Local author Kathy Widener has just published the 2nd volume of stories about early days in southwest Lexington County. In this Q&A, she tells Chronicle Editor Emeritus Jerry Bellune about her books and why she wrote them.

Q. How did you come to write these 2 books?

A. My inspiration was the stories my Uncle Leon told me and my siblings growing up. He had a phenomenal memory and was a great storyteller.

He could remember when something happened, who was there, more often than not the day, month and year and the weather.

Most of all, he loved to tell his stories. We would record them or write them down. After he passed away at age 91 in 2002, I decided I wanted to write a book using his stories as a guide. “The Return Home” and the 1st book, “Where Memories Live,” are the result. Both are based on true events but are historical fiction because I had to weave his stories into a narrative.

Uncle Leon was a WWII veteran, being drafted at the age of 32, old for service at that time.

My Dad, Robert, had a wonderful memory also, but a different personality.

If you asked him questions he would tell his stories. Uncle Leon did not have to be asked. Both were wonderful role models for us kids.

My daddy also lived to age 91, passing away in 2015. I couldn’t let all their memories die with them.

I read somewhere when a really old person dies, it is like a library has burned down. That is why I took on this task.

Q. Who is in the audience you write for?

A. Both books have been popular with Baby Boomers. They can relate to these stories. If they did not grow up this way, their grandparents did, especially in the South. In the end, I decided I would write my memoir, which is called “Southern Child.” It is almost finished.

I grew up in the same old unpainted house my granddaddy, Kelly Gantt and his brothers built in 1912, we had no indoor plumbing, no heat in winter except burning wood. I lived in that house until age 12, and it stands today not 2 miles from the North Edisto River, as the crow flies.

The only major difference between my childhood and my Uncle Leon was we never made any moonshine.

My brother and his wife occupy the old house today, but Steve and Ann have done extensive remodeling. That house was built to last.

Q. How did you get started in writing?

A. I graduated in 1969 from Pelion High. School was so different back then. I believe I got a really good education. I graduated at the top of my class of 36 students, served as President of the Honor Society my senior year, was voted “most likely to succeed” and even lettered in cheerleading, a sport of sorts.

One month to the day after graduating I married the love of my life and next June we will have been married 50 years. The first 17 years I stayed home to raise our 3 children, then went back to school and got an associate degree with honors majoring in history.

By that time, our oldest daughter, Melanie, was going to college.

I decided I should be satisfied with my degree.

I went to work at Aiken Regional Medical Center in 1993, working in the business office. The last 7 years I worked as administrative assistant for Nutrition Services and Environmental Service, a fancy way to say housekeeping. I retired in December 2013.

I met a couple in the grocery store. It had been years since I had seen them.

Robert said, “I read your book. My daughter gave it to me, and I have only read about 5 books in my life.”

He went on to say how much he liked it and how he remembered the kind of life I described. His advice to me: “keep writing.”

That made my day.