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Jefferson Davis Mayle was born in 1871 in Barbour County, WV, the son of Richard Z. and Mary (Minard) Mayle. As a boy, in about 1884, he and his parents and siblings settled for good in Doddridge County. 

Jefferson married Lucy Jane Croston (1884-1969), the daughter of William and Lydia (Kennedy) Croston. He was 13 years older than his bride. 

They resided in the West Hills section south of Grafton, Taylor County, WV in 1905, and in Barbour County in the 1920s, where they were members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. 

The Mayles had nine children -- Uley Leo Mayle, David "Laco" Mayle, Richard Mayle, Oney Alfred Mayle, Herbert W. Mayle, Wilbert "Wib" Mayle, Mary Magdalene "Jettie" Cox, Sherman Mayle and M(?) Mayle. 

Jefferson was a farmer and a carpenter. 

He passed away on Dec. 8, 1935, and was laid to rest in the West Hill Cemetery adjacent to the West Hill Wesleyan Methodist Church. 

Lucy outlived him by 34 years. She died at the age of 84 on May 25, 1969, at the City Hospital in Grafton. Her obituary was published in the Grafton Daily Sentinel. She rests for eternity beside her husband. Among many others, one of the Minerd cousins buried in the West Hill Cemetery is Sarepta (Kennedy) Mayle, daughter of Ruth Ann (Minerd) Kennedy. 

~ Son Uley Leo Mayle ~

They set up "housekeeping" in Cecil. At the time of marriage, his principal occupation was as a farm later. Later, he was employed as "a coal miner with the Galloway Mines for 14 years," said the Grafton Mountain Statesman. "He also worked for the Department of Natural Resources and retired from the West Virginia Industrial School for Boys at Pruntytown." He is known to have labored with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the construction of the Tygart Lake Dam near Grafton. 

The Mayleses had 11 children -- Clarice E. Martin; Mayola Keller; Gretta Jones; Casetta Dalton; Wilford Jefferson "Bill" Mayle; Lanford L. Mayle; Cletis Mike Mayle; Quentin Mayle; Almos Mayle; Ernie L. Mayle; and Evaline Mayle, who died young. 

In 1980, Uley and Bytha celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Bytha died on June 1, 1984, and Uley followed her to the grave five years later, on March 23, 1989. Uley and Bytha are buried together at the beautifully manicured West Hill Cemetery south of Grafton, near Webster, Taylor County. WV. 

Bytha's sister, Roxie (Mayle) Kennedy, was married to Uley's cousin, Howard Lee Kennedy Sr., son of Ruth Ann (Minerd) Kennedy. Many of the Mayle offspring moved to Michigan. 

Son Lanford L. Mayle (1935-1992) was married and a truck driver in Massillon, Stark County, OH. He died in Cleveland Clinic Hospital on May 18, 1992, at the age of 57.

Son Cletis "Mike" Mayle (1941-1992) was born on Nov. 23, 1941. He married Sheila Jane Minard, daughter of Thomas Cleveland and Glenna (Propst) Minard and granddaughter of Grover and Vernis Minard. Mike lived in Canton, OH in adulthood, where he was employed at Chevrolet Gear and Axle at Hamtramck, MI. Cletis died at his residence at the age of 50 on Aug. 1, 1992, just a few months after the death of his brother Lanford. His obituary was published in the Grafton Mountain Statesman.

Son Wilford Jefferson "Bill" Mayle made his home in Algonac, MI in 1992.

Son Almos Mayle resided in Clarksburg, Harrison County, WV.

Son Ernie L. Mayle lived in Grafton circa 1992.

Daughter Clarice Mayle wed Emmett Martin. They lived in Grafton in 1992.

Daughter Gretta Mayle married Willard Jones and in 1992 lived in Grafton.

Daughter Mayola Mayle was married to William Keller and called Grafton home in 1992.

Daughter Casetta Mayle wed (?) Dalton. In 1992, they resided in Louisville, OH.

Uley and Bytha's grave at West Hill Cemetery near Webster, WV

~ Son Richard A. Mayle ~

They resided in Grafton, where Richard "was retired from the B&O Railroad, Grafton, with more than 30 years of service," reported a local newspaper. "He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II [and] a member of Wesleyan Methodist Church." 

The Mayles had nine children -- Troy Mayle, Franklin R. Mayle, Walter L. Mayle, Ercel M. Mayle, Dorothy Kennedy, Luetta Mayle, Jacalene Parker, Kathleen Mayle and Joeann Mayle. Sadly, son Troy died at birth on Sept. 2, 1943. 

Ruth passed away in 1986.

Richard died at the age of 83 on June 2, 1994, and was laid to rest at the West Hill Cemetery following a funeral led by Rev. Winfield Mayle and Rev. Harold Will.

~ Son Herbert W. Mayle ~

Son Herbert W. Mayle (1913-1996) married Hazel Josephine Mayle (1917-1991) on Oct. 16, 1934. They resided in Flemington, Barbour County. Herbert "was retired having been an employee of the J&L Steel Company in Aliquippa, Pa.," said a local newspaper. "He was a member of the Grafton Wesleyan Holiness Church." 

The Mayles had 11 children -- Frederick Mayle, Willard Mayle, Stanley Mayle, Dallas G. Mayle, Terry O. Mayle, Lometa (Mayle) Mayle, Janice Newman, Dale Ross Mayle and two other sons who died in infancy. 

Hazel passed away two days before Christmas in 1991. 

Herbert outlived her by a little more than five years. He died at the age of 82 at Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins, WV, on Jan. 6, 1996. He was buried at West Hill Cemetery. At the time of his passing, he and Hazel had produced 24 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.

Son Dale Ross Mayle (1942?-1988?) married Willa Jane Carpenter. Circa 1965, they made their home in Chicago. Later, they moved to Warren, MI. They had four children -- Rodney W. Mayle, Lisa Curtis, Terri Lynn Chadwick and Timothy Mayle. Dale is believed to have died at the age of 45, in Warren, on Jan. 28, 1988.

• Son Rodney W. Mayle (1965-2011) married Michele Walton. He had four children: Megan Mayle, Bradley Mayle, Alec Cline and Isaiah Mayle. He was a millwright and was employed as a processing engineer for a decade with Platech Innovations of Frenchtown, MI. He later moved to New Philadelphia, OH. He passed away at the age of 45 on July 18, 2011, and was buried at Evergreen Memorial Gardens Louisville (Ohio).

Jones & Laughlin's Aliquippa (PA) Works, where Herbert W. Mayle and brother in law Edman "Bud" Cox labored for many years

~ Son Wilbert "Wib" Mayle ~

Son Wilbert "Wib" Mayle (1923-2001) married Lillian Parsons ( ? -1977). They lived on Shumaker Ridge in Thornton, WV. Said a local newspaper, "He retired in 1986 from the B&O Railroad [and] was a trackman with more than 39 years of service. He was a member of the National Rifle Association. He was Methodist. He was a U.S. Army World War II veteran." 

The Mayles had 11 children -- Delford Mayle, Judy White, Julia Mayle, Durley Mayle, Dennis Mayle, Eleby Taylor, Jefferson Davis Mayle, Elda Harold, Zendell Mayle, Erma Mayle and Emma Taylor. 

Wib passed away at the age of 78 on March 28, 2001, with burial at West Hill Cemetery. His newspaper obituary noted that he was survived by 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

(Seen at right are the B&O Railroad machine shops in Grafton, which Richard and Wib Mayle would have known well, an image from the Library of Congress American Memory Project.) 

~ Son David "Laco" Mayle ~

They had the following children and step-children: David Levi Mayle, Sherman Mayle, Lennie L. Minard Sr., James Allen Minard, Shelia Jane Mayle, Sharon Sue Mayle, Marian Mayle, Debra Mayle and one son and two step-children not yet identified. Who belongs to whom is not yet sorted out. 

Laco was "a disabled shearman and laborer for Luntz Corporation and attended the Fort Run Pentecostal Church." He passed away at age 56 on Nov. 1, 1982, and was buried in Welch Cemetery. 

Geraldine is believed to have lived for three more years, and died in 1985.

Daughter Sharon Sue Mayle (1961-1993?) is believed to have passed away on Aug. 28, 1993. She rests at Welch Cemetery.

~ Son Oney Alfred Mayle ~

Son Oney Alfred Mayle (1920-1989) married Florinda Mayle, daughter of Deskin and Lacey (Parsons) Mayle. She brought two daughters to the marriage -- Zeldine Dalton and Marsha Mayle. They resided in the Webster community near Grafton circa 1945 and had five children of their own -- Shirley J. Gainer, Karen Kennedy, Alfred Mayle, Kenneth Mayle and Timothy Mayle. 

Oney was "retired from the West Virginia Department of Highways with over 11 years of service," reported the Grafton Mountain Statesman. "He was Methodist by faith." Oney died at the age of 69 at United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, Harrison County on Nov. 9, 1989. At the time, he and Florinda had produced 19 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Son Alfred Mayle lived in Louisville, OH in 1989. 

Son Kenneth Mayle made his home in Grafton. 

Son Timothy Mayle resided in Grafton in 1989. 

Daughter Karen Mayle wed (?) Kennedy and lived in Louisville, OH. 

Step-daughter Zeldine married (?) Dalton of Canton, OH. 

Step-daughter Marsha married Luddy Mayle and lived in Newark, OH in 1989.

~ Daughter Mary Magdalene (Mayle) Cox ~

Daughter Mary Magdalene "Jettie" Mayle (1929- ? ) married Edman Lee "Bud" Cox (1922-1989) on Oct. 12, 1946, in Taylor County, WV. Mary was age 16, and Edman 24, at the time, and Mary's mother had to provide consent for her underage daughter to wed. Rev. W.J. Richardson performed the nuptials.

Bud was a veteran of World War II, and served with the 106th Cavalry of the U.S. Army. They resided in Monaca, Beaver County, PA, where Bud was a laborer at the Jones & Laughlin Steel plant in Aliquippa (as was his brother in law Herbert W. Mayle). 

They had seven children -- Arnold B. Cox, Lonnie E. Cox, Nelda L. Cox, Alice C. Grantham, Glenda N. Sommerfield, Lorita E. McPherson and Crystal A. Milligan. 

At some point prior to 1989, they returned to Grafton. Bud passed away at the age of 66 at the United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, Harrison County, WV, on Feb. 22, 1989. He was survived by 15 grandchildren at the time of his death. Burial was in Woodsvale Memorial Park. Several of their adult children resided in Columbus, GA in the 1990s and 2000s.

Copyright © 2005-2010 Mark A. Miner