Bio-Hayes, InezGertrudeCrippen

Inez Gertrude (Hayes) Crippen
(1890-1949)

Inez Gertrude (Hayes) Crippen was born on Feb. 27, 1890 in Rome Township, Athens County, OH, the daughter of Susanna Minerd and -- reputedly -- Mahlon Hayes. Because of her mother's biracial heritage (Pennsylvania German and Native American), she and her children faced lifetimes of racial discrimination.

Family lore states that the girl's father was Mahlon Hayes (1852-1924), the son of Bartlett and Lucinda (Butts) Hayes. Mahlon -- who was white and married -- was a farmer who employed Susanna and her brother Jacob. Hayes was married to Ida M. (Crippen) Hayes and had a family of eight children. Thus Inez's half brothers and sisters were Carl Hayes, Kenneth Hayes, Thomas Hayes, Riley B. Hayes, Emmett T. Hayes, Winifred A. Hayes, Everett R. Hayes and Guy Hayes.

When Inez was age one, her mother married former slave Fleming Woody (1855-1915). He may have adopted the young Inez unofficially as his own. Inez may also have taken on his surname -- "Woody" -- as she was listed in the 1900 federal census.

Inez grew up in the same community as her father and half-siblings, but it is unknown whether she had any relationship with them.

At the age of 18, in about 1908, Inez married Zenas L. "Zean" Crippen (1886-1965). He was a farmer, and the son of Lorenzo D. Crippen of Champaign County, OH. This must have been somewhat awkward as Inez's birth father was married to a Crippen, who in turn was the daughter of James R. Crippen (1819- ? ).

L-R: Zean, Walter, Harry, Inez holding Winifred, Lennie, Erma, Mamie

Inez and Zean went on to have nine children, among them Walter Walter Crippen, Mamie Leora Bond, Harry Lorenzo Crippen, Lennie Leota Barnhart, Erma Gertrude Crippen, Winifred Frances Crippen, Carrie Irene Barker, Nellie M. Haffner and Zeanas Albert Crippen.

The photograph at left shows Zean and Inez, at upper left with some of their family. Clockwise, from top: daughter and son in law Nellie and Daniel Haffner, daughter Carrie Barker and son Zeanas Crippen.

When the federal census was taken in 1910, Zean and Inez and two-year-old son Walter made their home along Hocking River Road, with Zean employed as a farm laborer. That year, they lived just two doors away from James D. Kyle (who later married Inez's cousin, Edna Minerd).

The 1920 census shows the Crippens living in Rome Township, Athens County, with Zean continuing his occupation as a farmer. When the census again was taken in 1930, the Crippens were in Rome Township, with eight children and granddaughter Norma L. Deininger in their home.

On Feb. 3, 1924, Inez's father Mahlon Hayes died at the age of 72, caused by uremic poisoning and chronic swollen kidneys. He was laid to rest in the Bean Cemetery.

Interestingly, the 1930 census taker marked Zean as "white," while Inez and their children all were listed as "negro."

Inez suffered from chronic congestive heart failure, and died from its effects at the age of 59 on June 19, 1949. On her official Ohio death certificate, her mother was listed as "Susan Minard" and her father as "unknown." She is buried in Wyer's Cemetery near Stewart, Athens County.

Zean outlived his wife by 16 years. He passed away on Oct. 20, 1965, at the age of 79.

The Crippens' grave at Wyer's Cemetery near Stewart, Ohio

Son William Walter Crippen (1908-1974) married a first cousin, Goldie Marie Crippen. They had three children -- Helen Marie Crippen, William Charles Crippen and Walter Marvin Crippen.

Daughter Mamie Leora Crippen (1910-1997) married Howard Bond ( ? -1973). He brought a son to the marriage from an earlier marriage -- Garrett Bond. The Bonds went on to have 10 more children -- Norma Bond, Hazel Bond, Charles Bond, Clyde Bond, Ronald Bond, William Bond, Garner Bond, Judith Bond, Clarice Bond and James "Jimmy" Bond. Sadly, son Clyde was killed in the U.S. Armed Forces while serving our nation -- details are being researched.

Son Harry Lorenzo Crippen (1912-1970) married Bertha Matthews. They had no children.

Daughter Lennie Leota Crippen (1914-1993) married Roy Barnhart. They had three children -- Clyde Barnhart, Patricia Barnhart and Phyliss Barnhart.

Daughter Erma Gertrude Crippen (1918-2003) married widower Luther Elsworth "Lute" Mayle (1883-1952). Luther was 35 years older than his bride, and the son of John and Sarah (Dalton) Mayle of nearby Wesley Township, Washington County, OH. Luther's first wife Jennie (Parsons) Mayle (1894-1924) had died of organic heart disease on April 23, 1924, and he brought seven children to the marriage with Erma -- Sarah Mayle, Forest Mayle, Faye (Mayle) Mayle, Daniel Mayle, Okey Mayle, Gershin (or "Gerson") Mayle and Harley Mayle.

Erma and Luther resided in Chesterhill, Morgan County, where he was a coal mine laborer. They had 10 children of their own -- Russell Mayle, Delores Mayle, Robert Mayle, Shirley Mayle, James Mayle, John Mayle, David Lee Mayle, Marion Mayle, Karen Mayle and Sharon Mayle. (Click to see the summary of all the known marriages between Minerd- Minard- Miner- Minor and Mayle-Male families over the years.)

Luther passed away at the age of 69 on March 27, 1952, of colon cancer. In his obituary, the Zanesville Times-Recorder said he had "dug coal more than 50 years in the mines around Sharpsburg." Burial was at Mt. Hermon Cemetery.

So significantly younger than her husband, Erma outlived Luther by more than half a century. She died on May 29, 2003.

Step-daughter Ethel May Mayle (-1910-) died of typhoid fever at the age of seven months on Sept. 6, 1910.

Stepdaughter Faye Mayle ( ? - ? ) married (?) Mayle. They resided in Utley, Athens County in 1946 and in Sharpsburg in 1952.

Stepson Daniel Mayle (1913-1932) was a farmer. He was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 19 when his vehicle failed to navigate a turn. The accident occurred on Sept. 15, 1932. Burial was at Mt. Hermon.

Stepson Forrest A. Mayle (1915-1946) served in the US Armed Forces during World War II. He was employed as a coal miner with Black Diamond Coal in Athens County. Heartache struck the family when, on June 14, 1946, he was shot and killed by a .22 cal. rifle wielded by Willard Edwin "Eddie" Norris in Bern Township. He was laid to rest at Mt. Hermon. "No reason was ever given for the shooting," said the Athens Messenger. "Norris and Mayle, with other companions, had spent the evening together in the Tick Ridge area of eastern Athens County. Norris stopped at a friend's house to borrow a gun on the pretext of going ground hog hunting, then returned to the car and shot Mayle who was standing beside the vehicle." (The 5 a.m. incident is believed to have occurred at the home of cousins Jesse and Ivy [Minerd] Fischer.) "Throughout his trial Norris declined to give a reason for his action." Norris was found guilty of murder and spent more than two decades in prison before his sentence was commuted by Ohio Gov. James Rhodes.

Stepson Okey Mayle (1917-1983) was born in Latrope, Athens County. He married Dorothy Beckwith. In all, he had 18 children -- including Carole Ann Lucas, Juanita Miller, Denise Marie Mayle, Lisa Renee Mayle, Robert Mae Williams, Nora Jeanne Gandy, Cynthia Diana Coombs, Thomas Williams Jr., richard H,. Williams, John Henry Mayle, Okey Michael Mayle, Byron Edward Mayle, James R. Mayle, Forrest Woody Mayle, George Leslie Mayle, Theodore Allen Mayle, Sandra Mayle and Dorothy Mayle. Okey served in the U.S. Army during World War II. They lived in Detroit in the 1940s and '50s. He died on Nov. 4, 1983, at the age of 66, "as a result of injuries received while working on his automobile," said a local newspaper. He is buried at Mt. Hermon, with the funeral services led by Rev. Frank Peoples of Philippi, Barbour County, WV. Okey's grave marker is seen at right.

Stepson Gersen (also "Gershyn") Mayle (1918- ? ) lived in Sharpsburg in 1946 and in Akron, Summit County, OH in 1952.

Stepson Harley Mayle (1921- ? ) made his home in Sharpsburg in the 1940s and '50s. He was the informant on his father's death certificate. In 1983, he made his home in Philippi, Barbour County, WV.

Tragically, 18-year-old son David Lee Mayle (1949-1968) and 19-year-old Mayle cousin Larry Vernon Hill died of carbon monoxide poisoning in April 1968 while sleeping in their automobile near Amesville, Athens County. Hill was the son of Hobart and Martha Marie (Mayle) Hill of Zanesville, and at the time of the tragedy had been employed at Burnham Boiler Corporation.

Typical coal mining operation in Athens County in which Luther E. Mayle would have labored for more than half a century

Daughter Winifred Frances Crippen (1918-2001) married twice. Her first husband was Howard Boyer ( ? - ? ). They had four children -- Eugene Boyer, Barbara June Boyer, Donald Boyer and Nellie Boyer. Winifred's second husband was LeRoy McGill ( ? - ? ). They also had four children -- Mickey McGill, Robert Gary McGill, Debra McGill and William Wayne McGill. Winifred died on April 20, 2001 at the age of 83.

Daughter Carrie Irene Crippen (1920-2000) -- seen here -- left home at the age of 20 and moved to Springfield, Clark County, OH, where she found employment. While in Springfield, she met her future husband, James Clarence Barker (1922-1957), a native of Green, KY, and the son of Everett and Lucy (Musick) Barker. They were wed in Kentucky in August 1946.

The Barkers had five children -- Clarence Barker, Patricia Barker, Thomas Barker, Virginia Barker and Betty Dill. They made their home in Springfield for 10 years, where all of their children were born. In 1956, they moved back to Stewart and Coolville, Athens County.

Tragically, on Feb. 12, 1957, James was killed while driving a trailer truck on the West Virginia Turnpike near Princeton, WV, when the brakes failed and the vehicle careened off a concrete bridge abutment into a small stream.

Widowed at the age of 37, Carrie made her home with her children on Bethany Ridge until 1965, conveniently located just two miles from the home of her widowed father. When her father died in 1965, Carried relocated several times in and around Albany, Athens County, and finally settled in Stewart toward the end of her life.

She passed away on Nov. 11, 2000, at the age of 80. She was laid to rest in Wyer's Cemetery with her parents and many siblings.

Daughter Nellie Crippen married Daniel Haffner. They had six children -- Paul Haffner, Peggy Haffner, Marjorie Haffner, John Haffner, Robert Haffner and Susan Haffner.

Son Albert "Zeanas" Crippen Jr. (1929-1999) is seen at right. He was born on Valentine's Day 1929. He married Mary Hayes. They lived in the Guysville area and had three children -- David Crippen, Allen Crippen and Roger Crippen. Zeanas died on July 15, 1999, at the age of 70.