Sarah Katherine Wilson Rigdon was born in 1929 in Bell County, Kentucky, to Garrett Wilson, a coal miner, and Rachel Miracle Wilson. The oldest of ten children, she grew up in the Appalachian mountains during the Great Depression. Her early years in a small log home shaped the resilience, faith, and work ethic that defined her life.
In 1951, she left Kentucky and moved to Ohio, part of the broader Appalachian migration northward in search of steady employment. There she built a life with her husband, Omar Rigdon, and raised five children. She worked nearly four decades in the garment industry as a sewing machine operator, while remaining devoted to her family and her Primitive Baptist faith.
In later years, she recorded memories of her childhood in Bell County in a memoir titled A Light in the Window (PDF), preserving the everyday details of coal camp life, mountain farming, and family devotion.
Sarah passed away in 2020, leaving behind a legacy of hard work, faith, and cherished memories of her Bell County roots. Her daughter, Deborah Groves, has shared her story and writings to honor her mother's life and preserve a piece of Bell County history for future generations.
Bell County Childhood
In her memoir, A Light in the Window (PDF), Sarah described waiting at the window for her father to return from the coal mines, watching for the glow of his miner's lamp in the darkness.
"Daddy is working in the coal mines and is always late getting home. He is so black when he gets home, and so tired… While I'm standing by the window watching for Daddy to come home from work I see a light!"
Hard Times in the Depression
Like many Bell County families, the Wilson family endured hardship during the Great Depression.
“It was the years of the Depression (1932). Daddy tells Mommie the Depression is hitting a lot of people and times were hard…”
Leaving the Mountains
Economic necessity eventually forced the family to leave the farm and the mountain home she loved.
“So he finds a buyer for the house and sells it and we leave the farm and the light in the window for good.”
Work, Faith, and Endurance
In Ohio, Sarah worked nearly 39 years as a sewing machine operator. Through hardship and change, she credited her faith for sustaining her. Her granddaughter interviewed her about her life and working years [ read interview transcript]
“I worked at Clifton over 39 years. I was a sewing machine operator… I loved working with the people and we got along very well.”
“I feel like God has been with me through it all giving me grace to get through all the bad times and grace to enjoy the good times, so I have no complaints.”
Photo Gallery
Writings and Sources
This content was submitted by Deborah Groves, daughter of Sarah Katherine Wilson Rigdon.