Daisy Sansom and Ethel Sansom Hobbs

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - A PICTURE OF MY GRANDMOTHER AND HER SISTER

DAISY SANSOM - LEFT
ETHEL SANSOM HOBBS - RIGHT

A Brick Wall Ancestor - Josephine Minter or Tilley (Tillie?)

We all have brick wall ancestors... one of mine is my great grandmother who was named Josephine or Josie, however her correct maiden name remains a mystery in my family tree.

Here is what I have found so far:

1. She seems to have been married 3 times.
Husband one - John Johnston
Husband two - Bill Gardner
Husband three - Evans Parks

She was born in May 1877 or January 1878, possibly in Narrows, Giles County, Virginia, or one record says b. in KY.

She died 9 Aug 1917 in Iager, McDowell County, West Virginia.

MAIDEN NAME:
Her son Ray's delayed birth certificate lists her maiden name as Minter.
Her son Sherman's obituary gives it as Tillie, but I've never been able to find her on census records under either surname.
Her daughter Thelma's social security application lists it as 'Jossie unknown'.

In 1900 she appears on the census for McDowell County WV with husband John Johnston and 3 children.

In 1910 she appears on the census for McDowell County WV as a widow, mother of 6 children, 5 living. All the children have the surname 'Gardner' on this census although at least three of her children were Johnston's. The youngest child on the 1910 census was my Grandmother, Bessie Parks. She appears as Bessie Gardner in 1910, age 18 months (or could be 8 months). Evans Parks is also in the household, listed as 'brother in law'. Evans Parks was married to Fannie Johnston, sister of Josie's 1st husband John Johnston.

Sometime after She married Evans Parks 13 July 1913 and had 3 or 4 children by him:
Bessie Louise (my Grandma), Clyde Parks, Sherman Parks and Dolly Worley Parks.

Dolly died as a baby. Bessie went by the name of Parks, don't know if she was a Parks or a Gardner.

She died when my Grandma Bessie was only 8 years old. My mother said her mom told her that Josephine loved to sing and play the piano. Maybe that is where some of our family musical talent was inherited from! I would love to know more about Josephine and her ancestry.

History Of Logan County West Virginia

The History of Logan County....Updated...Now Available

The "History of Logan County" was originally written by Henry Clay Ragland about the year 1896. Notes by additional historians and genealogists have been added. All proceeds from the first printing of this book will be donated to the Logan County Historical Society and the Logan County Landmark Commission to purchase a statue in the likeness of Chief John Logan. First printing, 1996.

"The History of Logan County" can be ordered from:

* Chamber of Commerce, 214 Stratton Street, Logan, WV 25601, Phone Number: (304) 752-1324.
* Price is $15 plus $1.50 shipping

I am interested in Logan County because my Dad was born there and my Mom and Dad were both raised there. I think it's time to simply order a copy of my own, instead of reading bits and pieces from online sources. If any of my readers are interested in Logan County West Virginia, here is the information for requesting a copy.

Adventures At The Hatfield Cemetery Logan County West VA

A few years ago, I made a trip to West Virginia to visit some of the cemeteries where my family are buried. With death certificates in hand, and a map to show me the way, I took two of my boys along for the adventure.
It was 4th of July weekend and the weather was warm and sticky. We wound our way down highway 44 south of Logan, past Omar and Stirrat, to Sarah Ann, where we found a little sign by the road that said "Hatfield Museum" if memory serves me. A few tombstones were in the yard by a trailer and old car. We pulled over, and a man and woman came out and asked if they could help us. Turns out, the man was the caretaker for the Hatfield Cemetery, which was just a short piece on down the road beyond us. He started up his car and we followed him to the turnout for the cemetery, which rose up the ridge on our right. I gave him the name we were looking for, Henry Simpson (my grandfather), and he said he had never seen a grave for anyone of that name but to go ahead and take a look, and to take a stick with us in case we ran across any snakes!
The boys and I picked our way up the hill and looked at as many headstones as we could, but to our disappointment, nothing could be found for Henry. My Dad always told me that Henry was buried very near to Devil Anse Hatfield, whose grave is marked with a tall statue memorial. We were sad not to find any sign of my grandfather.
After coming home I asked my Mom if she had any idea why there wouldn't be a grave marker, and she said her father had died while visiting her and her husband there, and there was no money to buy a grave marker. The Hatfield Cemetery was the closest place to lay him to rest.
In recounting the story to her brother, my Uncle Don Simpson offered to pay for a headstone for Henry, which was cut and prepared for installation. However, the caretakers couldn't find any place in the cemetery that might be Henry's final resting place. No foot marker or other indication seems to exist anymore. I'm not sure where in the cemetery they installed the headstone as I haven't made a trip back there yet. But that is for a future cemetery tale.

Here is another visitor's memory of their experience at the Hatfield Cemetery:
/Roadside America - Sarah Ann WV