Do you think that Lucinda Hester might have been Mr. Blanton Hester’s sister? I was familiar with none of Mr. Blanton’s immediate family members, other than Uncle Web, and I remember only a few, if any of his other siblings. I was always confused in the way that Frank Hester was related only assuming that he derived of a different set and was only a cousin, perhaps a distant cousin. I vaguely remember the person whom I believe was a Hester and who was related to Mr. Blanton and who lived across the creek in Coal Fire. I remember this person dying of tuberculosis because I was not allowed to see him or even to enter his house during the wake because of the quarantine. I always thought that this was Mr. Blanton’s brother, but I can not remember his name. I believe it was the first time that I ever stayed up all night at a wake preceding a funeral. I believe that this was the first time that I realized that my father was actually human because it was the first time that I remember him crying or at least with tears in his eyes. It was my first real contact with death that I remember because I really don’t remember anything about my grandfather Iverson’s funeral or death. I only remember being frightened of the old man sitting on the top step of the porch of his house looking down in what seemed to me in a contemptious and mean way at such a little kid. At that time, I didn’t know what tuberculosis was except that it was some really bad stuff. I couldn’t have been much more than four or five years old, which would have put the event close to the end of the War or shortly thereafter. I do remember the delicious pears on his pear tree that was to the left of his house as it was approached from the driveway. I can almost smell those yellow, soft, mellow pears even today. It’s strange the way I remember those pears while being really frighened of my own grandfather as both events occurred about the same time in my life. A very young kid only remembers those events in his or her life that make the strongest impression. These two events were opposite in their impact, but both of them made very strong impressions on me, just as the wake across the creek preceding supposedly your uncle’s death made a strong impression.

What one learns from this website! This is the first knowledge that I have known that Pearl Moore was a Hester. I have never really known what her maiden name was. I guess that makes Scott part Hester. It’s no wonder he is aging ever so gracefullly. Norma too for that matter. Perhaps Elaine as well, but I haven’t seen as much of Elaine since she retired and let her weight get out of control.

The person that I mentioned who lived across the creek in Coal Fire and who died of TB may not have been a Hester at all, but I some how connected him with the Blanton Hester bunch. I really don’t remember who he was, or for that matter, who Blanton Hester was at that time, although I remember his wake with all brilliance, especially the fact that he died of TB under a quarantine. The house is no longer in existence, but you probably remember it. It was the first house on the right of the old 82 highway just across the Coal Fire creek bridge going west from Coal Fire. The entire house was quarantined just before he died. Kids weren’t allowed in it during the wake. I remember well how much I wanted to go inside to take a nap late that night, but couldn’t. You’re right! He may have been a Hughes, but I somehow connected him with Blanton Hester’s family for some reason. I was only four or five. I really didn’t know either one. He must have meant something to Dad, though, because this was my first time to see him shed a dear at a funeral.

It wasn’t Roy Hester who died of TB. I remember him. I just could not remember his name. The person who died while under quarantine was an elderly gentleman who lived in the house. Perhaps he was an elderly distant relation of Blanton Hester or Roy Hester’s Father-in-Law. Perhaps it was the younger set of kids who were taken there for the wake because our parents didn’t know what to do with us. They probably told the older set of kids to stay away because of the quarantine. I remember it well because it was my first night to stay up late, if not practically all night.