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: Clara Smith Fox Pinnell, 90, died last year – 18 Apr 2011 – in Florida. She was a daughter of William Silas and Della Smith, granddaughter of General Marion and Frances Smith. Mary Elizabeth Plumley, 50, of Abraham, Raleigh County, W.Va., died 06 Nov 2011 in a Beckley, W.Va., hospital.  Ethelene Naoma Plumley Adkins, 87, Shady Spring, Raleigh County, W.Va., died on 11 March 2012 at her home. Florine Vest DiNuzzo, 76, Chicago, died 09 March 2012. Roscoe Kessler Plumley, 87, Beckley, died 06 Feb 2012. Mr. Plumley was author of Plumley Genealogy, Cemeteries in Richmond District and Memories of Richmond District. Becky Ann Farley, 58, Cool Ridge, W.Va., died 23 Dec 2011.Anthony “Tony” Fakess, 91, of Beckley passed away on 19 Dec 2011 in Beckley. He was married to Ida Vest Fakess who died in 2009. David Glen Smith, 56, of Layland, W.Va., died 14 Dec 2011. Della Ruby Smith Plumley, 85, Beckley, passed away on 07 Nov 2011. Steven Eugene Biars, 61, of Portsmouth, Ohio, died 03 Oct 2011 at Southern Ohio Medical Center. David Arnold Smith, of Grafton, W.Va., died on 26 Aug 2011. David's death is a huge loss to the genealogy community. His cousin and friend Russell Bennett has written a tribute. Go to In Memory.

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.

WHAT'S NEW
  • Vest page 3 -- Added obituaries for the children of Callie Matilda Vest, wife of Wriston Richmond. From the collection of Nina Vest Bennett Worley. (07 May 2012)
  • Smith-Biars -- Under Carl Eugene Smith: obituaries of Bessie Kincaid Smith (1993) and brother Johnnie Lee Kincaid (1992).These newsclips were in the collection of Nina Vest Bennett Worley.  (Added 06 May 2012)
  • Cochran page -- Lena Cochran and Asa Bennett, 50th anniversary, a 1955 article from Nina Vest Bennett Worley collection. Page down to Children of Charles and Ruth Cochran/Robert Edward Cochran section. (Updated 03 May 2011)
  • Shoebox -- Article about Pluto Missionary Baptist Church. Raleigh County, W.Va. Tradition of 100-year-old Log Church lives on. Nina's collection. (Added 03 May 2012) Old article about Little Bluestone Primitive Baptist Church, Jumping Branch, W.Va., and a photo of a commemorative plate; and church photos of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, Abraham, W.Va., Salem Primitive Baptist Church, Mt. View Road, W.Va., and White Oak Missionary Baptist Church, White Oak, W.Va.  (Added 15 March 2012)
  • Random Quotations. Quotes on various subjects, added just because I like them. Updated 07 May 2012.
  • Gadd page 3 -- Corrected obituary date for Isaac Amos Gadd. Added information about Zanza "Zanzie" Adeline Gadd and husband Frank Robert Gadd. (16/15 March 2012)
  • Gadd page 1 -- Updated information about Eliza Jane Gadd, daughter of Andrew and Delilah. (16 March 2012)
  • Smith Sr. -- 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)
  • Resources -- Added a link to The Hinton News archives. (06 Feb 2012)
  • 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 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 2012 barn calendar and the book, Barns of Summers County, are now available for purchase. Barn Lady site.  Barn Lady e-mail. Order the calendar and book. 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.