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Print | E-mail to a friend LIFE: HOMES

Wilds of West Virginia bring family back together

August 17, 2008 @ 12:00 AM

JEAN MCCLELLAND

For The Herald-Dispatch

MILTON -- West Virginia roots are hard to ignore.

Folks will move away and live a lifetime elsewhere but often the memory of this special place calls them back. They return to find the peace of hill country and enrich our culture with ideas from other places. The four Griffith siblings of Milton are fine examples of this phenomenon.

"This is a story of families coming home, each with unique and beautiful places to call home," said sister-in-law Kathy Griffith.

The Griffiths were brought up in the Milton vicinity and all chose to go somewhere else to make their marks in the world. Stan, John, Mike and Patty were close growing up and maintained those relationships even though they were separated by distance.

Stan always knew he wanted to stay in the Milton area and have a farm. John graduated from West Virginia Tech, became a Certified Public Accountant and went south to work for a major power company. Patty Griffith Friedlander left the area and became a paralegal for a law firm in Orlando, Fla. Mike also headed south and ended up in North Carolina as a draftsman. Each of the siblings married, had children, established themselves in their careers and occasionally saw one another. Each of them would now and then spend time back in West Virginia with Stan and his wife Linda.

Now in their retirement years, the ebb and flow of life has brought them home again. Through the years Patty had bought property near Stan's farm for investment purposes. As she reached retirement age she decided to return to the area.

"I wanted to be close to family," she said.

She chose to renovate one of the houses on her property, and her years in Florida are reflected in its style. The cheerful blue rancher sports an open and airy Florida room. She and her significant other, John Meador, often enjoy the view of the wooded landscape from this vantage point. Meador is also a West Virginia native who appreciated the idea of returning to his home state.

Stan and his wife Linda, who had remained in West Virginia, had grown weary of the farm life. They had decided to look outside the state for a lakeside community where they could retire. After shopping around they came to the conclusion that they already lived in the best area to fish and take it easy.

"I decided to make our own lake here on the farm and build a house beside it," Stan said.

Their 21st century home with its open vistas of the lake is a work in progress and will soon be ready for occupancy.

It was the death of their father a few years ago that really brought the family back together. It was then that John and his wife Kathy found they loved the peaceful hills and hollows of West Virginia.

"When we visited Stan and Linda, we found it so peaceful here in West Virginia, and as the family gathered, we had good times," Kathy said. "It just felt good to be together."

John and Stan had always been close. Being only a year's difference in age, they grew up like twins. Wanting his brother close by, Stan generously deeded five acres of their farm to John so he and Kathy could build a house nearby.

"We had talked about how nice it was here and how nice it would be to have a place here," John said.

They decided to leave North Carolina and their summer home in Florida to make West Virginia their permanent residence. Now just a stone's throw away from Stan and Linda is their log house that is about ready for occupancy.

Finally, there was Mike to consider. However, coming home for him would have to take another avenue. He had always loved to fish in the West Virginia streams, and he had wanted to return to the land of his birth. Sadly the ravages of illness claimed his life last summer. According to his wishes, they brought his ashes home to the family compound. They now rest near Stan's new lake, which bears the name James Michael Lake.

John Denver may have sang the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads," but the Griffiths have lived it. Snug in their little corner of West Virginia they have come back to the place where they belong.

Events

1940s Radio Hour
Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 4-6, and 11-13; matinee at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. A "live" radio show with seven performances. Complimentary tickets offered to...

J. Chris Newberg
7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4-7. A refreshing smart and edgy humor, delivered with a streetwise sense of philosophical...

First Friday and Second Look Saturday
5-9 p.m. every first Friday, 2-6 p.m. every first Saturday. Visit with Pendleton artists in their studios. Questions, call 606-920-9863.

Lions Arts and Crafts Show
4-9 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5-7. Hosted by the Lesage and Southeast Huntington Lions Clubs. The juried show is filled with...

"The Nutcracker"
school matinee begins at 9:30 a.m. and regular show at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5. Ashland Youth Ballet presents their annual presentation of The Nutcracker. Questions...

Christmas Tour of Homes
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 1-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6-7. Tour six outstanding homes in the Bellefonte area dressed for the holidays. Questions, call 606-329-8888 or visit...

2nd annual Holiday Candlelight Tour
2-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. A tour (inside and out) of eight prominent Huntington homes beautifully decorated for the holidays. Questions, call 304-733-ARTS.

Marshall Artists Series: "Wizard of Oz"
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9. A spectacular celebration of the iconic 1939 MGM film, "The Wizard of Oz." Tickets, call 304-696-3326 or visit www.marshallartistsseries.org.

16th annual Joy to the World Holiday Concert
8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11; doors open at 7:30 p.m. Featuring Bob Thompson with guest vocalist Dwight Lenox. Tickets, visit www.mountainstage.musictoday.com or call...

"Cowboy" Bill Martin
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Courtesy of Patty Griffith Friedlander

The home of Patty Griffith Friedlander is located near her siblings in the Milton area. She moved back home from Florida, but had a "Florida room" in her home.

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Courtesy of Patty Griffith Friedlander

The home of Patty Griffith Friedlander is located near her siblings in the Milton area. She moved back home from Florida, but had a "Florida room" in her home.

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Jeremy McKnight/For The Herald-Dispatch

Stan and Linda Griffith looked at out-of-state options, but instead have built a retirement home and lake on their property near Milton. StanÕs siblings have also returned to West Virginia and live nearby.

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