By Beverly Belcher Woody
I recently had the privilege of enjoying a wonderful telephone conversation with Mary Alice Atkins Osborne, daughter of Murray Samuel Atkins and Ruth Ellen Dillon, and granddaughter of W.G. and Kizzie Akers Atkins and James Henry “Squire” Dillon and Carrie Ardella DeHart Dillon.
In earlier research on the Atkins family, I discovered that the W.G. and Kizzie Atkins family endured unimaginable sorrow—the loss of four teenage grandchildren in separate automobile accidents. I reached out to Mrs. Osborne to learn more about these tragic events, which forever marked the family’s history, including the heartbreaking loss of her own younger sister.
The first tragedy occurred on August 5, 1957, in Cave Spring, Virginia.
Joseph Allen “Joe” Atkins, son of W.G. and Kizzie, and his wife, Annie May Weaver Atkins, had two children: Nancy Carol, age 17, and William Gordon “Billy” Atkins, age 13. The siblings were passengers in a car driven by a family friend, returning home from a show in Roanoke, when the vehicle struck a tree. Both Nancy and Billy—Joe and Annie’s only children—were killed instantly.
The second tragedy struck on June 7, 1961, in Preston, Virginia.
Murray Samuel Atkins and his wife, Ruth Ellen Dillon Atkins, had two daughters, Mary Alice and Lou Ellen, who were nine years apart in age. Lou Ellen, an 18-year-old student at Fieldale High School, was riding in a car with two other girls and a boy when the vehicle ran off the road. She passed away the following morning from her injuries. Of the other passengers, one escaped unhurt, and two suffered only minor injuries.
The third tragedy took place on August 10, 1968, near Stoneville, North Carolina.
Robert Green “Bob” Atkins, another son of W.G. and Kizzie, and his second wife Ruth Lily Wilson Atkins, lost their son, Robert Green “Skeeter” Atkins Jr., an 18-year-old college student. Skeeter and two other young men were killed in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer.
These tragedies brought profound grief to a family already bound by faith, resilience, and love. Yet through heartache and loss, the Atkins family continued to serve their community and one another, standing as a reflection of the steadfast spirit that defines so many Patrick County families.
The story of W.G. and Kizzie Akers Atkins and their descendants reminds us that while time may soften sorrow, it never erases memory. Their legacy—rooted in hard work, kindness, and family devotion—continues to live on in the hearts of those who remember them.
Thank you so much to Mrs. Mary Alice Atkins Osborne for sharing her memories of her sister and first cousins. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for stories, you may reach me at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or 276-692-9626.
