Celia was a beauty queen during her younger years, and that beauty has certainly not faded with age.  After graduation, she worked at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.  Celia has lived all over the world as a civil service employee of the United States government, with the countries of Germany and South Korea being her longer stints.

THE VISIT:

Mother and I left her house about 8 am, and arrived in Hartselle, Alabama to pick up Ricky’s wife Pat about 9:15 am.  We left Ricky’s home about 9:30 pm, and arrived in Hampton Cove about 10:30 am.    Hampton Cove, a community southwest of Huntsville, is quite beautiful…very new….and a picture of affluence.  Following Mapquest’s directions, I drove up to a patio home, only to find  that I had the wrong address.  I called Celia, and she answered while standing at her front door of her home, just across the way from where my car was parked.  Mother and Pat were already out of the car, and so they walked to Celia’s house, while I drove the car to Celia’s driveway.

 When we entered Celia’s home, what  I saw could only be described as sheer elegance.  The small but tastefully decorated dining area was like something seen in movies.

We had the tour of the remainder of her home, while I asked questions about this and that.  Every room was filled with art objects and antique furniture she had acquired in her assignments overseas.  The furniture was beautiful, and the window treatments were luxurious.  The far-east Korean art objects were so unusual, and displayed in such a way that the emphasis was on the object’s beauty.  The entire home was probably one, if not the most, tastefully decorated spaces I’ve have ever seen.  

After viewing the house, which included 4 bedrooms, one of which was made into a music room, we sat down and talked about family, life, and plans for lunch.  Celia is quite a conversationalist, and there was never a lull in the conversation.  We finally decided to have lunch at  Gibson’s in Huntsville, a BBQ place that also features catfish and other items.  Celia and I ordered whole catfish, Mother ordered catfish strips, and Pat had a baked potato with BBQ chicken on top.  The meal was very enjoyable.  Afterward we returned to Celia home, and sat on the back patio porch to talk about all kinds of subjects—-some very personal to Celia.  I realized  that Celia is one strong, transparent, and courageous person.  Our day with her ended about  4:00 pm.  It was a good visit.

When we returned to Ricky’s and Pat’s home,  Ricky was already home from work, so we stayed about an hour, and then Mother and I headed back to Nauvoo by way of the county roads that run into U.S. 278 from Hartselle to Addison.  We were back at Mother’s place by 6:30 pm.  I stayed the night there, and then headed to Birmingham early Tuesday morning.  

Here are some the photos  I took during my visit to Hampton Cove. 

Thank you Celia, for being such a wonderful hostess and an even more terrific cousin.  You’re tops in my book.

WRITER OF THIS ARTICLE:

Johnny Warren Kilgore.  Celia always calls me Johnny Warren.  One of the few people that do so.

    

REFLECTIONS ON THE 2014 KILGORE COUSINS REUNION

This Memorial Day weekend, 61 descendants of Virge and Sarah Kilgore met on the old home place in Nauvoo, Alabama (Winston County) for a  reunion gathering.  This special reunion occurs  every two years, falling on even-numbered years. That means relatives can put the date on their calendars for Memorial Day weekend, 2016.  The location will be the Virge and Sarah Kilgore old farm again.  We had  6 guests for the day, making a total of 67 present.  Our guests were Linda Noles (Granny Kilgore was a Noles) and the Pope family of Poplar Springs, who attended during the evening session. Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day…somewhat hot, but truly a good weather day for meeting outdoors under the enormous oak trees of the old home place. I THANK my brother, Ricky for mowing the grounds for the occasion.  Ron McKeever and Jerry Kilgore also came two days prior to our gathering and helped out some.  The reunion preparations were truly a team effort.  

Virge and Sarah Kilgore had 10 children.  One child died at birth and was not named. Then there was Johnie Kilgore who died at the young age of 26, never marrying, and Lou Etta, the oldest daughter, who never had children.  The remaining 7 siblings had large families.  I, along with 29 others, make up the first cousins in the Kilgore lineage. All the Kilgore branches of the Virge Kilgore lineage were represented at this reunion, with the exception of two.  The registration showed that the Grady Kilgore family had 11 people present; the Lois Kilgore McKeever family had  20 people present; the Ruth Kilgore Spain family had 2 people present; the Cecil Kilgore family had 22 people present; and the Lorene Kilgore McKleroy family had 6 people present. There were no representatives from the Dolly Kilgore Sherer/Gordon family nor the Ruby Kilgore Chadwick family.

The oldest living first cousin, Herbert Kilgore, age 85, was present with his beautiful wife, Mozelle.  The oldest family member, and the only living spouse of the children of Virge and Sarah Kilgore, is my mother, Beatrice Kilgore, who was also present.  Within the same family line, the youngest in the Kilgore lineage, Graham Isaac Allen  (born April 2014), was present with his parents.  Here is a photo of Beatrice Kilgore holding her great-grandson at the reunion.  They were the oldest and youngest present.

The day was filled with a multiple number of recreational games and things to do, spear-headed by Ricky Kilgore’s wife, Pat Schubert Kilgore.  There was corn hole toss, volleyball, checkers, bubble blowing, chess, horseshoes, “Closest to the Pin” golf, Hula Hoops, parachute play, and the list goes on. 

There was much just sitting around, talking and recalling memories and catching up with each other.  Chairs were provided by those attending,  with an extra  number of chairs provided by James Phelps, Ron McKeever, Beatrice Kilgore, and yours truly, Johnny Kilgore. The snow cone machine was an instant hit during the warm day.  Pat Schubert Kilgore, Ricky’s wife, took care of renting the machine and manning it during the day.

Mike Kilgore provided a large canopy tent for the registration area, where the registration and donations took place. My sister, Rebecca Smith, assisted me in manning headquarters.  For the flower fund, we received $180 for the day.  That money was given to Patricia Phelps to be used for decorating the graves of Papa and Granny Kilgore, Uncle Johnie Kilgore, Sis (Lou Etta) Kilgore Romans, and other family members.  This is a special ministry that Patricia and Carolyn Lampman provide for the Kilgore family.  We thank them for that.  The second donation was applied to the expenses incurred from hosting the reunion. My bills were covered because of your generosity. 

As a matter of record, the following is the report of the expenses incurred and the total donations made on Saturday.

KILGORE COUSINS REUNION EXPENSES FOR MAY 24, 2014

Card stock from Staples                                                 $ 21.22

Paper from Staples & Name tags                                      12.41

Main Card Mail Out (Post Office)                                       29.92

Follow-up Card Mail Out                                                       1.70

Ink Printing (just a portion)                                                10.00

Donation containers (Dollar Tree)                                        3.24

Food, Drinks, Paper Goods (Walmart)                              113.20  
Snowball Machine Rental and supplies                              60.00

Total                                                                         $ 251.69

Money received:                                                             $ 253.00

Of that amount, Celia Spain Johnson contributed $100 in the memory of our relatives, Glenn McKeever and Micah McKeever, who passed away since the last reunion.

The evening wiener roast and sharing time was a little different than previous years.  I appreciate James Phelps for bringing his grill and roasting a lot of the wieners.  The fire was used also by some to roast their wieners.  We started the campfire early so that it would be just right for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs at 6:30 pm   I asked my brother, Mike Kilgore, to oversee the sharing time.  He did such an excellent job of facilitating the time of storytelling as we sat in the front yard and on the front porch of the 100 -year- old Kilgore home. 

A special thanks to Jim Kilgore for coming one day recently to help me put the plywood down on the porch of the old house so that we could sit there during the day and even be able to go into the house.

I could say more, but thought it  appropriate to share some thoughts from our cousin, Joe McKeever which he posted on Facebook.  

"May I take a moment to say a word of appreciation to the homefolks who knock themselves out for weeks in order to host a FAMILY REUNION? In our case, they laid out roads and cut the grass on 15 acres using a tractor and hauled in chairs and tables from every direction, laid plywood sheets on the floor on the ancient house for safety, brought in a generator and snow-cone machine and 800 other things. All we out-of-towners had to do was drive up and enjoy. My thanks to Johnny Kilgore and his team! Delighted that many in the family cared enough to drive in from Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, etc. So disappointed that others did not make it. Like everything else in life, family reunions are becoming a thing of the past. The younger generations--the very ones who stay away from reunions because 'I don't know those people' --are the ones who will suffer most from not knowing their kinfolk. Too sad for words.

By the way, Joe had both his sons  and their families present.  Neil lives in the New Orleans area and Marty lives in the Charlotte, NC area.  Both traveled quite a distance proving it can be done.

Here are some pictures to help those who did not attend to see a glimpse of family, a day together, and a hope that we will see everyone in two years.  

The kind remarks concerning the reunion are greatly appreciated.  Mike McKleroy posted a message, and I share with you now.

"With Tracy McKleroy at Poplar Springs in N Alabama. On the farm that my grandfather homesteaded, and my mom and all her siblings (10) were born here. My mom was the baby. This farm has been in the family for over 100 years, but no one has lived here in over 50 years! Thank you to my cousins, especially Johnny Warren Kilgore and his wonderful family, for all their hard work, and for letting all of us cousins descend on the farm every other year. It was great!!"


I conclude this article by saying that even my dear wife, Pat, who doesn't care for reunions, told me as we drove on I-22  at 10 pm heading to our Birmingham home after the evening's reunion festivities, that she had a good time.   That's what it is all about and coming from Pat that was saying a lot.  2014 Kilgore Cousins Reunion is now in history.  Let's look forward to the future.  See you all in 2016, if not sooner.  Love you.

Johnny Kilgore

Kilgore Cousins Reunion Coordinator