Sub-freezing morning temperature froze the fog hanging about Newport, causing some of us to wrestle with car doors and gate latches. The big frost conspired with the full moon on Tuesday and put a regretful end to green plants and some flowers that had survived the fall so far.

Out and about people braved the cold to work, including members of Eddie Ball's construction crew who have the new office building under roof for Wade Wester. They beat Saturday's snow. You recall we chatted about the demolition of the former Dairy Cream and his plan to build office space for lease. Eddie told me he should complete the project early this month with the help of Raymond Adams, Roger, Reecie and Marty Ball, plus Curtis Haney to name a few I saw at work when the crane was setting trusses last Tuesday. The block building will be about 60 by 24 feet and be divided into two units.

Before I share a visit with you of an 80 year old charming woman, let me give you a quick update on Billy Bible, according to his sister-in-law Angela Bible. Billy Bible, 54, was hospitalized after his car struck a horse on the Greeneville Highway Oct. 18.

"Bill actually said 'Mom' yesterday and was off vent for 12 hours today. We are so thankful for all the prayers of our community. When his Mom tells him it is Eddie on the phone, he reaches for the phone, and when Eddie tells him he has to go back to work he gives the phone back to his Mom. I actually had a woman at the Food City Gas 'N' Go over hear me talking to one of Bill's friends, and she excused herself and told me that she did not know of but she had followed the story in the Plain Talk, and she was keeping Bill and the family in her prayers. That really means a lot to us. Thank you so much," said Angela. Billy's mother, Emma, who stays at the Bristol Medical Center with her son is heartened with his small finger movements and facial changes to show he is conscious.

Last week I got a call from Ovella Ottinger of Union Hill Road. She called to thank us for telling you all about the plight of her nephew, Billy. Many of you in the Trentham Hollow Rd area know her as the former Ovella Bible, whose husband was the late Fred H. Ottinger. Ovella doesn't get around as much any more because she broke a hip in 2007. We talked about the family and other tragedies, such as the untimely death of her brother, Joel Bible on Labor Day 1971. He was driving his motorcycle when killed in an accident.

Ovella explained that Emma's late husband, James Leslie Bible, was Ovella's "baby brother." He died of bone cancer at age 53. Billy is 54. But there is longevity, too, in the family as her brother, Lloyd Bible, is 91, and lives off Trentham Hollow Rd. "We used to be a big family" but time has taken its toll. Ovella could not explain how Billy got his interest in collecting old cars that surround the back of his mother's house.

This Saturday, at Parrottsville School, a benefit for Billy begins at 4:30 p.m., featuring food, auction, Gospel singing into the night. Those wishing to make donations may do so at Tenn. State Bank to Eddie Bible via the Billy Bible Benefit Fund.

On Wednesday, after trying to talk to Ovella on the phone but the wind kept breaking her connection, I drove over to Union Hill Road. This is not far from where Emma and Billy Live and near Ovella's only living brother, Lloyd, who is about 90. She shared several photos you will see and many others. I wanted to see one of her and Fred and in the process we came across old memories, many Plain Talk newspaper clippings, and I learned more about the families, Union Hill, and the small outbuilding to the side of her frame home. You old timers from Del Rio may remember her parents, Edward Bible, who married Anna Mae Self. One of the several old photos is of Absalom Self with his wife, Alice Sexton Self, and seated on her knee a cute, chubby baby, Anna Mae. Another old photo on the shelf showed Grandpa Mordecia Bible and wife, the former Sarah Teague, along with Tilmon Bible and Arbella Clark. Edward and Anna Mae had 10 children, a girl dying as an infant. The six sons appear in the photo here of the Bible string band. The other girls were the oldest, Ollie, who married Roebie Yates, Ora Speed, who married a Texan and lived in Arkansas. She returned home, was diagnosed with a brain tumor by Dr. McGaha but lived another dozen years.

Because of the accident, I did want to know more about the earlier tragedy and see a photo of Joel Bible. She had several from when he was in World War II, and then with his two hounds. He later married Blanche Etherton and you may have met him when he ran the 411 Store in Greene County just before you get to United Business Forms. There was an apartment at the store. The deadly motorcycle crash took place in Greene County. I learned that there was a child rider with Joel, Randy Massey, who was not seriously injured.

The Edward Bible family left the Midway community probably in the late 1930s and moved to Parrottsville. Son Weaver, the oldest, ran a store and married Pearl Ellison. Although the family was poor they worked and lived through hard times like most Cocke Countians. Ovella met and married Fred, who farmed. The set up house about 1947,and built in 1950 off Union Hill, which didn't have a name then. Ovella continues occupying the same house. She recalled that neighbors then included Don Ottinger, Connie and Irene Gammons. While we chatted, neighbor Janice Strange came in bringing some Plain Talk newspapers. Janice and her husband, James, deliver the Plain Talk on one of our routes. She was complaining about the poor condition of the road made worse by recent rains. I mentioned Fred and Ovella set up house and it wasn't much. Here's the story. They needed living quarters and Hal Bittner had acquired one of the small 10-by-10 temporary houses built for Oak Ridge workers during the war years. They used horses and wagon to transport to its current location and lived in it more than two years with no water, no electricity and only an oil stove for heat and cooking. We laughed about how hard people think they have it today during the recession. The old road went over the hill and there was a small church at the end called Union Hill. Fred and Ovella eventually got into the dairy business, but not grade A. They worked, never had children, but enjoyed life, family, and friends and especially many nieces and nephews. She recalled that when the 911 system was being set up it was suggested the road be called Cope Road. Folks pointed out there already was a Cope Rd. so Ovella and Fred's sister, Selma, suggested "Union Hill."

While wandering through one of the photo albums, I noticed these Plain Talk clippings: Billy Bible celebrating his 21st birthday; Billy Murr, a CCHS football player; and Debra Morrow celebrating her 13th birthday. Then there was another tragic vehicle accident covered by the Plain Talk. Fred's nephew, Bruce Oscar Ottinger was 26 when he was killed as a passenger in a car that crashed on Highway 107 near Houston Valley. The large red headline declared: "Two Killed; 11 injured in weekend accidents." Then there was the large black & white photo I made in 1985 of a Red Cross CPR training class. It showed Paul Hall, Joy Hall, Eric Fowler Jr., Mark Grigsby and Angie Turner trying to resuscitate the dummy. She later married Eddie Bible. So, I met her 25 years ago and now just this fall writing about Billy's accident.