Interview with Josie Hylton

Recorded November 25, 1990, in her home in Coalwood, West Virginia.

Melissa conducted this brief oral history interview with Granny as part of a West Virginia history class she was taking at WVU. About 15 years ago I digitized the audio off of the original casette tape. Between a move, and lots of other life events I lost track of the file. I recently discovered again after going through an old back up hard drive. Hearing Granny's voice again was incredibly meaningful, and I wanted to ensure others could experience it as well. So, I created this website to share her voice with the family.

A word about the audio quality. I didn't do much processing of the audio so it very much sounds like something recorded on a 1980's era tape recorder. If anyone has skills with audio processing and wants to take a stab at making it sound better, let me know.

I added a comment box below in case anyone wants to leave a comment or share your thoughts or memories.

One of the moments Granny reflects on in the recording is how special it was when her children and grandchildren gathered to celebrate her birthday. As we approach the 115th anniversary of her birth, we may not all be able to come together physically, but hopefully, this website can serve as the next best thing.

John, August 2025