Published: July 15, 2008 10:55 pm         

Manchin to honor Mullens senior

86-year-old artist to receive state award

William “Sarge” McGhee is a familiar face and a familiar voice in the Mullens area. His talents are exhibited across the city in the numerous murals depicting life as it was, and as it is, in the once-bustling railroad metropolis.

McGhee, 86, will be honored with a Governor’s Service Award for Lifetime Achievement today, July 16, during a Faces of Leadership banquet, as part of the annual state volunteerism conference in the Charleston Civic Center. The awards honor those “who exemplify outstanding dedication to volunteerism and community service” in the state.

McGhee’s work — from paintings to woodworking to writing to storytelling — can be seen in the storefronts across Mullens.

“Due to the decline of the population of Mullens since the 1950s, the town was faced with empty storefronts and vacant parking lots,” according to a spokesperson for the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service. “Seeing a need to salvage and preserve the culture of the town, town leaders asked McGhee to use his artistic talents to paint murals on vacant downtown buildings. McGhee’s only stipulation was that the people of the town share in their creation.”

There are now nearly 25 murals in different locations – from churches, to the Veterans Memorial Building, to city hall.

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His artwork has become a tourist attraction as part of the Artisans Trail, coordinated through West Virginia State University and the Rural Appalachian Improvement League (RAIL).

“McGhee’s handiwork and legacy is a cornerstone for building an industry that will help revitalize a community that is desperate to become self-sustaining,” emphasized Dewey Houck, president of RAIL.

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McGhee has been honored numerous times for his contributions to the city, including as a West Virginia History Hero and as a finalist for the Governor’s Distinguished Arts Award for lifetime achievement.

Painting and drawing, however, is only part of McGhee’s talent. He has written dozens of poems and stories, capturing the humble grace of a writer captivated by the world’s beauty as created by God.

His alter ego — Samuel, the Hobo — is a well-known cartoon character to area residents. Samuel offers the simplest, and sometimes very profound, musings of someone with lots of time to contemplate the universe.

McGhee’s family came to Mullens during the Great Depression, when he was just a lad of six. Men, who rode the railroads and were known locally as hobos, would come to their door and McGhee’s mother would feed them. In turn, they would chop wood or do other chores for their meal.

“They taught me to sketch and told me stories,” McGhee recalls. He has used those gifts in his own stories and sketches.

“Samuel was a very important person in the Bible,” McGhee explains. “He was very wise.

“Earnest Hemingway was a hobo,” he notes.

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After he graduated from high school, McGhee joined the Marines and served in both World War II and Korea for a time.

“I served with people of all different nationalities and races, and I learned that everybody goes to the bathroom alike,” he said with a grin.

He returned to Mullens and went to work for the railroad. He and his wife, Marjore, have been married for 62 years and have five children, six grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Today, he still shares his artistic ability by helping with the local theater group, painting the murals, and he is working on a second book of poems and short stories.

His favorite art, however, might surprise people who do not know him well.

“I love the art children do,” he said. “There are no lines, no rulers, no rules. To me, it is the most beautiful art, because it’s done freely.”

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McGhee wants no credit for his part in Mullens becoming known as “The Mural City,” but rather credits the men, women and children who helped with the larger-than-life images that depict life in a small town and honor the sacrifices of veterans.

“They brought paint. They would bring photographs and suggest this and that. They helped paint. What they did is just as important as what I did,” McGhee emphasizes. “Without them, I couldn’t have done it.”