Judy Bussey's Appalachian Memoirs: Digging into my Roots to Discover my Truths: Peggy Jean Bussey Collins Obituary

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Peggy Jean Bussey Collins Obituary

Peggy and Children: Margo Collins, Peggy Bussey Collins, Jerra Collins Campbell

The Dawson and Nova Hicks Bussey children Nov 25, 2008, in our last photo together. Seated from left: Peggy Bussey, Karen Bussey O'Rourke, Rodney C. Bussey, Toby Bussey Howard; Standing, Judy Bussey and John R. Bussey

I've had requests to post my sister, Peggy's obituary once more. Today's blog is to once again honor my sister and note her passing. The 5 remaining Bussey siblings feel the presence of her absence in all we do--as do her beloved daughters, Jerra and Margo.

Peggy Jean Bussey Collins was born May 6, 1937 and died Monday, July 6, 2009 after a long illness. She passed away in Morehead, Kentucky were she had resided for 15 years.

Peggy was the daughter of Dawson and Nova Hicks Bussey of David, Kentucky, both of whom preceded her in death.

Peggy is survived by two daughters from her marriage to Bill Ray Collins, Prestonsburg, Kentucky. They are Jerra Collins Campbell of West Liberty, Kentucky and Margaret Elizabeth Collins of Morehead.

She leaves 3 grandchildren, Lorie Rae Campbell, David M. Campbell, II and his wife Rebecca Miller, all of West Liberty, and Nova Hyden Carey of Morehead. Peggy also leaves 2 great-grandchildren, Morgan and Madison Carey of Morehead.

Peggy has five surviving brothers and sisters: Toby Howard and husband Bruce of Tutor Key, Kentucky; Rodney C. Bussey and wife Helen of Berea, Kentucky. Judy Bussey of Lexington, Kentucky; Karen Bussey O’Rourke and husband Thomas of Atlanta, Georgia; and John R. Bussey and wife Eda Dean, of Wiley Branch, Johnson County, Kentucky.

We must also mention other beloved elders that survive Peggy. She leaves one maternal and three paternal aunts. They are:
Olga Hicks Trusty of Stonecoal, Kentucky; Ora Bussey of Prestonsburg, Kentucky; Sue Bussey Giganti and Gwen Bussey Wynn, both of Cleveland Ohio.

Peggy leaves many nieces and nephews, grand and great-grand nieces and nephews, and cousins who will also grieve her absence.

Peggy most recently had worked several years in the coal industry in Johnson County, followed by 15 years of service, to the Johnson County School System, from which she retired around 1994.

She was a joy to know and love and will be sorely and sadly missed by many additional friends and relatives.

Peggy was well known for her original handmade crafts and artistic expression and was creative until her last day.

Peggy’s favorite hymn was “Beulah Land” and, because she had suffered so much, she had started looking forward to the time she could go. While we grieve her absence we are joyous for her journey.

Beulah Land
Verse 1
I’m kind of homesick for a country
To which I’ve never been before
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
For time won’t matter anymore
Chorus
Beulah Land, I’m longing for you
And some day on thee I’ll stand.
There my home shall be eternal
Beulah Land—Sweet Beulah Land
Verse 2
I’m looking now across the river
Where my faith will end in sight
There’s just a few more days to labor
Then I will take my heavenly flight.

1 comment:

JawaharaJuly 7, 2009 at 7:24 PM
Oh Judy, I am so sorry to hear about your sister's passing. I remember meeting her that long ago thanksgiving. She was lovely and kind. My condolences to you and your family.
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Welcome Dear Reader

I come to this site to post materials and memoirs relevant to my life in the coal camp. We always had 6-10 people living in our house, depending on who had left for college, who had married, or who came back home with children. Most of my youth there were 8 of us, Mother, Daddy, me, and my 5 siblings.

On May 1, 1941 my parents and their three small children (ages 4, 2, and newborn) moved into a company house in David, Kentucky. David is an East Kentucky coal camp owned by the Princess Elkhorn Coal Company Organization(PECCO) and named for its president, David L. Francis. I was the fourth child and the first to be born in a hospital--the Paintsville Hospital in neighboring Johnson County.

There were two other babies born to Nova and Dawson Bussey before 1949. Sister Peggy was only four at the time but remembered Mother sweeping sawdust out of the new camp house--one of several recently built along the base of the hillside to accommodate the newly hired miners and their families.

Here, I write of my mother, Nova, daughter of East Kentucky pioneers and of my father, Dawson Ellard Bussey, who was a Great Depression immigrant from Alabama. I talk about how the depression brought them together to live an often harsh life bound by the double-edged sword of coal camp life. We children had freedom and many company amenities; our parents were trapped--probably because of the wonderful amenities offered the children.

I post samples of my mother's primitive art and some photographs--look for the one of my father lying in the underground #1 mine at David. The height of this coal seam ranged from 30"-36" high. The miners had to lie down to work--or crawl on their knees. Consistent crawling or extended work from a kneeling position caused "miner's knee", a painful swelling condition that had to be drained by the company doctor from time to time. Fortunately, Daddy never had to miss work with his chronic "miner's knee" because the Company had Doc John Archer from Prestonsburg come to the camp at least once a week to do home treatments and drain the miners' knees, as needed. I wonder today how many of us would go to work in such a painful condition, but Daddy never missed a day of work that any of us can remember.

I also post creative non-fiction vignettes and am trying to learn to write fiction. I hope you enjoy my drafts.

In thinking about my life's influences, I realize there were at least three 3 concentric circles of Appalachian Kentucky culture that overlapped to forge my identity, color my self-esteem and create my youthful attitudes.

At the center was David, Kentucky, the company-owned coal camp, encircled by rural communities, and so far away from "town". My world was small.

These are my memories--my interpretations of how the influences of past generations continue to paint my world today.

For better or worse, we are, each of us products of our ancestors' social, economic, spiritual, and political environments.

We only begin to understand ourselves when we begin to understand those who came before and the impact they have, even today, on our attitudes, beliefs, and values. Each new encounter touches us so we must also explore the meaning of new experiences, validations and contradictions.

Sorry, but my Elvis "photo of the day" disappeared and I miss seeing them. In researching my past, it has proven true--I really was in love with Elvis.

Thanks for this visit to my site and taking time to read of my journey.

Peace,

Judy

PS: Friends, also look for me at http://www.facebook.com

All content on this site is the copyrighted material of Judy Bussey and Nova's Project (TM) unless otherwise noted. Please do not use art or text without permission unless you are using the photos to feature or showcase Nova's Primitive Art or the writing of Judy Bussey.

In that case, please provide a link or links to this site. I retain all right to Nova's Primitives and Judy's Creative Non-Fiction and Fiction writings--including the right to reproduce such works. It is illegal to copy or reproduce these ltems or make derivative works.
Judith S. Bussey
May 10, 2009.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Peggy Jean Bussey Collins Obituary

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David, Kentucky

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Dawson and Nova Hicks Bussey @1940

Inside Mine # 1 (30"-36" Coal) David, Kentucky

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