OAK HILL, W. Va. -You may know that Sunday, September 8th, 2024 is National Grandparents Day, but what you may not know is that the national holiday has its roots in Southern West Virginia, specifically Fayette County.
Grandparents Day was founded around half a century ago thanks to Fayette County native, Marian McQuade, who had a special place in her heart for the elderly. This inspired her to campaign for the recognition of Grandparents Day as a national holiday, writing to her state representative to make it happen.
“She saw so many people that were shut in and if they had family members to take care of them, they were lucky, but the state didn’t do much of a job and so they were left to their neighbors and their family members to take care of them…” explains Kathleen McQuade, youngest daughter of Marian McQuade’s 15 kids.
Now, Marian McQuade’s legacy of honoring grandparents is being continued by her granddaughter, Mary Ashton Israel, who organized an event in her grandmother’s former residence of Oak Hill to bring awareness to grandparents in the community.
The event was designed for the whole family to do together, with fun to be had for all ages, like crafts, live music, and puppies.
“The generations need to be connected, and through this day, we can learn from people that are elderly and can connect the younger generations to the older generations,” says Mary Ashton Israel, who also sang in the event as part of the folk duo, “Ma’am.”
There were several speakers as well, such as the mayor of Oak Hill, Charles Briscoe, who told the story behind the holiday and the important reason it exists.
“…This is wonderful. This is kind of a two-fold thing. I’ve met so many one-hundred-year-old folks here that are grandparents, and I love to hear their stories, and I’m becoming a first grandparent soon so this is going to be a… it’s a good celebration day for everyone,” says Mayor Briscoe.
In addition to honoring grandparents, this event also works to keep the work and legacy of Marian McQuade alive for years to come.
“It sometimes feels like I’m not doing enough because she did so much, and if I could just do a little bit of what she’s done, and help connect generations through this day, then… I will feel proud to honor her in that way,” says says Mary Ashton Israel.
Kathleen McQuade says her daughter is a good spokesperson for this event and says it’s great that she is continuing the work of her mother, Marian McQuade, generations later.
Those we spoke to say they are planning to make Oak Hill’s Grandparents Day event an annual tradition for the community, with the mayor adding that it helps teach people about our duty to respect the elderly.
Kathleen McQuade encourages you to talk to your own grandparents on National Grandparents Day and suggests you ask them about their great, great grandparents to learn more about your family’s history.
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