I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lyndsy Clayton, owner of Terra `a Terra Farm and the proud daughter of Carl and Helen Goins Hooker.
Just a few weeks ago, Mrs. Helen Goins Hooker celebrated her 100th birthday with a joyful, well-attended party at Unity Presbyterian Church in Ararat, Virginia. For the past five years, she has lived with her younger sister in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
Mrs. Hooker was born on June 13, 1925, to Fletcher Goins and Annie Wilson of Kibler Valley. According to the 1930 census, the family lived near the Pinnacles of Dan. Helen was the oldest of seven children. Her father, Fletcher, was the son of Albert Fletcher “Dock” Goins and Lillie Brown, and her mother, Annie, was the daughter of John Bishop Wilson and Mahala Pack — all from the Ararat area.
On December 27, 1945, Helen married soldier Walter “Gean” Willard, son of George William Willard and Susie Collins of Ararat. Just nine days earlier, Gean had enlisted in the United States Army at Camp Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia. He served with the 2022nd Prisoner of War Overhead Detachment but tragically died in France on May 27, 1946. At only twenty years old, PFC Willard was laid to rest at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinoze, France.
Growing up nearby on Epperson’s Mill Road was a young man named Carl Howard Hooker. He was born on September 9, 1923, to Merritt Howard Hooker and Lou Ada Goins. Merritt was the son of Larkin Howard Hooker and Laura Etta Goins, while Lou Ada was the daughter of Columbus Franklin Goins and Susan Anna Hooker. If that family tree sounds complicated, you’re not alone — I had to sort through records several times to keep it all straight!
Carl was working on his father’s tobacco farm when America entered World War II. At twenty years old, he enlisted in the U.S. Army with the 977th Field Artillery Battalion on May 4, 1943. Over the next two years, Carl endured an incredible 492 days of combat. Thankfully, he returned home safely and was discharged on October 29, 1945.
Upon his return to Patrick County, Carl learned that Helen Goins Willard had been widowed. The two had known each other before Helen’s marriage, and soon they rekindled their courtship. Carl and Helen married on December 12, 1946, in Surry County, North Carolina.
The couple purchased farmland on Dan Valley Road in Claudville, where they built a life together. They raised tobacco, and while Mr. Hooker farmed and drove the school bus for Red Bank School, Mrs. Hooker worked third shift at Renfro Hosiery in Mount Airy. Mr. Hooker was also active in county agriculture, including tobacco measurement.
Later, Mr. Hooker took a job with the City of Danville, operating the Kibler Valley Power Dam, a position he held for many years. Although Carl and Helen never had biological children, they adopted a daughter, Lyndsy, who proudly carries on their legacy of love for the land.
Lyndsy fondly recalls growing up on the farm, surrounded by the flowers, shrubs, and trees her parents planted. She inherited their love of horticulture and a deep appreciation for equines. She smiles when remembering how Mr. Hooker kept mules on the farm long after purchasing a tractor, simply because of their gentle nature and hard-working qualities.
Today, under Lyndsy’s care, Terra `a Terra Farm has earned the distinction of being a certified “American Grown” flower farm, promoting fair trade, sustainable practices, and transparency. I asked Lyndsy about the farm’s unique name. She explained that “Terra `a Terra Farm” loosely translates from French as “down to earth,” a tribute to her Papa Carl’s military service in France during World War II. It is also an equestrian dance step in dressage, blending her love of horses with her family’s rich history.
Lyndsy shared, “I wish everyone could have known my Papa Carl Hooker. He was a shining example of a Christian — humble, kind, and patient.”
She also shared the photographs included with this article, explaining, “The first one is of Nana and Papa after they got married. The second is of me as a kid next to a Viburnum bush. The last one was taken in 2004 in front of the Spirea bush. That Spirea bush? I propagated it into many plants, and it’s now one of our biggest sellers. This March, we sent those branches to Washington, D.C., where they were used in the floral arrangements for the First Lady’s Luncheon!”
For questions, comments, or story ideas, you may contact Woody at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or 276-692-9626.
