Ivy Perry Hobbs

Ivy Perry Hobbs was my Dad's aunt, and he often told me stories of the time he spent with his Uncle Willie and Aunt Ivy on their farm. Here is her picture:

Surname Sunday - Some Nunley Ancestors

No pics today, just a simple post to list some of my Nunley ancestors. Maybe you connect through one of them? These are all children of Daniel Nunley and America Skaggs
Jane Nunley b. 1837 Cannonsburg, Boyd Co KY
Benjamin Franklin Nunley b. 1847 in VA or KY, d. 11 Mar 1892 in Wayne, West Virginia
Charles L. Nunley b. abt 1856 Greenup Co KY
Milton Leonidas Nunley b. Jun 1858 KY

Minnie Hobbs Samples

This is my great Aunt, Minnie Hobbs who married Roy Dick Samples 25 Sep 1922 in Logan County WV.
What I know:
Minnie Hobbs was b. in Mingo County WV in 1906. Parents: G.W. (George) and Victora McCoy
1910 Mingo County WV census, age 6, born in West Virginia.
1920 United States Federal Census
about Minnie Hobbs
Name: Minnie Hobbs
Home in 1920: Logan, Logan, West Virginia
Age: 15 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1905
Birthplace: West Virginia
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Father's Name: George
Father's Birth Place: West Virginia
Mother's Name: Victora
Mother's Birth Place: West Virginia
Marital Status: Single
Race: White Sex: Female
Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes
Image: 169
Household Members:
Name Age
George Hobbs 57
Victora Hobbs 52
Minnie Hobbs 15
Hugh Hobbs 12
Graenway Hobbs 8
Children: Minnie and husband Roy had three children that I know of:
Rose Marie b. 1926, Roy Dick b. 1928, and William D. b. 1929.

I would love to know more about her!

The Life and Times Of Hibbert Hobbs

My newly graduated college son has been helping us clean out our basement this month, and I was happy to run across a copy of a personal history I wrote about my Dad, Hibbert Hobbs, for a genealogy college class I took some years ago. It was typed into a computer we no longer own, and embarrassingly I have to admit that I don't have a backup copy anywhere online. It's time to remedy that.
So here is an excerpt from THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HIBBERT HOBBS

Two For The Price Of One

The year was 1919. The coal industry in West Virginia was young and healthy. Storng and heavy set, MOnroe HObbs the miner proudly awaited the birth of his first child. His wife Ethel was only 17 years old. They had been married 8 months when, on September 13th, the time for the birth came suddenly ahead of schedule. "It's a boy the country doctor might have said, and then - it's another boy!"
HIbbert was born first, then Herbert. Tiny and frail though they were, both twins survived. Together they weighed but seven pounds at birth. Both had the same flaming red hair as their mother, the same bright blue eyes. They were "as alike as two peas in a pod." as Hibbert liked to say. It was a miracle that they made it, and an indication of the stamina they would show later in life.
Being the first born of identical twins meant a lot to my father. Throughout his life he fulfilled his role as eldest son. He gave advice and took charge in times of crisis. His name was unusual. According to Ethel, she let Monroe's mother Victoria McCoy Hobbs name the twins. She named them Hibbard and Herbert. For some reason Dad's name was recorded wrong on the birth certificate, and Hibbert he became.

Monroe Hobbs

Monroe Hobbs was my grandfather. He worked for West Virginia Coal & Coke Corp. in Omar, West Virginia. He worked as a tippleman and later as an assistant foreman. He was b. 1900 and d. 1957 and was married twice, first to my Grandmother Ethel (Emma Jean) Sansom and second to Mae Hall. My Dad, Hibbert, was from the first marriage along with his twin brother Herbert and a younger brother, Herman.
Here is photo of Monroe by an old car:

Corn Bread And Beans

When I was growing up, every couple of months or so my mother would make a big pot of pinto beans along with a skillet of delicious crusty cornbread served with butter. Occasionally we would have collard greens or mustard greens on the side.
You see, in Depression times in West Virginia where my parents grew up, pinto beans were a staple part of their diet. Most families put a big pot of beans on to soak, then cook, every single day except Sunday. On Sunday my Mom said they had a chicken if they were lucky. She remembers eating fried bologna and gravy for breakfast, and apparently lots of oatmeal (which she hated for the rest of her life and refused to eat again.) But the beans and corn bread were family traditions we enjoyed even though we didn't "have" to eat them anymore.
I love a good bowl of pinto beans and cornbread myself! Here is the recipe:
Sort through a 2 lb. bag of pinto beans to remove any small rocks or bad beans. Wash beans, then put in large pot, with water to cover. Soak overnight, adding additional water if necessary. In the morning, drain off old water and replace with fresh. Bring beans to a boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to simmer. Add 1 large onion, 1 carrot and 1 good meaty ham hock. Simmer beans on low heat until tender. This will take several hours. Remove carrot and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve in a bowl with a few raw white onion slices on top.