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A Life History of

Shirley Edward Ayres

Father, historian, and brother

The Farm c. 1955

Related Links:

A word on the process

Buckingham County

*A link to the county where my father grew up.

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

*A link to the museum where my father currently works.

Class Main Webpage

*A link to see others' life histories

All of my life I have been captivated by my father's stories regarding his family and childhood. Whether they were ghost stories his father told, or memories of cold mornings milking cows and stolen summer afternoons cooling off in the creek, I never tired. I am very grateful to have documented the life of a man who means so much to me and many others. I suppose as well as a class assignment this is a tribute to him. I also offer this project as a lesson to others: no matter how well you think you know a loved one, there will always be an infinite amount of stories to be heard, advice to be taken, and memories to pass on.

"...I used to love to go outside on the farm about twilight behind the barn and listen to whippoorwills call to one another. And sit and think to myself. And just soak in the smell of the green in springtime. So it's not like I'm cut off in some box with machinery running and air conditioning and I can't hear anything from outside. I wouldn't like that. I can open windows and hear crickets and owls. I'm not cut off from that totally but living in the country would be different...really quiet."

Excerpts From The Interviews

As I sat down with my father, he began to tell me things that either I had never heard before or for some reason held new meaning. He shared his thoughts on family, his connection with nature and the outdoors, farm life, and the passage of time.

The Ayres Family c. 1944

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