Blanche Jolliff Honored with Award
... and she loves to share her stories and memories of her island home. She has amazing recall of times past and present, and I always learn something new from her, as does everyone else who pays her a visit. For that reason, Ocracoke Preservation Society honored her with their Cultural Heritage Award at their fall membership meeting in November. Newly-elected OPS President Ruth Toth presented the award, noting that OPS chooses someone who preserves stories, traditions, or history about Ocracoke.
Last year, local historian and author Earl O'Neal won the inaugural Cultural Heritage Award.
"It could be for preserving music traditions, or dance, or crafts. Or for knowledge about hunting and fishing traditions, or the brogue or the ponies. It's a vague award because we wanted to give it to whoever we want to," Ruth said.
In explaining why Blanche was the obvious choice this year, Ruth said, "Blanche lives in the house she was born in, in 1919. She remembers her forebears – and everyone else!"
Blanche was unable to attend the OPS meeting, but she wrote a lovely and gracious thank-you to OPS for the award, which Ruth read aloud.
Blanche turned 96 in December. Unfortunately, she fell a few days before her birthday and broke her leg. She underwent surgery, and is now in a longterm rehabilitation center in Kill Devil Hills, NC.
I had the pleasure of visiting Blanche twice last month. She appreciates visitors and is happy to recount old Ocracoke stories, or chat about island happenings. She likes sweets, and always has some chocolates on her bed tray to share with visitors and nursing staff, or to save for when she gets "candy-hungry." (We asked her when she got "candy-hungry." Her answer: "All the time.")
Blanche also appreciates getting mail. Her address is: Spring Arbor of Outer Banks, 803 Bermuda Bay Blvd., Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948. She knows I'm posting her address on the Current and she would love to hear from you!
The following is an excerpt from The Ocracoke Preservation Society's fall newsletter, The Mullet Wrapper:
We are pleased to announce that Blanche Howard Jolliff is our 2015 Ocracoke Cultural Heritage Award recipient. This award was created to honor the people or organizations that have been active in preserving the unique qualities of Ocracoke’s history and culture.
Blanche was born in 1919, and on December 8th she turned 96 years old. She currently lives in the house she grew up in, and she loves to chat with anyone who stops by. She has always had a strong interest in the past and a remarkable memory for stories she has heard, down to minute details such as what day of the week the incident occurred or what color shoes someone was wearing.
In addition to her vast store of knowledge about Ocracoke history and people, she has a kind generosity and graciousness that endears her to everyone she interacts with. She kindly and enthusiastically shares everything she knows with anyone who takes the time to ask. Because she has been so interested in Ocracoke history since she was a young girl, she knows not only the stories from her lifetime, but also the stories of her parents and grandparents. And, because of her copious notes to go along with these stories, much of Ocracoke’s cultural life and history has been preserved for future generations. She may not have published books or articles, but she certainly has provided the material for many others to do so. If you'd like to wish her a belated birthday, or congratulate her for the award, please drop her a line!
Read more about Blanche in these two previous stories on the Current: Sharing 92 Years of History and Miss Blanche Talks to Us.
