They were basket weavers, wood carvers, pottery throwers, farmers, and so much more. They raised ears of corn, flocks of sheep, and dozens of dirt-worn children, without the use of county agriculture agents, chemical pesticides, or educational psychologists. They made lye soap, pulled taffy, and rode circuits to preach the Gospel. They hung their laundry on fences, fixed broken items with their own hands, and buried their own family members in the dry, rocky soil of a bald knob.
Here's to the hillbillies - the hard working sons and daughters who lived in the hills, built their own cabins, and laid the foundation of today's Branson and Silver Dollar City. We should all be as lucky to have been raised by folks who didn't take the easy way, who weren't defeated by the difficult earth, and who shone like sunlight amidst darkness and diversity.
May we never forget the humble hillbilly!