Reverend Rich

While communicating about the Ruth and Clayton Smith illness and death, I received a real surprise - an email from the son of Rev. Rich!  None of us knew he was even alive.  I'm going to put some of the emails here for people to enjoy.

4/14/06
Hi Jim 
I am Ben H Rich Jr and was born in Stephens Co. I have known her and most of the People from that area my Dad the Rev. Benjamin H Rich Sr. was the teacher and pastor at Mt Grove. The school was also used as the church for it was the only building there other than our house which was located about one thousand ft. from the school.  Dad was also a farmer and we grew and raised just about everything that we needed for in those days you either made it yourself or you didn't have it.

I knew Ruth Brown and her family all her life.  I was born in March 22,1923 and Ruth was born in April 1923 we went to school at Mt Grove with my dad as our teacher but when the Govt. ran us out  around 1931 (I am not sure of the date) Dad moved to Mt Airy and  and taught school at Hazel Creek and was also Pastor at Hazel Creek Church for many years.  I am not sure of the dates when I finished at Hazel Creek School however then I went to Mt Airy Jr High and when I finished there I went to Baldwin High and Ruth and I were in the same class and graduated the class of 1942 and soon I was drafted into the military and was in the military  for 21 years but I always tried to make it back for our class reunions.  Ruth always notified all of us when the next one would be and when the Rich reunions were had once each year she and her family were there and I enjoyed having her and Family to visit.  The last one we had was in 04 at the Steak House in Cornelia . I will stop for now - I hope you can make heads or tails out of all this. I will close for now and hope to get to meet you one day.

Please excuse all my mistakes for i am not a typest or clerk 

Benjamin H. Rich,Jr

4/22/06

Thanks for the news and pictures.  I sure wish I could have made it up there but it is going to take time for me to get back where i was before the Heart attack altho I have improved some for yesterday I got on my riding lawn mower and cut the grass it sure needed it.  I was not very tired I told my wife Fran that it was therapy. I hate it for her  for she stays with me all the time and will not go do errands without me going with her. Ok enough of this I have called the phone no. that you gave me and should have it here soon. Oh and I sure want to thank you for the Picture of Mt Grove School and also the Carbide tank at our old Home place.    Dad put a fence around it and would not let us play any where near it which was a good idea I guess. 

Oh while I am thanking about it I suppose the grave site of Mary Moss is still there she used to come to our house and help Mother out a lot and if I remenber right I think she deivered some of my Brothers. but the reason I asked about her grave, she poured cement and built her vault for she said she did not want dirt poured on her.   Any way, she got me and Herbert my older brother to carry water from the spring below our house to mix the cement.   I got my first 50 cent piece from her for bringing the water and Herbert got one too but Dad got them from us and as far as I remember we did not get it back. Ha Ha.

Well Jim I hope you can read all of this and thanks again for the pictures and all the news that you sent me.  I hope I can visit the the old home place when I am up there in June. If the road is o.k down there  and I can get some of my family to go with Me.

It was great hearing from you again. 

Ben H. Rich.Jr

Comments

[Jim Winsness]

Hi Ben,

Mary Moss was my wife's great aunt as she was the sister of Caroline Hulsey Brown. But from your email, I do not think you knew the rest of that grave story.

I believe it was 1963 that her grave was vandalized. She was dug up, and her head and hand removed. A rainstorm filled the grave and the fire department had to come to pump out the water. She was put back in the same plain board casket, and reburied. There now is a concrete slab over the grave so that can not happen again.

As you said, she did not want dirt over her so we had heard that they carried sand up from the river to fill the grave and that made it easy for the vandals.

But to hear from someone who actually helped make the concrete vault is incredible. I am sure people will be interested in reading your comments and if you have any more to share with us, please do so.

And - that road is always OK and the site is clear so you can walk right up to it thanks to Howard Farmer. That house was originally built by Ben Farmer!

Jim

[gary rich]

Hi there, folks

I am the son ,,of Benjamin
H.Rich,Jr.,,,, I was up there in the valley in June for the Rich reunion,, I take my dad and family members to the old home site, and ran into a member of your group on the river,,
and i miss place the data she gave me,, for contacts,,, My dad will love to give yall all types of stories and details about the area ,, he was born and rise there,,, till the goverment made them to move,,, we have pictures and a lot of paperwork of the times,,,and what was going on then,,, my greatfather was the school teaching and pastor there,,
we need to got all of this data recorded for all to see