James Wilford Mason & Helen Isabelle Bailey

I have always loved this photograph so when I ran across it today it just called out the need to be published. This is my paternal great-grandparents, James Wilford Mason and Helen Isabelle Bailey.

James Mason (1892-1929) and Isabelle Bailey (1898-1948) were married 24 Jun 1914 in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia. They had six children - at least two of which are still living - Bertie Marie, James Woodrow, Carl Denver, Robert Homer, Charles Frederick and Betty Jane Mason.

James was a laborer at the US Naval Plant in Institute, WV. He passed away from tuberculosis at age 36. Helen and James lived near the naval plant in Sattes. After James' death on 28 Jul 1929, Helen married William Legg.

Madeline Rebecca Meadows - Obit

My grandmother, Madeline Rebecca Asbury, was born 19 Oct 1920 in Kelly's Creek, Kanawha County, WV. She was the sixth child of Brownie Francis Asbury and Bertha Mae Beane. Her siblings included: Evelyn, Woodie, Elton Jack, Denny, Jim, Minerva and Edsel.

Madeline married Offord Lee Meadows 15 Mar 1937 in Seth, Boone County, WV and had six children. She passed away 4 Mar 1999 at her home in Seth.

Clifford, Mulford, Audrey, Autie Meadows obits

The obituaries for the remaining siblings of Offord Meadows have still not been located. They will be posted at a later date as I continue my research.

Clifford E. Meadows - born 14 Feb 1907 in Boone County, WV. Died 2 Feb 1943 in Welch, McDowell County, WV.

Harry Mulford Meadows - born 26 Mar 1909 in Boone County, WV. Unknown death date (possibly Oct 1973).

Audrey Jane Meadows Hudson Workman - born 18 Mar 1915 in Comfort, Boone County, WV. Died October 2006.

Autie Meadows Green Dolan - born 27 Feb 1918 in Boone County, WV. Died about 2001 in Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio.

Offord Lee Meadows - Obit

My grandfather, Offord Lee Meadows was born 15 May 1913 in Comfort, West Virginia and passed away 6 Aug 1980 in a Charleston hospital.

He was one of the 9 children of William Frye Meadows and Lucindy Anne Burgess. His brothers and sisters include: Corbin W., Clifford E., Harry Mulford, James Jefferson, Audrey Jane, Autie, Ocie R. and Vertie Marie Meadows.

Offord lived for most of his life in Sharlow Hollow in Bloomingrose, WV. He was a miner and local union president until he was disabled in the mines during the 1950s. He married Madeline Rebecca Asbury 15 Mar 1937 and had 6 children.

Offord and his wife Madeline are buried in Fauber Cemetery in Bloomingrose.

James Jefferson Meadows obit

James Jefferson Meadows was born 3 Mar 1911 in Winifrede, Kanawha County, WV. He was named after his grandfather. James was married to Phyllis Louise Harless (1936), Opal Christine Brown (unknown marriage date), and Elizabeth Crowe (unknown marriage date). James and Phyllis had 6 children many are still living. Like most people in Boone County, WV, James was a miner and a member of the United Mine Workers. He passed away 24 Dec 1985 in Comfort and was buried on 28 Dec 1985 in the Pineview Cemetery in Orgas, WV.

Vertie Marie Meadows Workman - obit

Vertie Marie Meadows was the youngest child of William Frye and Lucindy Anne Burgess Meadows. She married Convert Leonard "Babe" Workman and had four children before her death from leukemia at age 26. Vertie was born 24 Oct 1921 and died 4 Feb 1949 in Boone County, WV.

James Jefferson Meadows (the elder) - obit

The previous version of this post has been deleted. I had the wrong obituary displayed with James Jefferson Meadows (son of William and Annie Meadows). The obituary posted above is for his grandfather and namesake James Jefferson Meadows. So let me tell you about his grandfather.....

James Jefferson Meadows was born in Kanawha County, Virginia on 10 Mar 1857. His parents were Henry Preston Meadows and Lavonia J. Keffer. James married Eliza J. Goodwin in 1878 and had 8 children -- Adah, William Frye (Willie), Ida, Ive, Grover, Lottie, Bertha and one child unnamed.

Though a tombstone does not exist in the Mordue Cemetery for James, his obituary and death record state that he was buried there. My aunt Martha and I walked the entire hillside cemetery and were unable to locate his grave. Many thanks to Martha for noticing that I had the previous post incorrect.

Corbin W. Meadows - obit

Corbin W. Meadows was the oldest of William Frye and Lucindy Anne Burgess Meadows children. He was born 3 Jun 1905 in Boone County, WV and passed away 24 Dec 1963 in Comfort, Boone County, West Virginia. Corbin married Ethel G. Atkins and had five children.

Ocie R. Meadows Workman - obit

The next several posts will be of obituaries for my grandfather Offord Meadows' family. Ocie was his sister. She was born 18 Feb 1920 in Boone County, WV and died 10 Jul 1995 in Ashford, WV. Her husband, William Jennings Workman, Sr., preceded her in death.

And now from the other side of the family...

For the most part, I have been posting items from the Asbury/Meadows side of the family. The photo above shows those on the Mason/Goff side.

From left to right is Amelia Catherine Tate and her husband Delbert "Poppy" Harrison Goff. Mealie and Poppy are my great-grandparents. Poppy is holding me and, based on the leaves on the trees, it appears to have been taken in the fall of 1963 (Mealie died the following April). I would have been 9-10 months old. Behind Delbert is my grandmother Ecil Goff Mason. Beside her is my father Carl Mason and my sister Angela. We are standing in the front yard of Poppy's Tuppers Creek house. I inherited the house several years ago and recently sold it to my Dad's cousin. It is nice to have kept it in the family.

Mickie at Sharlow Hollow

This 1974 photo of my cousin Mickie was taken on the porch steps at my grandparents house in Sharlow Hollow (that would be pronounced 'holler' for those of you from the mountains of West Virginia). It was made before my grandfather Offord added a roof to the long front staircase. The porch behind Mickie contained a wooden swing that all the grand kids loved to swing high and bang hard against the back wall of the porch. Let's just say that we always got yelled at for that one (it didn't stop us though). I'll try to locate a photo of the swing and post it later.

Grandma Berthie, Tommy & Mickie

Above is a photograph scanned from the collection of my cousin Mickie. Shown is great-grandma Berthie with her great-grandchildren Tommy and Mickie. It appears to have been taken at her house in Cross Lanes, WV. Based on Tommy's age I would guess the year to be 1974 or 1975.

I'm back! - Yeah!

There is time available now to update the blog with the holidays here and me off work. The current plan is to create enough entries to post one every day for the next month. That is normally a hard thing to do while I am working because we are developing a brand new Transfer Pricing system (tax stuff...very boring) and it rolls out to the users soon. Lots of long work hours lately......sigh.

Check back often and I'll promise to post new items!