TWO JULIAs

Our family is full of stories and story tellers. I love to hear these stories over and over. I never tire of them! Let me share a story with you this time (told to me by my Aunt) instead of my stitching.

Thomas Casey Westall and Andrew Henson Westall were half brothers. The same father, William Brittain Westall but different mothers. There were many other children but I am going to focus on these two. They lived in Yancey County, NC.

Thomas was the older of the two and Andrew adored his big brother. Thomas married first and Andrew followed suit a bit later. Thomas and his wife had a number of children. One of which was Julia Elizabeth Westall.

When Andrew and his wife had a little girl, he asked his big brother if he could name the baby girl after his daughter. Her name was Julia Ann Westall.

The two Julias were first cousins and Julia Ann went on to become my great grandmother. She passed away when I was 5 but I still remember her well. I remember their house. I remember her weak laugh (because she was quite old by then). I remember how I would lean in gently to hug her like she was a precious china doll. Her funeral was the first one I had ever been to and I remember being fussed over to look just perfect. I remember being told to act well mannered and polite. A pretty big memory for such a little girl!

Julia Elizabeth, the older cousin, married and moved away from Yancey County. She was later to become a mother. The mother of Thomas Wolfe, the author, who wrote many novels such as You Can't Go Home Again and Look Homeward, Angel.

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.