Tag Archives: Seventh Day Baptist

15k. Ellis Raymond Lewis

April 18, 2009

Ellis Raymond Lewis (1882-1950) was the youngest of seven children born to Robert and Minerva (Oshel) Lewis. He was born at Stonefort, Illinois, on the Robert Lewis home place, October 10, 1882 and passed away on June 29, 1950, at Fayetteville, Arkansas.

He was married to Nellie Grace Mulvey, daughter of John Lionel and Samantha (Gram) Mulvey who was born in Stonefort, Illinois on July 11, 1884. She passed away on July 3, 1962, and is laid to rest near Riverside, CA, alongside their son Bill, and his wife, Marian (Green) Lewis.

Ellis and Nellie were married in Stonefort, Illinois on June 25, 1905 by his father, Robert Lewis. The family Bible shows that his brother, John Lewis, and her sister, Olive Mulvey stood with them as witnesses. Over the next ten years, six children were born to them, at their home in Stonefort.

  1. (Alfred) J.R. born 3/6/1906, died 4/8/1908, buried Joyner cemetery
  2. Lillian Bessie born 5/4/1907 died 12/31/1989 in San Diego, CA. According to her, she was named Lillian Elizabeth, but her father wrote Lillian Bessie in the family Bible. Her birth was recorded solely in the family Bible, and not recorded in the Illinois birth records where she was born.
  3. Harold born 10/1/1908, died 7/12/1920, buried Joyner cemetery
  4. Dorothy Olive, born 6/12/1910, died 3/6/1979, buried Bluff cemetery, Springdale, Arkansas. She changed her name to Dorothy Jane.
  5. Nellie Grace, born 5/27/1912, died 11/7/1947, buried Thornberry cemetery, Gentry, Arkansas. She was known in the family as Gaye.
  6. William B, born 4/30/1914, died 2/3/1992 in Riverside, CA. There will soon be a linked page with more information on William B. and his family

Ellis grew up on the farm near Stonefort, and after completing his schooling there, entered Milton College in Wisconsin. In 1902, he enlisted in the United States Army. His service record can be found In “ US Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914”. He enlisted into service on May 14, 1902 at Jefferson Barracks, MO. He received a “good” service discharge at Fort Leavenworth, with the rank of Pvt. on May 13, 1905.

Immediately following their marriage, Ellis and Nellie made their home on Howell’s farm, just across the road from the SDB Church, and opened a grocery store in Stonefort. But they yearned for the country life, and Ellis’s father had promised to give them some land for a farm, so they chose a spot which lay approximately a half mile due north of Albert’s farm. Much of the land was in timber, which meant clearing must be done for both farming and building a home. Ellis built his own house, barn, and other needed buildings. He purchased large Percheron horses for farming, raised Poland China hogs, and white Leghorn chickens. Throughout his life, Ellis supported his family through farming.

Dollie Martin and Nellie were close friends. Dollie’s mother, Eugena Martin, who was called Aunt Deany, married Rev Robert Lewis in 1910, two years after Minerva Oshel died. After Deany and Robert’s marriage, when Nellie and Ellis had their fourth baby, Dollie came to help. When the fifth baby was due, Ellis asked her to come again to help Nellie, but Dollie had reservations, because it was no easy task to look after a growing family. Dollie and Ira were planning to marry in September, but Ellis encouraged them to marry sooner and come live with them. So Robert Ira Lewis and Dollie Joanna Martin were married on June 3, 1912, by his father, Robert Lewis, at the home of Nellie and Ellis Lewis. Then Dollie became pregnant, and had morning sickness, and was not much interested in housework. So Ira and Dollie asked their parents, Deany and Robert, if they could stay with them for a while, because the house intended for them would not be available until September.

In adulthood, Ellis contracted, what was most likely, tuberculosis. He was ill for several months, suffering bouts of fever, and was confined to a tent outside the house to protect the children from contracting the infection. During this time, he read many of the classics, including the complete works of William Shakespeare, and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam, committing long passages to memory. He was always an avid reader, and in this way very well-educated.

Growing up in the Seventh Day Baptist Church, Ellis became interested in the study of the Bible. Eventually, he felt a call to enter the ministry, and began to prepare himself for it. He was licensed to preach in May of 1922 and became pastor of the Stonefort Seventh Day Baptist Church, having been called by that congregation. He remained in that capacity until he was called to the Gentry, Arkansas SDB Church in 1925.

From Gentry, Ellis took missionary trips into the southern states of Texas and Louisiana, visiting families, preaching the Sabbath, and baptizing many. Pastor Beebe accompanied him on some of this denominational work.

Ellis built a beautiful stone barn on the farm at Gentry, and also a small one room stone house in the orchard there, where he used to go to write his sermons.

In 1934, Ira and Dollie moved from Stonefort, Illinois to Gentry, Arkansas, where Ira was to manage the farm, while Ellis continued his missionary work. The families of Ellis and Ira remained close throughout their lives. Several of the Lewis family, including Ira and Dollie, relocated to California in the years following WWII. In the 1950’s, Dollie and Nellie were neighbors in Riverside, California, where they participated in the SDB Church. Their sons, Philip and Bill, raised their families in Riverside, and several grandchildren continue to attend there, at this writing in 2010.

Ellis retired from the ministry in Gentry about 1942, and returned to work on the farm. In 1950, he fell off the roof of the barn and was taken to the hospital at Fayetteville, AR, where he died on June 29, 1950. He is buried in the cemetery at Gentry.

Ellis as a young man


Nellie’s wedding portrait


Ellis and Nellie c. 1940

Thanks to Ellis and Nellie’s granddaughter Dorothy Jane for helping edit this and providing photographs. Thanks to another granddaughter Anne Burns Linklater for providing additional details.

Also tagged , , , , , , – No Comments

15j. (Robert) Ira Lewis

April 18, 2009
(Robert) Ira Lewis

(Robert) Ira Lewis

Robert Ira Lewis was born on the family farm on Sept 24, 1879.  He attended school in Stonefort, IL and the Milton College Academy, Milton Wisconsin.  He entered the Army, and was honorably discharged Jan 5, 1909 from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  He returned to his father’s farm where he worked, and married Joanna (Dollie) Martin on June 3, 1912  Dollie’s mother was Eugenia Gibbs (Deaney) Martin, who later married Rev Robert Lewis, father of Robert Ira Lewis.

Robert Ira and Dollie began agricultural farming, raising hay and grains for livestock feeding.  They had Jersey cattle, hogs and a large flock of white leghorn chickens.  They also did truck farming and gardening.

They later moved to Gentry, Arkansas and then to Riverside, California.

Dollie and Ira in Riverside

Dollie and Ira in Riverside

Ira died March 15, 1953 and Dollie died May 24, 1980.  They are buried in the Evergreen cemetery in Riverside.

Ira and Dollie had seven sons:

  1. Edwin Paul  b Feb 27, 1913 died date unk
  2. James Ford b Oct 14, 1914 died date unk
  3. Robert Samuel b Sept 16, 1916  died date unk
  4. Norman b Mar 14, 1918 died date unk
  5. Phillip b Dec 25, 1919 died date unk
  6. Alfred b Aug 10, 1921 – d date unknown
  7. son b Jan 11, 1923  – is still living,
Also tagged , , , , , – No Comments

15i. Cora June Lewis Green

April 18, 2009

Cora June Lewis Green was born June 9, 1875 in Stonefort, Illinois.

Cora Lewis Green young portrait cropped

Cora went to school in Stonefort and later at Milton College in Milton, Wisconsin.  She taught school in rural schools around Stonefort.  Cora was a deeply religious person.  She was an astute student of the Bible, and was believed to have been gifted with spiritual powers.

She met her husband, Milo Green, at a Seventh Day Baptist Church Conference.  He was a farmer, and they were both very active in church affairs.  Cora married Milo Green on March 14, 1914.

Cora and Milo

Cora and Milo

She died Jan 30, 1966 and is buried at Joyner Cemetery beside Milo.  They had no children.

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , – No Comments

15g. Oliver Lewis

April 18, 2009

Oliver Lewis

Oliver and his twin brother Oscar (who died in infancy) were born March 11, 1873 in Stonefort, IL

Here is a tintype of Oliver as a boy.

Here is a portrait of  Oliver Lewis as a relatively young man.

Oliver Lewis_0001 young man portrait cropped

Oliver’s first wife was Anna Jones, born Dec 5, 1872, died Jan 5, 1903.

Anna Jones Lewis

Anna Jones Lewis

They had two children:

  1. Beaulah (Aunt Bea) born 9/30/1898,  married Carl DeVard who predeceased her.  Aunt Bea lived over 100 years.
  2. Herbert born 1/22/1900, died a child 2/21/1901

Oliver was the only son who decided early in life that he did not want farming to be his principal occupation, and prepared himself to be a pharmacist.  He lived in Stonefort, IL his entire life, his home being only two blocks away from the drugstore he operated six days a week.

Oliver’s second wife was Katie Crank, born 10/21/ 1893 in Golconda, IL, married 9/6/1915 in Golconda, IL.

Oliver and Kate Wedding Portrait

Oliver and Kate Wedding Portrait

Grandma Kate died 12/14/1956 and was buried in Sulphur Springs cemetery, Pope Co, IL, beside her parents.

Oliver and Kate had 10 children:

  1. Ray Maxwell Lewis born 7/1/1916, now deceased
  2. Charles Edward Lewis, born 10/7/1918, died 11/1/1969
  3. Lester Howard Lewis, born 2/29/1920, died 2/11/1973, buried Sulphur Springs cemetery, Pope Co, IL
  4. living daughter
  5. living daughter
  6. Harry Vernon Lewis, born 12/28/1925, died 4/9/1961, wife living
  7. living son
  8. living daughter
  9. living son
  10. living son

Oliver was also a printer, and had the honor of owning and operating the first printing machine in Saline County.  That same pres is on display at the Saline County Museum in Harrisburg, IL.  It is still used by the museum for printing, and several of his original cards advertising weddings, etc, are on display with it.

For many years while operating the store, he still found time to study for the ministry for which he had received a calling.  He was licensed to preach, and received a call from the Seventh Day Baptist Church of Stonefort where he served for many years before retiring.  Two of his sons, Charles Edward and Harry, also preached there.

Oliver passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on March 22, 1966 at the age of 93.

Sources of information on Oliver Lewis include:

  • Marriage Certificate of Oliver Lewis & Kate Crank
  • Oliver’s Illinois Death Certificate
  • Obituary of Oliver Lewis
  • Obituary of Katie Crank Lewis
Also tagged , , , , , , , , – No Comments

15b. (Joshua Samuel) Howell Lewis

April 18, 2009

(Joshua Samuel) Howell Lewis was born in 1858 to Robert and Sarah Joyner Lewis.  He was named after his maternal grandfather Joshua Joyner and paternal grandfather Samuel Howell Lewis, but was imply called Howell. Following his elementary school education, he took other courses to prepare him for a teaching certificate.  He then taught at a country school in the Cain School District, about 3 miles northwest of Carrier Mills.  That schoolhouse is now in the Saline County Museum in Harrisburg.

Howell married Emeline Arella “Emma” Johnson on Sept 17, 1882.  Emma was the daughter of Dr. F.F Johnson and Martha Burnett.

(Joshua Samuel) Howell Lewis

(Samuel) Howell Lewis

Howell was a farmer and orchardist, with many fruit trees near his home.  He raised crops, particularly hay and corn.  In addition, he was a beekeeper who sold honey as well as used it at home.  He was also a dairy farmer with a large herd of white faced cattle.  He produced milk, butter and cream commercially as well as for home use.

His home was destroyed by fire in 1891, and his brother Albert rode horseback from town and rescued Howell’s infant son Ralph.

Howell was a deeply religious man, and served as deacon, moderator, treasurer and song-leader at the Stonefort Seventh Day Baptist Church.

One day while delivering cans of cream at the railroad station in Stonefort, Howell slipped and fell on his back.  The injuries to his back and kidneys were serious, and he was bedridden from then till his death in 1928.  Emma died in 1932, and they are buried together in Joyner Cemetery outside Stonefort.

They had seven children

  1. Edwin died as an infant in 1893
  2. Sarah (Sally) was born in 1885 and died in 1958.  She married Albert Appel in 1912.
  3. Gertrude died as an infant in 1888
  4. Mabel was born May 1, 1889 and died May 10, 1970.  She married Ray Purcell.
  5. Ralph was born March 2, 1891 and died December 14, 1968.  He married Ida Martin who died Feb 20, 1929 and remarried Edith Cobb.
  6. Arthur died as an infant in 1894
  7. Henrietta (Hettie) was born in 1896 and died in 1924.  She married Charles Tripp

Sally Lewis Appel

Sarah (Sally) Lewis Appel

Ralph baby Jean and Ida

Ralph, baby Jean and Ida Martin Lewis (first wife of Ralph)

Mabel L Hill Alice L Roe Emma Katherine McSparin Jean L King cropped

Mabel Lewis Hill, Alice Lewis Roe, Emma Katherine Lewis McSparin, Jean Lewis King (daughters of Ralph Lewis)

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , – No Comments

14b. Robert Lewis

April 18, 2009

Rev Robert Lewis, son of Samuel Howell Lewis and Jane Darnell Lewis, was born in Clay (Jackson) County, TN May 12, 1832 and died in Stonefort IL December 6, 1919.  He is buried in the Joyner Cemetery outside Stonefort, where many Lewis family members including his father and generations of descendants are buried. (Note: There is some controversy about his mother being Jane Darnell. Family tradition and his obituary state it, but to date no source documents have been found.)

His mother died when he was about twelve years old.  His father Samuel Howell Lewis, a schoolteacher, then broke up housekeeping, bringing his three sons to Southern Illinois, placed them in good homes near Stonefort.  He kept in touch with his children and gave them a common school education.

Robert came before the people in early manhood as a singing school teacher, and a little later taught common school in the rural districts, teaching winter terms over a period of thirty-four years.

He showed a dedicated preference for rural life, being a practical farmer and stock breeder.  He was converted to the cause of Christ in 1852 and entered actively into the Christian duties.  In that same year he was married to Miss Sarah Joyner (b. December 6, 1833, d. February 16, 1864). Sarah was the daughter of Joshua and Mary McDonald Joyner. They had a daughter Henrietta and son (Joshua Samuel) Howell Lewis who lived to adulthood. Another daughter Florence was born in 1860 and died in 1871. A daughter Mary and son William H died in infancy, and their markers at Joyner Cemetery do not indicate dates.

He was ordained a minister of the gospel by a General Baptist Presbytery at the Little Saline Church, in Saline County, IL, October 23, 1858, remaining with this denomination for thirteen years, serving various churches as pastor and assisting in evangelistic meetings, severing his relations with the General Baptists when a Seventh Day Baptist church was organized at Stonefort.  He took active interest in the politics of our country, both local and national, and filled various county and township offices.  It was his habit to meet the political issues without compromise.  In the presidential campaign in 1856 it was very unpopular in southern Illinois to express anti-slavery sentiment, the weight of public opinion being with the South.  At that time, although endangering his life, he in a public debate, condemned human slavery and was one of only seven men of Johnson County who cast votes for the Republican nominee, John C. Freemont.  Again in 1860 he was with the minority of only seven in his precinct who cast votes for Abraham Lincoln.

At the opening of the Civil War he volunteered for service in the Federal Army, enlisting with the 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B; was appointed first sergeant August 10, 1861; commissioned second lieutenant February 26, 1862.  He participated in the battles of Belmont and Donelson, receiving promotion to first lieutenant September 3, 1862 for meritorious service at Fort Donelson.

Owing to factional strife in his company and failing health of his wife Sarah Joyner, he resigned and left the service of the army March 27, 1863.  His wife died February 17, 1864.  He was married to Miss Minerva Oshel, April 7, 1866, living with her until her death, February 11, 1908. Minerva was the daughter of Dorothy Farthing Oshel and Oshel. It was through her that the Farthing and Lewis families were connected. Their children were Jennie Lewis Kelley, John Henry Lewis, (Seth) Albert Lewis, Oliver Lewis and his twin Oscar who died in infancy, Cora June Lewis Green, (Robert) Ira Lewis, and Ellis Raymond Lewis.

Robert and Minerva Oshel Lewis

Minerva Oshel Lewis, 2nd wife of Robert Lewis

Minerva Oshel Lewis, 2nd wife of Robert Lewis

He was married a third time to Eugena Martin on January 31, 1909.  She was known as “Aunt Deany”

Here is a photo of Robert’s 80th birthday celebration.

family-group-with-robert-80th-birthday-small4

The Stone Fort Seventh Day Baptist Church was organized March 5, 1871 by Elder M. B. Kelly, a pioneer Seventh Day Baptist of Southern Illinois, assisted by Elder James Bailey.  Elder Robert Lewis entered it at its formation and was at that time formally recognized by the church as an Ordained Seventh Day Baptist minister.  He lived on the farm less than two miles from the church, retaining his home in the church community from its organization until his death, making him a resident minister of the church for more than forty-seven years.  He often supplied the pulpit when the church had another pastor, and was the regularly elected pastor many terms of one year.  He maintained other preaching points near-by and assisted in the organization and pulpit supply of the churches of Bethel and Aenon.  His mental and physical forces were wonderfully preserved, permitting him to continue preaching until eighty-four years of age and to attend the meetings of the church and assist in the services for a year later.

Sources of information on Robert Lewis include:

1850 Census, Pope County, IL

1870 Census, Saline County, IL

1880 Census, Saline County, IL

Obituary, Seventh Day Baptist publication “The Sabbath Recorder” p. 603

Robert’s Illinois Death Certificate

Tombstone Photo in Joyner Cemetery, Stonefort, IL

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , – No Comments

Chapter 1 – Overview

April 17, 2009

Chapter 1 – Overview

This book was written primarily for descendents of Samuel Howell Lewis, who was born March 12, 1796 in Mecklenberg County, VA; married Henrietta Mabrey July 4, 1818 in Warren County, NC; believed to have had children James, Samuel, Hardin and Ansell; later married Jane Darnell and had children Benjamin Darnell, Ann, Robert, and William Baugh; moved to Southern Illinois with his three youngest sons Benjamin, Robert and Will about 1845 after Jane died; died November 28, 1867 in Pope County, IL and was buried in Joyner Cemetery, Stonefort, Saline County, IL.  This book may be of interest to other descendents of the “Warner Hall” Lewis family as well.

One shortcoming of this book is the relatively little information on descendents Samuel’s sons Dr Ben and William, as well as Samuel’s older children and their descendents. I would be delighted to have contact with any of these descendents and gather more material that could be included in a future revision.

This is written in as straightforward a manner as possible.  Deciphering Welsh history and names was anything but straightforward, twisting both the tongue and brain.  I have tried to integrate much information and distill our history to its essence.  Family Notes are included in several chapters to tie in locations, historical events and people who are not our direct ancestors.

Acknowledgements:  This work could not have been possible without the efforts of family history researchers whose work this report is built upon.

Leland Lewis, whose passion for family history led him to travel widely to research family history. He interviewed many people familiar with our family, and preserved stories and lineage of Samuel Howell’s descendents in his book Lewis Genealogy 1557 – 1982. His stories of family and the area around Stonefort were an inspiration to dig deeper into our roots. Much of the information about Samuel Howell and his descendents comes from Leland’s book, and his descendents have very graciously allowed me to include it in this booklet.

  • Dr Malcom Harris, whose discovery of the grave of John Lewis on Poropotank Creek near Adner, Virginia in 1948 led to unlocking the mystery of our ancestry. He was a country doctor with a keen interest in the history of the area where he practiced medicine, and spent much of his life collecting and publishing that history.
  • Grace McLean Moses, whose unrelenting determination to discover factually supported historical information led to the deciphering of the coat-of-arms on the grave of our immigrant ancestor John Lewis, as well as tracing his history in Wales and Virginia. She documented her research in the book The Welsh Lineage of John Lewis (1592-1657) Emigrant to Gloucester, Virginia, ISBN 0-8063-4542-X. Dr Susan J Daves of the University of Wales was the principal researcher, conducting her extensive work in 1983/ 84 at the National Library of Wales.
  • Col Edgerton Sorely who wrote “Lewis of Warner Hall, The History of a Family” in 1935, providing much valuable information on descendents of Councilor John Lewis of Warner Hall. Although his ancestry of the Lewis family of Warner Hall was borrowed from earlier published works, and is inconsistent with source documents uncovered through recent research, his book is a wonderful source of information on Councilor John Lewis and his descendents. One omission that is significant to our branch of the family is the fact that he does not list Robert Lewis of Mecklenberg as a child of Robert of Granville.
  • John Cook, who transcribed source records across many states which he later published in his four volumes of the book Pioneer Lewis Families. This excellent reference is no longer in print, but can be found in select libraries.
  • David Brown and Thane Harpole, archaeologists who worked at Warner Hall, and published Warner Hall, Story of a Great Plantation, ISBN0-9763585-0-6
  • Dr Edy MacDonald, the driving force behind the Lewis DNA Project.
  • John Davies, author of A History of Wales. Until recently he was a member of the Department of Welsh History at the University of Wales at Aberystwyth. He wrote this book in Welsh, and later translated it to English. The book is an excellent source of Welsh information and is easier to read than others I encountered on this history journey.

There has been heated controversy for at least 100 years among Lewis families in America about their origins, and we need to address it now so it does not cause some readers to be distracted later in the book.  One strongly held and widely published story by multiple Lewis families in both Virginia and New England is that their emigrant ancestor is one “General Robert Lewis”, son of Sir Edward Lewis of the Van and Lady Ann Sackville, who come to America with his wife Elizabeth on the ship “Blessing” in 1635, and received a grant of land of 33,333.3 acres.  Several Lewis books state this “General Robert Lewis” is the ancestor of the Lewis family of Warner Hall, while others state he is the ancestor of their separate line.

Here is the data that leads me to not accept General Robert Lewis as our emigrant ancestor:

  • a Robert and Elizabeth Lewis sailed to the New World on the Blessing on July 16, 1635, but according to the Public Records Office in London the ship sailed to New England, not to Virginia where our ancestors landed
  • Robert and Elizabeth Lewis landed in Salem Massachusetts, then moved to Newbury Massachusetts where Robert died in 1644
  • Although Sir Edward Lewis of the Van and Lady Ann Sackville had a son named Robert, there is no record linking Robert Lewis of the Blessing to them
  • The coat of arms used by the Warner Hall Lewis family is not the same coat as Sir Edward Lewis of the Van
  • There has been no military or civil record found of a “General” Robert Lewis in either England prior to 1635 or Virginia following 1635. In fact, the British War Office has no record of any officer of any rank named Robert Lewis at that time
  • All Virginia land grants from 1634 forward are recorded, and there is no grant for 33,333 acres to anyone with the last name Lewis during that era
  • The grave of Isabella Miller, mother of Councilor John Lewis of Warner Hall, is one of the graves in the same small family cemetery as that of John Lewis who emigrated to America in 1653. Those grave stones, and the multiple church, court and land records that survived the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, link our Warner Hall Lewis family to the emigrant John Lewis buried in that cemetery.
Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , – No Comments

My Short Lewis Lineage 1592 – Today

April 15, 2009

Here is my brief Lewis family history, starting with my father Harry Vernon Lewis.

  • My father was Harry Vernon Lewis, born Dec 28, 1925 in Stonefort, IL and died April 9, 1961 in Greenup, Cumberland County, IL, buried at Joyner Cemetery outside Stonefort.
  • Harry’s father was Oliver Lewis, born 11 Mar 1873 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL, died 22 Mar 1966 in Stonefort, Pope Co, IL, second marraige 6 Sep 1915 in Golconda, Pope Co, IL to Katie Crank, born 21 Oct 1893 in Golconda, Pope Co, IL. Their deceased children include Ray Maxwell, Charles Edward, Lester, Harry Vernon (my father).
  • Oliver Lewis’ father was Robert Lewis, born May 12, 1832 in Jackson County, TN, died 6 Dec 1919 in Bolton, Saline Co, IL, second marraige 7 Apr 1866 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL to Minerva Oshel, born 10 June 1842 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL, died 11 Feb 1908 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL. He fought in the civil was as a 1st Lt in the 31st Illinois Infantry, Company B.
  • Robert Lewis’ father was Samuel Howell Lewis, born 12 Mar 1796 in Mecklenburg Co, VA, died Johnson Co, IL 28 Nov 1867, who married Henrietta Mabrey July 4, 1818 in Warren Co, NC.  We believe they had sons named James, Hardin, Samuel and Ansell with Henrietta, but have lost all trace of them.  (Based on DNA testing, it appears we may have located a descendent of son Samuel.)   He later married Jane Darnell, born c 1800 in TN, died ca 1844 in Calloway Co, KY. With Jane he had sons Benjamin, Robert and William, as well as possibly a daughter Ann.
  • Samuel Howell Lewis’ father was Robert Lewis of Mecklenberg, VA born 1764 at Albermarle Co, VA, died Mecklenberg Co, VA 19 Oct 1806, married 10 Nov 1788 in Mecklenburg Co, VA to Ann Bugg who died after 15 April 1816. Their children include Elizabeth Bugg Lewis, Samuel Howell Lewis, James Meriweather Lewis, Anna Bugg Lewis and Robert Lewis.
  • Robert Lewis of Mecklenberg’s father was Robert Lewis of Granville, born 1738/9 at Hanover Co, VA, died 7 Nov 1780 at Granville Co, NC, married on 3 Sep 1760 in Goochland Co, VA to (Mary) Frances Lewis , 1st cousin, born 1 August 1744 in Goochland Co, VA, died ca 1791 at Granville Co. Her parents are Charles Lewis and Mary Howell. Robert Lewis of Granville served as Delegate from Granville to the Constitutional Convention which met in Halifax, NC on Nov 12, 1776. He was later comissioned as “Colonel of the Granville Militia”. Through him my Aunt Laura and other relatives have been accepted into the DAR.
  • Robert Lewis of Granville’s father was Col Robert Lewis of Belvoir (b. 1704 d. 1765 ) who married Jane Merriwether (b. 1705 d. 1753). Col Robert Lewis of Belvoir was the third son of Councilor John Lewis of Warner Hall. His oldest brother John inherited Warner Hall, and Robert and his older brother Charles split their father’s original estate, Chemokins, on the Pomonkey River at the top of New Kent County, VA. They later sold that farm and settled the land around Charlottesville, VA. Charles had a farm on the Byrd River, and was called Charles of the Byrd. Robert nmed his farm Belvoir, thus his name Robert of Belvoir.
  • Col Robert Lewis of Belvoir is the third son of Councilor John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner, and the first Lewis child born at Warner Hall. Councilor John was living at his farm, Chemokins, when he married Elizabeth Warner. Her brothers died without heirs, and she inherited Warner Hall upon the death of her father, Augustine Warner, Jr..  John, Elizabeth and their two sons left Chemokins and moved to Warner Hall when Augustine died, and Warner Hall was held by the Lewis family for many generations.
  • Councilor John Lewis’ father was Major John Lewis who married Isabella Miller. He was a Major in the Virginia Colonial Militia, thus his name to distinguish him from the other John’s in the family. He inherited the Chemokins farm at the death of his father’s brother-in-law, William Lewis. Isabella is buried at the family cemetery near Poropotank Creek outside Adner, VA. Major John’s gravestone, if he had one, had not been discovered.
  • Major John’s father was Emigrant John Lewis (1592 – 1657), who is buried at the family cemetery near Major John’s wife Isabelle. His gravestone is the oldest known in King and Queen County, VA, as of June 2007.

All source documents point to Emigrant John Lewis being the same John Lewis, Senior Burgess of Abergavenny, Wales. Recent evidence (research based on his tobstone sponsored by Grace McLean Moses as documented in her book “The Welsh Lineage of John Lewis (1592-1657) Emigrant to Gloucester, VA” thoroughly lays out the case based on Welsh coat-of-arms, church records and court records.

The family history is also documented in “Pioneer Lewis Families” by Michael L. Cook, Cook Publications, Evansville, IN 47712.

Every family has history controversy, and mine is no exception. Earlier (apparently unresearched) publications list a “Gen Robert Lewis” as patriarch of my line. Interestingly, there does not appear to be source document evidence that such a General Robert Lewis ever existed in either England or Colonial Virginia.  Some relatives seem to become quite defensive when this story is questioned – I guess it is hard to consider the possibility that this family story is not based on researched fact, but is rather asserted and repeated.  It seems to be a poplar and widely held story – after all, who wouldn’t like to be a descendant of a general?

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , – No Comments

Bond (my maternal grandmother) Family History

April 6, 2009

My Maternal Grandmother’s Family from England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia

My Bond ancestors were from an estate in Cornwall near Plymouth called “Erth Barton”, meaning the farm of the Erth family.  The building is today a country manor Bed and Breakfast with the same name.  In 1610 a study was commissioned to determine if it was the oldest building in Cornwall, and the conclusion was that it indeed was the oldest building.  It came into Bond possession when the only daughter of the Erth (or de Erth) family married Richard Bond.  Their descendants were known as the Bonds of “Earth”.

The first land grant to a Bond in Pennsylvania was to Richard Bond in 1696 and then one to his wife Sarah Robinet Bond in 1702.  Richard is believed to have emigrated to America around 1696.  Family history has Richard returning to England for business and dying there before April of 1702.

Richard and Sarah had a son Samuel Bond born ca 1692. He married Ann Sharpless in Pennsylvania ca 1726 and soon moved to Cecil County, Maryland. Richard and Sarah had one son, Richard Clayton Bond, born Oct 4, 1728 and three daughters.  Samuel left the Church of England to become a Seventh Day Baptist by 1737, and Ann Sharpless left the Quaker Church to become a Seventh Day Baptist with her husband.

Richard Clayton Bond lived most of his life in Maryland, where his 9 children were born.   He was a man of wealth and influence, and represented his county in the state assembly for 21 years.   When he was past 70 he moved to settle on a large farm near present-day Lost Creek, West Virginia, where he died at age 91.

  1. Samuel Bond, oldest son, was born Sept 30, 1754 in Maryland and lived most of his life in Pennsylvania.  All his large family remained in Pennsylvania except Eli moved to Browns Creek, Virginia, and Jonathan, who moved to Milton, Wisconsin.
  2. The second son, Richard Jr., born March 9, 1756 was known as Major Richard Bond, and he lived most of his life at Lost Creek, WV.  He owned and operated a mill 1/4 mile above the present town of Lost Creek.
  3. Susanna Bond, born Aug 24, 1757
  4. Levi Bond, born Aug 20, 1758
  5. Lydia Bond, born Aug 2, 1760
  6. John Bond, born May 20, 1762
  7. Abel Bond, born June 4, 1763
  8. Sarah Bond, bonr May 9, 1765
  9. Mary Ann Bond, born May 15, 1767, died in infancy

Richard Bond Jr, also known as Major Richard Bond, was married the second time to Mary Brumfield, who bore himfour sons.  After Mary died, he married a third time to Mary Lewis.  He died Feb 14, 1820 at the relative young age of 63.  Sons of Major Richard Bond and Mary Brumfield are:

  1. Levi Bond
  2. Abel Bond, married Elizabeth Booth, had six children in Maryland and seven more after moving to West Virginia.  He established mills at Quiet Dell, WV, about 8 miles North of Lost Creek, WV.  He died Jan 23, 1852
  3. Elnathan Bond
  4. Richard Bond III

Levi Bond, the oldest son of Major Richard Bond, was born in Maryland in 1785. He married Susan Eib on May 3, 1807 at her house near Clarksburg.   They settled on a large farm on Broad Run, near Lightburn, where they raised a large family.  In 1876, after 69 years happily married, they died within a few weeks of each other.

  1. Jacob Bond, b Jan 20, 1808, the oldest son of Levi and Susan Eib Bond, married Sophia Grant and became a successful farmer in Lewis County.
  2. Brumfield, (see writeup below)
  3. Tamar, b Dec 5, 1811, married Eli Forsythe on Sep 30, 1833 and lived in Wisconsin for some time but died in Iowa
  4. Richard, b. Feb 16, 1814, was a farmer in Roanoke.  Married Lydia Davis.  Their son Florien Lee Bond was born July 25, 1857 and on April 11, 1886 married Lenora Bond, daughter of his first cousin Booth Bond.
  5. John Eib, b June 7, 1816
  6. Abel, b Aug 22, 1818
  7. Mary, b Aug 22, 1818
  8. Peter, b. Jan 2, 1821, m Dec 11, 1845 to Elizabeth Payton
  9. Susan (Susanna), b Dec 2, 1825, married Deacon Levi Bond of Lost Creek.
  10. Elizabeth “Betsy Ann”, b Jan 25, 1828 married Dr. Croner Musser of Lightburn.
  11. Almeda lived with Mrs. Musser after the death of her parents.

Brumfield Bond, b Dec 15, 1809, the second son of Levi Bond and Susan Eib, m Nov 3, 1832 to Belinda Hoffman.  Reared his two sons  (Booth and Levi) and daughter (Tamar) in Upshur County.

  1. Booth Bond, b. Oct 23, 1833 at Lost Creek, WV, married Rebecca Van Horn
  2. Tamar Bond, b Sept 16, 1835 at Hacker’s Creek, Lewis County, married Abraham Wolfe and lived at Berlin, Lewis County, had no children
  3. Levi Davis Bond, b. July 28, 1830 at Hacker’s Creek, m Victoria Arnold Dec 31, 1963, d 1923  Their son Emery Herbert Bond, b Feb 6, 1868  married Rena Fitz Randolph on May 24, 1893, d Nov 25, 1937.  Their son Sirus Orestes Bond was born Aug 12, 1877, m Venie Hagerty in 1904,  Received PhD at Alfred University in 1924.  Was President of Salem College.

Booth Bond, b. Oct 23, 1833 at Lost Creek, WV, April 5, 1859 married Rebecca Van Horn b. May 15, 1839.  They had a farm on Hacker’s Creek.  Both died Nov 9, 1907 and Rebecca died April 17, 1904.  Their children were:

  1. Lenora May Bond, b. Nov 22, 1861.  Married her father’s cousin F Lee Bond (see below)
  2. Elsie Belinda Bond, born April 18, 1864, died 1961.  Devoted more than 50 years of her life to Salem College as registrar and teacher of History, Latin and English.  She was known as “Miss Elsie”
  3. Thomas Mardsen Bond, born Feb 2, 1866, married Bessie Clark (1871 – 1946).  They had two children, Lotta Mabel (1895 – 1977) and Paul Van Horn Bond (1897 – 1966) who married Evaleen Kennedy.
  4. Samuel Brumfield Bond, b Oct 13, 1868, graduated from Alfred University in 1897.  Married Carrie Truman and they had a son Dwight Truman Bond.  Dwight Truman Bond had a son Carter Bond by his first wife.
  5. Xenia Ethel Bond, b Sept 28, 1870.  Earned her medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine.  Dr Bond delivered over 1,000 babies in home deliveries, and experienced zero maternal deaths.  Dr Bond lived with her sister “Miss Elsie” in Salem, and died July 21, 1940 at seventy years of age.
  6. Orville Austin Bond, b Sept 28, 1872, m Aug 20, 1901  to Mabel Lowther, and had one son Booth Forest Bond.
  7. Lora Antha Bond, b Feb 27, 1875 married M S Erlow.  They had a daughter Velma Marcelle who never married
  8. Cora Elizabeth Bond, b Sept 5, 1877, m Aug 20, 1901 to Roy Fitz Randolph.  They had two daughters, Greta and Mary.
  9. Otto Romain Bond, b. Feb 7, 1882, graduated from Cornell University, owned a large apple orchard in Wenatchee, WA, died in Reno, NV Mar 7, 1969.  Married Julia Crowell, had a son Clyde Herbert Bond who had two daughters.

F (Floren) Lee Bond married. Lenora May Bond.  They had children:

  1. Ada Pearl Bond
  2. Orville Booth (OB) Bond, married Lucille Davis
  3. Orson H Bond, married Muriel Bailey
  4. Dr Ian H Bond, married Pearl Hill
  5. Lydia Bond, married Oris Stutler
  6. Susie Bond,married Everet Williams
  7. Ruth Content Bond, married Ashby Fitz Randolph (my maternal grandparents)
  8. Maine Bond, married Gertrude Bosley
Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , – No Comments

Appendix B — Descendants of Ashby F. Randolph and Ruth Content Bond Randolph

April 6, 2009

Synopsis of Lives of Sons and Daughters

Ashby Bond Randolph

Bond graduated from Bristol High School in May 1944. He had begun his freshman year at Salem College before his 18th birthday, so he got a deferment from military service until he completed that year of college.

Bond was drafted into the U.S. Army in July of 1945, and he married Ruby Oldaker on December 24, 1945, on his first leave from the service. He was sent overseas to Germany; then returned and was discharged in January of 1947. Ruby continued her previous employment at the Weston Glass Plant until April of 1947, when Bond obtained his first job.

Bond’s first job was as a truck driver on a strip mining coal operation in Weston at $1 an hour; he then became oiler on a shovel for the same company at $1.20 an hour. He became a bulldozer operator in August of 1949 and earned $1.70 an hour. By this time, they had three sons and Bond’s work was not always steady; but Ruby did not work outside the home.

In August of 1950 Ruby asked Bond to return to college on the GI Bill so they could have a better future for their family. He did return to college and graduated from Salem College on May 29, 1952.

With a college degree he found work as a janitor for the Hope Natural Gas Company at $7.49 per day. He did not enjoy this inside work and quit the company in March of 1953. He sold hospital insurance for a company for about three -months, and one policy he sold was to the son of a superintendent for the Hope Natural Gas Company. The superintendent was so impressed with Bond that he offered him a position with the company again as a field worker. Bond accepted and he worked as a casual laborer for the company until December 1954, when he was hired as a regular employee. He was promoted to Utility A classification in April of 1957 and chosen as a Trainee in Safety on May 1, 1958.

Bond became a Safety Engineer November 1, 1958, and was promoted to Safety Director for the company on July 1, 1960. From this time his work was in the administrative offices in Clarksburg, W.Va. The company merged with another company and became known a s Consolidated Gas Supply Corporation; and Bond was named Manager of Safety on March 1, 1965, the position he still holds today. The company recently reorganized and is now known as Consolidated Gas Transmission Corporation.

Bond and Ruby have four sons. Because he has always worked long hours and frequently been away from home, he did not want Ruby to work outside the home. She has been a life-long homemaker, a position she has always enjoyed. She likes to call herself a “Domestic Engineer.” She has done quite a bit of volunteer work; at one time she worked one day per week as a volunteer at the local Veterans Administration Hospital for a period of five years.

Xenia Lee Randolph Wheeler

Xenia Lee graduated from Bristol High School in 1945. She and Edgar were married that summer. Edgar graduated from Salem College in 1947. They, with their new daughter, Annita Marie, spent the summer in Florida working with Pastor Elizabeth Randolph holding two-week Bible Schools and evangelistic meetings in Palatka, Carraway, and Florahome, Florida. That fall the family moved to Plainfield, N.J., where Edgar got his college debts paid off by working as linotype operator at the Seventh Day Baptist Publishing House.

In April of 1948 Edgar began his first full-time pastorate at the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Hammond, La., while he attended seminary at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Edgar has served churches in Louisiana; Athens and Paint Rock, Alabama; DeRuyter, New York; Salemville, Pa.; Ashaway, R.I.; Denver, Col.; and Nortonville, Kans.

Xenia Lee enjoyed being homemaker, wife, mother, and grandmother, supplementing Edgar’s income at home as she typed, sewed, or babysat.

Alois Edmund Randolph

Alois graduated from Bristol High School in 1947. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, 1951-1953. He was in the 4th Signal Battalion of the 10th Corps and served in Korea.

After his discharge from the Army, Louie attended Salem College three years. Then he went to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked first at Lattimer-Stevens (a factory -making gauges) and then at Buckeye Steel. Then he worked at Westinghouse for 14 years, 12 of those as foreman. While he was still working at Westinghouse, he worked during vacations and other times driving truck and moving furniture. Since he quit at Westinghouse, he has been driving trucks and doing some office work for Harvey Pugh Trucking Company.

Louie married Mary Ann Young soon after he went to Columbus, and they have lived in that area since then. They lived two years in Columbus, four years in Shadeville, and for the past 23 years in Grove City. They have two daughters and three sons.

Elsie Mae Randolph Lewis Bottoms

Mae graduated from Bristol High School in 1948 and from Salem College with a degree in Secretarial Education in May 1951. That spring she married Harry Vernon Lewis, who was a freshman at Salem. Harry had spent four years in the Navy in World War II and had driven truck across country for one year before he came to college.

After Mae graduated, she and Harry moved to Carbondale, Illinois. Harry graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a Masters in Education Administration. While he was in school, Mae worked a year as secretary in the Government Department at SIU. Harry taught junior high at Edwardsville, was principal and taught eighth grade at Percy, was principal of the Greenup Elementary School for four years, and then was principal of Cumberland High School one year when he died suddenly in April 1961.

After Harry died, Mae completed a Masters degree in Business Education at Southern Illinois University. She taught for two years at Johnston City High School in Illinois. In 1965 she moved to Almond, N.Y., and has taught in the Executive Secretarial Department at SUNY Agricultural and Technical College at Alfred for the past 19 years. For five years she was chairperson of the Executive Secretarial Dept., from 1974-1979.

In 1979, Mae married George Daniel Bottoms. He had just retired from a career in park work in the Chicago area. He had been superintendent of engineering for the DuPage County Forest Preserve. As such, he had done much work in the development of park grounds and facilities.

George and Mae bought a home with 4 1/2 acres at Phillips Creek, N.Y. (about six miles from Alfred). Here George has spent many hours growing beautiful flowers and marvelous vegetables, making improvements in their home and grounds, and fishing.

Edna Ruth Randolph Richards

Edna Ruth graduated from Bristol High School in 1950 and attended Salem College for two years. At the end of her sophomore year, she married Donald Richards, who graduated from Salem that year. He was in ministerial training, and they moved to Alfred, N.Y., where he attended Alfred Univ. School of Theology and graduated in 1955.

Don (with Edna Ruth as a helpmate) has served pastorates in Berea, W.Va.; Dodge Center, Minn.; Verona, N.Y.; and Marlboro, N.J. While they were in Verona, Edna Ruth cared for two mentally handicapped children who were placed by the State–Tina and Kathy. They had to leave these children when they left New York State, but Edna Ruth did not leave her interest in helping children with special needs.

Soon after they moved to New Jersey, Edna Ruth began working at Evanoff Guidance Center, where she worked with retarded children in preschool. She completed her degree in special education at Glassboro State College in 1976. Soon after completing her degree, she began working for the Shiloh School District, teaching special educa

tion for older children. She also was certified as a family trainer and worked with the families as well as the children. About Christmas time, 1978, when she went to the hospital for gallbladder surgery, she found that she had cancer in the liver. After trying various treatments unsuccessfully, Edna Ruth died at her home on January 2, 1980.

Rex Main Randolph

Rex graduated from Bristol High School in 1952. He attended Salem College one semester; then he married a neighbor girl, Phyllis McClain, the following spring. They have lived within a mile of both his and her parents most of the time since their marriage. In 1959 Rex built a new home on property between the McClains and Dad and Mom Randolph. Phyllis cared for her parents during their last years when they were not well. Both she and Rex have also done much to look after the needs of Mom and Dad Randolph over the years.

Rex has worked at several jobs in the Clarksburg area. He worked for Montana Lumber Company (making pallets) for one year. In 1954 he began work at Pittsburgh Plate. He worked in the tank department in shipping for three years, as a clerk for two years, and then in the machine shop. Pittsburgh Plate changed its name to TPG Industries and closed its Clarksburg branch in 1974. Rex was offered the opportunity to move with the company, but he declined. After 20 years with the company, Rex had lost all benefits and was out of work.

Since that time, Rex has worked as layout man for General Machines in Clarksburg. Phyllis has worked at various times caring for sick people in their homes.

Rex and Phyllis are both active in the Lost Creek Seventh Day Baptist Church, where Rex is a Deacon.

Cleo Elizabeth Randolph Boyd

Beth graduated from Bristol High School in 1956. She attended Salem College for two years. The following summer was spent in service to the S.D.B. Women’s Board, working in Bible Schools and camps. On Aug. 4, 1958, she married Joe Boyd, and they set up housekeeping in Salemville, Pa.

Joe drove tractor trailer truck for a little while and then went to help his dad on the farm. When his dad quit farming, he went back to driving truck. A back injury caused a change in occupation again. This time he went to work as custodian at a local grade school.

During this time Beth came to the conclusion it was time she get into the money-making act if they were to successfully raise four children. Since her children were top priority in her life, she decided to get into the school system as teacher aide. From there, she began taking college courses and substituting in the grade schools.

Finally, in 1973 she went back to Salem College and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She has been teaching in the Northern Bedford County Schools ever since, except for a year and a half, which was spent with their new baby and caring for her while her hip was being rebuilt.

Joe tired of being a custodian in just a few years and went back to driving an 18-wheeler. He has worked for Smith Trucking in Roaring Spring now since 1972.

Beth and Joe are both members of the diaconate of the Bell Seventh Day Baptist Church at Salemville, Pennsylvania.

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , – No Comments
« Older posts
Newer posts »