Richardsville Road & Community

The first annual reunion went off very well. There were about 100 in attendance. Plans are already in the works for next year’s reunion.

They had the refurbished bell from the old Richardsville school house. It was not difficult to get people’s attention with that! Danny, as promised, had many old pictures enlarged, hoping to get more identities (I don’t know yet how that worked out). He had a large picture of the old Richardsville School, and asked everyone who attended to put their name on it, and the dates they attended.

There were many old school and other historical records there, that were presented to the Jefferson County Historical Society. There was an old Victrola there, that still works! It was slightly smaller than the one we used to have. I can’t remember what happened to it. I think one of my brothers got it and turned it into something “useful.” The one at the reunion actually had the original packing case with it.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera! There will be pictures posted on the site, though. There are several there already.

A couple of my cousins were there, and a number of other people I knew fairly well or slightly, and some new acquaintances! There were a number of old Brookville yearbooks there. Someone had a scrapbook of obituaries. I said I knew more people in there than were actually at the picnic! I even found out a connection I wasn’t aware of. I was reading Clarence Smith’s obituary, and found out that Leota Heitzenrater (married to my cousin Floyd Heitzenrater) was Clarence’s sister. I don’t remember if I mentioned it in a previous blog or not, but Leota babysat me and my little sister Lily when we were 4 and 2 years old, and baby brother Tommy was in the hospital fighting for his life. That was . . . umm . . . in 1940, I do believe. An incident that happened that day (I don’t remember if she stayed with us more than one day) was that Paul was sent home from school with a big cut on his upper leg. I don’t remember how big it was, but I know it looked awfully big to me. He had dropped his (open) pocket knife, and tried to catch it between his knees. It hit his thigh.

Danny had asked for people who had musical instruments to bring them. I took my guitar, and another couple took their mandolin & guitar (the same couple that played at my friend’s 80th birthday party), and we played a few numbers. It really didn’t matter much that there weren’t more – everyone was enjoying talking to each other.