Cooperative Living June 2017 - 3

InsideStory
May's cover story
JUNE 2017
about Virginia's
senior citizen, Lizzie
Wood, prompted an
avalanche of
correspondence
ranging from phone
calls to faxes and
many, many emails.
Readers were
fascinated by Lizzie's story.
At 112, she's Virginia's oldest
resident. That in itself is quite a
distinction. Beyond her years, however,
Lizzie amazes in her clarity of mind,
which shines through in her life
recollections and, even more, in her
homespun wit and humor.
I had the privilege of meeting Lizzie
earlier this year at her home in the
Shenandoah Valley. She has a large,
loving family and a broad array of
friends, and her smile lights up a room.
There's a twinkle in her eye that tells
you she's a person who loves people
and loves life.
Lizzie told me a story about her
younger days when a neighbor dropped
by for a visit and said he'd seen a nice,
fat squirrel in an oak tree down the lane
by the road. Lizzie unlimbered her .22
rifle, walked down to the copse of trees,
and collected the squirrel for the
evening's stew. She had, after all, a
houseful of mouths to feed.
There's no living like rural living.
Speaking of rural living, the subject
of this issue's cover story, Eldridge
Bagley, is a Southern gentleman whose
life is yet another testament to the merit
of rural values. Our writer, Audrey
Hingley, shared a humorous anecdote
about her visit with Eldridge.
When Audrey was interviewing
the artist and his wife, Beth, they
brought her a glass of iced tea. She
set it on what she assumed was a
coaster but was in fact one of Eldridge's
original mini (three-by-three-inch)
framed paintings.
Audrey realized her mistake and
quickly removed the glass of tea. The
painting wasn't damaged. Everyone had
a great laugh and the incident set the
tone for what Audrey describes as one
of her most rewarding interviews ever.
Enjoy reading all about Eldridge, and
Happy June! 
- Bill Sherrod, Editor
www.co-opliving.com
June 2017 | Cooperative Living | 1
Reader Photo: Doug Puffenbarger
OUR MISSION
To inform you about your cooperative and its efforts to serve your energy needs;
how to use electricity safely and efficiently; and the people who define and enhance
the quality of life in communities served by electric co-ops.
CONTENTS
10 Cover Story
Southside Virginia's Eldridge Bagley never dreamed his life
would take the course it has. And this tobacco farmer turned
folk-artist extraordinaire believes " all kinds of things are still
possible. " Cover art: Grass Roots, 2017, Eldridge Bagley
14 Good Samaritan
From helping motorists stranded on the interstate to
mentoring youth and organizing the local food pantry, the
2017 Good Samaritan Award recipient is one who does,
indeed, set a gold standard for community service.
34 Kids' Korner
Mother Nature surrounds us with a wide variety of
remarkable sights, sounds, smells and other sensory
delights. All we really have to do is open our eyes and
ears to take in the marvels of the natural world.
DEPARTMENTS
2 Viewpoint
4 Mailbag
4 WhatzIt
5 History Mystery
5 Member FYI
8 Say Cheese
9 Happenings
Visit us online at:
www.co-opliving.com
18 Your Co-op News
26 Energy Sense
28 Commonwealth Kitchen
30 Crossroads
36 Garden Muse
38 Classified Ads
40 Rural Living
Find us on:
Please recycle this magazine.
AAM audited
Eldridge Bagley also creates
tiny original paintings he
calls " miniatures. "
See the
Travel Guide
Beginning
on page 15
AUDREY T. HINGLEY PHOTO
http://www.co-opliving.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living June 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living June 2017
