This interview is 89 minutes long.
Katherine is in a retirement facility in Williamsburg, VA. Some of this is just commentary between Katherine and I with little reference to anything that we might want to use in the book.
Came to Chuckatuck as a school teacher. (she misunderstood my question)
Talks about knowing my mother, father, granddaddy and grandmother. She was married to Mills for 58 years before his death. During this time she knew my mom and dad as well as the rest of those in chuckatuck.
She stated that Mills had served two separate terms which has never been done before. Once was as a Democrat and the second as a Republican. (Need to get the book “Living in a Legacy”.
She accused me of turning over the rocking chairs in the back yard at Halloween time. Guess it was me.
Talks about Becky and how she joined in with all the other children. How they had hamburgers and hotdogs in the garage.
She said she never looked for a man.
Talks about good luck being God’s blessings. Talked about daddy always being a hugger. She talks about Chuckatuck as a nice village.
She lived with the Chapmans her first year, Gilliams second, Moore next and then back to my grandmothers. Married in 1940 and then stopped teaching. Mills was two years older than Katherine.
George was Mills driver and had come with them from the Mansion (while they were in Richmond).
She talks about being the Governors wife is not an easy job. She talks about living in the village and what it will teach you. She cherishes the fact that she knew my parents. She also said that many of those who came to Chuckatuck and left they always came back.
She graduated from Madison University (Madison college) she was born in Southampton county. Her parents died on the same night when she was 21 months old due to the Flu.
Mills was scheduled to go in the Navy and the FBI wanted him to come work for them. He went to Quantico and got his training there. He did not care about the war or the military.
She talks about Harry Truman and thought it was good that he dropped the bomb to end the war.
She talks about her next door neighbor Grady and Nelle Norfleet.
She talks about falling and the cook at my grandmothers house said if you fall loose you will not break anything. (she actually fell as I was leaving and scraped some skin off her left arm) She was limber and very unsteady but did not break anything.
Talks about my Grandaddy and how he looked when he went to work. Not a hair out of place.
Alec Moore who lived next door had the first clay tennis courts in Chuckatuck.
Mildred Knight was Mills sister.
According to Katherine her grandfather was a Bradshaw. That is where our relationship as Kin comes from.
She tells me how to tell if you are eating fresh fish.