By Allen Hamrick
Many of our old ways of doing things have taken a back seat to modern tools and computers. Most people of certain generations will set comfortably in their homes and, while sipping on a cup of stout black coffee, remember what it was like in the “Good Ol’ Days” while their bones and joints remind them of what it is now. People in other generations collect the tools and collectables that those of another generation used in everyday life and stand in wonder as they sip on a latte as to what it would have been like to live in those days. The newest generation, for the most part, does not care as they sip on energy drinks and play on their phones. They see no need to hunt for food or work as hard; food is readily available at the grocery store, and we have machines to do the work now. Those people who truly lived in the past are dying off quickly, and their tales, tips and tricks to hard living goes with them. “No need for learning the old ways when we have the new ways,” has often been said. One generation depended on their backs and the other depends on their money. There is nothing wrong with technology as long as you have a backup plan when technology fails. Hence, it is always important not to forget the old ways of doing things to survive, gather food, and have a knowledge base of how things were built and how they were fixed when they couldn’t be replaced. Much of our old ways of doing things are gone because the wisdom was not carried through all the generations of family.
There is one local man, however, that has the best of both worlds and more of the old ways than new. Gene Truman is a living legend, well known throughout for his survivability through folk medicine, mountain traditional ways of farming, blacksmithing, mountain rifle making, building, coffin making and is now the proprietor of a new old time trading post. A visit to Cross T Mountain Coffin Works will take you back to the old ways where coffins are made the traditional way with old tools that have been given a new life instead of placed on a shelf. With the lamp burning, Gene gets planning, filing, drilling and sewing, turning old wood into a beautiful final gift of love and respect. These coffins are hand crafted from start to finish, from the woodwork to the inside upholstering. If you visit his coffin works, the smell of wood smoke and dust fills the air, and the atmosphere leaves you with a sense that 1880 is just around the corner. This is a place where your soul will find what it searches for… a time that has been lost to modern ways and a sense of peace. Gene welcomes all to come, chew the fat and check out his ways of building coffins and perhaps place an order.
His coffins are all hand crafted which means they all are one of a kind. So, if you’re burdened by the high funeral costs, Cross T Coffin Works gives you some options to consider. Gene is a survivalist, farmer, blacksmith, homebuilder and pastor, and he has a unique way of keeping a balance between the old paths and the new.
A part of his Coffin Works empire includes a good old fashioned trading post where all types of handmade goods are sold and traded for, stories are swapped, orders are made and a good time is had by all who visit. In the near future, handmade knives will be on display and for sale, but for now, there are handmade tools and just about anything you would find at an old time trading post. It is best to visit when you have more than just a few minutes to spend because a visit could last a whole day. The sense of being a part of something as timeless as a living history makes the visit well worth the effort. The old ways of working with wood and building something as timeless as a coffin is one of those skills that have almost faded into pages in books and memory. Except for people like Gene Truman, this generation would never get to experience it. With the sun setting on the day and the night engulfing the hollow, a cool misty fog drifts past the wood shop as Gene turns out the lamp. Another day of work is done, and it is good. If you’re interested in any of the items in the trading post or perhaps want to take advantage of the coffin works, give Gene a call at 304-587-7680 in the evening and set up a time to come on over; you will be glad you did.
