On October 23, 2021 a group of Emporian’s gathered to celebrate the 15th annual “Mom’s not dead yet” Bonfire. This event is held every year in remembrance of Dorothy B. Clough.

I interviewed Kaitlin Byington and Jackie Edwards (Dorothy’s daughters) over Dorothy and what she was like. When asked what Dorothy was like, Kaitlin Byington said “ My mom was crazy, loyal, fierce, and she loved big. If you were her kid she would fight for you with her last breath. She’d give a stranger the shirt off her back or her last dollar. She always worked hard. She always made the most of hard times. One of the things she used to say was ‘ don’t sweat the small stuff’ “ I also asked Jackie Edwards the same question and her response was “Well, she was funny and she knew everyone. We could not go anywhere without her knowing someone. She would give you the shirt off of her back if you needed it. She LOVED her motorcycle. She liked to read and she always slept in the recliner. Always. There’s a lot more that I could tell you, but that would take all day.“

There’s many activities at these bonfires each year. This year some of the main activities were cornhole boards, a smaller fire, and a huge bonfire. I asked Adam Burnett (Dorothy’s grandson) about what his favorite activity was during the bonfire and he said “ I would have to say that my favorite part of the bonfire was playing catch with the little kids, and spending time with my family.”

There were many dishes brought this year. Everyone pitched in and brought something different. The main dish was walking tacos. Walking tacos are a bag of chips with taco meat, cheese, salsa, and everything else you would put in a taco into the chip bag. Some of the side dishes were Jalapeno poppers, smores trail mix, cookies, rice krispie treats, and more! I asked Curtis Byington (Dorothy’s son-in-law) about what his favorite dish was and he decided that it was the Jalapeno poppers.”

I really love these bonfires each year. It helps my family remember my grandma and allows me to get to know the grandma I never got a chance to meet. It also helps me relax and have a good time with my family and friends. This year the bonfire was really exciting and enjoyable. Many family members and friends came to enjoy the fire and be with each other.