Chicken Stealing in the Depression

October 9, 2008 | Williamsburg, Virginia | Vetting explained

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pamvhv

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My great grandfather lived quite a long time after the depression and as children we used to sit under his feet and listen to the stories he would share.

My grandfather was Glen Surber and he worked in the coal mines of West Virgina, while he left the kids and my Great Grandmother Edna at home in Saltville VA.

He was laid off for quite a while, the family of course got hungry so my poppy went and hid in a tree behind a chicken farmers house until after nightfall. As he was climbing down from his tree, to steal a chicken to feed the family he saw another man in the yard. Both men took off running and then they realized they each thought the other was the farmer but they were both there to steal a chicken. Needless to say that was another night of water bread.

When the work programs started, poppy worked building the Hungry Mother State Park in Marion Va. Poppy always said the world turns and everything that has happened would happen again. I am sure if he were still with us today he would be warning us to start a garden and buy some chickens.

Posted in Assignment:
The Great Depression

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