Gary Hilton writes,
Here you go Patty –
The first picture is Ella Taylor, who was my grandmother’s sister.
My grandmother was Ida Taylor, who married Fitzugh Lee Neely, and their second child was my mother, Oma, who is in the next picture with Ella.
This is the house in Duffield where Ella lived until she died in the 1980’s. This house had 2 trees of life painted on the front of the house.
Ella’s parents were Sam and Amanda (Bishop) Taylor, and Ella (everyone called her Aunt Ellie) took care of her parents until they passed away, and never married and lived there until she died.
The house was later torn down, but the murals were saved and are now in the Appalachian Museum in Norris, Tennessee.
View more photos of the house built by William “Billy” Bishop sometime during the Civil War. Also, see a photo of William Bishop and his wife Jane Baker Bishop, here.
Submitted by Gary Hilton
Gary, I am the daughter of William Elijah Neely and Bertie Buchanan Neely. I saw you several years ago. Amy Hansen is my daughter. I visited great grandmother at the Taylor House in Duffield many times and even remember seeing great-great grandmother Amanda. I fondly remember Aunt Ellie. She was a strong determined lady.
This is a correction of my previous comments. Aunt Ella was my great great aunt (my mind works faster than my fingers) and not my great great grandmother. Sorry for the error.
Hi Amy – did you get the report on Nimrod Taylor that I sent via email? We have been so busy, and I wanted to check and see if you received it. We have moved from Knoxville to a little town just west of Nashville. And we are still unpacking. I figure that we won’t be really settled until springtime. My new email is “gghstc66@gmail.com”
Gary
These ladies are my husbands family. His Dad was Oscar Neely, son of Ida Taylor and Fitzhugh Neely. I’m sure that he will love these photos. Thank you to the ones that posted these. As a child I remember going by that house on the way to my Aunt’s house in Mabe, Virginia. Loved the murals, never dreamed that I would marry into that family.
My name is Betty Neely Proctor. Oscar Neely was my uncle. My Dad -William E. Neely was the oldest child of Ida and Fitzhugh Neely. I believe that your husband’s name is Robbie. I remember Mary Alice Neely and the day that your husband was born. We lived in East Stone Gap, Va and I graduated from East Stone Gap High School. We visited great-grandma Tayor and Aunt Ellie many times when I was a child.
Hi Betty – good to see you recently. Have you checked out the Meador Museum in Big Stone? It has been a few years since I was there, but the caretaker had thousands of pictures of the area. I did see some pictures of East Stone, and the high school there. There were pictures of your Dad in high school and of the football team too. It was fun to visit.
I am the grandson of Martha Taylor Miller the younger sister of Ella. For a few years in my youth I lived across the road from Ella. I made daily visits to see her during that time. She loved snuff and her favorite expression was, ” Pon my honor.” I was a grown person before I realized that pon was upon. She had quite a few archaic turns of phrase as I recall. One activity that I enjoyed doing with her to do maintenance on the mountain spring that was piped down from the hill behind her house to the spring house along the creek that ran through the bottom land she owned.
Hi Rex – I just happen to have a picture of that old pump house. I also have one of the back side of the house, if you would like a copy. Gary Hilton
Samuel Taylor
– – Ida Taylor (Neely); sister to Ella Taylor
– – Oma Neely (Hilton)
– – Gary Hilton
Rex, I remember you and lived in your Aunt Martha’s house after Don and Lena moved out. I visited with Ella back then too.I keep in touch with Lena and Nicki. Hope you are well. I live near Nashville,Tn now.
My name is Lisa Miller. Ella Taylor was my great great aunt. She and great great Grandma Taylor helped raise my dad, Eugene Miller. I remember going to her house as a child and how interesting it was. I loved the spring house, the creek and the cemetary. I also remember Aunt Ella and how she loved her snuff, spitting it into a Maxwell House coffee can. There was also a pawpaw tree. She would take me to the store and buy me candy. I think Gert lived across the street? I miss going there.
Dean Vaughan miller, my grandmother, once married to Jay miller always tells me stories about her fun-filled childhood in Duffield
Aunt Ella was elder sister to Martha Taylor Miller, my grandmother on my father’s side. I have so many great memories of both of them. Aunt Ella had a pump organ in her living room and she played and taught me to sing “Jesus Loves Me” as a small child. We would gather eggs from her chickens and once, when I spent the night, sleeping with her in the big feather bed, she told me to spit out my chewing gum before bed, but I disobeyed and when I awoke it had fallen out of my mouth and was stuck in my hair! One of my fondest memories is of taking my new husband to meet her and she decided to show him the spring at the base of the mountain. Up she jumped, plunked her felt hat on her head and took off through the field, to the everlasting astonishment of my city boy husband!! He loves to recount that adventure to this day.
Yes, my Aunt Gert did live across the road from Aunt Ella; long after Rex and his family and in a slightly different location.
I have just discovered this site and am thankful to all who have posted photos. These old memories are wonderful. If someone would tell me how to post photos I will search for any that I have.
159 Shady Forrest Rd
Does anyone know who the artist was for the really spectacular murals?