Bio-Goins, Jesse Floyd of Zanesville, Ohio

Jesse "Floyd" Goins
(1892-1973)

Floyd married Reatha Arcelia (McCuen) Spires (1899-1960), the daughter of Augustus and Almeda (Boggs) McCuen of Parkersburg, Wood County, WV.

Floyd and Reatha had 11 children -- Jesse E. Goins, Donald O. Goins Sr., Wesley E. Goins, Denver Goins, Gerald Goins, Floyd Goins, Charles Goins, Arcelia Wilkes Norman, Nancy Croston, Catherine Taylor and Betty Norman.

Reatha had been married once before, to railroader Francis "Frank" Spires (1893- ? ), a native of Wellsville, OH. She brought two children to her marriage with Floyd -- Emmett E. Spires and Frances E. Parsons. While Emmett and Frances took on the "Goins" surname in some rare instances, they never relinquished the Spires name for good.

Over the years the family migrated back and forth from Ohio to West Virginia and Michigan and back. Most of their children were born in Ohio, although son Donald (in 1921) and Wesley (1925) were born in Michigan.

The Floyd Goins family farming near Zanesville circa 1943

The 1920 census shows Floyd (age 28) and Reatha (age 20) and children Emmett and Frances residing together at the McCandlich Mines in the Simpson district of Clarksburg, Harrison County, WV. Floyd worked that year as a laborer in the mine.

When the federal census was conducted in 1930, the Goins family was back in Ohio, living in Washington Township, Muskingum County. Floyd's occupation was listed as "truck driver - odd jobs."

In 1938, they lived beside a lake in St. Johns, MI, in a home along U.S. Route 27.

During World War II, the Goinses worried as sons Jesse, Donald and Wesley, and stepson Emmett, all served in the United States Army. The news of the family's involvement was covered by a local newspaper, seen at right.

Seen at left, Floyd and Reatha in Traverse City, Michigan, circa 1957. They enjoyed making driving trips to Washington, DC.

In about 1942, the Goinses resided at 1234 Devin Street in Zanesville, Muskingum County. While in Zanesville in 1944, at a home on Adamsville Road, they hosted a family gathering with Floyd's cousins of the Woody family.

Later, they relocated to Michigan, making their home in Old City (1947) and Lansing (in a home on Cedar Street, circa 1954).

Floyd survived her by a baker's dozen of years. He passed away at age 81 on Dec. 12, 1973. At the time of his death, the Times Recorder noted that he was survived by "65 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren."

For more information on this branch of the Minerd family, visit the extraordinary genealogy website of descendant Irita (Goins) Canady which contains a stunning array of wonderful family photographs. In her introduction to the site, Irita writes that of Jesse Floyd Goins' 74 grandchildren, "68 are still living. I've lost track and stopped counting the number of children in the generations that follow."

Floyd and Reatha's offspring (in 1973, left) and in 1992

First and foremost, Donald O. Goins, Sr. (1921-2011) was a family man: he loved his three children equally and unconditionally, and many of his happiest memories in life involved the sixty-eight years he spent with his beloved wife, Elizabeth. He cared deeply for his family and showed it by providing faithfully for them and sharing much love and laughter. Don was a man who cared for everyone he knew, and he expressed this care through his generosity and willingness to always lend a helping hand.

The early 1920s were a collage of interesting events. There were power struggles in Russia, Babe Ruth was setting baseball records, and the first Miss America was crowned. But in Sigma, Michigan, these events were far from the hearts and minds of Jesse Floyd Goins and his wife, Reatha Arcelia (McCuen), on November 12, 1921, the day Donald was born. There was much excitement around the Goins home on the day Donald decided to come into the world, as their was a major snowstorm going on, and a cousin living nearby had to take his horse and sled to town to get the doctor.

Don was the fourth of 13 children with seven brothers and five sisters. His placement in the sibling lineup meant he carried a lot of responsibility for there was always work to be done. While his mother was a very busy homemaker, Don’s father was a self-employed trucker and owned a produce market. Because of his work, the family moved frequently between southeast Ohio and Michigan. This meant that Don attended school wherever they were living at the time, the last being in a one-room schoolhouse in Adamsville, Ohio. He quit school after the 8th grade to find work to help support his family.

One summer, in the early 1940s, Don was working at a fruit market in Zaneville, Ohio, and it was here he met the love of his life, Elizabeth Violet Adams. True love soon blossomed between the two and they were happily married on April 29, 1942. It wasn’t long after saying "I do" that Don enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp and proudly served his country for 3 years. During this time, Don and Elizabeth welcomed the birth of their first child, son Donald Jr., in 1944. The family of three moved around quite a bit during Don’s military service, living in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Texas and South Carolina. After his honorable discharge in 1945, they continued to move around, but soon their family grew to include their two youngest children: David (1948) and Irita (1949). Eventually, Don, Elizabeth and their three children put down roots in Michigan, settling on Millett Highway in Lansing. In 1958, the couple opened their hearts and home to their nephew, Doug Wilkes, who lived with them from the 8th grade through his graduation in 1963.

Still walking side by side, after 62 years of marriage, 2004

Don and Elizabeth’s life was busy and happy. Don worked hard to provide for his family utilizing his many talents and skills working a variety of different jobs. He also owned his own business with trucks, bulldozers and asphalt equipment. Then, in 1952, Don began a 28-year career at General Motors as a supervisor. Outside of work, Don was able to achieve great happiness dedicated to the simple foundation of family and fun. Traveling was one of the Goins family favorite ways to spend time together. Over the years, they had driven "to and through" just about every state, except the northern most states and Alaska and Hawaii. There were fishing and camping trips both in the summer and winter to Traverse City, Houghton Lake and the Upper Peninsula, all of which left indelible memories with the family that they cherish to this day. Having fun was always on the agenda in the Goins house. They were all practical jokers and one never knew when the next prank was going to be pulled. Because Don was terrified of snakes, his kids would hide a fake snake somewhere to surprise him, and they once rigged a voice box to the toilet, succeeding to scare the "bajabbers" out of him. Don joined right in the fun by telling his kids there was a pony in the yard for them - making a great April Fools’ joke. What wasn’t a joke though was every day was "ice cream" day since there wasn’t a cake, cookie or pie that Don didn’t love.

After a fulfilling career, Don retired from GM in 1980. He continued to be active in his retirement years, pursuing some of his favorite hobbies, including fishing, traveling, snowmobiling, rock hound, jewelry making and gardening. Don and Elizabeth enjoyed being social and getting together with some of their closest friends: Pat and Fred Smith, John Burnett, Gene Alaverado, Richard and Evelyn Kempf, Tom Force, Bill and Char Denovan, and Roger and Mary Boes. Although family was always Don and Elizabeth’s first priority, they never thought twice about going out of their way to help someone in need. They will be forever remembered not for the things they did, but for the reason they did them.

A loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, Don will be greatly missed and remembered always.

Donald O. Goins, Sr., age 89, passed away on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, at his home in Muskegon, MI. Don is survived by his wife of 68 years, Elizabeth; son, Donald O. (Jean Freeman) Goins, Jr.; daughter, Irita E. Canady, both of Muskegon; grandchildren: Craig, Elizabeth, Brian, Scott, Mike, Nicole, David Jr., Russell, Heather, Adam, John, Tonia and Lee; 15 great grandchildren, 3 great great grandchildren; brothers, Wesley, Denver, Junior, Gerald; sisters, Arcelia, Nancy, Betty; daughter-in-law, Carol Goins; numerous nieces, nephews and friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, David E. Goins, Sr.; daughter-in-law, Linda; brothers, Emmett, Jesse & Charles; sisters, Frances & Catherine.