Logan County Family Shows Diverse Interests By Connie Shearer Staff Writer
The Charleston Gazette Charleston, W. Va. Friday, June 11, 1976 Section B, Page IB A2
THE HOME of the Allen Conley family is located in Chapmanville. Logan County. Conley, who has worked in the coal mines of West Virginia for 30 years, is a section boss with the Island Creek Coal Co.
CHAPMANVILLE-The Allen Conley family of Chapmanville is a mining family. Yet. they neither "owe their soul to the company store." as characterized in a song popular several years ago. nor do they own Cadillacs and furs and extravagant jewelry, as depicted in recent television and news stories. Mrs. Conley is a college graduate and teaches home economics at Chapmanville High School. Her husband did not go to college nor did his two older daughters. They did have the choice, however. Rhea Conley is 14 years old and college bound. She hasn't decided just what course of study she will pursue and she isn't certain which college she will attend, although she says she is giving a lot of thought to Marshall University. Her mother is a West Virginia University graduate. ALLEN CONLEY is a section boss with Island Creek Coal Co. He has worked in the mines for 30 years. Mrs. Conley says she does not fear that her husband will be injured when he enters the mines each day. "He isn't afraid and I have just never had reason to worry. If he worried I would too." she says. She admits that her husband has received minor cuts and abrasions in his job. but never anything serious.
MRS. CONLEY is concerned about some of her students. She says. "They just have no desire to go to college. They all just want to work in the mines or get married at an early age." She would like tn see more of students interested in furthering their education. Mr. and Mrs. Conley anri Rhea live in a brick ranch-style house, which they built seven years ago. Elwanda Conley chose most of the furnishings for her home. But she arranged for Charleston interior designer. Clarence Cook, to visit her home and choose the furnishings for the living room and dining room. Her color preferences run to soft blue and green and are evident in the living room and formal dining room. Cook chose plush moss green velvet chairs to complement the pale patterned sofa and white and fruitwood provincial furniture. THE CONLEY family is a close family. The walls of the den are covered with family portraits. The Conleys and their daughter. Rhea. vacation together. Usually they spend some time each year at the beach. The two older daughters, have moved away from Chapmanville. Both are married. One lives in Charleston and the other lives in Columbus. Ohio. Mrs. Conley often shops in Charleston and visits the family there. She says. "I do a lot of shopping at the Diamond and Stone and Thomas when I go to Charleston. But we also shop at the Island Creek Store in Logan." Being a home economist. Mrs. Conley also is a seamstress and often sews for herself and her daughter. She does all her grocery shopping at Naaman and Godhy Food Market in C'hapmanville. MRS. CONLEY is a free lance writer. MOTHER, DAUGHTER relax in the living room of their Chapmanville home. Rhea Conley is planning a college career. Her mother. Mrs. Allen Conley hopes that more of her students at Chapmanville Junior High School will go to college. She has had several articles out lining teaching ideas published in home economics publications. Her husband's hobby is hunting.He owns several fox hounds and spends many fall weekends on hunting trips. He owns a Jeep which he uses for such trips. He also owns a truck which he drives to work. Rhea Conley's hobby is dancing. She has studied tap dancing for seven years and she studied ballet for one year. Her teacher is Mary Lou Molle of Charleston, who goes to Logan three days a week for classes there. The Conleys own two cars. The newer one is considered the family car. Mrs. Conley explains that they kept I he "old car" for her to use in her vocational home economics projects. She says, "I use it when 1 visit the girls in their homes during the summer months."
MOTHER, DAUGHTER relax in the living room of their Chapmanville home. Rhea Conley is planning a college career. Her mother. Mrs. Allen Conley hopes that more of her students at Chapmanville Junior High School will go to college.
Allen Conley is the son of Charlie Gene(GUE)and Lula Bryant Conley
