'Waltons' cast member to make stop in Lynchburg area

Every time Mary McDonough comes to Virginia, she leaves with a few of her favorite souvenirs from Nelson County.

“In the fall, I always bring leaves home with me,” said McDonough, the actress who portrayed Erin Walton in the Emmy award-winning television series “The Waltons.” “I also stop by the Apple Shed and buy Fuji apples. There is no apple that tastes like that anywhere. I put pounds of them in my luggage and bring them home. I do it every single year.”

During October, she’ll get a chance to taste the ripened fruits again.

Oct. 6 and 7, McDonough will be appearing at the Cottage Gate in Hardy, near Smith Mountain Lake, to promote her new book “Lessons from the Mountain: What I learned from Erin Walton.”

She also will be appearing with other cast members from “The Waltons,” Jon Walmsley (Jason), Eric Scott (Ben) and David Harper (Jim-Bob) Oct. 22 at the Kirkley Hotel in Lynchburg for a public meet and greet with fans.

“The Waltons,” was written by Earl Hamner Jr., who based the series on his childhood growing up in Schuyler.

McDonough said Virginia always feels like home to her.

“The people are great,” she said. “I was there (this) spring and I had a whole new appreciation for how beautiful it is. I can’t wait to be back.”

Her book is a tribute to the show, McDonough said, but also tells about her own struggles with body issues.

“After all of these years, the show is still so popular and loved by so many, I wanted to write something for the fans,” she said. “The behind the scenes antics, the wonderful times we had making the show and just some of the kooky fun things that we did. But the book also deals with my lessons in my own personal life as well.”

McDonough discusses her own struggles with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and lupus. As a result, she has become a public speaker and expert on women’s health issues, testifying before Congress on many occasions, according to a recent press release.

McDonough said that public speaking was what encouraged her to write the book.

“Most of my biggest lessons in life came from my Walton family and my McDonough family. So the book kind combines them,” she said. “I wanted to write something more positive about the experience. About coming out the other side of the mountain. I am no different than anyone else in this country who has made a mistake and struggled with these issues.”

For the past few months, McDonough has been touring the U.S. promoting her new book. She said she loves meeting fans of “The Waltons” everywhere.

“It is so lovely because people love the show so much. It is not like being on show where you’re a terrible vixen. People still watch the show every day,” she said. “Everyone has a special story to tell and I never tire of hearing those stores. Who wouldn’t like that?”