Rappahannock or had bought the house from the Wolfs,

Rappahannock or had bought the house from the Wolfs, who moved to the Florida Keys. They kept the piece on the Hawthorn side of 618 for a while and later sold it separately to Gene. <■

In 1976 Gene decided to run for president again, this time as an independent. Much of that campaign was played out in the courts as he challenged state laws that made it difficult for someone who was not a major party candidate to get on the ballot. In presidential elections the voters are actually voting for electors pledged to support certain candidates for president and vice president. So for most state ballots he needed to field a vice-presidential candidate as well as a slate of electors. He asked me to run as his vice presidential running mate in Virginia. He had different running mates in different states. Virginia actually was less onerous than other states in its requirements. Still McCarthy supporters failed to gather enough signatures to get us on the ballot. However, I was on the ballot in Oklahoma and Ifexas. I believe that Gene’s efforts made it easier for John Anderson to run as an Independent in 1980 and for Ross Perot in later years.

When Gene was in residence in Rappahannock he went just about every morning to the F.T. Valley Grocery then called “W and «Fs” or just Wilma’s, for a paper and coffee and banter with the other guys who gathered there in the mornings. I am sure many of them would have interesting stories to tell about McCarthy in Rappahannock.

Sean and I built a house on land next door to McCarthy’s place on Hawlin Road. We visited back and forth, but not frequently. I interviewed him a few times for the Rappahannock News. One story he enjoyed telling concerned the police raid of his headquarters in Chicago. Some of his campaign workers were playing bridge when the police burst in. One of the young women had just bid “seven no trump” for the first time in her life, and complained bitterly that she never got to play the hand, the only such hand she ever held. Gene had a wry sense of humor, but was somewhat bitter about the tendency of the press to ignore his efforts to raise important issues because it did not perceive him to be a credible candidate. He was very pleased when a college student hearing his name mentioned asked, “Do you mean Gene McCarthy the poet?” not knowing of his career in politics.

Gene was separated from his wife by the time he became associated with Rappahannock County, and his companion and gracious hostess when he was here was Marya McLaughlin, a former TV reporter. In 1997 or 1998 McCarthy became very ill and nearly died. Marya nursed him back to health, but shortly after that she sickened and died.

The most courageous thing I ever saw Eugene McCarthy do was recite two poems he had written for her at her funeral at the cemetery in Woodville. He is buried next to her there. We will miss him.

Sharon Kilpatrick

Spenyville