This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: MaryCWilliams71 Surnames: Boone, Aldridge, Sisson, Cummings Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.virginia.counties.floyd/2015.4/mb.ashx Message Board Post: About 1/4 mile down the road from Fred First's home, is where my grandparents, Charles Emmett Boone and Mary Odessa Aldridge Boone lived and raised their 12 children. My mother was the 8th child and died in 2006 at age 95. The last child died December 2009. Since 1960 this home had been owned cousins who spent part of each month in Richmond and the other part in Floyd County. Last year this traveling became too much for them and since no one in our family stepped up to buy the homeplace which was at least 127 years old, it had to be sold outside the family. The house where Fred First now lives was originally the home of my grandfather's half brother, John Lemuel Boone who married Martha Ellen Sisson. After their deaths, the home was occupied for many years by their son Elbert Stanley Boone who married Katherine Elizabeth Cummings of Pulaski, VA. They met and married when "Kate" came to live in the home in order to give piano lessons to Elbert's three sisters. The land on either side of Goose Creek is mostly hills and my grandfather probably didn't have over 2 or 3 acres of level land. Still the hills were cleared and crops were planted. He raised and cured tobacco as one of the few cash crops. Long trips once or twice a year with horses and a wagon had to be made to sell produce. My grandfather planted watermelons on the steep hillside and as they matured he would have to scotch them with rocks to keep them from rolling down the hill. Many family reunions were held at the Boone homeplace. Now most of the land has reverted back to woods. Recollections of this homeplace now remain in the minds of still-living grandchildren and a few of the great grandchildren. Mary, originally from Floyd Co., now Pulaski Co., VA Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.