'Pon My Honor Mystery Cache
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Size: 
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This cache is placed to honor the memory of my precious Daddy. I chose the name "Pon My Honor" because it was a phrase I remember my Daddy using.
(Since this cache has been published, I have had several people to inquire with me, " 'Pon My Honor", what does that mean? The answer to that question follows in a 10 paragraph short story basically depicting the life of my beloved and precious Daddy. You will find the meaning of the cache in paragraph six.)
Thank you in advance for doing this cache. It holds a dear place in my heart.
DADDY: My Daddy was born in 1910, at Buskirk, KY. Along the Tug River, not far from the Hatfield-McCoy Park located a short distance from this cemetery, my Daddy's father owned and operated a mill. They rowed the milled flour across the Tug on a barge type boat to the West Virginia side. From there the flour was unloaded and taken by horse and wagon to the family store located at Blackberry City, WV (at the base of what is now the Matewan Water Plant).
The mill was lost some time in the 1920's to early 1930's to flooding. Meanwhile, my grandfather passed leaving this store to my Daddy, who was the youngest son (10th child). There were eleven children (3 sons/8 daughters). Seven of the children remained in the Blackberry City area for their lives.
My Daddy married my Mother in August of 1937, twelve years her senior. The following August, the first of four children were born. They were married for 65 1/2 years.
I would like to interject here that my Daddy was 54 years old when I was born and my Mother was 42 years old. Because of his age, he was worried about living to see me raised. He told Mother that chances were good that he would not live to see me graduate high school. God blessed him to not only let him see me graduate high school as class valedictorian (from his alma mater of which he was in the first class of Magnolia High School in 1928 and the last in his class to succumb), but also from college. He was 84 years old attending my graduation from graduate school from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV! It was a gr8 day on many levels!
My Daddy did business by the honor of the spoken word and hand shake. He would clinch the deal by stating, " 'Pon My Honor". I never knew him to sign a contract, nor enter into any type of litigation. As a child I often wondered about this phrase, " 'Pon My Honor". I just did not understand, but I never asked for clarification either. I just accepted that it had something to do with reaffirming my Daddy's honor. Well, I was right. The funny thing is that it was not until I became an adult that the simple meaning of that phrase no longer eluded me.
" 'Pon My Honor" was spoken in my Daddy's southern vernacular leaving out the "U" for "Upon My Honor". How could I have overlooked this simple word? What was so simple to understand for so many was not for me. Perhaps it was because the phrase was just taken for granted. The day that I realized the meaning has often left me with a smile.
My Daddy has often been described as a classic gentleman. The picture of him in my mind's eye is that he always wore some type of button up dress shirt, a tie, a handkerchief in his dress shirt pocket, black wing tipped shoes, and of course, his Stetson hat "topped" off the look.
Daddy became a barber and owned and operated his own shop in one end of the family store for over 50 years! Later he became a postmaster for the Blackberry City Post Office serving 30 years! The post office was located on the other end of the family store. Meanwhile, these jobs payed meager wages and the family store closed due to easier access to larger grocery stores located in neighboring communities. He could not depend on the barber shop to supplement his income, so he then became a school bus driver, working in this capacity for 18 years.
During my childhood, I can recall Daddy "firing" up the school bus in the mornings, doing his "run", returning to the post office for his shift, cutting hair in between postal customers, making the evening bus run, then returning to close the post office, and cut hair in the barber shop in the late afternoon. My Mother watched the post office during his afternoon bus run.
I saw my Daddy interact with the public on many levels and at every age. I never once saw him lose his temper or get angry with his patrons. He was always the gentleman and always very humble and mannerly. Perhaps one of the qualities for which I admired my Daddy was that he was always, always so very appreciative of what he had. I never heard my Daddy speak of something that he wanted. He seemed satisfied with his life and what he had. He loved his family very much. His prayers were beautiful. He was faithful to pray for his children and grand children. My Daddy lived one month shy of 94 years. I was blessed to be by his side. He was a blessed man and was dearly loved by his family. My Daddy was a true gentleman, a faithful husband, a wonderful father and grandfather. He was a rare man..... A Man " 'Pon My Honor".
Additional Matewan History: Many of you who have visited this area to geocache have become familiar with the Hatfield-McCoy Feud. However, the Matewan area has another place in history. "On May 19, 1920, twelve men were killed at Matewan, West Virginia, in a gun fight in which the local police and the people of Matewan faced a group of hoodlums hired by the infamous Baldwin Felts Detective Agency at the behest of the coal operators to unlawfully evict miners from their homes."
This gun fight is often referred to as the"Matewan Massacre". The gun fight took place in the streets by the original train depot that was in the vicinity of the present day Matewan Post Office in downtown Matewan. A historical marker stands by the street there to mark this significant event for Matewan and the UMWA (United Mine Workers of America).
I have brought you to this cemetery to share another piece of Matewan's history while also sharing the life of my beloved Daddy. There is a marker placed in this cemetery of Sid Hatfield who played a vital role in the "Matewan Massacre". Hatfield was Matewan's Chief of Police and he led the opposition against the Baldwin Felts Detectives during the "Matewan Massacre".
You may find more information about this interesting history at (visit link)
To reach the above coordinates, you must use the access road which may be found at
N 37 37.120 and W 082.09.954.
To solve this puzzle, you must find the marker at the stated coordinates. You will solve the puzzle with information found on the marker.
N 37 37.abc W 82 10.def
a=The third number down on the back of the marker minus 1510
B=The last number down on the back of the marker minus the number above it
c=Find the fifth number down on the back of the marker. Use the last two digits, then divide by six
d=The death year minus 1920
e=The sum of the numbers of the death year minus nine
f=The range of birth to death in months, then add two
FTF Honors go to frogandmonkeystaggs!!!
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur svany vf 224 sg sebz gur bevtvany pbbeqvangrf.
Or fher gb ybbx vafvqr. V ubcr vg oevatf n "fzvyrl" gb lbhe snpr! OLBC
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