The Lives and Family History of the Vest Family: Growing Up in Giles County

Creator: Williams, Sherri L.

: Vest, Nelson L.

: Vest, Pauline H.

: McGuire, Cindy

In this project, Sherri L. Williams interviewed Cindy McGuire, who she knew previously, and Pauline and Nelson Vest, in White Gate, Virginia. The Vests owned a funeral parlor in White Gate and spoke of running that business in such a small community, of the business being handed down generation to generation, of growing up in a farming community, working in a textile mill and other things. This interview is among projects created by students enrolled in English 446 (initially English 452), “Appalachian Folklore,” 1981-2019, and in graduate level counterparts English 548 and 648 “Appalachian Folk Culture(s)” offered 17 fall semesters between 1987 and 2009. Minimally contain collector’s introduction and analysis, transcribed informant interviews, and excerpted and labeled examples of oral, customary, and/or material folklore/folklife collected primarily within the Appalachian region. Most include also tables of contents, informant information, indexes (outlines) of interviews, photographs, miscellaneous paper items, and indexes of informants, genres, and geographic locations. Accompanying audio recordings (several minutes to 2+ hours). Transferred to McConnell Library Archives & Special Collections from Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center, Fall 2013.