Wednesday, November 14, 2012

First Binder Finished!

Just a quick little post to make note that I have now added all of the information found in Letha's THOMAS binder. That is pretty huge for me, so motivating to keep moving! There are nearly 20 binders in all (and countless folders and books!) and I hope that I can be a little bit quicker about each of the subsequent binders to follow.

Just as a reminder, I only put up very minimal information pertaining to the living (and in some cases, possibly still living) for privacy reasons. This  THOMAS family binder was slow going, in part, due to that.

So who is next? I am thinking the Bowyers, or maybe the Callisons... come back soon to see who it will be!

Also, Tina Sanford, if you are still reading along, I hope you will contact me, there are too many "Tina Sanford" options on facebook to just start sending random messages to!      

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

...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 certificatedeath 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: Lucy Ellen Thomas

The 10th child of Edward Gilmer Thomas and Sarah Amanda Lucas was Lucy Ellen Thomas.

Lucy was born on 7 Feb 1873, Letha does not list a list a specific location, but presumably she was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia as the family moved to Greenbrier County in 1877. Lucy passed from this world on 17 Jul 1963, having succumbed to carcinoma of the liver (death record). Letha lists her final resting place at the End of the Trail Cemetery in Clintonville, West Virginia. Lucy married Rev. Abraham Michael Frantz on 9 May 1939 at the age of 66, together they had no children, Abraham was a 79 year old widower. 

Abraham was a Minister of the Baptist Church of the Brethren in the Greenbrier County area. He presided over several marriages in Lucy's family, including that of her niece Maggie Sanford, daughter of Edward Preston Sanford and Sarah "Mandy" Thomas, to McKinley Osborne in 1918. Abraham was the son of David Frantz and Sarah Gillispie, and was born on 29 Oct 1859 in Franklin County, Virginia; he passed of cardiovascular renal disease on 24 Oct 1942 in Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier County, WV, all according to his death certificate. His burial is listed as the Frantz Cemetery in Vale, West Virginia. FindAGrave lists Frantz Cemetery in Dawson, West Virginia. Here is Abraham's entry on FindAGrave


I have come across two small biographical sketches of Abraham Michael Frantz in the book Greenbrier County West Virginia Heritage - 1997 by S. Grose on Google Books (what a wonderful resource!). The sections of interest are "Abraham Frantz" and "Sarah Minnie Frantz" both on page 70, Sarah's story continues on to page 71. It should be noted that neither sketch includes Abraham's marriage to Lucy.



Abraham Michael Frantz and Lucy Ellen Thomas Frantz