Ginger Hillery

Check It Out

Local efforts are under way to help Oklahoma tornado victims. Find out how you can help here.

« Previous

Last week, an article by Beth Macy ran with photos that I took of Ginger Hillery. I spent time with Ginger last summer for a previous story.

This time, we did a follow-up. Ginger was moving with her five children to Texas to be closer to her parents.

I’d kept in touch with Ginger over this past year while I was finishing college…The relationships I’ve made and continue to make as a photojournalist is probably my favorite part of my job.

I hope that The Roanoke Times’ readers spent time reading Ginger’s story and Beth Macy’s beautiful words because it was a story that I enjoyed working on.

Here are two pictures that didn’t make it to the paper.

Ginger Hillery of Troutville teaches a specialty bread-making class in her kitchen on July 16, 2011. "Bread-making and cheese-making let you see magic happen," Ginger said. She taught the women in the class how to make Spelt Chocolate Baby Brioche, Spelt and Rye Almond Raisin Bread and Sage Black Pepper Loaf. Hillery's husband, Philip, died of acute heart failure in February 2010, and Ginger was left to take care of their farm and five kids. After about a year, Ginger has decided to move herself and her kids to Alpine, Texas to be closer to her parents.

Ginger walks back to her farm home after picking potatoes from her garden while taking a break from packing up her house on July 20, 2011. The potatoes were grown from seed tomatoes that Philip and their son Thomas originally started growing 4-5 years ago. "I can't leave these potatoes," said Ginger.

Rebecca Barnett