Author Archives: Bee

Thomas A. Helms, Undertaker in Blacksburg, Virginia

Tending to the Dead in Central Appalachia Over time, the responsibility for caring for the deceased shifted from families to professional funeral directors. Initially, communities came together to ensure prompt burials, with women preparing the body and men handling coffin construction and grave digging.  Before refrigeration and embalming techniques, individuals were buried swiftly to preventContinue reading “Thomas A. Helms, Undertaker in Blacksburg, Virginia”

Mayors of the Town of Blacksburg

After the General Assembly’s action in March 1871 establishing the Corporation of the Town of Blacksburg, the town’s Board of Trustees convened to organize under the granted town charter. The inaugural town election occurred on the fourth Tuesday in May 1871, resulting in the election of Thomas W. Jones as Blacksburg’s first mayor along with six council members.

Short Wave Radio in Blacksburg

The Short Wave Radio Club was organized in September 1935, according to the 1936 Bugle (page 319). The Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives published a story about Carmen Venegas, VPI’s first international woman graduate. She was a member of this fledgling club. Short Wave Club Officers: President, W.D. Henderson (W8MOW; Vice President, V.R.Continue reading “Short Wave Radio in Blacksburg”

Obituary of Andrew Robeson

Andrew Robeson, professor emeritus of Virginia Tech, beloved family patriarch and life-long member of the Blacksburg community, reached the end of a deeply rich life on July 10, 2022. He was 96 years old.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Frank Leigh Robeson and Mary Matthews Robeson, sisters Helen Robeson, Mary Wood Pendleton, Martha Robeson andContinue reading “Obituary of Andrew Robeson”