West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 145 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: John Flood Land ["John \"Bill\" Wheeler" ] #5 OBIT: Darles Clyde Adkins, Sias, W [Jean Monk ] #6 OBIT: Dallas Eugene Adkins; Salt R [Jean Monk ] #7 OBIT: Clayburn Garrett Adkins, SIA [Jean Monk ] #8 OBIT: Shannon H Adkins; Hamlin, WV [Jean Monk ] #9 OBIT: Carl J Adkins; South Point, [Jean Monk ] #10 OBIT: Gary Lee Adkins; Ranger, WV [Jean Monk ] #11 OBIT: Lula A Adkins, Hamlin, WV [Jean Monk ] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from WV-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to WV-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. To contact the WV-FOOTSTEPS-D list administrator, send mail to WV-FOOTSTEPS-admin@rootsweb.com. ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 15:32:38 -0500 From: "John \"Bill\" Wheeler" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <000801bf4284$8a68bf20$d0dfbec6@wheeler> Subject: BIO: John Flood Land Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume ll. pg. 115 John Flood Land had the wisdom to identify himself when a young man with the expanding destinies of Bluefield, where he has lived for nearly thirty years, and is owner and director of one of the leading general insurance agencies in this section of the state. Mr. Land was born in Campbell County, Virginia, March 28, 1874, of old Virginia stock. His father's people came originally from Whales, while his mother's ancestors were English. His parents, C.H. and Sarah E. (Martin) Land, were both born in Virginia, his father being a tanner and farmer. During the Civil War he was in the Confederate Army from the beginning until the end, in the quartermaster's department. John Flood Land acquired a common school education in Campbell County and attended the new London Academy. Leaving school at the age of seventeen, he came to Bluefield and went to work as a clerk for his oldest brother in the Surface and Land Supply Company. This firm did an extensive business supplying merchandise and other materials to the contractors who were then building the streets and railroads in this section. John F. Land had charge of the general supply store. He remained with the firm eight years and in 1899 entered the insurance business with the S.M. Smith Insurance Agency in Bluefield. He continued with Mr. Smith about six years, and then become one of the organizers of the Citizens Underwriters Agency of Bluefield. Selling his interest in this in 1912, he organized the Bluefield Insurance Agency, which he now controls and to which he devotes all his business time and energy. This is an agency with an extensive business and handling all classes of insurance service except life, the total aggregate of its annual premiums running to about $86,000. In 1915, at Lynchburg, Virginia, Mr. Land married Miss Ella Victoria Woolevine, daughter of John D. and Olie Woolevine, natives of Virginia. They have two children, John F., Jr., and Mary Ella. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Land is a Royal Arch, Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, and is secretary of the Masonic Temple at Bluefield. He is also secretary of the Elks Lodge and a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 14:45:31 -0600 From: Tina Hursh To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19991209204531.0071d5d0@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: Bio: Russell Wright - Doddridge/Wood Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II Pg. 70-71 Russell Wright is consistently to be designated as one of the vital and representative young captains of industry residing in the City of Parkersburg, and he is not only a man of marked progressiveness and energy in connection with business enterprise of broad scope, but is also one of the loyal and vigorous advocates of measures and undertakings tending to advance the interests of his home city and native state. Mr. Wright is president of the Wright & Loper Oil Company, and also of the Shawnee Oil & Gas Producing Company, important corporations identified with the oil industry in West Virginia fields. Mr. Wright was born on the homestead farm of his parents in Doddridge County, West Virginia, and the date of his nativity was August 5, 1878. He is one of the four children of William L. and Ella (Allen) Wright, who still reside in Doddridge County, where the father was born and reared and where the Wright family made settlement in the pioneer days. Russell Wright gained his youthful education in the public schools of his native county, and continued his association with the work of the home farm until he was sixteen years old. He then began working in the oil fields of Doddridge and Tyler counties, and as he had the versatility that made his services of value in all manner of work and positions he gained a wide and varied experience. Eventually he bagan to assume a larger share of independent activities and in this way he both made and lost money, according to the results attending his various exploitations. He extended his experience by association with oil-production enterprises in the fields of Oklahoma, Indiana and Illinois, but after an absence of two years he returned to West Virginia, where his operations have since been largely staged, though he has had and continues to have interests in connection with oil production in Ohio. He has maintained his residence and business headquarters at Parkersburg since 1912, and since 1913 his business operations have been confined to the West Virginia and Ohio oil fields. He well merits the expressive American title of hustler, and has made himself known as a vigorous and progressive factor in the great oil industry. He is a valued and influential member of the Parkersburg Chamber of Commerce, is affiliated with the Parkersburg lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is a member of the Blennerhassett Club and is popular in both business and social circles in his home city, where his name remains on the list of eligible bachelors. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 14:45:32 -0600 From: Tina Hursh To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19991209204532.0072d190@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: Bio: Eli C. Morris - Wirt county Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II Pg. 70-71 Eli C. Morris. In the old Keystone State Eli C. Morris was born March 14, 1845, in Washington County. He was a son of Samuel Morris, a representative of one of the ster-ng old Pennsylvania families long identified with that gracious and noble religious organization, the Society of Friends, more commonly known as Quakers. In Pennsylvania Eli C. Morris was reared to manhood, received such educational advantages as were offerred in the schools of the period, and in his youth learned the trade of millwright, in connection with which he assisted in the erection of many flour mills, besides eventually becoming a successful mill operator. In connection with his vocation he came to West Virginia, where for a time he operated a mill at Elizabeth. Thereafter he built and equipped a mill at Morristown, which was named in his honor, and after operating this mill for a time he removed with his family to Washington County, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his life and where he died at Lower Salem in 1914. He was a birthright member of the Society of Friends, and in his unostentatious career he examplified the sterling characteristics ever associated with the name of Quaker. His father was implacable in his opposition to the institution of slavery, and the Morris home in Pennsylvania was made a station on the historic underground railway which enabled many slaves to escape bondagein the period leading up to the Civil war. Though the customs and teachings of the Society of Friends deprecate war in all forms, the youthful patriotism of Eli C. Morris was such that he transceded these teachings when the Civil war was precipitated on the nation. He believed the preservation of the Union was of greater importance than his observance of the tenets of the faith in which he had been reared, and accordingly he enlisted in Troop B, Sixth Pennslyvania Cavalry, with which he saw active service under command of General Sheridan in the historic Shenadoah campaign. His first wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth McDonald, is survived by one son. His second wife, Eliza J. (Winland) Morris, still resides in Washington County, Ohio. Of this union there are two sons and two daughters, and of the number James G. is the only representative in West Virginia. James G. Morris is a native of West Virginia, his birth having occured at Morristown, Wirt County, but he was reared and educated in Washington County, Ohio. He is now president of the Arrow Lumber Company, one of the important industrial and comercial concerns of Parkersburg. Mr. Morris has completed the circle of Scottish Rite Masonry, in which he has received the thirty-second degree, besides being affiliated with the Mystic Shrine. He takes deep interest in all that concerns the welfare and advancement of his home city and is essentially progressive and public spirited. Mr. Morris wedded Miss Jennie E. Watson, and they have one son, Harold W. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Colvin G Adkins, Hamlin, WV Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit COLVIN G ADKINS Born: September 19, 1915; Died: November 4, 1989; Age: 74 years, 1 month and 6 days. Funeral services will be at the Koontz Funeral Home, Hamlin, W. Va. Monday, November 6, 1989 - 2:00 O'Clock P.M. with Reverend Walton Smith and Reverend Milo Cummings officiating. Interment will be in Goldsbury Cemetery, Sias, W. Va. with Military Graveside Rites by American Legion Post #111, Hamlin, W. Va. He was a son of the late Garfield and Leila Adkins; was a retired school teacher of 59 years; served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II; was a Member of the Veterans Foreign Wars and American Legion Post #111; was a member of Hamlin Lodge #79, A.F. and A.M.; and was a member and deacon of the Bethel Baptist Church, Sias, W. Va. SURVIVING: his wife, Imogene Sizemore Adkins, Five Step-sons; Robert G Sizemore, Jr.; SFC Ronnie Sizemore, Jeffrey Sizemore, Joseph Sizemore, and Michael Sizemore; one Step-daughter: Diana Sizemore Johnson; One brother: Kermit Adkins; Four sisters: Flawn Fletcher, Dorotha Ruff, Emiline Krechting, and Doskia Everson; and nine step-grandchildren. ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Darles Clyde Adkins, Sias, WV Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit DARLES CLYDE ADKINS, 65, of Sias, W. Va. died Nov 12, 1994 at his residence. He was born Dec. 22, 1928, in Sias, a son of the late Roy and Thelia Bragg Adkins. He was also preceeded in death by his brother Orville Adkins. He was retired from West Virginia Department of Highways. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours of duty in the field artillery in Korea. He was a member of Palermo Methodist Church. Surviving are his wife, Merideth Dotson Adkins; his mother-in-law, Ercy Dotson; three sons, Clyde Adkins and his wife, Janet, Joe Adkins and Wendell Adkins, all of Sias; a newphew whom he raised, Elba Adkins; Elba's five children, Amanda, Ashley, Heather, Josh and Brittany Adkins; a great-great nephew who called him Pa Pa, Cheyenne Merritt; four sisters, Jewwll Adkins of Sias, Sally Adkins of Charleston, Mildred Adkins of Sumerco, W.Va. and Betty Baker of Ranger, W.Va.; and one granchild. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov 15, 1994 at Koontz Funeral Home, Hamlin, W.Va. by the Rev. K.D. Bragg and the Rev. Tommy Cooper. Burial will be in Goldsbury Cememtery, Sias, with military graveside rites by American Legion Post No. 111, Hamlin. Friends may call from 6 to 9 pm Monday at Koontz Funeral Home. ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Dallas Eugene Adkins; Salt Rock, WV Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Dallas Eugene Adkins MR. DALLAS EUGENE ADKINS, 55, of Salt Rock, W.Va. passed away at his residence Oct. 6, 1992, after a long illness. Funeral services will be conducted Monday, Oct 12, 1992 at 2 p.m. at the Valley of Decision Church by Rev. Dick McGlone. Burial will be in the Ray Cemetery at Bear Creek in West Hamlin. He was born April 9, 1937, in Palamo, W.Va., a son of the late Dowe and Lilly Burgess Adkins. He was retired from the CSX Railroad and was a former chief of the Salt Rock Volunteer Fire Department and also an honorary member of the fire department, and a fire warden with the West Virginia State Forestry. He was preceded in death by two daughters and one brother. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Rowena Ray Adkins; four sons and daughters-in-law, Charles and Donnetta of Richmond, Va., Greg and Misty of Salt Rock, Doss and his former wife Dianna of Barboursville, and Eddie and Loretta of Barboursville; nine grandchildren, Brian, Jennifer, Brent, Jason, Robby, Michael, Michelle, Jessica and Brittany Adkins; four sisters and brothers-in-law, Eloise and Carl Brunty of West Hamlin, Joyce and Kenneth Jones of Columbus, Ohio, Judy Swimms of Delbarton, W.Va., and Jo Helen and Gary Adkins of Salt Rock; one sister-in-law and one brother-in-law, Doris and Glen McFann of Lesage, W.Va.; 17 nieces, 14 nephews, and a host of relatives and friends, and a special friend, Harry Moore, Jr. Friends may call Sunday from 6 to 9 pm at the Wallace Funeral Home, Barboursville, and after 1 p.m. at the church Monday. Nephews will serve as pallbearers. ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Clayburn Garrett Adkins, SIAS, WV Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Clayburn Garrett Adkins SIAS - Clayburn Garrett Adkins, 75, died June 3, 1993. He was born June 12, 1917. Funeral services were conducted at Koontz Funeral Home, Hamlin, June 6, with the Rev. Howard Oxley, the Rev. Walton Smith, and the Rev. Milo Cummings officiating. Interment was in Walker Adkins Cemetery, Sias (Big Laurel). He was a son of the late Benjamin "Ben" and Sallie Adkins. He was a member of the Bethel Baptist Church, Sias; was a retired coal miner, was a U. S. Military Veteran of World War II. Surviving: his wife, Elba Stowers Adkins; two sons, Daynor Joe Adkins and Clayburn Garrett Adkins Jr; three daughters, Icyline Plumley, Doris Jean Carver, and Linda Lou Browning; three brothers, Jessie Adkins, Carles Adkins, and Winford Adkins; two sisters, Ilene Plumley, and Lizzie Adkins; four grandsons, Michael Adkins, Jason Adkins, Scottie Adkins and Butch Plumley; three granddaughters, Sherrie Carver, Krystell Carver and Amy Browning; special friends, Harold and Naomi Oxley, Linnie Adkins, Dottie Cummings, Miles and Minnie Browning; and a special cousin, Hallie and Sybil Adkins. ______________________________X-Message: #8 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Shannon H Adkins; Hamlin, WV Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit SHANNON H. ADKINS Born: November 6, 1921; Died: March 5, 1982; Age: 60 years, 3 months and 29 days. Funeral services will be Monday, March 8, 1982, at Two O'Clock pm, at the Koontz Funeral home, Hamlin, W.V., with Rev. Russell Adkins officiating. Interment is Fairview Memory Gardens, Hamlin, WV. He was the son of the late Grover and Laurette Wilson Adkins; was a well driller for over 40 years; and was a Veteran of WW II. Surviving are: his wife, Eunice Lovejoy Adkins; 1 son, Charles Shannon "Skip" Adkins; 2 daughters: Deanna Bradley and R. Elaine Adkins; 5 brothers: Abe, Sig, Haskell, Purleigh and Bill Adkins; 2 sisters, Edith Prader and Thelma Lovejoy; 5 granchildren and 1 step-granchild. ______________________________X-Message: #9 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Carl J Adkins; South Point, OH Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit CARL J ADKINS, 90, of South Point, Ohio, formerly of Huntington, widower of Mary Myrtle Adkins, died Sunday, July 9, 1995 in Heartland of Riverview, South Point. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, at Chapman's Mortuary, Huntington, by the Rev. Ron George. Burial will be in Woodmere Memorial Park, Huntington. He was born Oct. 27, 1904, in Lincoln County, W. Va., a son of the late Ira M. and Vina Morrison Adkins. He was a retired foreman from ACF Industries. H was a member of Twenty-sixth Street Baptist Church, where he was an usher and a member of the Men's Bible Class, who members will serve as pallbearers. He also was a member of the Foreman-Managers Club of Huntington. He also was preceded in death by one sister, Eloise Wilcox. Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Lois Joann and Grover Eugene Bowen of Waverly, Ohio; one son and daughter-in-law, Earl R. and Doris Louise Adkins of South Point, four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Chapman's Mortuary. ______________________________X-Message: #10 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Gary Lee Adkins; Ranger, WV Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit MR. GARY LEE ADKINS, 40, of Ranger, W.Va. died Tuesday, April 28, 1992, in St. Mary's Hospital, Huntington. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at Ranger United Baptist Church by the Rev. Terry Cyfers and the Rev. Archie Frazier. Burial will be in Fairview Memory Gardens. He was a carpenter for Orders Construction Co., St. Albans, and was a member and trustee of Ranger United Baptist Church. Surviving are his wife, Denna Adkins; his parents, Bruce and Elizabeth Adkins of Hamlin; one son, Brian Adkins, and one daughter, Kari Adkins, both at home; one brother and sister-in-law, Bruce Adkins Jr. and Paula Adkins of Hamlin; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Orville W. and Dorothy Adkins of Ranger; two sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Reda and R. J. McComas of Ranger, and Sandra and Farris Burton Jr. of West Hamlin; four nieces; and four nephews. Friends may call after 1 p.m. Friday at the church. McGhee-Handley Funeral Home, West Hamlin, is in charge of arrangements. ______________________________X-Message: #11 Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 18:48:54 -0500 From: Jean Monk To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: OBIT: Lula A Adkins, Hamlin, WV Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit LULA A. ADKINS Born: August 19, 1906; Died: November 3, 1991; Age 85 years, 2 months and 14 days. She was a daughter of the late John H. and Lelia Collins Bryant. She was preceded in death by her husband: Jessie G Adkins; and was also preceded in death by eight brothers and three sisters. She was a member of the Buffalo Baptist Church, Rt. 1, West Hamlin, W.Va. Funeral services will be at the Koontz Funeral Home, Hamlin, West Virginia Wednesday, November 6, 1991 - 1:00 O'clock P.M. with Reverend Clifford Wilcoxen officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Memory Gardens, Hamlin, West Virginia. SURVIVING is one daughter, Mrs. Melvin (Nettie) King; three grandchildren: Dewanda Reedy, Douglas King, and Roger King; and eight great grandchildren: Yvonne McDowell, Michael King, Michelle Reedy, Amy King, Angela Roberts, Donna King, Brent Reedy and Laura King.