Emily Cleva Sharp

     Emily Cleva Sharp was born on 1 March 1885 at Claiborne County, Tennessee.¹ She was the daughter of Isaac James Sharp and Mary Ann McBee.¹ Emily Cleva Sharp married, at age 19, Alva Young Bartlett, age 23 on Sunday, 23 October 1904.^1,2 Emily Cleva Sharp died on 17 January 1980 at Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky, at age 94 years, 10 months and 16 days.¹
     Memories of Mamaw (Barbara Bartlett Thomas, Granddaughter)

Emily Cleva Sharp was the youngest daughter of Isaac James Sharp and Mary Ann McBee. She was named after her grandmother Emily Van Bebber who married Samuel McBee. Most of her life she went by her middle name Cleva.

This is one of many stories that my dad, Cecil, has told me about Mamaw. Mamaw lived for many years in an area of Claiborne County, TN called Powell Valley. She asked Dad if he would drive her back to the area where she grew up. As they were traveling through Powell Valley, in Dad's words "Mom said so and so SHARP lives here and so and so SHARP lives here and so and so SHARP lives here." He finally interrupted her and asked if every one living in Powell Valley was a SHARP. Not missing a beat, Mamaw replied, "If they are not a SHARP, they married a SHARP."

The following article was in the Hazard Herald, Hazard, Kentucky sometime in the 1970's along with a picture of "Mamaw." My dad, Cecil, has a copy of the original:

An "OVER EIGHTY" subscriber writes:

"I have read in The Hazard Herald that people who have reached the age of eighty are eligible to receive the paper free. I am (Emily) Cleva Sharp Bartlett. I was born March 1, 1885 in Claiborne County, Tennessee. My parents were Isaac James Sharp and Mary Ann McBee Sharp. In 1904 I was married to Alva Young Bartlett. My husband was born and raised near Tazewell, Tennessee. We were blest with eight children, of which seven are still living. I have six boys: Clarence of Jacksonville, Florida, Howard, Eugene, and Cecil of Middletown, Ohio, and Everett and Ralph of Hazard. I have one daughter, Florine, of Hazard. Florine and her son Ralph have made their home with me since the death of my husband in 1954.

My husband and I lived in Middlesboro, Kentucky when we were first married. He worked in a dry goods store owned by the Gibson Brothers. We left Kentucky in 1913 and lived in Greensburg, Indiana until 1917, at which time we came to Perry County. My brother-in--law T.M. Bartlett was the contractor who built the camp at Allias when the Columbus Mining Company opened. He persuaded my husband to come to Allais to work in the company store with Mr. G.W. Norman. After thirty-one years with the Columbus Mining Company he retired and had a small grocery until he became ill. Perry County is home to me. I am a shut-in and my favorite past-time is piecing quilts. I have always enjoyed reading the Hazard Herald."

(Noted under the article: Because Mrs. Bartlett is over eighty she will receive The Hazard Herald free for the rest of her life.)

I have wonderful memories of Mamaw. I can still see her sitting on her front porch watching traffic while sitting in her rocking chair. I always liked to sit in the swing and I thought that time stood still.

Some of my earliest memories was going to Mamaw's house and eating popcorn. There would always be lots of family there and yet the popcorn supply never ran out. I remember when television was new to that area of the country and how much Mamaw liked to watch certain programs, "Cid Ceaser, Lawrence Welk, The Real McCoys, Perry Como, Gun Smoke, and many others.

We moved to Ohio when I was seven and I did not get to see her as often, and I missed that, especially the first Christmas we were in Ohio. Mamaw didn't let distance or limited funds keep her from sending a gift to each of her grandchildren. It was probably early January when someone went to visit and she sent the gifts back with them. Oh, how I treasured those soft pink socks that she sent me that first Christmas away from her.

She and Aunt Florine were some of the best cooks in the world. I remember her "dried up greasy beans" that she fixed. I can still see them drying out on the back porch. Even though she spent many years on crutches after breaking her hip and was limited physically, she kept going when others would have given up.

I was so blessed to have a loving grandmother who was devoted to her family. Her love for the Lord has left the best legacy that anyone could have. Oh, how I would love to spend just one more afternoon on that porch with her. I love you Mamaw.

Mamaw past away just a few weeks before her 95th birthday.¹