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Joshua Corothers 0:00
So my interview subject is Gail Boykin [Inaudible] by Joshua Corothers. So to start off, I think the first question is sort of tell us a little bit about your background. Sort of just where you grew up, you know, what were the people in your family, that type of thing.

Gail Boykin 0:31
I grew up here in middle, in Middlesex. I grew up in Middlesex. I was actually born in Wilson County. But I've lived in Nash County, all my life, my parents,

Joshua Corothers 0:49
so how many siblings do you have?

Gail Boykin 0:51
I had my parents, I had a had one brother, and it was four of us girls.

Joshua Corothers 1:04
So that's a big family

Gail Boykin 1:09
actually, actually, I remember, my...

Joshua Corothers 1:17
So, um, let's see. So,

Gail Boykin 1:19
if you actually remember, okay, my mom when I was born, okay. When I was born, my mom had her first husband had been electrocuted working on wires. So she had met my dad. And when he married my mom, she had those had three children.

Joshua Corothers 1:42
Wow. Okay.

Gail Boykin 1:43
And so really, when I was born, they were here. And even though people would say half brother, yeah, sister out, there's no such word as half its only us. I remember her telling me that. Because we're all when I was born, she said, I can remember. We were so excited. Because we a little sister was, you know, we were having a little sister. And like that, so that was, that was our family. But like, my mom had. My mom had to mom and dad, my dad had two girls, it was me and my sister and then so it was five of us all together.

Joshua Corothers 2:32
So what do you remember about going to school, where do you go to school?

Gail Boykin 2:37
I went, Okay. I went to Middlesex. I went all 12 years at the Middlesex school. When I was young, you had the first through eighth grade in your elementary elementary area. And then across we'd have it was our high school building, which was our 9th through 12th. So I was able to go to school, all 12 years here.

Joshua Corothers 3:03
So it was in Middlesex

Gail Boykin 3:05
It was Middlesex Elementary and Middlesex high school. So I went out 12 years graduated from there. And it was, I'm really glad. You know, I'm glad I was able to go to a small school at that time, for 12 years because I to this day, have good friends now see weekly that we graduated with, or whatever, it was just a close bond.

Joshua Corothers 3:34
I guess being that small of a school.

Gail Boykin 3:36
I Remember, maybe one time my brother was in high school, or I would be in, you know, or things? Like

Joshua Corothers 3:42
yeah, yeah, it made it made it feel less, sort of foreign and difficult.

Gail Boykin 3:48
I guess, for me, I might, I probably would have it a bit hard for me, probably, to have gone for me to have gone to the high school. You know, going all eight years there on a big adjustment for me. But anyway,

Joshua Corothers 4:08
okay, well. So the main question. So think back about your life and the life challenges you or a family or have had to face? Who were the family members and friends who may have helped them navigate the challenges. So just friends, family, neighbors, church or healthcare professionals? So just for asking when you had major issues, lack of the medical or just sort of community or maybe weather events or things, how did or who was able to help you and how did they sort of help you in those times? So do you remember any major sicknesses or anything? Maybe, or maybe a death of someone that was very important?

Gail Boykin 4:49
I can. I can remember when I was a child, and my brother would have gotten up, somebody came to the house To tell us he had been in an accident, Ron had been in an accident. And of course, my mom, I was raised in a Christian home, I was a Christian. And we started praying. But yet, I just remember how upset we were. But he, you know, he was okay.

Joshua Corothers 5:20
So did he have to go to a hospital? Do you remember not? Or do you think that he disliked sort of somebody come home or do you just not?

Gail Boykin 5:28
I think actually, he may have been racing back. I think I think Ronnie, and okay, now the were racing and it had been an accident. Yeah, thankfully, so but they were okay. Have any major because I can remember thinking back to to that time and Ronnie's life, you know, that they did have a close friend one time that did was killed in an accident. From racing or something. Yeah, but that's just like, Ronnie. He was the only brother. And I guess he was, I can remember, at the basketball games. I remember being a little girl. And after the ball games, were over. I'd run out on the court, and he would just pick me up and give me a hug. And then I was thinking, you know, this is my brother. Oh just things and yeah, he and I were always close. We were and bad out when when he passed away. My sister flew to Michigan, he was in a hospital there. And we didn't, he wasn't able to respond, but I can remember talking to him and in said Ronnie and know that you know what's right. And know that you know, the Lord. And there's a couple that was Jean and JD Burnett. That he was so close to him would call and now and I can remember just him, you know, my sister, we're just praying with him. He never responded that I saw that a tear came just down his and Donnah and I sad that you know, that was just our confirmation that he heard us

Joshua Corothers 7:17
yeah. So you see, you would definitely say that. Family was definitely very important thing.

Gail Boykin 7:25
Oh,yes. Yes, ever. Growing up. I've always had my family they have with me. My two sisters. They all they were older than Ronnie they married and that but still I was always really close to my family.

Joshua Corothers 7:47
Well, um, is there anything else you remember that you'd like to talk about? As far as different challenges or certain things or just anything you want to mention?

Gail Boykin 8:01
Probably one of the, well I know the hardest challenge I've ever been through in my adult life. I could say was loosing my grandson in a accident that involved a motor vehicle, motorcycle or one type of vehicle like that. That all family and friends and most of all, the Lord was there to just to see me through could not have made it without him. But yeah,

Joshua Corothers 8:30
so I guess even from from growing up till now you still sort of had that same sort of cohort support group to help you with some of those things?

Gail Boykin 8:37
Yes. yes, I have

Joshua Corothers 8:40
Looks good. Well, thank you for coming out. I think if that's fine, we'll go ahead and end the interview then.

Gail Boykin 8:46
Thank you, Josh.