West Virginia Statewide Files  WV-Footsteps Mailing List
WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest				Volume 99 : Issue 87

Today's Topics:
  #1 BIO: Preston B. PATTON, Greenbrier   [SSpradling@aol.com]
  #2 BIO: Dr. Cyrus A. RUPERT, Greenbri   [SSpradling@aol.com]
  #3 BIO: Edward F. RAYMOND, M.D., Gree   [SSpradling@aol.com]
  #4 BIO: Edward F. RAYMOND, M.D., Gree   [SSpradling@aol.com]
  #5 BIO: The WYATT Family, Greenbrier    [SSpradling@aol.com]
  #6 BIO: William B. BLAKE, Jr., Greenb   [SSpradling@aol.com]
  #7 BIO: The DOTSON Family, Greenbrier   [SSpradling@aol.com]
  #8 BIO: Alexander F. MATHEWS, Greenbr   [SSpradling@aol.com]

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______________________________X-Message: #1
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:10:05 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <0.27eaad91.2531ea2d@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  Preston B. PATTON,  Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 335

PRESTON B. PATTON.

Thomas B. Patton was born Dccember I, 1822; died Decem-ber 21, 1863. He was a
son of Tristram and Jane Nelson Patton, of Monroe.
December 30, 1845, he married Eliza Alderson, horn Decem-her 9, 1819; died
June 21, '90', daughter of Captain Jack and Frances Alderson, of "Western
View," now the suburbs of Alder-son. To them were born five sons: John
William, born October 21, 1847; Granville M., born September 5, 1849; Preston
B., born December i8, 1852; Alderson N., born December 29, 1854, and Walter
W., born August 5, '897. Alderson died while attending a boys' school in
Iowa, August 9, 1884.
Mr. Patton ow'ned and operated the mill at Palestine until his death.
John William married Elizabeth Huffman, who lived only a short time. His
second wife was Eliza Wait, daughter of Dr. Anderson Wait, of Palestine. To
this union were born five chil-dren: Grace, Nettie, Sadie, Fred and Cecil.
Granville married a Caraway and moved to Missouri.
Preston B. married Alice Alderson, daughter of Franklin Bond Alderson,
October, 1887. Their children are Powell, Owen, Margaret, Thomas (dead) and
William.
Mr. Patton taught school in the county', and for many years has been an
architect and carpenter. He resides on part of his grandfather Alderson's
plantation, east of the old fair grounds and near the river.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm

______________________________X-Message: #2
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:13:36 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <1b2bef12.2531eb00@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  Dr. Cyrus A. RUPERT,  Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 335-338

DR. CYRUS A. RUPERT.

(By Rev. Sam Black.)

Dr. Cyrus A. Rupert was born in Point Pleasant, Mason county, Virginia (now
West Virginia), on October 7, 1812, and died December 17, 1891. The family
record was burned during the war. But he must have been born at an early date
of the second
To them were born fifteen children, seven sons and eight daughters; twelve
now living and three dead.
Mrs. J. Scott McWhorter, of Lewisburg, is a granddaughter of Dr. Rupert,
being a daughter of his oldest child and daughter, Mrs. William J. Feamster.
For the past three months she has been assisting her husband, working early
and late, in the matter of the Covemment's war program, absolutely without
pay.  She prepared herself for the position by taking a course in shorthand
and typewriting and has become an efficient agent herself for the Red Cross,
War Savings and other war work.
It is due Mr. McWhorter, also, to say that since necessities have so required
he has given his undivided attention in further-ance of the needs of our boys
in the trenches.  He answers calls for platform work constantly, and has been
paying railroad fares and hotel bills and sacrificing his own professional
interests to the needs of his country.  He is, in fact, doing more than his
share of the work, but that is one of the characteristics of the man it is
due to his efforts that Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties have a judicial
district, while the Democratic party is twice over indebted to him for
various services rendered.
Dr. Raymond was born Octoher 16, 1835. He won an envi-able reputation as a
physician during a period of a full half century, and as a skillful surgeon
in the Confederate service during the war. He died January 5, i9ii. He is
highly spoken of to this day, and as a man there was none better.
Henry Bunger, son of Jacob, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, February
15, i8oo. He came to Greenbrier county when a boy.  He married Rachel
Hutsonpifler, who was born August 27, 1803, after which they began
housekeeping at Bunger Mills, where thev reared a large family and lived long
and useful lives until their deaths, the father dying March 2, 1862, and the
mother on November 27, 1869. Thei~cbildren were as follows: Joseph Henry, who
married Julia A. C. Argabright; Matilda married Archibald Lewis; Sophia
married Alexander Dotson; Sarah Ann married Wallace Robinson; Elizabeth
married William Hutson-piller; Mary Jane died January 28, 1832; Mehitable
married Dr. F.  B. Williams Eliza married Dr. E. F. Raymond, and Harvey
Lewis, who was born August 15, 1843, and died November 27, 1861.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm

______________________________X-Message: #3
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:18:23 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <0.648f713.2531ec1f@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  Edward F. RAYMOND,  M.D.,  Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 338-339

EDWARD F. RAYMOND, M.D.

One of the leading physicians in Greenbrier county before and after the Civil
war was Dr. E. F. Raymond, who resided at Frankford and practiced for a full
half century before his death on January 5, 191 I. He was a native of
Connecticut, but came to this State when a young man. He taught school for a
number of years and gained a reputation as a teacher as well as a physician.
By persistent work in the school room he obtained money for completing his
medical course, finally taking his degree of M. D. from a medical college in
Philadelphia. On June 6, 1865, he married Miss Eliza L. Bunger, daughter of
Joseph Henry and Rachel (Hutsonpiller) Bunger, of Bunger Mills.
Dr. Raymond was born Octoher 16, 1835. He won an enviable reputation as a
physician during a period of a full half century, and as a skillful surgeon
in the Confederate service during the war. He died January 5, 1911. He is
highly spoken of to this day, and as a man there was none better.
Henry Bunger, son of Jacob, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, February
15, i8oo. He came to Greenbrier county when a boy.  He married Rachel
Hutsonpifler, who was born August 27, 1803, after which they began
housekeeping at Bunger Mills, where thev reared a large family and lived long
and useful lives until their deaths, the father dying March 2, 1862, and the
mother on November 27, 1869. Their cbildren were as follows: Joseph Henry,
who married Julia A. C. Argabright; Matilda married Archibald Lewis; Sophia
married Alexander Dotson; Sarah Ann married Wallace Robinson; Elizabeth
married William Hutson-piller; Mary Jane died January 28, 1832; Mehitable
married Dr. F.  B. Williams Eliza married Dr. E. F. Raymond, and Harvey
Lewis, who was born August 15, 1843, and died November 27, 1861.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm

______________________________X-Message: #4
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:29:49 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <0.e58ae95.2531eecd@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  Edward F. RAYMOND, M.D., Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 339-340

EDWARD F. RAYMOND, M.D.

One of the leading physicians in Greenbrier county before and after the Civil
war was Dr. E. F. Raymond, who resided at Frankford and practiced for a full
half century before his death on January 5, 191 I. He was a native of
Connecticut, but came to this State when a young man. He taught school for a
number of years and gained a reputation as a teacher as well as a physician.
By persistent work in the school room he obtained money for completing his
medical course, finally taking his degree of M. D. from a medical college in
Philadelphia. On June 6, i86~, he mar-ried Miss Eliza L. Bunger, daughter of
Joseph Henry and Rachel (Hutsonpiller) Bunger, of Bunger Mills.
Among the very earliest settlers of Greenbrier county was Captain William
Johnson, who came from the valley of Virginia in 1765 and settled first on
Anthony~s creek, about 1770, moved to a farm one mile north of the present
site of Lewisburg. He was one of the pioneer settlers who went to the
assistance of the set-tlers at Fort Donnelly when they were attacked by the
Indians. He married Jane Davis, and to them were born: Jane, Samuel, William,
John, George, Andrew and Rebecca; Polly, who married John Feamster; Sally,
who married R. F. Tyree.  After living long and useful lives the parents died
and were buried on their old 18, 1803, on the farm adjoining the one where
her husband was born, and was the daughter of James and Margaret (Lyle)
Alexander. Her mother was born in Rockbridge county and was married at
Rockbridge, her father at the time living in Greenbrier county. After a time
her parents moved to Augusta county, and in their old age, about 1840,
returned to the county and died here.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Davis Johnson are:
Margaret Jane, born October 13, 1829, who has two sons and three daughters
and resides at Bristol, Tenn. ; James Williams, born June 7, 1823, is a
farrner in Lewisburg district; George Edward, born February 12, 1836, died
August 3', following; Ann Eliza, born December 4, 1837, married Nathan A.
Hanna, November 28, 1858; they have one son and one daughter; Ann E. died
January 3, 1883, and her husband died March 8, 1862; Mary Rebecca, born June
27, 1840, married Edward Black, November IS, 1859, and died November 27,
1861; John Davis, born September 16, 1842, a farmer of this county; and
Andrew Alexander, born June 3, 1846, married Florence E. Skaggs, November 5,
1874.
James W., John D. and Andrew A. Johnson were Confederate soldiers. All served
with honor, James and Andrew throughout the entire conflict and John until
disabled. James W. Johnson was sheriff of Greenbrier county, 1877-1881.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm

______________________________X-Message: #5
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:32:42 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <0.b896bd95.2531ef7a@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  The WYATT  Family,  Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 340-341

THE WYATT FAMILY.

Among some of the early settlers at Williamsburg came the Watts and Wyatts.
Lacy Watts, maternal grandfather of Charles A. Wyatt, who has been for twelve
years mail carrier between Frankford and Williamsburg, lived on a farm about
a mile above Williamsburg, where Joel H. Watts now Jives.  He married Rebecca
Burr.  Their children were:  Aaron, Albert, Clark, Lizzie, who married a
McCoy, went West and died there; Rebecca, who died thirty years ago, married
Frank Wyatt, and lived at the old homestead.  Her husband was a soldier in
the Confederate service and died during the war. Their children were Mary
Ann, who died about three years ago; Clara, who married Matthew McMillion, of
Williamsburg; John, Jane and Charles A.
Charles A. Wyatt married Amanda Lipps on January 8, 1819, and lived on the
old homestead.  It is a piece of land, well timbered and well watered, has a
large, fine growing orchard, and is adapted to grazing purposes as well as
for raising farm products.
Mrs. Wyatt was a daughter of Charles Lipps, who lived just northwest of
Williamsburg. Six children were born to this union. John F. Wyatt, the oldest
son, is mail carrier from Lewisburg to Williamsburg, and has been for the
past four years. He married Ada Robinson, now deceased. They had no children.
Mamie and Henry, both unmarried; Grover, who married Rose Crookshanks; they
live on part of the home place; Bertha Alice, deceased; Nellie, who married
Ross Dove, a farmer; Charles A., an automobile machinist, who has a garage at
Clintonville, built in 1913. He was born in 1900, married Miss Annie
Surbaugh, of Kieffer, W. Va., and they have one son, Carl, the joy and life
of the whole Wyatt family.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm

______________________________X-Message: #6
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:36:26 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <0.d89e6616.2531f05a@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  William B. BLAKE, Jr.,  Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 341-343

WILLIAM B. BLAKE, JR.

William B. Blake, Jr., was born at Dayton, Rockingham county, Virginia,
August 14, 1883. He is a grandson of the late Burdine Blake, of London,
Madison county, Ohio, who was a gunsmith by trade and who served in the Civil
war in the i54th Ohio Infantry on the Federal side. For many years following
the war he was a resident of London, Ohio, but died about eight years ago at
Mountain Grove, Mo., at the age of 84 years. His wife was Miss Mary Ellen
Murray, who bore him three sons: James F., William B. and Daniel F.
William B. Blake, Sr., was born January 21, 1852, in London, Ohio; went to
Virginia in the early '70s and became connected with the music publishing
house of the Ruebush-Kieffer Company, and remaining with this firm until
1889, when he moved to Ronceverte. He married Miss Alice Mary Home, of
Augusta county, Virginia, a daughter of Strother P. and Sarah Home. (Strother
P. Home was a Confederate soldier throughout the Civil war.) To this union
were born seven children: Charles Stanley Blake, Bessie Mabel, William B,.
Jr.. Henry St. John, Robert Russell, Mary Ellen and Edward Lester. At
Ronceverte, Mr. Blake, Sr., associated himself in partnership with J. W. Hess
in the publica-tion of the Ronceverte Nens, a newly-established paper in the
new lumber town, buying out the interest of Richard Burke, who had been a
prominent figure in West Virginia journalism for a num-her of years. Burke
had been the publisher of a vigorous newspaper at Union, Monroe county. About
the year i89i, Mr. Blake bought out the interest of Mr. Hess and became the
sole proprietor of the enterprise, changing the name of the paper to the
Valley Messenger and News. This publication continued until April 21, 1901.
Several years prior to this, in December, 1897, The West Virginia News had
been established with Mr. Blake as publisher, and from one newspaper plant
two newspapers were issued until April 21, 1901, when the latter publication,
which covered a more extensive field, absorbed the Valley Messenger. This
consolidation brought to the newer paper the good will of the older and the
growth of the West Virginia News has been steady and continuous to this day.
At the present time and for a number of years the News has erijoyed a larger
circulation than any other weekly newspaper published in the State.
The connection of William B. Blake, Jr., with the publication business
established by his father began in early youth, he being active in its
affairs from the age of fourteen. On January I, 1905, the joint partnership
of William B. Blake & Son was formed for the ownership, editorial and
business management of the paper. This firm continues. The News has its home
in its own building, a modern three-story brick and stone structure,
virtually fire-proof, erected in 1909, and its plant equipment is modern in
every way.
On Noveniber i6, 1909, Mr. Blake, Jr., married Miss Lena Lee Edwards. then of
St. Louis, Mo., but a native of Belton, Tex., and a daughter of Joseph F.
Edwards, of Texas. To this union came three children: William III, Norman
Bradbury and Marjorie Alice.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm

______________________________X-Message: #7
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:40:45 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <0.98df3297.2531f15d@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  The DOTSON  Family,  Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 343-345

THE DOTSON FAMILY.

Prominent among the sons and daughters of Greenbrier county in both church
and State comes the Dotson family.
Quiet, peaceable and progressive, also prosperous in business and active in
church work, the coming of this family has added a blessing to the county.
The ancestor of this family who first came to this county was Thomas Dotson,
a Virginian, from Rockingham county. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and
from records given of his family we surmise that he and Elizabeth, his wife,
took up their residence on the farm now owned by Frank Bell. He was an elder
in the Presbyterian church and probably one of the charter mem-bers of that
organization at Richland.
Children born of this union were: Alexander, George, Peter, Jacob, Thomas,
Susan, Eliza and Catherine. Jacob by appoint-ment became Governor of Utah
Territory during the gold craze. Thomas married Mary E. Lewis and Catherine
married George ~nderson.
Alexander Dotson, the ancestor of the Greenbrier family by that name, was
born October i6, i8i6, and died April 27, 1862. He married Sophia Bunger, and
afterwards owned and operated the Bunger mills for many years. (See sketch of
Dr. Raymond.) He was also an elder in the Presbyterian church, and like his
father before him, was very active in Christian work. He married into the
Bunger family on September 25, 1845. His wife was a sister of Joseph Bunger.
She was born December 14, 1824, and died July 27, 1874. Their children were
John M., H. T. and William R.
William R. Dotson married Miss Sarah E. Coffman, October 16, 1878. She was a
daughter of Joseph Coffman, from the Valley of Virginia, where the Coffmans
had lived time out of mind. John married Mary Hamilton, of Nicholas county,
January 4, i88i. They lived in Colorado. They had three children. H. T.
Dodson married May Allen, of Kansas, and lived and died there, leaving his
wife and three daughters. William R. Dotson was also a noted churchman. He
was an elder in the Richland church and gave active and constant support to
the cause of Christianity and was superintendent of the Sunday school for
many years, never being ahsent from duty. He officiated in that capacity on
the Sunday before he died.
Children born to Mr. and Mrs. William R. Dotson were: John C., born November
3, 1879; F. T., born February 24, i88i. He is a graduate of civil and mining
engineering and has had very great success in the pursuit of his profession.
In June, 1910, he married Miss Alma Crabtree, of Norton, Va. To this union
were born three children:  Mary Elizabeth, William Robinson and Dorothy Sue.
Mary Wilson, the only daughter of W. R. Dotson, married F. W. Tuckwiller.
(See history of David Tuckwiller.)  Their marriage took place October 16,
1908. They are living in Charleston, W. Va., where he is connected with the
Tn-State Electrical Company. They have one child, William Dotson Tuckwiller.
John C. Dotson is one of the successful merchants of this county. He
completed his educational career at the G. P.S. Institute, as it is now
called, and then at the University of West Virginia.  Before graduation,
however, he was called home on account of the illness of his father to take
charge of the farm. This was in 1901. With inclinations along agricultural
lines, he next joined the county grange and that naturally led to his
mercantile career, a phenomenally successful one from the beginning. It was
in 1917 that he first began trading in farmers' supplies and all kinds of
seeds which the International Harvester Company of America says now exceeds
that of any one man in his block of ten counties. As a merchant his success
has been phenomenal.  In order to meet the requirements of a constantly
increasing demand in his line of goods.  Mr. Dotson in 1918 erected a large
store, 30X100 feet, and virtually three stories in height, and he is now
doing a large and prosperous business. In 1908 Mr. Dotson rnar-ned Miss Laura
L. Kester, of Clarksburg. She is a daughter of j. '3. Kester.  He was a
gunsmith in the Confederate service during the Civil war, and he is still in
pursuit of that trade now, eighty-seven years of age. His wife. a member of
the old line of Carders of English descent. is still living, hale and hearty,
and is now seventy-eight years old.
Mr. and Mrs. Dotson are the parents of two children: Martha Elizabeth. now
seven years old. and Mary Wilson, four.
Mr. Dotson. like his father, grandfather and great grand-father, is an elder
and active worker of the Presbyterian church. He has just returned from the
church Presbytery at Hillsborough, where he had been sent as a delegate to
represent his own church at Richland.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm

______________________________X-Message: #8
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 09:44:48 EDT
From: SSpradling@aol.com
To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <0.5b2ac298.2531f250@aol.com>
Subject: BIO:  Alexander F. MATHEWS,  Greenbrier County
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History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 345-347

ALEXANDER F. MATHEWS.

There is a sense in which one might say that it would be easy to write a
sketch of the life of Alexander Mathews. He was born August 23, 1895. He was
for several years a student in our G. P. S. In 1910 he entered Culver
Military Academy and graduated as first lieutenant in 1914.  He spent one
year at Purdue University and in 1915 entererl Cornell University, from which
institutimi he volunteered for the aviation service in March of 1917. He was
trained at Miami. Fla., and in July, 1917, was ordered to France.  He was
commissioned first lieutenant of the American Air Force on September 29.1917,
and was sent to Eng-land from France with the Royal Flying Corps for special
training. He returned to France, April 1, 1918, and was assigned to duty with
the 84th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, on active service at the front. On the
night of August 24th-he was 23 years old the day before-he was killed by a
German bomb dropped during a raid over the sector on which he was engaged.
His death was instant, and as his captain writes, "He suffered no pain at
all."

As has been said, it is easy to write such a sketch as the above, to give the
dates and the essential facts in the short life of Alexander Mathews, bot to
write worthily of the life he really lived and the glorious death he died is
quite another matter. LTnless we are dull enough to count time by figures on
a dial, Alexander Mathews did not live a short life.  Measured by any worthy
standard he has rounded out a career which grips eternity. He lived more in
these short years than the average man could live in a century.  He lived in
friendship and in activities, in sympathies an4 in noble endeavor. It may be
that one would look at his years in school-it mav be that another would dwell
on his experiences in this modern crusade against the atheism and brutality
of Germany.  But wherever one placed the emphasis Alexander Mathews will be
found to have touched the round of life at all points. He lived intensely, he
lived happily. His range of friendship was almost without limit. He had his
friends among the rich and the cultured, among the laboring men who knew
nothing of the schools. His interests were as varied as his friend-ships.
Athletics, the Y. \1. C. A.. his books, this world war-in countless
directions Alexander's mind and heart were busy. His place here in Lewisburg
is secure as long as the youngest of us keeps memory and his place in the
affection of schoolmates ~nd fellow soldiers is equally secure.
That Alexander M~thews died for the safety of the future is no little thing.
God does not forget such a life, nor will we. He might have sought an easier
place, a safer spot for the bodily life that throbbed so powerfullv within
him. But Alexander never thought of self. He spent two nights and a day with
a group of his Culver friends rescuing the endangered citizens of flooded
Logansport and those who told the story said that Alexander forgot to eat so
long as there was a single soul yet to rescue. That was typical of him. His
hand and his brain worked together to make him a tried and trustworthy pilot
in dozens of air battles with the treacherous Hun, but there was also a noble
heart that 'vent with that hand and brain and that was after all the
explana-tion of the true and beautiful life he lived.  We stand in silent
salute before such a record.  Beyond the stars toward which he flew,
Alexander Mathews lives with the God who is the God of all high souls and of
all unending lives of service.
The letter from his captain is as follows:
"25-8- 18.

The letter from his captain is as follows:
"It is my sad dutv to write and tell you how your son, Alex., was killed last
night.
"Alex. and several other officers from this squadron went last night to a
concert given bv another squadron close by.
"The night was very fine with a clear moon, and the Hun seized the
opportunity to carry out a bomb raid.
"When the first bomb fell Alex. and others left the hangar where the concert
was being given and took shelter near a hedge-the next bomb dropped right
among them, and Alex. and another officer were killed outright, and suffered
no pain at all.
"I can't tell you how" much we miss Alex. and what a shock it was to all of
us. I have known Alex. ever since he joined the squadron and have done a
great deal of work with him over the lines, and there was nobody I ',vould
sooner go into a scrap with. He "vas an excellent pilot and "'as very keen
all(l had become one of the tried an(l trustworthy pilots wllo are the
backbone of a fighting squadron.
'A chap like Alex. is a'vfully hard to replace. for, although onlv ',vith us
for five months. he had been in dozens of fights and was a very experienced
and scientific Hun fighter.
"Personally I have lost a good friend. and my one consolation is that Alex.
did not suffer at all.
"Believe me, sir. vou have imy deepest sympathy. and the sympathy of all the
pilots of the squadron who knew him and were his friends. I am. Sincerelv
vours.
CARL F. FALKENERG,
Captain R. A. F.

Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm