End of an era

{playing a comb on her 90th birthday...photo source}

I was saddened last night to learn of the passing of Kathryn Tucker Windham. This woman could tell a story like nobody's business. She was a treasure, and will be sorely missed in our great state.

I fondly remember my Girl Scout troop hitting the road and traveling to Selma for the annual Tale-Tellin' Festival. We enjoyed listening to the music, looking at the quilts, and hearing other story tellers, but what we really looked forward to was Kathryn Tucker Windham. She was always the last one on the schedule, and the one everyone wanted to see. She would have the room absolutely silent as she sat in a rocking chair and wove her tales. Our favorite were her stories about Jeffrey, a not-too-scary ghost who loved to stir up mischief.  We would always buy one of her ghost story tapes and listen to it on the ride home, huddled together in the backseat, convinced those rural highways were littered with ghosts. We treasured our autographed copies of her books, and it makes my heart happy that my students still enjoy reading her stories. Her "13 Ghosts" series (profiling states around the Southeast) is beloved.

Kathryn Tucker Windham saw the importance in sharing stories and history to preserve it for future generations. I sure hope that doesn't die out with her.

{Anna Claire wrote more eloquently about this today. Check her out.}