...starts with the Thomas Family: Mary Emma Thomas

The 11th child of Edward Gilmer Thomas and Sarah Lucas was Mary Emma, also known as Emer. Mary Emma Thomas was born 3 June 1877 in Rupert, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, according to the Thomas Bible (there is no record of Mary Emma's birth currently on the WVCulture site). Mary Emma married Charles Wallace Crotty on 14 Aug 1901 (entry 91) in Talcott, Summers County, West Virginia, by none other than her sister Lucy's (future) husband, Reverend Abraham M. Frantz. Charles Crotty was born in February 1878 (the date is unclear in Letha's records as she has two, either the 2nd or the 16th, the 2nd is noted as provided by granddaughter Marie) to Charles P and Nancy Eagle Crotty (marriage record, line 90).

Charles Wallace and Mary Emma had 3 known children, all daughters.

1. Hattie Mae, born 21 May 1902 (according to Letha and also by death certificate), married W. A. Briniger/Brinager on 27 April 1921 in Summers County (marriage record, line 59). Hattie left this world on 2 Jul 1925 in Secoma, Summers, West Virginia. Her cause of death is listed as "Eclampsia, due to child birth," she is buried at Layland Cemetery (Fayette County), but is not currently listed on FindAgrave's internments there. Death recorded here. I cannot find anything on the fate of the pregnancy/child, and Letha does not note this information. 
2. Morene Fay, born 29 Jun 1904 (according to Letha and also by death certificate), married Charles Fitzpatrick on 4 Apr 1923 in Fayetteville, Fayette County, West Virginia (marriage record), he was a 27 year old miner, she was 19. His parents are listed simply as John and A. M. Fitzpatrick. Sadly, Morene shared the same fate of death in childbirth, her death certificate also listing "Eclampsia." BUT, their child, Marie, lived to be raised by her maternal grandparents, Charles Wallace and Mary Emma Crotty. 
3. Pearl Grace, born 2 Feb 1910 (birth recorded here), married Clarence Fletcher Cochran on 29 Aug 1931 (right side page) in Rupert, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, he was 24, she 21. His parents are listed as Raymond and Bessie Cochran.

Mary Emma Thomas Crotty passed away on 30 Mar 1953 at her home in Charmco, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, from a cerebral hemorhage and clot, along with suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (death certificate, death record). Mary Emma Crotty is listed as buried in the Ben McClung Cemetery, Rupert, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, according to her death certificate, as is her brother Joseph Andrew Thomas. Charles Wallace is listed by Letha as having passed in 1954. There is a death certificate on WVCulture's website for a 76 year old Wallace Crotty that I believe is him, the dates match the headstone, but since the informant was the hospital, there is little background information on him.  Here is the death record (bottom of the right side page).

I find it incredibly sad to see that 2 of their 3 daughters died due to or during childbirth. Pearl and her husband, Clarence, went on to have a fairly large family of 5 children. Though they did lose an infant, he is buried at the End of the Trail Cemetery in God's Flower Garden section, in Clintonville, WV. 

The photo below is horrible, I should have taken the time to clear the headstone off, but this cemetery is so extremely overgrown I was trying to get what pictures I could and get out without too much trouble!

Ben McClung Cemetery, Rupert, WV - headstone of Charles Wallace and Mary Emma Thomas Crotty

... starts with the Thomas Family - Edward G Thomas.

Edward G Thomas and wife Sarah A Lucas 

Page 3 of the Thomas Family binder is the FGS of Edward Gilmer Thomas, son of Archelaus and Rachel A Walker Baber. Edward was born 10 Apr 1826 and died on 8 Nov 1898 aged 72 years (link to the death registry record). He married Sarah Amanda Lucas on 19 Feb 1852. Sarah was born 28 Jan 1833 and died on 30 Apr 1909. Letha has no father listed for her, her mother is listed simply as "Betty" (see the Bible post for the source of birth, death, marriage and Sarah's mother's name). Their graves are in the Ben McClung Cemtery in Rupert, WV, I took the photos below on a trip there in July 2011. I have not come across the death record or certificate for Sarah. I have provided links where possible in my attempts to make this research as complete as possible. Letha notes her sources on this page as "Mary McNamee's scrapbook; Family Records; and Stones at Cemetery"

Children of Edward G and Sarah A Lucas Thomas:

1. William Alexander, b 5 Dec 1852 d 30 Jan 1934 age 82, married Emma Puckett 10 Oct 1878, Letha notes they had 5 children. According to his death certificate, he was married to an Ida Smith at the time of his death, he is buried at Upton Cemetery
2. Elizabeth "Lizzy" Margaret, b 22 June 1854 d 8 Feb 1934 age 80, married J W Ralston 16 Sep 1875, 1 son J H "Henry" Ralston.
3. James Franklin, b 9 Mar 1856 d 30 Dec 1934 age 78 (or Nov 1924 written in pencil), married Minerva Catherine "Kate" Woolwine 8 Jul 1883, burial for James Franklin Thomas simply says Dillwyn, VA. 11 or more children.  
4. Rachel Jane "Jennie", b 20 Jun 1858 d 8 Feb 1937 age 76 (or 8 Feb 1934 in pencil), married L A "Russ" Martin 14 Jan 1880, they had no children, lived in Alderson and adopted a daughter named Georgia Barr. 1934 is correct, here is her death cetificate, burial simply listed as Alderson.
5. Sarah Amanda "Mandy", b 24 Nov 1860 d 1 Mar 1939 age 79, buried at Little Sewell Church Cemetery, Rainelle, Greenbrier, WV, married to Edward Preston Sanford 20 Jan 1886. One child: Marrie. Death Certificate indicates Sewell Valley Cemetery as place of burial. 
6. Edward Daniel "Ed", b 11 May 1863 d 4 Sep 1957 age 94, burial listed as Sims Cemetery on Loops Rd, Fayette County, WV, married to Eliza Sims on 3 Jan 1895, 2 daughters Mary and Nellie. Death Certificate 
7. Joseph Andrew "Joe Andy", b 19 Feb 1866 d 6 Dec 1938 age 72 at Danese, WV, married to Mary Ellen Callison on 5 Mar 1900 at Greenbrier County, WV. The marriage record here indicates March 7th.  Both are buried together at Ben McClung Cemetery in Rupert. 7 children, 1 died as a baby. Joseph's death certificate can be viewed here. 
8. Martha Alice, b 11 May 1868 d Nov 1935 age 67, never married. I have not come across any death certificate for her yet.
9. Adam Henry, b 14 Sep 1870 d 13 Feb 1926, married to Ida Hinkle Had 6 children lists Haven (died age 32), Rubena, and Carrie. Adam's death certificate is here, he is buried at Oak Hill. 
10. Lucy Ellen, b 7 Feb 1873 d 17 Jul 1963, married Rev. Abraham Michael Frantz on 9 May 1939 at the age of 66, no children.
11. May Emma, b 3 Jun 1877 in Rupert, WV d 30 Mar 1953 age 76, married to Charles Wallace Crotty on 14 Aug 1901 (strangely enough by the same Rev A M Frantz who would marry her sister Lucy in 1939). 
12. Angeline, b in VA d before 1877 at age 14... 

There is a note from Letha that "6 other children died?"... and that Edward and Sarah "Lived at Woodbridge, Goshen, Rockbridge Co., VA. Came to Greenbrier Co, W.Va Apr 1877." 

Does anyone know anything about Edward and Sarah and their children? Anything to add to the bare bones I've posted here? What were these people like? I'll leave you with the only other photos I have of Ed and Sarah.

This is Joe Andy Thomas and his family, I believe the older woman to be Sarah A Lucas Thomas, and based on the baby's age, this photo was done around 1906 (baby James Elzie Thomas b Sep 1905).

Anyone know who owns this today? The photo appears to have been printed in 1970, but could it be a reprint?

... includes mentions of a Thomas Family Bible.

As mentioned in my last post, Letha's research refers to dates from a Bible. I do not currently know who has it, but I do have copies, some places are hard to read, of its family pages. I believe the Bible belonged to a son of Archelaus and Rachel Walker Baber Thomas, Edward Gilmer Thomas and his wife Sarah A Lucas Thomas. Below are the pages and my transcription of them, questionable areas in parentheses, my notes in purple.

Page 1

Edward G Thomas was Borned The 10th of April 1826

Sarah A Thomas was Borned January The 28th 1833

William Elexander Thomas Was borned December The 5th 1852

Elizabeth Margaret Thomas Was borned June The 22nd 1854

James Franklin Thomas Was borned March The (9)th 1856

Rachel Jane Thomas was Borned June The 20th 1858

Sarah Amanda Thomas was Borned November the 24th 1860

(The name Mary appears to have been written but is crossed out...)

Edward Daniel Thomas was Bond May the 11th (unreadable year)

Jophes (should be Joseph?) Andrew Thomas was (...) February the 19th 1866

Page 2

Martha (Allie?) Thomas was Bornd the 11 day of May the 1868

Addam henry Thomas was was Bornde the 14 day of September 1870

lucy Ellen Thomas was Bonde the 7 day of February the 1873

Mary emer Thomas was Born June the 3 the 1877

Rachel Thomas was born February 13th 1789 Died in March the 19 1882

Archey Thomas Was Born in 17(?)9 (1799 or 1789?) Died November 24 the 1875

Betsy Lucas was Born 

(The bottom 3 individuals are the parents of Edward and Sarah Lucas Thomas)

Page 3

Edward G. Thomas Died The 8th day of November 1898

Sarah A. Thomas Died April 30th 1908

William A. Thomas Died January 30th 1934

James F. Thomas Died November 1924

Rachel Jane Thomas Martin Died February 8th 1934

Jo A. Thomas Died Dec 6 1938

Martha Alice Died Nov 1935

Henry Thomas Died February 13th, 192(?) (1926)

Sarah Manda March 1, 1939

Page 4

E G Thomas Consirt of Sarah A Lucus february the 19 the 1852

J W Rolston Consirt of Lizzie M Thomas Sept the 16 the 1875

William A Thomas Consirt of Emerline V Pucket October the 10 the 1878

L R Martin Consirt of Raichel J Thomas January the 14 the 1880

Consirt of James H Thomas Manrvia C Woolwine July the (?) 1888 (Minerva, 8 Jul 1883)

(unreadable) of Edward Sanfort and Sarah M Thomas January the 20th 1886

Edward D Thomas Consirt of Eliza E Sims January (unreadable) 1895 (3 Jan 1895)

C(unreadable) Crotty married E(unreadable) Thomas (unreadable) 14th 1901 (Charles Wallace Crotty and Mary Emma Thomas, 14 Aug 1901)

Edward and Sarah are living in the Lexington Post Office area of Rockbridge County, Virginia in the 1860 census, so we can assume the children born through 1860 were born in Rockbridge County. In 1870 they are living in Walkers Creek, Rockbridge, Virginia, still within the Lexington Post Office district. By the 1880 census they have moved to Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, West Virginia. 

Does anyone out there know who has this Bible currently? I'd love to get photos of it or even just fresh copies of these pages. I have photos of Edward and Sarah that I will post soon.