Theresa Marcum

 My mom and dad moved to Norwood from Jackson County, Kentucky, in 1955. And had me in 1956. Then when they started having more kids, they moved out of Norwood and moved to Waynesburg, Ohio.

 I think about how hard Mom and Dad tried to do their best for us, even though there was never enough money.

Daddy was a janitor at Batavia Schools and Mom worked in the cafeteria. They just they tried their best when they got here. They didn't have a lot. They rented houses until they finally were able to buy a house in 1969. Yeah, they're both gone. Well, now it's just my husband, my son, our son. Now it just centers around my brothers, my sister-in-laws and a lot of nieces and nephews. Now great nieces and nephews. Just how close we've all become, since our parents’ death. But also, I got sick last year, and I was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer.

 They've all stuck with me throughout this and the way our faith has grown. As you know, especially mine and my husband since I was diagnosed. I love Appalachia. At one point, I was going there a couple times a year before I got sick to work at Christian Appalachia Project, which is in Martin, Kentucky in Floyd County, I would go there and volunteer my time and every time I go, I could picture my grandmother or my grandfather. It didn't matter, when we were living in Norwood and then moved to Waynesburg, every weekend we'd head back to Gray Hawk. They could never leave it, so yeah.