Growing up in the 40’s and 50’s in Catawba, Virginia, I was known as Teddy Carroll. I was born to a mother who was the last born in her family of 17 siblings and a God-fearing, well-respected father. At the age of 4, my father became ill and was diagnosed with tuberculous. I spent much of my childhood while he was a patient in the TB Sanitorium which is, currently, called Catawba Hospital. With three sisters, I became the “man of the house”. Life in the Appalachian Mountains requires one to grow up quickly. I was involved in all areas of living off the land, raising animals, growing crops and earning money, however, I could. Times were hard but I am thankful for them. However, with many cousins I enjoyed many happy times and treasure those memories to this day. That mountain living made me who I am today. Proof of God’s promise, that all things work together for the good for those who love him. Romans 8:28 says it all! After college, I left the mountains to make a living for a growing family.
The Spirit of the Appalachian Mountains remained strong and it spoke to me as I experienced the next five-plus decades. Thoughts of majestic mountains, wonderful people and the legacy left to me by my daddy Clarence never wavered. It took but a thought to bring back those memories as Catawba was always speaking. How could that happen, you may ask? It was the echoes of all those memories and experiences and am so grateful for that.
The time has come to preserve and share those treasured times and the people of Catawba. I invite you to be a part of this through ECHOES FROM CATAWBA.
