I met Bos Vining when Seth Jr. brought her home to Tryon and liked her immediately. A compliment I used to hear fairly often in those days was “May his/her tribe increase!” I guess she and Seth Jr. took this idea seriously, for their family pretty well filled the tent at her graveside service.

My editor Samantha has devoted a lot of deserved space to one referred to as the “matriarch of the Bulletin,” but to me that is Gladys Vining (she was “Mrs. Vining” to me). She pretty well ran the place as far as keeping everything together and tying up any loose ends as Seth Sr. gathered the news and kept the press and linotype running. Bos got her family pretty well raised before doing likewise for the Bulletin office. Seth Jr. was always easy going and I feel sure welcomed Bos to the “cave on Trade” to help make it all work.

One evening when I was visiting a friend at St. Luke’s a nurse informed me that “Boss Vining” was in Room so-and-so. Her nickname was short for Boswell, so always pronounced “Boz” in my experience. Of course I went on by to see her and told her that I thought her new name fit. She did laugh and enjoy this insightful “mistake.”  Yes, she was a “take charge” person and we never had to wonder what she thought about anything. But I did not think she was bossy or unkind . . . just forthright. A natural-born Mom to everybody, family or not.

These were two more women I feel blessed to have known.