...starts with the Thomas family: James Elzie Thomas

On to James Elzie Thomas's family... I discussed he and his twin brother's birth on this post, so on to Elzie's life, what little I know of it.

Elzie was first married to Anna Mae Bowyer, my great grandmother, on 27 Feb 1929 in Fayetteville, Fayette County, West Virginia. He was 23, she 18. Elzie was a coal miner (someone was kind enough to keep and share some of his papers with me) and Letha lists his church affiliation as Methodist. Together the couple had nine children between 1929 and 1947. Letha was the second child, first daughter.  Elzie and Anna Mae divorced 24 Apr 1951. Elzie passed away on 18 Sep 1980 at McPhearson Hospital in Howell, Livingston, Michigan. He was buried on 22 Sep at Wallace Memorial Cemetery in Clintonville, Greenbrier, WV.

Anna Mae will be portrayed at greater length on a future post, but here is what is written on their Family Group Sheet: Anna Mae was born 27 Jan 1911 in Danese, Fayette County, WV to Ernest Russell Bowyer and Ruby Stella Legg. She passed on 14 Aug 1996 at her home in Brighton, Livingston County, Michigan. She was buried 17 Aug 1996 at Brighton Hills Cemetery in Brighton.

Elzie and Anna Mae

It grieves me greatly to read, and subsequently type, this information. I was 14 years old when Anna Mae passed. I have no memories of this woman, and certainly should remember my great grandmother's funeral. My parents divorced when I was 3, so my ties to my extended family, on either side, was tenuous at best, but far weaker on my father's side due to custody, visitation, and geography. 

Both Elzie and Anna Mae moved on to other relationships. Elzie's second marriage was to a widow named Iva Mae Sanford Bowyer. Yes, Bowyer. Strangely enough, it appears he married his ex-wife's widowed Aunt (Anna Mae's father's brother, Ora L Bowyer's wife). They married on 1 Jan 1961 in East Rainelle, Fayette, WV. Iva was born 8 Apr 1909 in Greenbrier County, WV. She passed on 26 Feb 1963 in Fayette County, WV.

Anna Mae had 3 had more children, so the siblings are 12 in total, several have passed on, but for privacy, I will leave it at that.