Robert Patterson Fawcett
(1861-1947)
Robert Patterson Fawcett was born on June 22, 1861 in Preston County, WV, the son of William and Naomi (Fortney) Fawcett.
Robert was married twice, and outlived both
spouses. His first wife was Minnie Clyde Johnson ( ? - ? ). They resided circa
1888 in Falls Mills, Braxton County, WV. They had eight children -- David
Earl Fawcett, John Calvin Fawcett, Lula Shaw, Frederick T. Fawcett, William Clinton
Fawcett, Lena McAfee, Robert "Franklin" Fawcett and Bessie Bartlett.
Sadly, Minnie passed away in the early 1900s. The details are not known. Later, Robert married Bertha Lake (?).
Robert was a flour miller. Their eldest son Earl was born in the Lyon District of Preston County in 1884. In 1901, when Robert was about age 40, they moved to a new home in Webster, in the Court House district of Taylor County near Grafton. The Grafton Sentinel said he was "a devout member of the Methodist church." A grandson later recalled their "big house at Webster and reunions, and just across the highway, the birthplace of Anna Jarvis [founder of Mother's Day]."
The
Jarvis birthplace is seen at left, on a very steep hill, as photographed
in July 2008.
Like his brother Henry Fawcett and cousin Marcellus "Bailey" Fawcett, Robert suffered from prostate cancer. After enduring the disease for 18 months, he died of its effects at the age of 85, at home in Webster, on March 18, 1947. The funeral was held at the home of his daughter Bessie Bartlett, and also at the Bartlett Funeral Home. He was laid to rest in the Webster Cemetery.
Son David (1884-1949) was a boilermaker employed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Grafton. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge and a prominent leader of the local Lutheran Church. He was married to Carrie Edith Cassell (1887-1970), the daughter of John and Charlotta (Shafferman) Cassell. They resided in the Blueville area of Grafton and had five children -- Earl P. Fawcett, Carl C. Fawcett, Joseph H. Fawcett, Charlotta Selders and Paul William "Pete" Fawcett. He passed away of the effects of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 65, on Aug. 26, 1949, and was laid to rest at Woodsdale Cemetery in Grafton. Carrie outlived her husband by 21 years, and passed away on April 8, 1970. In her obituary, the Grafton Daily Sentinel said she "was a member of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church."
Daughter Lena married William McAfee ( ? - ? ). They lived in Webster, Taylor County, and had seven children -- Robert McAfee, William McAfee, Ursel McAfee, Kenneth McAfee, Mrs. Paul Baisl and Jean Arthur. William died sometime prior to 1948. Sadly, their daughter Thelma of Webster, died at age 24 of liver disease, on Oct. 24, 1948, leaving behind a young son, Gerry Wayne McAfee. Nothing else about them is known.
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Grafton's Main Street, looking east |
Son John (1888-1966) wed Ethel R. Grimes ( ? - ? ) in 1913, and they were married for more than half a century. Said a local newspaper, "He retired in 1956 after having worked 45 years for the B. & O. Railroad, and in 1960 the Fawcetts moved to Phoenix. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Crossroads Methodist Church, in Phoenix." They had four children -- Lalah Ingram, Mary Bartels Bray, Edward Fawcett (1931-1993) and Dr. John Fawcett, all of whom resided in Phoenix, AZ in the 1960s. In all, they had 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. He died in Phoenix on April 19, 1966, and was buried in Greenwood Memorial Park.
Daughter Bessie married (?) Bartlett ( ? - ? ) and resided in Webster circa 1947 and Galloway in 1949. It is not known if there is a connection between Bessie and the Bartlett Funeral Home in Webster.
Son William lived in Mannington, Marion County, WV.
Son Robert "Frank" Fawcett (1893-1955) lived in Arden, Barbour County, WV in 1947. He was twice married, first to Helen Gould Wells (1893-1941), and together they had five children -- Harold S. "Jabo" Fawcett, Anna C. Boyles, Paul Fawcett, Robert William Fawcett and James Russell Fawcett. They resided circa 1917 "in a two-story farm house between the Taylor County 'poor farm' and the Pruntytown Industrial School for Boys," recalled a grandson. Sadly, Helen died of cervical cancer on June 2, 1941. Frank later married his second wife, Anna Virginia ( Reed) Haddix (1899-1992). Frank died at the age of 62, of bronchial problems, on Sept. 14, 1955. He was buried at Woodsdale Memorial Park in Grafton. Anna "was retired from the Carr China Co. in Grafton after 25 years of service and was a Methodist," said a local newspaper. She died on Feb. 23, 1992, and also is buried at Woodsdale.
Son Fred Fawcett ( ? -1971) married Viola Marteny (1909-1997), the daughter of Perry and Lona (Kittle) Marteny. They lived in Webster in the 1920s and 1930s, suffering the deaths of five out of six of their children at young ages. Son Robert Lee Carl Fawcett passed away of cholera at the age of eight months on Sept. 21, 1926. Then, just over six years later, on Dec. 16, 1932, son Perry Nelson Fawcett died at the tender age of two months from bronchial pneumonia. The following year, three of their children died of "acute cholera" within the span of a month, when the "dread malady... swept the Flemington and Rosemont section and caused nearly 20 deaths," said the Grafton Sentinel. Daughter Minnie Margaret died first, on Sept. 1, and son Fred Jr. passed away second, at the age of six, on Sept. 3, 1933, "while funeral services for the little girl were in progress." Son Russell Clyde died just 17 days later, at the age of five, on Sept. 20, 1933. The children all were buried in the Webster Cemetery. Upon the passing of their fifth child, Russell, the Sentinel said, "Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fawcett ... were called upon this morning to contribute the last jewel to the glories of heaven ... With the death of two children within the month, Russell was all that was left to the grieving parents, and now they are heartbroken over the tragedy that has entered their lives and caused hopelessness and despair to abide where happiness and sunshine were wont to reign but a short month ago."
Fred and Viola went on to have one more child, who survived to adulthood, John Edward Fawcett. Viola was a member of the Royal Neighbors of America, the B&O Ladies Auxiliary, the Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Taylor County Unit 12, the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Memorial City Post 3081, and as president of World War I Barrack 1949 Ladies Auxiliary. Fred died on Feb. 24, 1971. Viola outlived him by 26 years, and passed away at the age of 88 on March 11, 1997. They are buried in Woodsdale Memorial Park.
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| Harold Fawcett's famous photograph of the Pearl Harbor wreckage of the U.S.S. Pennsylvania and destroyers Downes and Cassin -- and the Life Magazine in which the image was first published |
Grandson Harold
S. Fawcett (1917-1999), seen at right, was a U.S. Navy
photographer during World War II. His obituary, published in the New York
Times (June 8, 1999, said that he "captured memorable scenes of the
Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 ... Some of [his] photographs of
mighty American warships exploding, burning and rolling belly up were considered
too disturbing to be made public soon after the outbreak of World War II. These
images began to be published on the first anniversary of the attack in Life
magazine and in many American newspapers." The Times also said he was
slightly wounded in the attack, and later was decorated for his wartime service as a
pilot. Later in the war, based on the Bikini atoll, he "photographed the
detonation of two hydrogen bombs."
Harold retired from the Navy in 1955, and went to work for Sears Roebuck & Co., retiring in 1973. In 1986, he authored an autobiographical chapter in the book, A History of Taylor County, West Virginia, compiled and published by the Taylor County Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. Said his obituary in a Grafton newspaper, "He was a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Mountain State Branch 33 Fleet Reserve Association, VFW Post 3081, National Association of Naval Photography, American Legion Post 12, American Military Society, Liberators Club, Retired Enlisted National Association, Sears Retiree Club, Taylor County Photo Club, Taylor County Historical Society, Taylor County Senior Citizens and Taylor County Public Library. He was a charter member of the Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association and was a 30-year member of the Associated Glider Clubs of Southern California." His photographs of Pearl Harbor destruction have been reproduced in many books, including Collier's Photographic History of World War II. He was twice married, first to Reu E. Lazarvich, and second to Norman Webb. He had two daughters, Helen Bevis and Anne Hoover.
Grandson
Paul W. "Pete" Fawcett (1920-2000), seen at right, married Juanita Mullens, and they
were wed for 56 years. Said a local newspaper, "He retired from the Georgia
Pacific Co. in 1982. Since then, he worked in the pro shop at Tygart Lake
Country Club in the Knottsville community, where he was also a member of the
board of directors. He was an avid golfer, and built and repaired golf clubs as
a hobby. He was a World War II veteran who served as a technical sergeant with
the U.S. Army in the Signal Corps in the Pacific Theatre. He was a founding
member of the Church of the Covenant (Lutheran-Presbyterian) and was formerly a
member of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Grafton. He was a longtime
member of the Kiwanis Club of Grafton and the Taylor County Photography
Club." Pete and Juanita had four children -- Douglas Fawcett, Patricia Kay
Newhouse, Ronnie Allen Fawcett and Rennie Adair Fawcett. He died on May 15,
2000, and is buried in the West Virginia National Cemetery in Pruntytown, Taylor
County.
Grandson
James Russell Fawcett (1923- ? ) served in both the Atlantic and Pacific
Theatres in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He married Minnie Evelyn Watson
(1927- ? ), the daughter of Charles Morgan and Martha Rosanna (Cox) Watson, and
they are seen at left. He became Sheriff of Taylor County in 1968, a
four year term, and was Superintendent of the Industrial School for Boys at
Pruntytown. He also authored a biographical chapter in the History of Taylor
County book. His accomplishments have included serving as: Boy Scouts
troopmaster; president of the Park View Parent-Teachers Association; Post,
District and State commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (1962-1963); and a
12-year member of the board of directors of the Taylor County Sheltered Work
Shop, among many others. His wife Minnie has also been president of the Park
View and Taylor County Council Parent-Teachers Association; president of the
Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3081; district president
and state president of the VFW in 1964-1965. Perhaps his most notable
accomplishment was meeting with West Virginia Governor Arch Moore in March 1972
along with Grafton Mayor James C. Fawcett, and Charles Core and Frank Randolph
of the Grafton Housing Authority, "to discuss needed repairs of the
church," said the Morgantown Dominion News. "The meeting,
arranged by State Sen. C.N. 'Bud' Harman and his colleague, State Sen. Dallas
Wolfe of Rowlesburg, ended with Moore requesting estimates on the cost of the
most pressing repairs needed for the Shrine, so that state funds may also become
available for improvements."
Copyright © 2006-2008 Mark A. Miner