In 1908, Zorabelle Greene was born in Martins Ferry, a small town sitting west of the Ohio River that originally was an extension of Wheeling, West Virginia. As a woman of African American and Cherokee Nation descent and one who resided in the former Confederate territory of Virginia, Zorabelle was faced with very limited opportunities. Despite these restraints, she was able to shine with grit and grace and eventually established a parlor business out of her home.

One day while working in the West Virginia coal mines, Dewey Barkley (Pops) met Zorabelle. They fell in love and together gave life to three sons, Fred, Edward and Dewey, who were all born between 1923 and 1929. Along with the parlor business, Zorabelle supported her family through a life lived sustainably. She appreciated the environmental gifts of nature and lived honoring the Earth by growing a garden for food and sewing clothes for her family.

Zorabelle Greene Barkley was the great grandmother of Dr. Jennifer D. Roberts. While Dr. Roberts never met her Grandma Zorabelle, she has cherished the stories of her life and this singular photo of her. In honor of her spirit and being a woman of grit and grace, the Wekesa Earth Center’s Communication Office will be named Zorabelle’s Garden. Zorabelle’s Garden will be a virtual space for amplifying nature belonging through storytelling, funneling news, and sharing research to affiliates, communities, media, and other interested parties.