The books. Oh, wow. The books.

Included in the many boxes of Letha's collection was an impressive selection of books. I add them here for those who may be interested in what she had as well as for other researchers to offer up lookups in them. I have attached links to these books on several websites like the Library of Congress, WorldCat.org (find the book in a library, hopefully, near you!), and Google Books. If there are digital versions of the book, I will note that as well. I have so many that in order to keep this manageable, this is the list of books just based on Family Histories.

Family Books 

The Bowyers of Old Virginia 1607- 1979 Maryetta Frances Bowyer, 1979 (Library of Congress, WorldCat, Google Books, signed by the Author) - I also have a printed index for this book by Mata Bowyer Stevenson

Leaves and Branches from Bowyer Roots- A Supplement to 'The Bowyers of Old Virginia 1607-1979' Maryetta Frances Bowyer, 1986 (WorldCat, Google Books, signed by the Author) - I also have a printed index for this book by Mata Bowyer Stevenson

The Claypoole Family in America  - Volumes I (1986), II (1988), III (1973), V (1982) compiled by Evelyn Claypool Bracken (Volume III is listed in the Library of Congress, Volume I and Volume III are available to read online at Archive.org, WorldCat has Volume II, Volume III, and possibly Volume IV)

Gwinn Family Reunion Program 32nd Annual 1983, 33rd Annual 1984, 34th Annual 1985 (These are very interesting, and thick, programs with a schedule of events, family information, photos, memorials, and advertisements... it reminds me a lot of the sports programs available at high school football games, very cool little books!)

Three Hull Brothers Eugene F. Hall, 1986 (ISBN 0-87012-480-3, Library of Congress, WorldCat, Google Books)

Kincaid-Claypool Descendants - Mountain Tom Kincaid's Second Family of Central West Virginia and 34 Other States William Harold Kincaid, 1991 ("ISBN Application Pending," Library of Congress, WorldCat, Google Books, this copy is signed "To Letha Thanks so much for your help! Bill Kincaid")

History of the Descendants of John Koontz Lowell L. Koontz, 1979 (ISBN 0-87012-338-6, Library of Congress, WorldCat, Google Books)

Legg Family History compiled by Nawasa Wheatly (This is a very nicely done self-published compilation of the descendants of Hazel William Legg and his wife Matilda Caroline Crookshanks, with some general Legg family history as well. I can only assume from a note in Letha's writing attached to the front page the name of the author, it is not clear on the printing date, but there are entries dated up to the end of 1992)

Billy Hance: The Wit and Wisdom of William Hance Ramsey compiled by Richard L. McGraw, 1992 (Library of Congress, WorldCat)

Shucks, Fleshmans, Sydenstrickers & Other Families Larry G. Shuck, 1986 (Library of Congress, WorldCat.org, Google Books) 

Our Families - Shuck, Sydenstricker, Smith, Lewis, Kincaid, Keister, et. al., of West Virginia Larry G. Shuck, 1995 (Library of Congress, WorldCat)

Royalty Among Us - The History of the Skaggs, Foster and Allied Families of the Western Frontier Shirley Greene Ulaki, 2000 (**This is a self-published book from my own collection, not Letha's, but it may tie in at some point due to location** Shirley Greene Ulaki's website)

The Spade Family Tree, The Spade Family Photo Album, The Spade Family Tree and Photos compiled by Davida R. Farley, 2010 (This is another self-published family genealogy that is from my collection, once again, may tie in somewhere due the locales of these families.)

Thomas Family History J. Montgomery Seaver, 1929 American Historical - Genealogical Society (original copyright, this is a 1972 reprint, Library of Congress, WorldCat)

If you are interested in any more information regarding these books, please contact me. I will gladly do lookups (as time permits), scan pages and email them, etc.  Happy Holidays and Happy Ancestor Hunting in 2013!

... starts with the Thomas Family - William Alexander Thomas - UPDATED!

A Holiday postcard from William Alexander Thomas to his brother Joe Thomas & his wife Ellen Callison.
I especially love how he "hid" the gifts for them in the ends of the tobacco!

William Alexander Thomas, son of Edward G Thomas and Sarah A Lucas, was born 5 Dec 1852 and died 30 Jan 1934 at the age of 82. He was married (1) to Emma Puckett (line77) on 10 Oct 1878 in Greenbrier County and (2) to Ida Smith (have not found a marriage record for them, but according to the 1910 census they were married 5 months as of May 1910). Once again, the sources include a scrapbook of Mary McNamee, and also "Nellie & Juanita." I have updated this section considerably as I found some mistakes on this Family Group Sheet!

William and Emma had 4 known children:

1. Mamie, b 3 Jan 1882 in Dennis, Greenbrier, WV; d 15 Mar 1971 in Monroe Co, WV, married Frank Rodney Upton (d 1956) on 18 Dec 1901 in Monroe County, WV. Marriage License  Marriage Register 
2. May, b 16 Aug 1879 in Greenbrier County, WV; d 28 Mar 1980 in Peterstown, Monroe, WV; married Oscar A Still on 22 Oct 1902 in Alderson,  "Oscar (died) age 82 Upton Cem, Alderson, WVa" Marriage License, Marriage Register line 74 
3. Rev Cary Houston, b 15 Aug 1894 in Alderson, Monroe, WV (see Delayed Certificate of Birth); d 17 Apr 1976 in Denver, Denver, Colorado; married Florence Gertrude Lair on 20 Jul 1921 in Cabell County, WV (see line 8 *Clary H Thomas*); was in the Army (according to Delayed BC, he was "Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army on 26 Jul 1918."). Cary and Florence can be found in the 1930 census in Chapman, Merrick, Nebraska and in the 1940 in Bridgeport, Morrill, Nebraska.
4. Irene, b 20 Jul 1891 in Dennis, Greenbrier, WV; d 20 Mar 1980 in the Masonic Home, Jefferson County, Kentucky; married John Robert Ray on 8 Sep 1920 in Monroe County, WV Marriage Register, Line 50 Marriage License

Wiliam and Ida had 1 known child together: 

1. Willie Watts Thomas (daughter!), b about 1912 (the WVCulture collection currently has birth information for most counties up to 1911, hopefully 1912 will be included next year), I would guess her birth location to be somewhere in the Wolf Creek, Monroe, WV vicinity as that is where William is living for the 1910, 1920, and 1930 census. Willie married Frank Benjamin Foster on 18 Dec 1929 in Lewisburg, Greenbrier, WV.

Buried at Upton Cemetery in Alderson, Monroe, WV are: W A and Emma Puckett Thomas, Frank and Mamie Thomas Upton, and some of their children (Emma Lucille, Fred Roy). As well as Mae and her husband Oscar Still. 

On the next page is the FGS of Mamie Thomas and Frank Upton. Frank is listed with a death date of 1956, buried at Upton Cemetery, Alderson. (No death record listed on WVCulture as of 26 May 2012, but I have found another researcher who lists Frank's death date as 18 May 1947 with a citation of OBIT, and quite a bit more information on this family). Here is Frank's memorial on FindAGrave.com 

Children of Frank and Mamie Thomas Upton:

• Noka Fanstine, b 17 Nov 1902 d 22 Mar 1996, married Walter Henry Schmidt 2 Jun 1930 in Alderson, Monroe, WV
• Ruth, married Harry Valma Holliday 14 Jun 1926 in Union, Monroe, WV
• Fred Roy, b 10 Sep 1905 d 10 Nov 1956, married Vivian Wikel
• Hubert Orville, b 16 Jul 1907 d Dec 1979
• Glenn R, b 30 Mar 1909 d Sep 1982
• Emma Lucille, b 10 May 1911 d 10 May 2005, OBIT - Emma Lucille Upton
• Haven Hersey, b 10 Jan 1913 d 25 Aug 1990
• Elizabeth S,  married J W Propes 16 Jul 1942 in Hinton, Summers, WV
• Frank Melvin (not listed by Letha, but his OBIT clearly puts him in this family as well) b 6 Jan 1917 in Monroe County, WV d 29 May 2003 in Gaffney, Cherokee, South Carolina.
• Charles H, b 7 Nov 1918 d 19 Mar 1992
• Rosalie (Rosa Lee), b 27 Dec 1920 d 20 May 2009, married Harold Stennett OBIT - Rosalie Upton Stennett

How strange for a single card to have survived, but no photo of William or his family for the collection? I hope that one day photos and stories can be added to the skeletons of dates... 

... starts with the Thomas family : Joseph Andrew Thomas

Ahhh, my branch! Just to recap, Edward Gilmer Thomas and Sarah Amanda Lucas had at least 12 known children: William, Elizabeth, James, Rachel, Sarah, Edward, Joseph, Martha, Adam, Lucy, May, and Angeline. Joseph and Ellen here are Great Great Grandparents of mine, I am blessed to have several photos (or copies of some sort) of them, which I am happy to share with you here.

The family of Joseph A Thomas and Mary Ellen Callison circa 1906 (the children l-r: Joseph, Lester, Elzie, and Earl) .
I believe the woman on the end is Sarah Lucas Thomas (Joseph's mother).

Logging Camp, presumably somewhere in WV.
The only person identified is Joe Andy.
Note the random baby in the middle...

close-up of the Logging Camp photo, Joe Andy on the left.

Joseph Andrew Thomas was born 19 Feb 1866 in Goshen, Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was married on 7 Mar 1900 in Greenbrier County (see line 21) to Mary Ellen Callison, both marrying later in life than most at the time: he was 34, she was 30. Joe Andy worked the farm, but also worked in a logging camp at some point, possibly before his marriage.  
Joe Andy died at his home in Danese, Fayette County, on 6 Dec 1938 from mitral stenosis. He is buried alongside his wife in the Ben McClung Cemetery in Rupert, Greenbrier, West Virginia.

Ellen with unidentified child.

Mary Ellen Callison was born 5 Jan 1870 in Greenbrier County, WV to Robert Callison and his wife Mary Laverna Smith. She passed away at her son Bert's home on 2 Jan 1950 in Danese, Fayette County, WV of chronic myocarditis and senility. There are 3 binders and several books on the Callison family in Letha's collection... 


Joe Andy and Ellen had 7 known children. More info on each of them on separate posts to come.

1. Earl Gilmer (1900-1972)
2. Lester Robert (1902-1978)
3. Joseph Berton (1904-1974)
4. James Elzie (twin) (1905-1980)
5. Olney (twin) (1905-1905)
6. Bessie Jane (1907-1996)
7. Carl Vernon (1913-1986)

I have so much DATA on these people, and quite a few photos, but no stories to share. My great grandfather, James Elzie, passed almost two years before I was born. Do you have a story to add to give life to these people? I hope you'll share if you do.

Joe Andy and Mary Ellen Callison Thomas

The Thomas house in Danese, 1939. Jim Callison (Ellen's brother) wearing suspenders, Earl Thomas (son of Joe Andy & Ellen), the little girl's name is Murline.

Their final resting place, Ben McClung Cemetery in Rupert, Greenbrier, West Virginia