Delie May Crider interviewed by Carol Maureen DeHart

Creator:

Crider, Delie May, 1918-2003 and DeHart, Carol Maureen

Scope and content:

Records the reminiscences of Delie May Crider, a resident of Criders, Virginia, for over eighty years. Recalls her youth and family life growing up on a small farm. Describes her father's work on the farm and in the local tree bark industry. Briefly mentions her extended family members in the May, Crider, and Dove families. Discusses the variety of farm chores and other harvesting activities, including berry picking, "hunting" mushrooms, and chestnut gathering, performed by herself and her siblings. Describes food preservation techniques, such as drying and canning, that were common in the days before rural electrification. Recalls the one-room schoolhouse attended local children, including those from nearby West Virginia. Talks of childhood games and of community activities such as apple peelings and bean stringings. Describes the local variation of the shivaree, known as "belling." Recalls the arrival of the first automobiles in the region, road conditions, and the hazards facing early motorists. Closes with her recollections of her late husband, Ben Crider.

Names:

Crider, Delie May, 1918-2003
DeHart, Carol Maureen

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