I lived in this mobile home park for several years after graduating college while saving up to purchase a home. It was sort of a "dive" but the rent was dirt cheap, utilities were included and every one pretty much kept to themselves. Most of the other residents were in similar situations, just starting out, down on their luck etc.
Ms. Matheny was the one bright spot during the time me and my wife lived there. Her husband had died many years before and she lived with her little dog in a trailer across from us. She was in her late sixties at the time and was a sweet grandmotherly women. She took my newlywed wife under her wing and imparted the type of advice that only comes through the wisdom of years. In fact I would go as far as to say she was the major reason we made it through those rough first couple years of marriage and remain a happily married seven years later.
Four years ago we purchased our home and left the park, the character of the place was changing, the "kids just starting out" and the folks "down on their luck" were quickly being replaced by drug addict, welfare/SSI "queens" and various criminal types. In fact the reason we decided to go ahead and purchase a home was that within a short period of time our trailer was broken into and in a separate incident a window was busted out.
After we moved out my wife would talk to Ms. Matheny on the phone occasionaly and when I got a job with the Department of Defense I used her as a "personal contact" for my security clearance. But, as often happens when you have a family and a full time job, time passes by too fast. My wife hadn't talked to Ms. Matheny in nearly a year. We had planned to take her some flowers over Christmas, but those plans somehow got lost in the hustle and bustle of the season. Now we will never have the chance.
Sorry if I'm rambling on, but, I think I'm still in shock. This thing just doesn't happen in Jackson County, WV. It's not uncommon, or at least it wasn't, to go 5 or 6 years without a murder in the county. I think their have been maybe 5 murders in the 20 years I have lived here and most of those were the "bar fight gets out of hand type thing". I guess what I'm trying to say, take time to call and visit your friends because you never know when it will be your last chance.
I just wanted to say it was nice reading your kind words - it was very personal for me too. Ethel was my grandmother and today for the first time I read a news article about this horrific event that nearly tore my family apart...I didn’t expect to see comments from friends of hers. Please, I know it’s been a long time & you may never see this but I am sure she would still love those flowers. She was buried at Willow Island cemetery.