Fay Bond was born, Oma Fay Midyette, in the Tumble Inn in Oriental in 1923 where her parents, George Preston Midyette and Irma Ross Midyette, were renting at the time. Fay’s great Granddaddy, Samuel Wellington Midyette, and Granddaddy, George Washington Midyette, came to Oriental with Uncle “Lou” Midyette when they settled here in 1870. Granddaddy lived on the lot where the veterinarian building is now located on Broad Street and had a store on the lot next to Smith’s Store, which is now The Steamer. His property ran from Broad Street to Camp Creek where he owned a fish house with lots of pecans trees on the property, which remains a favorite spot for Fay to gather her pecans every fall.
“The Norfolk & Southern Railroad came into Oriental until the 1940’s. When they ceased coming, my Daddy, Preston Midyette, purchased all of the railroad property which included all of the property on West Water Street and some property at the North end of Midyette Street, and made the train depot into three apartments. At his death, the land went to my Mother, Irma Ross Midyette. There was a need for a Wildlife Boat Ramp, so she was encouraged by my brother, George Preston Midyette, Jr. to give the land to the State for that purpose.”
Thank you, Granny Midge! Later, she and her children become Midyette Development Corporation and sold the property which became Oriental Harbor Marina. The depot was moved from its location on West Water Street on Raccoon Creek to its present location.
A true daughter of Oriental, Fay has the same positive, self-confident attitude and spunk of those original settlers. This independent spirit came through early on in response to young John Williamson Bond’s declarations of admiration and affection. Back in the eighth grade, John had seen Fay walking across the school yard and thought to himself, “I would like to marry her.” Years later, he was trying to get his chance to go out with her, but Fay, doubting his sincerity, told him she “wouldn’t marry him if he was the last man on earth.” It was John’s good friend, Tom Smith, who helped win Fay over by letting her know that John “meant every word he said.” Their first date was a ride on the party boat, Wolf, up to the pavilion in Minnesott Beach where the young people danced on Saturday nights. And what a ride it turned out to be! “Love at First Sight” turned into 66 ½ happy years of being married to each other until John’s death two years ago in December 2011.
Theirs was the generation of young people, many of whom were just graduated from HS in 1941, when December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, changed everything. Fay remembers the day that a girl friend told her that their school chum, Elwood Aldridge, had been killed when his ship, the Helena, which was located at Pearl Harborwas attacked by the Japanese. John was the last person from Oriental to be with young Navy man, Elwood, before he died because John was the one who took him back to his ship when he left Oriental for the last time.
John also joined the Navy, did duty in North Africa, then the South Pacific.
So after just a few brief months of dating, from September 1942 until their marriage in 1945, courtship was carried on by letter writing like so many others of the “Greatest Generation.” Fay often re-reads these war year love letters from her “last man on earth.” During those long war years, in which John had only one leave when they could be together, Fay pursued her education and her degree in teaching at the encouragement of her Daddy, who told her that he could help her get her education, but she was “the one who had to earn it.” She kept the promise she made to him to complete her education by coming back from San Diego after she was married to John in 1945 to finish her student teaching.
Fay remembers the ways things were done back then, working together and not incurring debt. An example of this old fashion collaboration and community support is the concrete block building on Board Street, which is now Studio 55. Shared by the Oriental Woman’s Club (bottom floor) and the Masons Lodge (top floor), the structure was built one block at a time, with no credit or loan, as people contributed to the fundraising efforts led by Dr. and Mrs. J.J. Purdy.
Later, Miss Rena Daniels started a fund to purchase a carpet for the Woman’s Club, but instead it turned into a building fund and had grown to $10,000. That, along with half the sale price of their building with the Masons, gave the Oriental Woman’s Club $16,000 to build their current building on Gilgo Street. This land, along with the lots for the Free Will Baptist Church, and the little town beach on Neuse Drive, was donated by the Dolphin Company through the influence of John Bond who originally owned all the land from Vandemere Street along the waterfront to the land adjacent to Whittaker Creek. What a great example of how big things used to be accomplished by people through step-by step hard work, community support and cooperation without incurring a lot of debt, as well as another example of the generous, giving spirit of our early families.
Throughout much of their time in Oriental, John and Fay owned a construction company. Butch Hardison remembers John Bond as a “great man and a great contractor.” John built a house for Butch’s mother at his cost after hers burned down and she was left with little from the insurance company. John also built the Town Hall/Fire Hall without charging anything for his labor. The building was remodeled in 2012 by John and Fay’s son-in law, Bob Maxbauer, who was town manager at the time.
Fay enjoyed working for Sail/Loft Reality with Joe Gwaltney, Larry Gwaltney’s father and founder of the business. She would show people homes and then bring them back to the office where Joe would “close the sale.” She could always tell who was going to be happy in Oriental and who wouldn’t be.
She has served on many organizations, including the Oriental Woman’s Club as president and in other offices, still volunteers at the Oriental Historical Museum, and is very active in her church, Oriental First Baptist. In fact, Fay actually does some of the landscaping and is responsible for all the beautiful flowers around the church property as well as keeping her own garden from which she cooks, cans, and pickles artichoke and watermelon rind! Fay also cooks Sunday dinner every week for her family. Even the turtles get taken care of by Fay! Known as the “Turtle Lady,” she feeds about 35-50 turtles who come up into her yard regularly for a meal. What does she feed them you ask? Dog food! Even Goldie, her faithful companion, knows how to serve and share what she has!
John and Fay have given so much to this community, but their signature event will always be the Annual “Come one, Come all!” Watermelon Cutting, held continuously every 2nd Sunday in August at 4 pm; Rain Date: “Wait 5 Minutes.” This gift to the community of Oriental was inspired by Fay’s parents, who used to bless others in the same way with watermelon cutting parties. One year, 45 years ago, John and Fay had extra watermelons and the rest is history. Don’t miss it. Everyone is invited!!
Energetic at 91 in September 2014, with that beautiful smile, twinkle in her eye, and skip in her step, that caught John’s eye back in the eighth grade, Fay, winner of many medals with Senior Olympics and other sports competitions, teaches a vigorous water aerobics class at the Village Health and Fitness Club twice a week and a stretch class three days a week and along with her beautiful dog, Goldie, spreads good cheer and happiness all around Oriental and beyond.
John, who wrote many poems, wrote this one about Fay.
Just Writing…
The worth of gold is what you can hold,
The love of a wife-its limits are untold.
The joy it brings, the peace of mind,
It is a blessing for mankind.
Now I know that kind of girl,
She can put my heart in a whirl.
She can bring laughter when I am sad,
Make me face problems and be glad.
The joy she has given me I’ll never forget,
Although in my burdens I sometimes fret.
She has gotten me over trouble and strife,
Now you know I am speaking of my wife!
Some say she is one in a million.
I’d like to make it one in a trillion
Sometimes I hope she understands,
I love her so much because I am a man.
Thank you, Fay, for being such a positive example of love and service, faith and faithfulness, fitness and family. We love you! Happy 91st Birthday!
Readers are invited to return to the top of this story and click on the ‘Reply’ link to share some memories of Fay or to leave a message.
Written by Lorraine Yaeger,
Public Relations Coordinator
Century 21 Sail/Loft Realty
716.249.1787