Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Papers of Ora Belle Mayberry McColman, Accession #2009.2.13, Roanoke Public Libraries, Roanoke, VA

Acquisition Information

Donated by Sunny Hubble

Biographical Note

Ora Belle Mayberry McColman was born December 4, 1917 to Harvey E. and Emma Florence Mayberry on a farm in Snowville area of Montgomery County, VA. Growing up during the Depression era, McColman was one of 16 students to graduate from Auburn High School in Riner, VA. After graduation from high school, Ora Belle attended Virginia Tech for two years. Her father became ill and she had to drop out of school. When she returned to school, she graduated from National Business College in Roanoke, VA. McColman married Belton F. McColman, Jr. July 3, 1942 and lived in Covington, VA for 10 years where she worked as a secretary to the office manager of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. In 1952, she moved with her husband to Roanoke, VA where he began working for The Roanoke Times as a linotype setter. She was employed by McKesson and Robbins Drugs, Westinghouse Electric Supply, L. S. Waldrop Realty and J. H. Pence Company. Ora Belle completed all but one seat of the test for a Certified Professional Secretary. McColman developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that slowed her typing speed below the requirements forcing her to quit. In 1974, Ora Belle decided to open a secretarial service in Roanoke on Williamson road. She offered all types of secretarial and accounting services, but her business mostly evolved into printing. She ran this business alone, printing school yearbooks, Historical Society Journals and other things. She printed two books for Helen Prillaman: "A Place Apart," "Places near the Mountain," and one book for Saunders Guerrant "Franklin County Corn." She also printed a book for Mary Kegley entitled "The Big Fort." She printed a number of cookbooks, booklets, and brochures. Ora Belle was genealogist without a computer that published three family history books: "Emera Altizer of Montgomery County, VA and some of his descendants, 1736-1997;" "A few of the descendants of Charles Mayberry/Mabry of Grayson (Carroll) County, VA 176?-1840;" and "Descendants of Elder John Lawrence of southwest Virginia and New England." She has a fourth unpublished book. (See this collection.) McColman was a member of Oakland Baptist Church and served as Librarian for several years. She was a member of DAR (Daughters of American Revolution) and of UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy). Both of her grandfathers fought in the Civil War. She was a founding member of the Williamson Road Action Forum. She served as editor of The Forum for about four to 5 years. McColman was an organizing member of Williamson Road Area Business Association and was a lifetime member. She served as secretary for the first 15 years. McColman passed away on August 19, 2008 and is buried in the Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens in Roanoke, VA.

Scope and Content

The Ora Belle Mayberry McColman Memoir Manuscripts are comprised of twelve yellow ruled notepads of the thirteen piece collection. The first notepad in the collection was missing at time of donation. This is her fourth family history book unpublished.

Arrangement

12 notebooks arranged in numerical order as labeled by McColman.