ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA MEMORIES
This site has photographs and genealogical information about southern West Virginia families including the Vest family of White Oak Mountain, Smith family of Abraham in Richmond District, the Gadd and Cochran families, and the Biars family of West Virginia and Ohio. A whole bunch of cousins contributed to this site. Thank you! The aerial photo above, taken in 1985, is my childhood home, the Earl and Golda Smith farm on Route 3, Hinton Road, White Oak Mountain, Raleigh County, W.Va. The yellow house was built by my grandparents, Leonard and Stella Vest.

Link to my e-mail address. I'd love to hear from you.   

IN MEMORY
A page with links to obituaries of those with a connection to the families on West Virginia Memories. Recent entries: Ennis Elane White Gadd, 79,  Princeton, W.Va. died on April 10, 2013, at Princeton Community Hospital; Carrie Eileen Smith Mann, 88, Daniels, W.Va., died on April 8, 2013. Lucille Martin Bolton, 88, Princeton, W.Va., died 29 Dec 2012. Elizabeth Ann Sampson Biars, 69, Hinton, Summers County, W.Va. died 23 Dec 2012; Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Basil L. Plumley, 92, formerly of Shady Spring, Raleigh County, W.Va., died 10 Oct 2012; Imogene Smith Gwinn, Meadow Bridge, W.Va., died on 17 Sep 2012. (Go to In Memory for more information and other entries.)

SLAVE ARTICLES
While researching my folks, occasionally I come across an interesting, but unrelated, article, and place it on my Shoebox page. The number of articles about former slaves grew, so I created a new page.

FAMILY IN THE NEWS
Frank Wood, husband of Jo Ann Smith Wood, was honored during the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner. Frank Wood receives Chamber’s Service Award, Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va., April 20, 2013. Mrs. Wood is the daughter of Ernest and Macie Smith. George Smith Jr. page.

What are they doing in heaven today? Great song.

WHAT'S NEW
  • Gadd page 2 - Powell and Emma -- Added 2010 obituary for Clowney Gadd Jr. (17 Apr 2013) Corrected Alvie Gadd's birth year. (28 Sep 2012) The grave of Powell and Emma's daughter Mahala "Hallie" Gadd Harvey has been found by a descendant. Find a Grave link added on Gadd page 2. (24 June 2012)
  • Random Quotations. Quotes on various subjects, added just because I like them. Updated 25 March 2013.
  • Resources --  Added link to online family history: “The Gwinns of Round Bottom” by Leona Gwinn Brown. (04 March 2013.) Added link to West Virginia, Will Books, 1756-1971. (31 May 2012. Thanks, Laura, for the link.)  Added links, under Melungeon Information, to a new DNA study. (25 May 2012) Added a link to The Hinton News archives. (06 Feb 2012)
  • West Virginia Talk --  Added Fanny the train and railroad Gwinns/railroad Irish (03 March 2013)
  • Random Quotations. Quotes on various subjects, added just because I like them. Updated 25 March 2013.
  • Vest page 1 -- Updated information on the photo of Jacob Charles Smith, under Cindy Vest section. (09 Dec 2012) Updated information on Mary Josephine Wallace, second wife of Edward Ashworth Kelly. Mr. Kelly's first wife was Martha Adeline Vest. (03 Aug 2012)
  • Mystery photos -- ID of one of the "Three young men" under Vest Family Photos, section No. 4. (06 Dec 2012).  Added a postcard photo under Vest Family Photos, No. 4, of two boys. It is stamped APR7 1927 and has a photo order for Ordie Vest written on the back. I've received one response -- that they could be Ordie Jennings Vest's oldest boys, Ordie Robert and Ellis. (03 Aug 2012) Added new Keatley-Martin photos. (18 April 2012).
  • Churches and schools, preachers and teachers -- Added summary of contents: Raleigh County’s School Days of Yesteryear, Vol. 1, by Pauline Haga. (10 Nov 2012) Added a couple of teaching stories about Golda Vest Smith. Added teacher Noah Crotty's 1988 obituary. (05 July 2012) Added school picture that is probably a White Oak Mountain school around 1910 and a Little Bluestone Primitive Baptist Church congregation photo, August 1959. (26 June 2012) Articles and photos about West Virginia schools and churches have been moved from Shoebox to a new page. (06 June 2012)
  • Cochran/Vest Page 4 (Charles and Ruth). Added an obit and military photo for Cecil Abshire Bennett. Added an obit for Minta Bennett Yancey. They were children of of Martha Cochran and husband Peter Bennett. Added a Find a Grave link for Oscar Bennett and Ruth V. Bennett, children of Rachel Cochran and Jacob Bennett.(23 Sep 2012)
  • Smith Sr. -- Added (at bottom of page) the 1915 obituary for George Sr.'s half sister Nancy Smith Plumley. (12 Aug 2012) Updated Ervin Smith information. (30 May 2012) New photo of Mary Ann Smith and husband John Robert "Bob" Plumley. (09 Feb 2012)  Added revised research notes on the deaths of four Smith children in 1898 (under General Marion Smith) and an obituary for Jasper Smith. (10 Dec 2011)
  • You Tube -- Very cool video with pictures of of the Fox and Garten families. (Thanks to Katherine for the link.)
  • Passing Through Sandstone, a new documentary by film-maker Jon Averill recreates the death of Samuel Richmond during the Civil War. “The main focus of the movie is a man named Samuel Richmond who came from the founding family of this area, and who was one of the large land owners around here around the time of the Civil War,” said Averill.“He was a staunch Union supporter in what became a pretty heavily Confederate-dominated area. And he was bush-whacked, assassinated during the war." (Register-Herald, Suzanne Higgins, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, 12 Jan 2012) Passing Through Sandstone YouTube trailer. Information from Billy Richmond is in a 1968 article on the deaths of Arthur Richmond and Samuel Richmond: Richmond District In A Time To Shoot Or Be Shot, Post-Herald, 14 Nov 1968, Page 11. Part 1  Part 2

BARNS OF SUMMERS COUNTY
Phyllis Campbell Whitley has been reseaching and photographing old Summers County, W.Va., barns built before 1950. (Mrs. Whitley originally contacted West Virginia Memories about a site near Indian Mills with three pre Civil War barns. The present owners believe the original owners were named Via.) The book, Barns of Summers County and the 2013 calendar are available for purchase: Barn Lady site. Barn Lady e-mail.  Articles about the project: Barns of Summers County, Hinton News, 16 June 2009.  Sunday Profile: Phyllis Campbell Whitley by Sarah Plummer, Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va., 09 Jan 2011. Barn Lady captures memories of W.Va. barns, by Kathryn Gregory, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va. Reprinted in the Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, W.Va., 07 March 2011.

Giving credit where credit is due
If you've shared a photo and I haven't given you credit, please e-mail.  If you use photos from West Virginia Memories, please include this site address: http://wva.homestead.com I want more cousins to find their way here. And if you have photos or information to share or if you just want to say hello, I am always glad to get e-mail. Corrections are welcomed.


Smith Farm on White Oak Mountain, W.Va.