Berniece T. Hiser facts for kids

Berniece Iona Terry Hiser (born April 6, 1908 – died January 5, 1995) was an American writer and a schoolteacher. She is known for collecting and writing down old stories and for her children's book.

Who Was Berniece Hiser?

Berniece Iona Terry Hiser was born on April 6, 1908, in a place called Cow Creek, Kentucky. Her parents were Wilson Edgar Terry and Ruse Wilder. After she finished her studies at Berea College, she became a teacher. She taught in schools in both Kentucky and Indiana.

Collecting Old Stories

Berniece Hiser loved old stories. She put together a special book called Quare Do's in Appalachia: East Kentucky Legends and Memorats. This book was published in 1978 by Pikeville College Press. It's a collection of folktales, ghost stories, and other tales she gathered. Many of these stories were about her own family members. For example, she wrote about how her grandmother, Sally Wilder Frost, got her name from a famous soldier, Col. John Hunt Morgan.

Writing for Young Readers

Berniece Hiser also wrote a book especially for children. This book, titled The Adventure of Charlie and His Wheat-straw Hat: A Memorat, was published in 1986. It's a story set in Kentucky during the American Civil War. The pictures in the book were drawn by Mary Szilagyi.

Later Life and Legacy

For many years, Berniece Hiser lived in Walton, Kentucky. She passed away on January 5, 1995. She was buried in Pleasant View Cemetery, next to Pleasant View Church, in Grant County, Kentucky. Her husband, Ora Hiser, who died on January 5, 1999, was later buried beside her.

Her work helped keep old mountain stories alive. People still enjoy reading the tales she collected and her children's book.

• "Southern Mountain Folktales Being Revived", Lexington Herald-Leader, Section G, Page 6, August 8, 1981
• "...Storytelling in the Southern Appalachians is an old art that is continually being rediscovered. Folklorists take a scholarly interests in this. For the rest of us, it's merely a matter of enjoying "old-timey tales from the mountains." Such a collection is "Quare Do's In Appalachia - East Kentucky Legends and Memorats" (Pikeville College), a book of 30 folktales collected by Bernice T. Hiser..."