Welcome to Debbie's Domain

When I went to church with Grandpa and Grandma Baker in West Virginia, I was usually a good little girl, but not always. I knew what being naughty would earn me. They would take me outside and whip me with a little, keen switch if I misbehaved. Although I didn't always understand everything as a small child, I loved singing. Someone once laughed a little and said I was the loudest singer in church. I was so proud, I thought it was a compliment. Once, after we got home, Grandma told me I had misunderstood what some of the words were to one of the songs we were singing. She told me the words were "It's a grand and glorious feeling," not a 'Granddaddy glorious feeling." I was embarrassed. I don't think I sang quite as loudly anymore. At a lot of our services, we would sing a song, while we walked through the church shaking everyone's hand. I liked that. I knew just about everyone there. Before we had prayer, we were always ask if we had any prayer ...

I lived with my Grandpa and Grandma Baker off and on throughout my childhood. They were the ones who taught me the most about Jesus, and our Heavenly Father. While staying there my Great Grandpa Shuff taught me the song "I'll Fly Away." Someone, probably Grandma Baker taught me to say 'The Lord's Prayer'. I can remember saying it when I was about three years old, alone at night in my bed. I can't remember when I didn't know it. My daddy, although he is not saved, taught me never to call him father, because I only have one, and that is my Heavenly Father. As far back as I can remember, Grandpa and Grandma took me to the little McClarity Baptist Church, down on the McClarity Fork of Four Mile, in Lincoln County, West Virginia. I can remember sitting, or lying, on the hard wooden pews. There was an old coal stove in the center of the room, for heat in the winter. We used hand-held paper fans during the summer. Almost all of the men sat on the right side ...

Thomas Moore - WikiTree Profile Thomas Moore's Plantation House Part of Thomas Moore's Plantation

Thomas Moore Homestead   Original Moore Homestead, a log cabin covered in siding. Rd.#659, Scott Co., Va.   In June 1990, my sister, Sharon Gillespie, and I decided to go on an adventure to find where Celia Moore Smith lived and died, so long ago. We loaded up her two children, Jamie and Sissy, and drove to Scott County, Virginia. We took food, cooking utensils, and a tent. We camped at the Lover's Leap Campground, in the Natural Tunnel State Park, for two weeks. After breakfast every morning, we went exploring. We spent a lot of time at the Scott County Library in Gate City. We found more information than we ever dreamed. Sometimes we just drove around. We explored Dungannon, Virginia. Sharon spent time in the Scott County courthouse in Gate City and the Russell County courthouse in Lebanon looking up records. One day while driving down a little gravel road, we found Moore's Greenhouse. We stopped and talked to the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore. I still can hardly be...

Henry Smith Shuff - WikiTree Profile My Aunt, Palmaneda Baker Smith, told me that she loved staying the night with Grandpa and Grandma Shuff. She said he was a wonderful grandpa. He loved to tell jokes. They would sit in front of the fireplace and Grandpa Shuff would get his popcorn popper with the long handle and pop corn in the fireplace while he entertained them. Maybe later, he would take a big bowl and go out to the cellar, and bring it back full of apples. He'd sit down and peel them all apples. He always peeled the pealing off in one big piece. They were amazed by that. Grandma Shuff was real quiet. Sometimes she'd say, "Smith, doesn't your tongue ever get tired?" One joke Aunt Palmaneda remembered him telling went something like this: An Irishman had a big rope. One day, someone weaved the ends of his rope together. When the Irishman wanted to use his rope, he couldn't find the end. He said 'Faith and me jamber, sone cut off both ends of me rope...

Sarah A. Victoria Eveline (McClellan) Shuff - WikiTree Profile My Aunt Palmaneda Baker Smith described Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Shuff's house when she was a little girl. There wasn't enough room in the livingroom or dining room for the Christmas tree. They put it in the little bedroom. Grandma Shuff had a lot of German hand-blown glass ornaments, strings, (one with paper angels), and small candles all over the tree. The candles were never lit due to the danger of fire. Over all that, was shiny ice cycles. Aunt Palmaneda said it was so beautiful, that it felt like you were in fairyland. The dining room was decorated with a large paper bell hanging in the center of the room. Paper streamers were attached at the large bell and strung across the room to each corner. At each corner hung another smaller bell. The table centerpiece was a glass dish full of chocolates. A lot of the time Grandpa Baker would hand out the presents. Each person recited a poem. Grandma Baker knew...

Sarah A. Victoria Eveline (McClellan) Shuff - WikiTree Profile There is a Christmas tradition that was probably passed down from my Great-Great Grandma Martha Smith McClellan. Everyone tries to be the first one to greet everyone by saying, "Christmas gift!" If you say it first, the person you say it to is supposed to give you a present. Grandma McClellan was born and raised on a plantation in Scott County, Virginia. The tradition is supposed to have been started by the slaves. The slave would greet the master or mistress on Christmas morning with the greeting, "Christmas gift!" They would then receive an extra gift. The whites soon adopted the tradition. They made it into a game. The gifts were usually a small treat of some kind. My aunt, Palmaneda Baker Smith, said that her Aunt Beulah would spend the night with Grandpa and Grandma Shuff, on Christmas Eve, to decorate the house. On Christmas Day, when Grandma and Grandpa Baker would arrive with their children ...