The Grapevine: Former WI High School Teacher Finds Blessed Mother Statue in First Clarksburg Marble Dig
By Rosalyn Queen on August 08, 2024 from The Grapevine
Those readers of this column know how much the Blessed Mother means to me and what an important part she plays in my life. So, when I came. across this story I became adamant about sharing it with you.
Anyone who has lived in the Clarksburg area will have at some time heard about the marble factory and their Akro Agate products. Most of these items have become collectors’ items and are considered valuable. At some point in our life most of us would have had the opportunity to dig for these items at the former Master Glass factory, which was located in the area behind Hite Football Field. The factory no longer stands there, but there are mounds of dirt, where these items were discarded located in this area.
So. on one evening several years ago, Georgette Griffith, who was a teacher at Washington Irving High School, was invited by one of her students, Bill Sheldon, to accompany him to dig for marbles. Georgette secured a shovel and not being sure just what she was going to dig for took off with her student.
They both started digging when they got to the location where there was supposed to be marbles. On Griffith’s first push of her shovel into the ground she struck glass which appeared to be much larger than a marble. She yelled for her student to
come see what she had struck. With his assistance they were able to get her find out of the ground and after cleaning off the dirt, much to Georgette’s surprise, she was holding a statue of the Blessed Mother. The statue is clear crystal, and the details of the face and hands are unbelievable.
come see what she had struck. With his assistance they were able to get her find out of the ground and after cleaning off the dirt, much to Georgette’s surprise, she was holding a statue of the Blessed Mother. The statue is clear crystal, and the details of the face and hands are unbelievable.
On that day the statue went home with Griffith and has never left her possession. It has found its home in her garden and Georgette can be found often sitting in her presence. She says the statue reminds her often of her students, especially Sheldon. Throughout her life Georgette says she has received much comfort from the presence of this statue.
Griffith is a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Weston. She is a renowned artist and is especially known for her renderings of West Virginia Covered Bridges.
Another story of that wonderful mother. I often say “if you want something from a man, go to his mother. She can get through the first line of resistance. We do not worship statues; they only remind us of who to pray to.”
Take care keep in contact at spanishqueen86@aol.com and until next week, “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”
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