KILGORE FAMILY WORK ETHIC by Johnny Kilgore

“What a person is” and “what a person does” may become the primary barometer in defining an individual.   When we meet a stranger, we usually ask, “What do you do?” This is an informal way of asking one’s profession or what  kind of work they’re in.  A response to that question can be answered in many ways, depending on how, or how much a  person wishes to disclose.  For example, if someone were to ask me what I do, I can offer multiple responses—I’m retired; I’m a minister; I’m an associate pastor; I’m a Minister of Music; I’m a church choir director; I’m a worship leader in a local church;  etc.   All these responses are true, but do they truly define who I am?

Reflecting back on the Kilgore ancestry, and specifically to our patriarch. Papa Kilgore, many of us  might describe him  in differing roles —a farmer, a planter, a business man, a peddler, a blacksmith, a lumber man, a well digger,  a father, a grandfather, etc.  But no matter the role we ascribe to him, there is one common trait that stand outs.   It is a trait that Papa Kilgore also instilled in his children  

And what is that trait?   It is his strong work ethic.  There was no laziness with Papa Kilgore.  My father, Cecil Kilgore was a “chip off the old block”.  Daddy could always find work to do even to the point of pulling up Johnson grass by hand, stalk by stalk.  

For the most part, I only know of Papa Kilgore’s life through the stories told by those older than I.  I was 5 years old when he died in December, 1949.  But I did see and experience first hand, the work ethic he instilled into my father, who in turn, instilled into me and my siblings.  You’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”  Work is rewarding, satisfying, and is more than “a means to an end.”  It is a way of life.  It is honorable.  It is who we are.  Do your best.  Give your best.  I think of my aunts and uncle, and they too, were a reflection of that strong work ethic.  

My mother is ninety years of age, and she too, exemplifies a strong work ethic.  She never slows down.  Some months ago, I painted the outside windows to her house.  But before I could paint the windows, the attached storm windows  had to be taken down.  Mother wanted all the window panes cleaned at the same time.   After taking the storm windows  down and placing them on the front porch, my mother cleaned every storm window as I stood on a ladder and painted the outside windows.  This made for a very long two days.  She never quit.  Truly, truly amazing!

Maybe a strong work ethic is a generational thing, but I think not.  I believe it is just a part of who we are.  I am proud to be a hard-working Kilgore.  How about you?

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, 2015 by Johnny Kilgore

On this day, June 21 there will be more daylight than on any other day of the year.  It is fitting that Father’s Day and the “longest day of the year” co-exists.    The sun rises and sets each day, consistent in its role.  The sun is reliable and effective in providing warmth, light, and beauty to our lives, as well as providing order in our universe.    Fathers provide similar roles in our personal lives—consistency, warmth, order, dependability, and direction.  But most of all they provide love.  

I pay tribute to my father, Cecil Kilgore—father to Johnny, Mike, Rebecca and Ricky.  Daddy was a great man, and I don’t think I realized how great, until after his death in 2012.  He is now gone to Glory, leaving behind the best of memories, as well as an appreciation of what it means to be a father. 

Just like my father, the “Kilgore Cousins” clan has many fathers who were and are terrific men.  I use both the past and present tense verbs because many are  living examples of what it means to be a “daddy”, while others are in Heaven right now.   Whether married into the family or naturally born, the fathers within our family have all been cut by the same cloth.  I have the fondest remembrances of the men who were fathers of all our cousins.  It is great to be a part of such a distinguished group.

I share some personal photos.  I regret that I cannot post a photo of all extended family Kilgore fathers (Kilgores, Gordon, Sherer, McKeever, Spain, Chadwick, McKleroy),  but I do not have access to such a large array of pictures that  would allow me to do so.  Happy Father's Day!

John Wesley Kilgore, Patriarch of the Family
Father of nine children

Cecil W. Kilgore, youngest son of Papa Kilgore
Father of four children

Johnny W. Kilgore, oldest child of Cecil Kilgore
Father of two children

MEMORIES OF RUTH KILGORE SPAIN by Ron McKeever

The memories of Ruth go back into the early '40s when the Spains and McKeevers would camp out on Clear Creek.  Mom and Ruth were almost like twins...probably due to the Spain's four and McKeever's six kids.  I remember when they lived up near Poplar Springs old school location, and Ted was off working, and I went up or was carried up to spend the night with them.  The highway was a block in front of their house, and Gypsies were bad to roam the countryside back then.  The night I was there resulted in Ruth firing a 22 rifle through the door because she heard a racket outside.  It was reported at the garage in Poplar Springs that you had better never walk past Ruth's house at night unless you were singing real loud, or you could get shot. 

 
When we moved to West Virginia in 1947, we always came back to Alabama as soon as school was out, and Pop would come when the mines shut down in July for vacation.  That gave the kids lots of time to be entertained.  Camping out all night on Clear Creek was a high point of the vacation.  We never had to worry about animals or varmits with ten kids running loose.  Ruth kept us entertained with ghost stories.  

When we moved back to Alabama, the Spains had moved to Guntersville and it was my privilege to escort Granny Kilgore up there during the summer as soon as the crops were ripening.  She was afraid of bridges, and to get to Guntersville from Double Springs, you had to cross the mile-long Arab causeway.  Granny always wanted me to get the bus driver to let us off and we would walk across.  Even if we did (which we never did) we would have been a couple of miles from the Spains house. 

 
Ruth was always laughing, telling jokes or wanting to hear them.She was a delightful person and I have fond memories of visiting with them when they moved to Graysville as Forest Ranger for ABC company.  I was honored to conduct both hers and Ted's funerals.  What sweet memories! ! !

KILGORE MEDICAL HISTORY & DUPUYTREN'S DISEASE by Johnny Kilgore

Almost all of my blogspots focus on memories of our relatives—parents, grandparents,  aunts, uncles, and cousins.    Remembering the “good old days”  is the main  reason for the “Kilgore Cousins” blog.  This particular posting has a different twist, and at the same time, centers on a subject that is a part of the Kilgore family heritage.

During the Fall 2014, my wife, Pat and I went to Orange Beach, Alabama with a wonderful group of people from our church.  During our time there, Pat and I visited  in the home of our cousins, Ken and Nelda Schultz of Gulf Shores, Alabama.  We had a wonderful meal and sat around and talked about family.  During the conversation, Nelda  mentioned to me the possibility of using our Kilgore Cousins blog and FB site to acquire data on the different diseases, illnesses, and causes of death that runs in our  family ancestry…in other words,  chronicle the Kilgore medical history. 

As you know, when we go to the doctor’s office, one of the multiple forms we usually have to fill out is our medical history.  I believe Nelda’s idea  carries merit.  Therefore, at some point in the future, with the help of Nelda and her daughter, Heidi,   we plan  to make inquiry from all the relatives to see if we can make inroads to documenting just that—the medical history of Virge and Sarah Kilgore and their descendants.  It will be a rather large undertaking.  It is difficult to retrieve family information such as this because we tend to be very private people—a trait that our grandparents exemplified.  Certainly there is the right to privacy in matters such as this, but  any information may be helpful to our children down the road. 

Let me give you a perfect example of what I’m talking about.  There is a disease that is a part of the male members of the Kilgore family’s genetics that has already made its presence known in my father, Cecil Kilgore, my brothers, Mike and Ricky Kilgore, and my cousins, Herbert, Jimmy, and Jerry Kilgore.  My personal physician is even keeping a close look on me because I have the early signs of the same hereditary disease.  Needless to say, I’m very concerned.  It could possible affect my playing the piano if it were to show its ugly head in full force. But right now, I’m fine.   

What is this disease?  It is called Dupuytren’s Contractor, or Dupuytren’s Disease, or sometimes Celtic Hand Disease.  My daddy had a severe case of Dupuytren’s.  My two brothers have had hand surgery because of the severity of the disease.  That is also true of my cousins, Herbert and Jimmy Kilgore.  If you wish to know more you can connect to the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dupuytren's_contracture

You can “Google” search, or “bing” to find  additional information on the subject.  This may be the first time you have every heard of the disease.  We Kilgore’s tend to not talk about what ails us.  It seems to be a part of our DNA.  My brother, Mike was the first one to educate me personally about Dupuytren’s Disease.  I wasn’t even aware that my daddy had the same thing.  Although the use of his hand was greatly hampered, he compensated in a way that allowed him to function.  I’m grateful that I know about Dupuytrn’s because that awareness  will help to determine and explain future directions in treating it.  I’m sure that can be true of other tendencies that are part of our medical makeup.  Think about it, and we will see what unfolds in the months ahead in acquiring family information such as this. I would to hear what you think of this idea.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.