Howard Lee Kennedy Sr.
(1896- ? )
Howard
Lee Kennedy Sr. was born in 1896 in the Webster community of Taylor
County, WV, the son of Josiah and Ruth
Ann (Minerd) Kennedy Sr.
He was tall and slender, with hair and eyes of light brown. Howard lived in Cecil in 1917, when he registered for the military draft during World War I. On his registration card, he marked his employment as a miner at the Elk Horn Coal Company's Ocean Mines, and he gave his racial background as "Negro."
By 1934, it's known that he was separated from his first wife, whose name is not yet known, although she may have been Mariann Tate.
Later, Howard married Roxie A. Mayle (1908-1945), the daughter of Deskin and Lacy Ann (Parsons) Mayle. They resided in Knottsville, Taylor County and Galloway, Barbour County, and had nine children -- Arlene Kennedy, two sons named Howard Lee Kennedy Jr., Mary M. Mayle, Lucille Kennedy, Eloise Starks, Rowena Hunt, Doretta Hale and Darlene Williams. Two children passed away as infants -- Arlene of heart disease at age two months on Dec. 19, 1941, and Howard Jr. in childbirth on April 27, 1944.
Tragedy struck the family again in December 1944, when Roxie was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus. She passed away the following month, on Jan. 31, 1945, with burial at Mt. View Cemetery in Moatsville.
In 1954-1955, Howard's elderly cousin, Matilda (Minerd) Croston, daughter of William Minerd, came to make her residence in his home, and died there on Dec. 20, 1955.
Circa 1963, he lived in Canton, Stark County, OH. It is possible that Howard married Sara E. Mayle (1898-1967), the daughter of A.J. and Elmira (Croston) Mayle, and had children Julius Lee Kennedy, Virgil D. Kennedy and Thurwood Kennedy, but this is not confirmed.
He
is seen here with a man thought to be his brother Thomas
Jefferson "Jeff" Kennedy,
and is
standing at left.
Howard's fate is unknown.
Daughter Mary M. Kennedy (1937-1991) married (?) Mayle and resided in Canton, OH. They had two sons -- Gary Mayle and Michael Mayle. Mary "was a retired nursing technician with the Timpkin Mercy Medical Center with 27 years of service," said a newspaper. "She was a member of the Crystal Park Wesleyan Church." Mary died at the age of 54 on Dec. 3, 1991. Her remains were returned to the Philippi area for burial at the Prichard Cemetery at Clemtown, Barbour County.Son Howard Lee Kennedy Jr. lived in Hartford, CT in 1991.
Daughter Lucille Kennedy lived in Cleveland, OH, in 1991.
Daughter Eloise Kennedy married Wilson Starks and resided in Cleveland in 1991.
Daughter Rowena Kennedy married (?) Hunt and in 1991 lived in Columbus, Franklin County, OH.
Daughter Doretta Kennedy married Rodney Hale and they made their home in 1991 in Zanesville, Muskingum County, OH.
Daughter Darlene Kennedy married George Williams and lived in Zanesville in 1991.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Mark A. Miner