AVID READER—Lucy Roe, an avid reader, pauses for a photo in her home library. She has gathered the collection of books from many sources, including some from both sides of her family. Photo by Laura Thornburg

Lucy Roe stays busy, even in retirement

Sparta resident Lucy Roe has kept herself busy after retiring from the library last year by maintaining a schedule of visiting the library and volunteering at Books ‘N Friends.

In years past, she worked about 20 hours a week at the library, enjoying working with the children, as well as library patrons.

"I really, really enjoyed, it," Roe said of the experience. "I always have a lot of fun experiences at the library. I can't think of anything that…maybe just a misunderstanding of someone wants one type of book and I'm looking for another." With a laugh, she recalled, "A patron was looking for a book on a parakeet and I misunderstood I thought she said pregnancy. Debbie, Doug and Sherry and I have had some really good laughs."

Of her volunteering at Books ‘N Friends, Roe stated, "I love books and it benefits the library and it's a great place to volunteer." Noting she has worked with the public for some time, she commented she may volunteer at Alleghany Christians Associated for Relief and Emergency Services at some point in the near future.

Growing Up

The daughter of C.G. and Vesta Collins has lived in Alleghany County throughout her life, with an exception of six years when her husband Rudy Roe attended school. Her home place is a two-story home across from where the Alleghany Wellness Center is currently located on Collins Street.

"I've lived on Collins Road all my life," she said. Her mother-in-law was her math teacher in school, while her father-in-law was a principal of Sparta School in the early ‘30s and a street near the central office is named after him.

Of the early years, Roe grew up on a dairy farm.

"It was great," Roe recalled. "We had the hills and the creeks and the wide open spaces. We had orchards, we had all sorts of fruit trees, had chickens and pigs and workhorses. We always had something to do. We could play and our parents of course didn't worry about us because we could be out on the hillside and our mother would holler when the food was ready."