...starts with the Thomas Family: Thomas twins, Olney and Elzie

The Twin sons of Joseph Andrew Thomas and Mary Ellen Callison were Olney and James Elzie Thomas. Elzie was my great grandfather. Sadly, he passed away not long before I was born. What I know of him is sparse, mostly the data that is in Letha's files, and thankfully some photos. I wonder if any of my aunts, uncles, or cousins might help shed light on who he was as a grandfather, father, person in general...

James Elzie Thomas, better known as Elzie, was born on 25 Sep 1905. He was a twin, unfortunately the other baby, Olney, is listed as passing away on 25 Oct 1905 on Letha's information (no death record matches that on WVCulture website as of today, 9 Aug 2012). I'm not sure where Olney is buried. There are two records on WVCulture that record the birth(s) of these Thomas children. It gets a little confusing...

This record (click to enlarge), entry 104, records the birth of Twin Males, children 4 & 5, born to Mary E. Callison Thomas and J. A. Thomas on 25 Sep 1905 in Dawson, Greenbrier, WV. The record was returned on 1 Oct 1905 and lists the Medical Attendant as L. H. McClung of Dawson. Neither of the boys' names are listed, just Thomas.

Line 25 of this record lists an Eliza Thomas, female, born 26 Sep 1905  to J. A. Thomas and  Mary E. Thomas. The birth place is blank with a line through the box. The box after Mary E Thomas's name is "How Many At A Birth" which is listed as one...  

My thought is that the child that survived (James "Elzie") is the child referred to in the second birth record listed above. I believe that the person recording the information put in Eliza (instead of Elzie) and therefore listed the child as a girl... The first record lists only childs 4 & 5, not 4, 5 & 6 for the couple, so I am not sold on the thought that there was somehow a triplet birth that, having been recorded 6 days later, they would have misreported. Its hard to determine when the information for the "Eliza" record was submitted, either. If it was after Olney's death in October, it would make sense. What do you think?

There is a death record that I found on the WVCulture site that I cannot get out of my head... is it the death record of our Olney? Is there any way to be certain, either yes or no?

See Line 49 on this record.

Thomas, Jem (Jim?), death recorded on 30 Oct 1905. Date of death is listed as 27 Oct 1905 (letha lists Olney's death date as the 25th. His age is listed at 27 years (which quite obviously does not match our Olney, who would have been around 1 month old, 31 days old on 27 Oct 1905). His place of death is listed as Smoot (an area that our Thomas' were known to be living). He was buried in Smoot on 28 Oct 1905. The Physician returning the certificate is L.H. McClung of Dawson, the medical attendant from the Thomas twins' birth, not abnormal for a small rural area. His cause of death is listed as Cholera Infantum... would a 27 year old man have died from this? Wouldn't it just be listed as cholera? So therein lies the crux... which is right? The age or the cause of death? Is it possible the recorder simply put the 27 in the wrong column? Is there still an original form provided by L.H. McClung that might be available?

I've only seen the baby's name listed as Olney, but all the rest of the children have two names, a few of them known by their middle names. What was Olney's full name?

My heart aches for Joe Andy and Ellen's loss for their infant son.

...is a shared dream.

"1982 - May 1983


Dear Family, 


The information presented here is more of a compilation of "notes" than a history of the family. Over the years my insatiable thirst for information about our forefathers has prompted me to ask questions - of everyone. Unfortunately, I have not always retained the answers so freely given, but I have kept some notes showing dates, places, etc.


I did not want the information to remain in my "Family History" file when some effort could be made to preserve and share as much of it as possible. It was then, in February, 1982, that I began asking different members of the family to provide what they could. It is that information, plus my notes, you will find here. 


It is my hope that some person or persons will share my "dream" to delve deeper into records to find more information on "our ancestors", and will share that information. I know my search will continue as I find new leads. 


My only regret is that I did not begin this project 30 years ago. 


This is a labor of love for me. I hope it will be of interest to all the members of the family.


My thanks to all those who have answered my numerous questions; those who responded so willingly; and a special thanks to my Harry who has supported and advised me along the way.


Juanita C. (McNamee) Auer"

I found this in the Thomas family binder. I have never met Juanita, and I wish that I could. I feel as though this was written for me. Is it strange that her motivation for this letter started 1 month after I was born? What a coincidence! I found that her beloved Harry sadly passed away a year after she wrote this, in 1984. My heart goes out to her, even though he's been gone nearly 30 years.

The next several pages (12 total) after this letter are typed notes and a list of the known family descendants of Edward Gilmer Thomas and Sarah Lucas that Juanita had found and their dates of birth, and their last known location. For privacy reasons, I will not be posting any of those, but I will post the notes.

"THOMAS / SIMS

The "notes" on the THOMAS / SIMS segments were compiled after many questions over the years with my mother, MARY JANE (THOMAS) McNAMEE, and my great-aunt, LUCY (THOMAS) FRANTZ. My aunt, NELLIE VIRGINIA THOMAS, continues to be a great source of information. She mailed clippings and scrapbooks for me to use in my research.


While working on this "labor of love" I have found that several people in the THOMAS family are also working on the family history. I have been in touch with LETHA THOMAS OSBORNE, who has done some research and provided me with additional information as well as some sources to be explored. 


Much of the information has been taken from the obituaries and clippings which I mentioned above, thus the "last known address" of survivors might not be the current one, but might help in a follow-up f needed by someone who wishes to pursue the "history".


The extensive information on the SIMS family comes from MYRTLE McCLUNG JOHNSON. She has done much research much more than I could ever hope to do. We are grateful for her part in providing insight into our forefathers. She responded to my question concerning the possibility of there being Indian ancestors in our family history history as follows:

  "If there were Indian ancestors in our SIMMS branch of the family it was back of Joseph Simms as I heard my grandmother, Mary C. Simms, (who was a woman of great integrity) discuss with one of her nephews, Ed Smoot. She knew Joseph and his wife very well and it was far back of them. Some of the early settlers did take squaws for wives, for instance, John Smith and Pocahontas were married and their family history gives more than 50 families who can trace ancestry back to them, but so far I have not been able to find any connected with the Simms in that list, tho there must have been many other such marriages not so well publicized."

 I have found the SIMS name spelled with 2 "M's" in many instances; witness Myrtle's references. Except for the direct quotes, I have used the the "SIMS" spelling, as that is the way it is used in references to our grandmother, ELIZA ELLEN SIMS THOMAS. 


As additional information becomes available it will be sent to you to up-date your records."

...has information on the family of Eliza Ellen Sims

Letha did some research on the family of Eliza Ellen Sims, wife of Edward Daniel Thomas, that might be of use to some researchers out there. She did not cite any sources on this page, but I have supplemented her information where I could, much information pulled from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History search engine for Birth, Marriage, and Death records provided by the West Virginia Archives and History, which if you have any roots in West Virginia are PRICELESS, but WV is amazing to offer them to us for FREE! Check it out here.

Eliza Ellen Sims' parents were Alexander Henry Sims and Mary Catherine Dwyer, who were married in Greenbrier County on 25 Nov 1856. Henry was born in Jul 1827 (according to the 1900 census) and Mary was born in August 1836 (1900 census), both in Greenbrier County (marriage record). The marriage record lists A. H. Sims' parents as a Jos. and Tabitha; Mary's as Moses and Nancy.

Letha lists 7 children for Henry and Mary Dwyer Sims:

1. David A, born Sep 1857 (1900 census), died  21 Jan 1944 in Rainelle, Fayette, West Virginia, buried in Sims Cemetery. David married Mary J Goddard on 6 Dec 1882 (see line 102) in Greenbrier County. Five children listed: Lula, Tennie, Amanda, William A, and Henry Samuel.
2. Virginia Rose, born 7 Jun 1860 (she is 20 years old in the 1880 census still living with her parents), died 5 Dec 1925 (both dates are listed on her death certificate), married John H Hutch Hodge on 12 Jan 1888 in Fayette County, WV by Alfred McClelland, this being John's second marriage. Virginia and John had one daughter, Kate Bullar Hodge born 4 Feb 1896 (also here). John was married first on 19 Dec 1883 to Joanna C McClung. John and Joanna had two known sons; Ruffus R born 25 May 1885 and Henry C born 10 Oct 1886 . Joanna died from after soon after giving birth to Henry, the death was recorded as simply Dec 1886, the cause listed as child birth, her parents are listed as William W and Harriet McClung. Some trees on Ancestry.com give Joanna's death date as 22 Oct 1886 but with no sources.
3. Tennie A, born 26 Feb 1865, died 19 Nov 1945 in Oak Hill, Fayette County, West Virginia. Her death certificate states that she was born 26 Feb 1865 in Maywood, Fayette County to Alexander Simms (born in Blue Sulphur, Greenbrier County) and Mary Catharine Dwyer (born in Bushy, Greenbrier County). Her cause of death is listed as Metostatic Carcinoma of the Abdominal Cavity and cancer of the descending colon. She is listed as buried at Fayetteville Cemetery. Tennie married William A Anderson on 7 Dec 1882 in Fayette County, WV, both 21 years old. William's parents are listed as Alex and Elizabeth. Tennie and William had one known child, a daughter named Ollie born 19 Oct 1887 in Fayette County. Ollie married George T Myles (son of T. G. and Susan A., birth record) on 28 Jun 1911 in Fayette County. In the 1930 census, Ollie and George (and their two children, George b abt 1915 and Frances b abt 1920) are living with a widowed Tenie.
4. Eliza Ellen - more on her here.
5. Nancy J "Nannie/Maggie", born 7 Oct 1871 in Big Sewell, Fayette County, WV. Letha has no death date for her. She married Lincoln McClung on 23 Nov 1893 in Fayette County, WV. Lincoln was born in Putnam County to Francis M and Susan M McClung. They had two known children: Sonnie/Saunie David (27 Jan 1895 - line 110) and Mary Myrtle (7 Oct 1898 in Maywood, Fayette County, WV).
6. Ledona "Dona", born Jun 1872 (according to 1900 census) or 25 May 1875 in Rainelle, Fayette County, WV (according to her death certificate), died 18 Oct 1959 in Danese, Fayette, WV. Her cause of death was Cerebral Thrombosis due to Arteriosclerosis. Ledona married Newton Alfred Heaster on 28 Aug 1895 in Fayette County, WV. His parents are listed as Hedges and Martha. Letha lists 2 daughters for Ledona and Newton: Bettie O (30 Jan 1896 - line 123- Maywood, Fayette County, WV), and Mary Pearl (born 15 Feb 1897 - line181 - in Maywood, Fayette County, WV).
7. Sarah Elizabeth "Betty", born 30 May 1877 in Rainelle, Fayette County, WV and died 26 Jan 1955 in Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier County, WV(both dates and places according to death certificate). Cause of death listed as Coronary Thrombosis due to Coronary Arteriosclerosis. She married Charles G. Legg on 16 Nov 1903 in Fayette County, WV. Charlie is listed as 31 years old, born in Nicholas County to Charles and Harriett. They had 1 known child, Gradie Bland Legg, born 30 July 1906 in Maywood, Fayette County, WV.

... is in the names.

Now that things are getting started on this project, I realise that a post dedicated to the major surnames Letha researched might be helpful.

So, here goes, in alphabetical order, from the binders and folders she left behind. Of course, within these many other surnames will be present.

Baber 

Bowyer

Callison 

Claypool  / Claypoole 

Fleshman 

Gwinn 

Hull

Legg

McClung 

Osborn  / Osborne 

Ramsey 

Shuck 

Thomas

Areas of interest to Letha (binders, folders, books, etc):

Fayette County, WV

 - Meadow Bridge, Danese, and Rainelle in particular 

Nicholas County, WV 

- Panther Mtn 

Summers County, WV