This story is excerpted from a workshop that was conducted in Yancey County, North Carolina in September in 2026.

Millie Lewis: Let’s see, Jeff, all that Kim, Carol. There’s about six or seven of them that we know for sure was born there at the hospital. But yeah, but he has a brother that was born, born there, and it was snowing, and it was probably how deep was the snowing beginning? 

Millie Lewis: you can tell about what he had 

Jack Lewis: She can tell. 

Jack Lewis: It was over a foot deep. 

Millie Lewis: And his mom went into labor, so his daddy went and got this man to come and take her to the hospital, and so he came pushing snow up by road, and took Granny to the hospital, and Jeff was born, and then they stayed a couple of days, I think, and then Arnie come back pushing snow, bringing back because it still kept on snowing the whole time they’re gone. 

RL Silvers: Yeah, back then 

Millie Lewis: This big snow. 

RL Silvers: – a midwife. They didn’t take them to doctor. 

Shyanne Bellamy: So midwives were big here in Yancey County, in Burnsville. Midwives were big?

Millie Lewis: Back then, yes, we still have one here in Yancey County now- a midwife, and she’s pretty well well known, very well known. 

RL Silvers: I’m so glad that hospital still there. Your grandparents, doctor. Wouldn’t be far down there. He was a good doctor.