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Woody Simmons
1911-2005
RENOWNED MASTER FIDDLER DIES AT 93

Acclaimed West Virginia fiddler player Woody Simmons died Friday, June 3, 2005 in Elkins WV. A longtime Mill Creek WV resident, Mr. Simmons was honored with numerous awards over the years for his rich, traditional music that included playing fiddle, banjo and guitar.

A thin, tall man with a wide country smile, Woody always had a friendly hello. He was a fixture at fairs, festivals, and local events such as "Pickin' in the Park" and the Augusta Heritage Festival. He was easy to spot in a crowd -- not only by the sweet strains of his fiddle strings but also by his trademark cowboy hat.

Born at Becky's Creek near Huttonsville WV in 1911, Simmons began doing road construction at the age of 14. He eventually began cutting timber and later ran a service station in addition to owning and operating several juke box and pinball businesses.

Mr. Simmons was preceded in death by his wife LaVerne, son William Andrew Simmons, and infant twins who died at birth. He is survived by his daughter-in-law, Wanna Cutright Simmons, one granddaughter, three great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of F.E. Runner Funeral Home in Elkins WV. Friends will be received Wednesday, June 8, 2005 at the funeral home chapel from 2-4 p.m. and after 6 p.m. Funeral services will be held Thursday, June 9, 2005 at 1 p.m. at F.E. Runner. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mill Creek Nutrition Center or the American Heart Association.

  WHAT'S NEW  

• 2005 AUGUST HERITAGE FESTIVAL to be held Saturday, August 13. Great music, crafts & arts.

• 2005 RAMP FESTIVAL & COOKOFF to be held Saturday, April 23, 2005 in the Elkins City Park, Elkins WV. Spring has officially come with the return of this potent wild onion. Related to the onion, ramps are a native plant of West Virginia. Their strong taste and stringent smell have been heralded as a natural "spring tonic" by mountaineers for years. One whiff or taste of a ramp and you won't soon forget it! Most local folk keep their patch of ramps a closely guarded secret. Unless you are lucky enough to go digging with the locals, the 2005 Ramp Festival may be your best chance to see what you are missing! Read our past news article about the Ramp Festival.

• W.Va. Links have been updated again. There is a great new site called WVPics.com. It has some great old photos of WV people and places ... PLUS it has some images of old maps. Check it out! If you find a link that is not working or obsolete please, EMAIL US.

• Mountain Edge and its sister site, West Virginia Auctions & Antiques, now have permanent homes on the internet. Please update your bookmarks or favorites.
  MTEDGE http://www.mcquain.com/mtedge
  WVAA http://www.mcquain.com/wvaa

• Interior pictures of our Vintage 1950 Volkswagen have been uploaded. Click here.

• New pictures in the Glory Hole photo gallery. If you have images of West Virginia you would like to contribute, EMAIL US.

• New cartoon

• Trading Post additions

• A warm welcome to our new sister site, the Elkins Purple Majesties. EPM is an official chapter of the Red Hat Society.  Please visit their chapter website here.

  WANTED  

• OLD PHOTOS OF WEST VIRGINIA TOWNS, PEOPLE & INDUSTRY
  If you have an old photo and/or story that we can display on MOUNTAIN EDGE then please EMAIL US! We would love to share the step back in time with our visitors. Hard copies of photos will be returned.

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