Cleo Smith Simmons, now 100 years old, returned to Pendleton County to celebrate Thanksgiving 2024. Cleo would return each year to celebrate Thanksgiving with her dad, Gordon, and her 11 siblings until his death in 1963. Imagine fixing enough food to feed a group of that size! There was always more than enough food to go around—it took three different sittings to get everyone fed.
Aunt Cleo’s health is failing and trips like this one are very few, but daughter, Jenna, bundled her up and across the three mountains between Staunton, Virginia, and St. Paul Lutheran Church they came. Waiting to greet Cleo was her remaining sibling, Wanda Pitsenbarger, nieces, Violet Eye, Kim Bodkin and Holly Karicofe, and nephews, Phil Downs, Delbert Rexrode, Jr., John Bodkin, Jeff Smith and Jack Bodkin, along with their extended families. Friends of several family members were also present. Becoming an older group of people, everyone was thankful that they could still gather to enjoy a meal and fellowship.
This group represents a small part of the Gordon Smith family but regardless of the group size, everyone still enjoys the love they have for each other—a very precious gift. No one knows what the year 2025 will bring.
Violet R. Eye
