What Does Family Mean to You?
The Urban Appalachian Community Coalition is honored to continue its work documenting and sharing stories of Appalachian migrants and their kinfolk. Since 2024, the Coalition has partnered with a like-minded nonprofit partner, A Picture’s Worth, to train a new generation of story gathers to add to its ongoing collection of personal stories and family histories.
The stories in this collection focus on a single theme—“What does family mean to you?”—to elicit stories from generations near and far from their mountain roots. We invite you to listen as well as read their stories here.
Rose Chisenhall
Rose Chisenhall lives in West Price Hill today, but Cincinnati’s River Road holds a special place in her heart. Hear her story about the importance of families sticking together.
Dale Farmer
All four of musician Dale Farmer’s grandparents are from the Appalachian area of Kentucky, and his parents were both born in Ohio. He now lives on land that has been his family since the 1930s and 40s. He recalls extended family gatherings just about every Sunday at his grandparents house—cousins, aunts, uncles, friends. He thought some of the people that came to all of our family events were relatives, but later learned they weren't actually blood relatives. Still, he says, he couldn’t have loved them any more.
Anna Curvin
Anna Curvin currently lives in Camden, Ohio and is from East Tennessee. When she thinks of family, she thinks of two grandparents on her mom's side. She is named for her grandmother Anna. Hear her stories of recipes gone wrong and family histories that stretch across an ocean.
Susan Sexton
For Susan Sexton, family is everything. Born in Whitley City, Kentucky, in McQueary County, she now lives in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Though her parents and grandparents are all gone, she still visits cousins to keep the family going. Both of her grandfathers worked in coal mines and died of black lung. Hear her story of strength and survival.