Appalachian Valentine's Traditions

Valentine’s Day traditions in Appalachia often blend heartfelt simplicity, creativity, and the strong sense of community and family that the region is known for. Every holiday is deeply rooted in the longstanding traditions and culture of Appalachians. While many customs align with broader, modern Valentine’s Day practices, there are unique Appalachian twists—practical in decades past and still cherished today.

As a culture, we tend to use what we have or craft something meaningful from what’s on hand. While modern Appalachians might occasionally hear “He went to Jared’s” or receive a special light blue jewelry box from that famous breakfast spot, Valentine’s Day has always been a more low-key affair in my family.

Click on Read More to read examples of how Appalachians celebrated Valentine's Day....

52 Ancestors Week 7: Letters

This week’s theme is “Letters & Diaries.”
When truth is put in one's own handwriting.

If you read the blog post from last week, Surprise, DNA Version, this is a carry over from that discussion.

Letters?  Oh, I have letters!   I have letters in my biological father's handwriting that he wrote me over a span of two years (after he found out that I was his biological daughter - well, after it was confirmed by DNA).

Oddly, I only have one photo of us together.  This photo was the weekend that we met as adults at his home in Buckhannon, West Virginia.

But, let's get back to the letters.  Do you want to read them???

Click on Read More to see the picture....

12 Photos: February 2025 Home

February 2025

12 Months of Photos - Appalachia Style

"Home"

That small snow storm in Georgia in 2017.  

(The one in 2014 was much worse.)

Being from the snowy parts of Appalachia, seeing any snow in the Atlanta Metro area—especially this much—is what you’d call a freak storm. Our home sits in an Appalachian county of Georgia.

I didn’t want to move to Georgia. I hated the idea. But if you were in the IT field in the early 2000s, Atlanta was a hotbed for jobs. The first few years weren’t great. It didn’t feel like this area was a good fit for us. But over time, we settled in, built a family, and made it our home. We were blessed to meet wonderful friends, throw fantastic backyard parties, and create a life that felt truly ours.

One of our favorite Saturday Night Live skits, ever:  
Weekend Update with the Atlanta Snowpocalypse from 2014.

One of my son’s favorite songs when he was younger was Home by Phillip Phillips. I hope it’s still a favorite of his and that he knows—no matter where life takes him—home will always be here whenever he needs or wants it.

Bonus since I mentioned my son... his pup, Tess, waiting at the front door for her best friend, Maggie, to pull into the driveway for a weekend visit.

Join the 12 Months of Photos at WikiTree.  Show off your Genealogy.

52 Ancestors Week 6: Surprise

 

This week’s theme is “Surprise.”   The DNA surprise when your family tree takes a sharp turn. 

We've all heard the stories, the slightly awkward jokes about getting a DNA test and discovering your parent is not your parent.  Here's how I found out...

I'd always been curious about my ancestry. I grew up with such dark brown eyes that they were almost black.  My parents had the bluest of blue eyes.  When Ancestry.com started heavily advertising DNA kits for a reasonable price, I instantly bought one and got DNA tested. 

To say that I DNA tested to find out who my parents were is truly only part of the story though.  I was convinced that I was Italian.  From an early age, I was always told that I had so much Italian "about me".  With my Dad's name as Craig and my Mom's Maiden Name as Bonner.... I was not understanding where any Italian would come from.  But that is a blog post for another time....

Note: I would never have done a DNA test if my dad were still alive. It's also important to state that "my dad" is the man who raised me from birth. "My father" is my biological father, as determined by a DNA test.

So, I had a guess who my biological father was.  I actually had it narrowed down to three people with one being in the lead.   Why?  His picture!

Click on Read More to see the picture....

52 Ancestors Week 5: Challenge

 

This week’s theme is “Challenge.”   One of the most difficult challenges is confirming that an Appalachian Coal Miner died from Black Lung. 

Many doctors didn't write Black Lung as the cause of death on the death certificate because the Coal Company didn't want them to.  A lot, but not all, of the doctors were payed by the Coal Company.

The Challenges of Finding Black Lung Families in Genealogy

Genealogical research can be a fascinating journey, but tracing ancestors who suffered from black lung disease presents unique challenges. Black lung disease, or coal workers' pneumoconiosis, primarily affected coal miners and their families, leaving behind records that are often fragmented or difficult to access.

Changing shifts at the mine portal, Floyd County, Kentucky.  - Russell Lee (Nat Archives)

One of the most common forms is black lung disease, also known as miner's lung. It's caused by breathing in coal dust. Another is brown lung, which comes from working around dust or other fibers. Other types of dusts that can cause pneumoconiosis include silica and asbestos. John Hopkins Medicine.

Click on the Read More link for steps in Finding Black Lung Records.