Fairmont minister's writing featured in new Goldenseal magazine

Apr. 5—FAIRMONT — Many Fairmont residents know Rev. Richard "Dick" Bowyer for serving as campus minister at the Wesley Foundation for Fairmont State University.

However, readers can find out a not so well-known chapter in Bowyer's life by picking up the spring 2022 issue of "Goldenseal Magazine," in which Bowyer published a story about his time serving on the state board of medicine.

While most of the spring issue is dedicated to Pocahontas County, which is celebrating its bicentennial.

Three West Virginia University Public History students contributed to the magazine. Elizabeth Satterfield takes readers back to the timber ghost town of Spruce, Jennifer Mihal visits the historic Sharp's Country Store at Slaty Fork and Kristen Bailey looks at timber-related folk songs.

In addition, Louise Burner writes about her ancestral home at Cass, which is now a museum and art gallery. There are poems by her family's matriarch, Virginia Clark Burner, and by poet Kirk Judd, as well as a previously unpublished story by former state Poet Laureate Louise McNeill. The new issue also a photo spread about Marlinton's Pioneer Days celebration in the 1970s, and Carl E. Feather visits with Bill Young, who preserves old apple varieties in Frost, W.Va.

In addition to the stories of Pocahontas County, Ivan M. Tribe and Jake Bapst examine the long country music career of Slim Lehart, known as "The Wheeling Cat." Candy Thompson profiles Howard Teets of Rowlesburg, Preston County, Tom Zielinsky details Zalia, a now-abandoned brick-making community in Hancock County, Merle T. Cole looks at the history of Special Forces stationed in Beckley and Sherry Hill remembers former West Virginia State College (now University) Professor Zeona Haley, the stepmother of Roots author Alex Haley.

This issue also looks back at the 2020 and 2021 Vandalia Award recipients and the 2021 award-winning quilts and wall hangings, sponsored by the State Museum. Finally, Sara Bragg Aikin writes about the Veterans Memorial Museum of Southern West Virginia in Hinton, Summers County.

Goldenseal is published quarterly by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. The magazine can be ordered online at https://bit.ly/37SeFdi or calling 304-558-0220, extension 134. Individual copies are $5.95 an issue plus $1 shipping, or $20 a year for a one-year subscription, $36 for a two-year and $50 for a three-year subscription.

Locally, Goldenseal Magazine can be purchased at the Book Exchange in Morgantown and the J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital Gift Shop in Morgantown.