Living

Living married Living [Group Sheet]

Living married Living [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wilbur Reynolds was a painter. His paintings can be seen at the Bassett Historical Society in Bassett, Virginia.


I thought of the story I told you about Allen Wilbur Reynolds, my uncle the painter. You took a picture of the painting in Bassett. It's the one that has a boy sitting on a horse. This was at Dr. Richardson's office in Mt. Valley, VA. The boy was Wilbur. He was running in the hall at school (Callands school) bare-foot and got a huge splinter in his foot. When he got home his brother, Basil I. Reynolds (was killed in WWII) took him to the Dr. leading him on horseback. The heavy man was the Dr. I meant to take you up to see the Dr's place. It was restored by Max Kendall and sold to the present owner who lives there. It's only a mile above CLCC. Wilbur was an interesting fellow, very handsome and very talented. He taught himself to paint and also to play the mandolin. He was very good at both. He had a crazy since of humor and his best friend from childhood, Clifton Aaron was just as crazy. Clift lived in Roanoke and only visited Callands in the summer as a child. He came to stay with his Aunt Tabbie Aaron Coward but usually stayed with our family. The two of them learned to play musical instruments from mail order instructions. They build a small cabin with a fireplace and slept there and cooked over the fireplace when they were kids. They visited each other a couple of times a year after they married and always sat around playing the guitar and mandolin. They mailed an old dirty sock back and forth to each other for years on Christmas and birthdays. They were like two crazy kids all their lives. They both died young. Wilbur was only 62 and Clift was younger that that. Wilbur also build an airplane. Of course it wouldn't fly but it was quite the conversation piece, since it was covered in canvas and he had it hanging in a tree. One person could sit in it. He loved to tease children by pretending he had a baby chick in his hands and a lot of other crazy things. A very good friend of his, George Wells, who played the guitar with him had a recording made into an album in memory of Wilbur. They had taped themselves often and the tape has children talking in the background but it is a great keepsake in memory of Wilbur.
E-mail from Sandra June Reynolds (2011)

I wrote a poem called, Precious Memories about Wilbur. Here it is

His leaving has left an empty spot within my heart
where no one can ever take his place
but thank God for the precious memories
and a mind that can conjure up his face.

He filled many shoes for me as I was growing up.
That of an uncle, a close friend,
a dear brother, and so many times a loving father.
To friends his ear, he was always willing to lend.

He saw beauty where others saw none,
His talent as an artist was well known,
He heard music when some heard nothing,
He was misunderstood and sometimes walked alone.

He would listen to every ones problems
and not a criticism would he offer
but let you talk your way through them
until the problems seemed softer.

The children remember him for all the silly times
he made them laugh, these memories we can never rob
for he loved to tease dogs and children and ask,
"Do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb?"

He loved and cared for so many of us
with his gentleness of a butterfly.
As long as we have these precious memories,
the Wilbur we knew will never die.
Sandra June Reynolds E-mail (2011)

Allen married Living [Group Sheet]