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John
Henry Kennedy |
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Mount Hermon Cemetery |
John Henry Kennedy was born in 1871 in the Webster community near Grafton, Taylor County, WV, the son of Josiah and Ruth Ann (Minerd) Kennedy Sr. He moved back and forth from Grafton to Ohio during the 1890s and early 1900s.
On Sept. 23, 1897, when he was 25 years of age, he was united in the rite of holy matrimony with 16-year-old Emma "Emmie" Mayle (1881-1970), the daughter of Reece and Martha (Mayle) Mayle. Rev. Joshua Simmons Corder, a local celebrity of sorts, officiated at the wedding ceremony. Rev. Corder is widely credited with helping to save Philippi's famed covered bridge -- during the Civil War's famed Jones-Imboden raids -- when he persuaded Confederate officers not to set it afire after they had filled it with flammable straw.
John was a decade older than his bride.
The couple went on to produce a family of 11 children -- Maybelle Norris Hale Johnson, Carrie Minard, Everett (Ernest?) Kennedy, William " Edward" Kennedy, Myrtle Dickinson, Almeda Thompson, Homer Romanus "Jim" Kennedy, Ruth A. Hill, Pauline Sephfus Flowers, Hayward Kennedy and Louisa Tabler Thomas.
The Kennedys lived in Knottsville, Taylor County when the census of 1910 was taken, and John labored as a farmer. By 1920, they had moved to Zanesville, Muskingum County, OH, where their home was on Walnut Street. In Zanesville, John worked as a laborer in a local iron works, and son Ernest was employed in a glass house. The family were members of the Bethel Ridge United Methodist Church.
During the 1920s, the Kennedys moved again to Sharpsburg, Bern Township, Athens County, OH. The family may have been drawn to the region by the active coal mines operating in the region. John's elder half-brother Stephen T. Minerd was a longtime miner and had relocated there with his family by the early 1890s. Today, ruins of abandoned and razed mining facilities abound in the region.
When the 1930 census was enumerated, John and Emma and family lived in Sharpsburg. The entire family of husband, wife and seven children were all marked as "Negro" in that census, and all as having been born in West Virginia. John's occupation was given as farmer, while sons Ernest and William were workers in a glass factory.
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Mount Hermon Church - Bern Township, Athens County, OH |
John passed away at home near Sharpsburg at the age of 82 on Nov. 5, 1953. Following the funeral at the Mount Hermon Church, he was laid to rest in the Mount Hermon Cemetery, where many of his Minerd/Minard cousins also rest for eternity. At the time, he had 28 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Emma outlived John by 17 years in her residence at 415 East Indiana Street in Zanesville. During that time she suffered the deaths of five of their children.
She died in 1970 at the age of 89 at Mary's Rest Home near Zanesville, said the Zanesville Times Recorder, "leaving 113 survivors," including 33 grandchildren and 74 great-grandchildren. She was laid to rest beside her husband and son Ernest.
~ Daughter Maybell (Kennedy) Norris Hale Johnson ~
Daughter Maybell Kennedy (1897-1972) was born on Jan. 30, 1897 in Berryburg, Barbour County, WV or on May 15, 1899 in Athens County. (Records differ.)
She was thrice married. On May 15, 1917, when she was 18 (or 20) years of age, she was united in marriage with 22-year-old Solomon T. Norris (1895- ? ). He was the son of Catherine Norris, did not know his father's name, and was a native of Cutler, Washington County, OH. The nuptials were celebrated in Zanesville by Rev. W.H. Mayle. At the time of marriage, Solomon worked in Zanesville as a porter in a local hotel.
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Old Methodist Church, Chesterhill |
The couple produced one known daughter, Pansy Louise Norris. Sadly, the child died at the age of two months, 26 days on Oct. 28, 1918, due to bronchial pneumonia. The remains were placed at rest in Zanesville's Greenwood Cemetery.
Sadly, by 1920, the marriage had fallen apart, and Solomon went to live with his aged uncle, Nervey Norris. The divorce was decreed in 1922 in Muskingum County.
Maybell was married for a second time, to Norris Hale ( ? - ? ). Their whereabouts in 1930 are unknown. The second marriage also ended in divorce, in 1931, also in Muskingum County. After the second divorce, she moved to Rendville, Perry County, OH.
On July 1, 1937, in Perry County, OH, at the age of 38, Maybell was united in wedlock a third time, to 43-year-old Fred B. Johnson (1894- ? ). Rev. Arthur D. Barham solemnized the wedding vows. Fred was the son of Richard and Victoria (French) Johnson, and had been married and divorced twice before (in 1923 and 1937). Fred worked as a car washer in Zanesville, otherwise known as a "porter" for a "motor sales" company.
The Johnsons had no children, and made their home on Lee Street in Zanesville in 1940, Sharpsburg later in the 1940s and back in Zanesville in the 1950s. Circa 1960, her address in Zanesville was 513 Baker Street.
Maybelle was found dead in her home on 819 Howard Street in Zanesville on Sept. 8, 1972, at the age of 73. Her funeral was held in at the Mount Hermon Community Church near Sharpsburg, with Rev. Henry Mayle leading the service. Burial was in the adjoining cemetery, and an obituary was printed in the Zanesville Times Recorder.
Her niece Reathel Kennedy was named executrix of the estate. In the terms of her will, she bequeathed her estate to Reathel and her husband Edward, excepting for real estate at 519 Amelia Street in Zanesville, which she gifted to Harvey Harris.
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Carrie Kennedy Minard |
~ Daughter Carrie (Kennedy) Minard ~
Daughter Carrie Kennedy (1901-1960) was born on March 22, 1901, in Philippi.
She is believed to have married a cousin, Stephen Minard(1895-1967). If so, their nuptials were held on Nov. 11, 1919, by the hand of Rev. T.H. Smith of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. At the time, Carrie was age 20 and Stephen 25, with both living in Barbour County.
The Minards resided at Sandy Creek near Philippi. They did not reproduce.
Under the name "Crive," she and Stephen resided with his brother Peter Minard as of 1930. Her dwelling-place in 1935 was in Cecil, WV.
Carrie was arrested in late August 1939 for cavorting naked in public with a male companion who was not her husband. Her name at that time, as spelled by the Philippi Republican newspaper, was "Miner."
Carrie Miner, 38, of Grafton, and Early Kisner, 40, of Cove district, Barbour county, were each fined $50 and costs and Kisner given a jail sentence of ninety days and the Miner woman a jail sentence of sixty days, when given a hearing Friday evening before Magistrate Ben Wilson, of Philippi, on a charge of appearing outside their homes without any clothing. The residents of Sandy Creek, in Barbour county, near the Taylor county line complained to local officers, and the two were taken into custody by state and county officers a few days ago. They were arrested at the home of Jacob Minor, of that community. Both the Mienr woman and Kisner took an appeal. The woman gave bond and was released. The man is confined in the county jail here. The Miner woman is supposed to visit on Sandy Creek during the week ends.
When the federal census enumeration was made in 1940, Carrie was still using name name "Minard" and employed in Grafton as a live-in maid by James F. and Mabel Holt, he a lawyer and newspaper co-owner.
Carrie and Stephen eventually separated. He remained in West Virginia.
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Philippi Republican, 1939 |
She relocated to Athens County, OH. At some point, likely after 1942, she began to cohabitate with Warren "Pie" Tabler (1897-1962), son of Adam and Julia Ann (Goins) Tabler of Broadwell, Athens County, OH.
Warren's first wife had been Vesta Mae Hill (Feb. 9, 1898-1942), daughter of John and Lelia (Anderson) Hill of Utley,
Athens County. She had died at the age of 42 from "epidemic encephalitis" -- inflammation of the brain -- which she had endured for 17 years prior to her death on Oct. 18, 1942.
Warren is known to have been employed over the years as a coal miner at the Black Diamond Mine. He was retired by 1962.
Circa 1953-1960, Carrie's address was
Sharpsburg Route 1, Athens County. She was a member of the Bethel
Methodist Church.
Carrie died in the home she shared
with Warren on Oct. 16, 1960, at the age of 59. Said the Zanesville
Times-Recorder, she had "suffered a long illness." Following funeral
services co-officiated by Rev. Ralph Tate and Rev. Glen Tabler at Mount Hermon Evangelical United
Brethren Church, she was buried in Mount
Hermon Cemetery, in the Tabler plot with Warren's first wife Vesta. Their gravesites are not marked. As a widower, Warren only survived his wife by two years, and resided near Stewart. Tragedy befell him at age 66 on
June 2, 1962, when he got into an argument with 68-year-old Merl Thomas Roberts at the
Roberts home in Bern Township, about 15 miles northeast of Athens, Athens
County. While Percella Roxenna (age 58) watched, Warren was bludgeoned into
unconsciousness in his bedroom, followed by death. Reported a newspaper,
"Athens County authorities said Tabler died of head injuries apparently
caused when struck by a blunt instrument." Burial was in the Mount Hermon
Evangelical United Brethren Church Cemetery. Athens County Sheriff Harold Shields filed
second degree murder charges against Roberts on June 11, 1962, and the accused
entered no plea when arraigned. Lathrop Mission
Church, one of the few remaining vestiges of the community Mount Hermon
Cemetery Warren's son Leroy Eldon Tabler (1926-1965) was born on June 21, 1926 in Lathrop, Athens
County. As an adult, he resided in Sharpsburg and later at 818 South Diamond
Street in Ravenna. He married Naomi (Norman) Norris ( ? - ? ), who brought a son
from a previous marriage, Robert Norris. Leroy worked for Chrysler Corporation's
Twinsburg plant as a lift operator for many years. He suffered a heart attack at
home and died at the age of 38, in Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna, on
March 25, 1965. Burial was in Mount Hermon Cemetery, with Rev. Ralph Tate
preaching the funeral service. Inscribed at the top of his grave marker are the
words "Husband." An obituary was printed in the Zanesville
Times-Recorder. Ernie Kennedy ~ Son Everett
Ernest Kennedy ~ Son Everett Ernest Kennedy (1902-1948)
was born in 1902 in Taylor
County, WV.
He relocated to Ohio with his parents and lived under their roof in 1930 in Bern Township, Athens County. At that time, he earned a living as a glass factory worker. In Zanesville, Ernest was employed at the Morrison Motor Company.
The company, founded in 1920 as Morrison Studebaker, was a dealer for Studebaker
automobiles. Later, after Studebaker merged with Packard, but unfortunately went out of
business in about 1966, the company turned to selling Pontiacs and Cadillacs.
They did not reproduce.
Everett died at home of a heart attack on Jan. 10, 1948, at the
age of 44. His funeral was held at the residence of his parents in
Sharpsburg. He was buried in what became the Kennedy family plot at Mount Hermon Cemetery, and was joined there in eternal rest by his father in 1953 and
mother in 1970. Beulah's fate is not yet known. ~ Son William
"Edward" Kennedy ~ William "Edward"
and Reathel (Mayle) Kennedy Son William "Edward" Kennedy (1906-1989)
was born on April 8, 1906 in West Virginia. In early adulthood, he earned a living as a
glass worker in Zanesville.
On July 20, 1930, when he was age 24
and she 23, Edward married widow Reathal (Mayle) Cook (Jan. 13, 1907-1989), daughter of Carl and Ella (Hill)
Mayle of Sharpsburg. Rev. Robert Mayle officiated. The Zanesville Signal
reported the news of their marriage license and noted that "Principals are
colored."
Reathal had been married once before.
Her first husband was road construction worker Emmett Cook (1898-1928), son of George and Josephine
(Mayle) Cook,
and had become widowed on May 8, 1928 when he succumbed to pneumonia and influenza.
Reathel brought a son to the second marriage, Lloyd Harold "Buck" Cook.
The Kennedys went on to produce nine more children of their own:
James Edward Kennedy, John Lewis Kennedy Sr., Herman Kennedy, Shirley Rush, Susan "Susie" Rush, Rose Lee
Mayle, twins Mary Fern
Kennedy and Garry Vern Kennedy and Nancy Dalton.
Sadly, in November
1944, their month-old twins Mary Fern and Garry Vern both died of
"acidosis and dehydration" at
Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Franklin County, OH, with burial at Mount
Hermon Cemetery.
In 1961, the couple resided in
Sharpsburg. They later moved to nearby
Chesterhill, Morgan County, OH,
where Edward labored as a coal miner and construction laborer.
Reathal
passed into eternity at home on Oct. 1, 1989, at the age of 82. The Zanesville Times-Recorder published an obituary.
Mount Hermon
Cemetery William only outlived his wife by a
little more than two weeks' time. He died at Marietta Memorial Hospital on Oct. 16, 1989, at the
age of 83. His remains were interred beside his wife's in historic
Mount Hermon Cemetery. At his death, said the Times Recorder, he
was survived by 33 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.
Son James Edward Kennedy (1931- ? ) was
born on Aug. 18, 1931 in Athens County. As a young man, he obtained work as a
coal miner and laborer in Sharpsburg, Athens County. On April 4, 1950, in Morgan County, OH,
the 19-year-old James was united in wedlock with 14-year-old Shirley Ann Mayle
(Oct. 20, 1935-1998), daughter of Robert and Lavada (Ramsey) Mayle of Canton. The couple made Canton their home for many years. They produced eight known children -- Trudy Kennedy, Judy Kennedy, James Kennedy, David Kennedy, Diana Eichelberger, Tracy Joyce, Michael Kennedy and Daniel Kennedy. After James' death (details are not yet known), Shirley remained in Canton and survived him by a number of years. At the age of 62, as a patient in a long-term care facility, Shirley died on June 28, 1998. Son John Lewis Kennedy Sr. (1938-2002)
was born on March 13, 1938. As an adult he served in the as a specialist fourth
class in the U.S. Army and afterward resided in
Chesterhill. He married Genevieve Sybil "Jenny" Mayle (1942-2014),
daughter of Sidney and Myrtle (Kennedy) Mayle Sr. They had four children --
Jackie Martindale, Dean Kennedy, John Lewis Kennedy Jr. and David Edward
Kennedy. The family were members of the Chesterhill Church of Christ. In 1982,
they endured the heartache of the sudden death of their 15-year-old son David.
John died on Aug. 12, 2002, at the age of 64, with burial in Mount Hermon
Cemetery. After John's passing, Jenny made her home in Stockport, OH. She died
at the age of 72, at Highland Oaks of McConnelsville, on Dec. 5, 2014. Interment
was in Mount Hermon Cemetery following a funeral service preached by Elder
Torrence Brown. Son Herman Elwood "Bill" Kennedy (1942-2022) was born on Oct. 20, 1942 in Chesterhill. He made his longtime home
in the community of his birth. Herman was united in the bonds of matrimony with Peggy Johnson ( ? -living). The couple's union endured for a remarkable 56 years. Their children included Laura Mayle, Macky Seyfried, Herman Elwood "Bill" Kennedy Jr., Nicholas A. "Nicky" Kennedy and LeAnna Seyfried. Herman earned a living for many years with Central Ohio Coal Company and retired from this work. The family belonged to Chesterhill's Apostolic Pentecostal Tabernacle Church. As his health declined, Herman was admitted to the Highland Oaks Nursing Home in McConnelsville, OH. Death spirited him away at age 79 on April 26, 2022. He was survived by 11 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. The Zanesville Times-Recorder printed an obituary. Shirley and William's grave, Mount Hermon Daughter Shirley A. Kennedy (1940- ? )
was born on Feb. 4, 1940. On Oct. 25, 1958, when she was 18 years of age,
Shirley was united in holy matrimony with 17-year-old William D. Rush
(1941-1990). The couple dwelled in Chesterhill. Sadly, William passed away on
Nov. 20, 1990 at the age of 49. His remains were interred in Mount Hermon
Cemetery. On their onyx-colored grave marker is etched an 18-wheeled flatbed
truck and are inscribed the words "Highway to Heaven" and also
"We'll never have to say goodbye again." Daughter Susan Belle "Susie" Kennedy (1932-2017)
was born on Nov. 13, 1932 in Sharpsburg. On Feb. 2, 1953, the 21-year-old Susie married
22-year-old Robert
Duane "Bobby" Rush (Sept. 2, 1930-2002), son of William Rush of Malta, OH. They were united in
wedlock in Morgan County, OH. During the Korean War, Robert served in the U.S.
Army. After the war, they made their residence in Chesterhill. The couple produced seven children -- Robert Rush, twins Larry Rush and Gary Rush, Ryan Rush, Joey Rush, Patricia "Tret" Norris and Steven Ray Rush. Sadly, they endured the death of son Steven on Sept. 9, 1973 at age 19. During his lifetime, Robert also was married to Helen Tabler ( ? - ? ). Robert and Helen had two children of their own -- Judy Mayle and Joyce Norris. Susie was active in the community as a member of the Apostolic Pentecostal Tabernacle Church, the McConnelsville Bowling League and Morgan County Senior Citizens groups. She loved to attend her grandchildren's school activities, and to play bingo and playing the lottery. Robert passed away in Marietta on April 1, 2002. Susie continued living in Chesterhill and, as her health failed, was admitted to the Riverside Landing Nursing Home in McConnelsville. She died there at the age of 84 on May 20, 2017. Interment was in Mt. Hermon Cemetery. Daughter Rose Lee Kennedy (1935-1985) was born on Feb. 3,
1935. As a teenager she dwelled in Chesterhill. At the age of 17, she married
33-year-old Wilfred Dale Mayle (1918- ? ), son of Wilfred D. and Margaret
(Croston) Mayle of Marion Township, Morgan County, OH. The wedding ceremony took
place on July 8, 1952 in Morgan County. Wilfred was a farmer in Bartlett, OH. They had two children -- Carol Mayle and Jeff
Mayle. Rose died on Oct. 28, 1985, with interment in Mount Hermon Cemetery.
Wilfred is buried in Chesterhill Cemetery. Lloyd
"Buck" Cook Daughter Nancy Mae Kennedy (1947-1973) was
born on Nov. 13, 1947. She wed Sheldon "Shelly" Dalton ( ? - ? ). They had three
children -- Stacy Dalton, Amy Dalton and Kelly Dalton. Sadly, Nancy died on
March 28, 1973 at the untimely age of 27, leaving her husband with three young
offspring. Stepson Lloyd Harold "Buck" Cook
(1927-2010) was born on Aug. 19, 1927 in Washington County, OH. He was only a
boy of age one when his father died, and age three when his mother married
again. He thus considered William "Edward" Kennedy as a father figure.
Buck wed Damsel Jewell Ramsey (1925-2000),
the daughter of Leslie and Ethel "Athalie" (Mayle) Ramsey. Damsel is
said to not have liked her name, and friends urged her to go by her middle name,
although she apparently never did. The couple
resided in Cutler and Chesterhill and raised a family of children -- Rhonda Tabler, Monte Cook,
Emmett Leslie Cook, Gregory A. Cook and Brenda Spanks,
as well as foster son Harry Vore. Lloyd
was a longtime cement finisher and in his free time enjoyed hunting, fishing and
gardening. Damsel passed away on Dec. 2, 2000 at
the age of 75 at Marietta Memorial Hospital. She is mentioned by name in the
2003 publication The Multicultural Genealogical Center Heritage Cookbook,
volume one. Lloyd survived her by nearly a decade and remained in his home in
Chesterhill. During that time, he endured the untimely death
of his son Gregory. Lloyd passed away on May 6, 2010 at the age of 82. Burial was in Mount Hermon
Cemetery. In an obituary, the Marietta Times reported that he was survived by 15
grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter. The
words "Precious Memories" are inscribed at the top of their grave
marker. Multicultural
Genealogical Center cookbooks Grandson Emmett Leslie Cook
(1960-2011) was born on April 21, 1960 in Cutler, Washington County, OH.
Emmett married Kimberly Hutchins who had three children to an earlier
marriage -- Dana Hutchins, Shale Morrow and Lacy Hoffett. Following his
father's trade, Emmett was a longtime cement finisher and belonged the local
union no. 132 in Columbus. He also enjoyed fishing and hunting and was a
member of the Mount Oliver Chapel in Amesville. Sadly, while at Lake
Panasoffkee, FL, Emmett died at the age of 51 on May 14, 2011. His remains
were brought back to Ohio for repose in the Mount Hermon Cemetery, following
a funeral preached by Pastor J.R. Walker. His obituary was printed in the Marietta
Times. Rhonda (Cook)
Tabler on camera with Dr. Henry Louis Gates at Philippi's Croston School
for the popular TV show Finding Your Roots. Below, Rhonda leads a
tour of the historic Mount Hermon Cemetery ~ Daughter Myrtle (Kennedy)
Dickinson ~ Daughter Myrtle Virginia Kennedy (1908-1961) was born on Aug. 5,
1908, at Berryburg, Barbour County, WV.
At the age of 18, she married
28-year-old Henry Franklin Dickinson
(1899-1964 ) on April 11, 1927. The ceremony was held in Morgan County,
OH. He was the son of William Henry and Lucy Jane (Vaughn) Dickinson.
Family gathered
for William's funeral The Dickinsons had nine children -- Junior
Leroy Dickinson, William Henry Dickinson, Betty Jean Dickinson, Juanita Carmichael, Delores "Jane" Mayle, Janet Sue
Wells, Paul Raymond Dickinson, Robert Wayne Dickinson and Ronald Bruce Dickinson.
They made their home in
Cutler and Vincent, OH for many years. During the Korean War, son William
served in the U.S. Army stationed in France, and tragically was killed in a
railroad accident in August 1951. (See below for more.)
In the early 1960s, sons Paul and
Robert lived in England, presumably serving with the U.S. Air Force.
Myrtle
passed away at home at the age of 56 on Nov. 21, 1961. She was laid to rest
at the Old Decatur Chapel Cemetery near Cutler.
Henry outlived her by three
years. He died at the age of 65 at the Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in
Parkersburg, WV on June 5, 1964. Son William Henry Dickinson (1930-1951) was born on April 15, 1930. He was a star basketball player at Bartlett High School, graduating in 1948.He never married. At the age of 21, he joined the U.S. Army on March 23, 1951 during the
Korean War. After basic training, William was shipped overseas. Tragically, he was killed on Aug. 24, 1951, en route to Germany, when the Basel-Calais express
crashed into the rear of the stalled Frankfurt-Paris train" in Metz,
France, reported the Zanesville Signal. "Pvt. Dickinson ... had
been in France only three weeks."
The Marietta Times noted that "the troop train on which he was a passenger was struck by a fast express train when 20 soldiers, four of them American soldieres, all in the rear coach were killed." His remains were returned to United States soil for a funeral at the Cutler
Mission, on Sept. 16, 1951, officiated by Rev. Henry Mayle. Burial followed at Decatur Chapel Cemetery, with the Marietta Post of the American Legion providing military rites. Daughter
Betty Jean Dickinson (1928-2014) was born on May 23, 1928 in Washington County,
OH. She resided in Cutler, Washington County and never married. Betty Jean
was a longtime member of the Southland Mission Church in Cutler. She spent her
final years in Arcadia Nursing Home in Coolville, OH. She died there at age 85
on April 22, 2014. Burial was in Decatur Cemetery. Son Robert
Dickinson ( ? - ? ) married Pauline (?) ( ? - ? ) and resided in Mesa, AZ. Daughter
Janet Sue Dickinson ( ? - ? ) married Richard Wells ( ? - ? ). Her home in 2019 was in
Cutler. Paul and Robert
Dickinson Son Paul Raymond
Dickinson (1933-2001) was born on Jan. 18, 1933 in Cutler. Upon graduation from
Bartlett High School, he served in the U.S,. Air Force for a decade and later
worked for the federal government in Columbus, Franklin County, OH. He was
married and had one daughter, Kim Westbrook, residing in Cutler. At the age of
63, he went to live in the Washington County Home, where he spent his final five
years. He died on March 19, 2001 in Marietta Memorial Hospital at the age of 68.
Burial was in Decatur Cemetery, following a funeral led by Rev. Dwight Tate and
military rites. Daughter
Juanita Dickinson (1937-2019) was born on March 28, 1937 in Cutler, Washington County. She wed Raymond Carmichael ( ? -2004). They did not reproduce over the years and dwelled in New Lexington, Perry
County, OH. Juanita loved to sing, especially Gospel music. Sadly, Raymond passed into eternity on Oct. 16, 2004. Juanita survived him by nearly 15 years, remaining in New Lexington. Patty Bankes was a special friend and guardian. With her health in decline, Juanita became a resident at the SKLD nursing home in New Lexington. She died there at the age of 82 on Aug. 6, 2019. Rev. John Jividend officiated at her funeral service, held at graveside in Rendville Cemetery in Perry County. Daughter Delores Jane "Janie" Dickinson (1941-2007) was born on March 31, 1941,
in Chesterhill, Morgan County. She had a son, Eric Dickinson. Later, she married
Wayne W. Mayle (1939-2012), son of Dayton and Pauline L. (Smith) Mayle. They
produced three sons of their own -- Brian Mayle, Scott Allen Mayle and Blaine Mayle.
The Mayleses lived in Columbus, Franklin County, OH, where Wayne was employed in
plumbing and excavation work. They attended the Community Christian Church in
Columbus. Delores died in Columbus on May 17, 2007. Burial was in Mount Hermon
Cemetery. Wayne survived her by five years. He passed into eternity on April 7,
2012, in Columbus. Pastor Eugene Ramsey officiated at the funeral in Mount
Hermon Cemetery, and an obituary was printed in the Columbus Dispatch. Son Ronald Bruce Dickinson (1947-2011) was born on March 15,
1947 in Cutler. Following graduation from Warren Local School in 1965, he joined
a laborers union in Canton, OH, and remained there for about 43 years. His
children were Tina Dickinson, Lee Dickinson, Bruce Dickinson, Beth Dickson, Zach
Dickinson and Matthew Dickinson. After retirement, Ronald returned to Cutler,
where he spent his final years. He died in Cutler on July 2, 2011, at the age of
64. He was laid to rest in Decatur Cemetery, following a funeral led by Brother
Phillip Mayle. His obituary was published in the Marietta Times. Almeda and
Harold Thompson ~ Daughter Almeda (Kennedy)
Thompson ~ Daughter Almeda Kennedy (1911-1948) was
born on Sept. 10, 1910 near Grafton, Taylor County, WV.
She married Harold C. Thompson
(1906-1996), son of James Walter and Rose Emma (Mayle) Thompson.
They had two children, Richard Thompson and Linda Lou Parsons. The
Thompsons resided in Chesterhill, Morgan County, OH in the 1940s.
Tragically, Almeda suffered from
hypertension. At
the age of 37, she was stricken with an aneurysm which caused an unstoppable
hemorrhage. She died on May 16, 1948, at the Camden-Clark Hospital in Parkersburg,
WV. The Zanesville Times Recorder said she "had been a patient
for the past two weeks." Almeda (left) with
sister in law Helen Thompson; Burial was in the Chesterhill Cemetery. Her
official West Virginia death certificate marked her as "colored." Harold married again to Bernice Opal
Mayle ( ? - ? ). He died in 1996 at the age of 90. Son Richard Thompson (1928-1977) was
born on Sept. 6, 1928. He was married, had a family and lived in Canton, OH in 1948.
He passed away on Feb. 12, 1977 at the age of 49. More will be added here
eventually.
Daughter
Linda Lou Thompson
(1940-2014) was born on June 19, 1940 in Chesterhill, Morgan County. She married
Alfred Parsons ( ? - ? ) and the couple produced three daughters -- Debbie Cunningham, Donna
Cunningham and Denise Hathaway. They resided in Chesterhill. Sadly, Linda died
at age 73 at home on May 11, 2014. She was placed into eternal repose at
Chesterhill Cemetey with Charlie Simmons officiating at the funeral. ~ Son Homer
Romanus "Jim" Kennedy ~ "Prichard"
Cemetery, Clemtown, WV Son Homer Romanus "Jim" Kennedy (1913-1997 ) was born
on April 17, 1913 in West Virginia. At the age of 31, on March 22, 1944,
Homer married 20-year-old Pearl A. Kennedy (1924-1988), daughter of Nelson and
Nellie Kennedy of Galloway, WV. She was 11 years younger than her husband. The couple produced two known sons -- Wilbur L.
"Webb" Kennedy and Robert L. Kennedy. The family lived in Detroit circa 1944-1948,
where their son Wilbur was born. Later, by 1953, they relocated to Barberton, OH
and in 1961 were in Canton, Stark County, OH. By 1978, they were back in
West Virginia. In 1988, their home was at 10024 Bachelor Road in Waynesburg, OH.
They attended the Pentecostal Church. Pearl died on March 14, 1988 at the age
of 64, after a short illness, in Aultman Hospital in Canton. Her remains were
brought back to West Virginia, and she was laid to rest in the Pritchard Cemetery near Clemtown. Homer survived her by nine years. He
passed into eternity on June 16, 1997. Son Wilbur L. "Webb" Kennedy
(1944-2004) was born on April 6, 1944 in Detroit. On Jan. 12, 1972, when he was
age 28, he married Sharon Jewell (May 26, 1947-2020), daughter of Frank and Maxine (Shisler) Jewell of Canton. They produced a family of eight known children -- among them Shannon
Lantz/Lants, Nelson Kennedy, Sarah Darlene "Darla" Parsons, Wilbur
"Dean" Jewell, Stephanie Bolyard, Kathleen "Kathy" Pope Hill,
Jennifer Fisher Patterson and Terry Tabler. Another son Timothy Johnston was involved with the family. In about 1974, they relocated to West Virginia and put down
roots in the Webster community of Grafton, Taylor County. They attended the
Pentecostal church. Wilbur was a longtime mechanic for Weaver and Sons in
Grafton. He also was a social member of the Grafton posts of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars and American Legion. Sharon is said to have been "full of life" and enjoyed collecting carousels and playing online pinochle with friends. At the age of 60, he died at home on Nov. 20,
2004. Burial was in the Pritchard Cemetery, with Rev. David Maley officiating at
the funeral. In an obituary, the Grafton Mountain Statesman said he was
survived by 23 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Sharon outlived her spouse by 16 years and resided in Massillon, OH. She died at the age of 72 on May 8, 2020. Son Robert L. Kennedy (1946-2013)
was born on Feb. 7, 1946. He was married and had these nine step-children -- Deborah Huntsman, Lisa Mayle, Tracy Cummings, Heather Mehilis, Carl Patterson, Dennis Patterson, Ryan Mehilis, Loren Mehilis and Shaun Mehilis. Robert was a construction worker for more than three decades. He was a member of the Local Laborer's Union No. 1015 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. For many years, he was the companion of Phyllis Spaulding. Sadly, they endured the early death of stepdaughter Deborah Huntsman. Robert resided in Paris, OH in 2004 and in East Canton in 2013. At the age of 67, on April 19, 2013, while a patient in Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Robert passed away. Rev. Jack Mayle officiated at the funeral service. Mount Hermon
Cemetery, Ohio ~ Daughter Ruth Ann
(Kennedy) Hill ~ Daughter Ruth Ann Kennedy (1915-1978)
was born on May 26, 1915 near Grafton, Taylor County, WV and was named for her grandmother
and great-grandmother.
On Jan. 15, 1934, when she was age 19,
Ruth wed 23-year-old James "Guy" Hill
(1912-1978), the son of Elza and Eva (Goins) Hill of Athens County.
They resided in
Amesville in the 1930s, Sharpsburg in the 1950s and Zanesville in the 1970s.
The Hills made their home in the later
1970s in Chesterhill, Athens County, where Guy was a longtime coal miner. They
attended the Bethel Wesleyan Methodist Church. Ruth suffered a fatal heart attack and
passed away on Jan. 11, 1978, at the age of 63. Burial was in Mount Hermon
Cemetery, with Rev. Henry Mayle preaching a funeral service at the Mount Hermon
Community Church. Guy only lived for six months
more, and died at the age of 66 in July 1978, in Marietta Memorial Hospital. At
the time of James' death, he was survived by 27 grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. They rest for eternity in Mount Hermon Cemetery. Mount Hermon
Cemetery Daughter
Dorothy Hill ( ? - ? ) married (?) Barnett ( ? - ? ). She made her home in Vincent, Athens
County. Daughter
Shelby "Jean" Hill (1941-1997) was born on Oct. 26, 1941 (or 1942).
She was united in holy matrimony with Everett L. "Buddy" Fischer
(1935- ? ). Their home circa 1978-1997 was in Zanesville. Sadly, Shelby
Jean passed away at the age of 56 on Sept. 23, 1997. She was placed into eternal
repose in Mount Hermon Cemetery.
Daughter
Vivian L. "Biddy" Hill (1935-2010) was
born on Aug. 3, 1935 on Tick Ridge near Amesville, Athens County, OH. She married Julius
"Judy" Mayle (1932-1995), who was three years younger than she.
The couple produced nine children -- Michael Mayle, Emery Mayle,
Evelyn Mayle, Melanie Mayle, Duane Mayle, Paul Mayle, Jeff Mayle, Regina
Walker and Bonnie Tramill. They attended the Bethel Wesleyan Church in
Plantsville, OH. Sadly, Julius passed away on March 9, 1995 when he was 63
years old. Vivian died at the age of 74 on Jan. 4, 2010. They repose side by
side at Mount Hermon Cemetery. Their grave marker was highly decorated with
red, pink and yellow flowers and other inscribed plaques when observed and
photographed by the founder of this website in September 2015. Mount Hermon
Cemetery Son Robert R. "Bob" Hill (1936-2006) was
born on Nov. 3, 1936. He lived in Amesville. At the age of 24, he
married 18-year-old R. Rochelle Tabler (1943- ? ) on Dec. 17, 1961. The Hills had three daughters --
Doretta Mayle, Eva Smathers and Tammy Hill. Said the Zanesville Times
Recorder, he "was a construction laborer for Shelly and Sands. He
was a member of Laborers Union 329, former Bern Township trustee, enjoyed
hunting and fishing and adored his two grandsons." On Aug. 10, 2006,
Robert died at the age of 69 in Marietta Memorial Hospital. He was laid to
rest at Mount Hermon Cemetery. Son Wilbur Dean Hill (1938-2005)
was born on June 4, 1938. He married Betty Joann Cook (1937- ? ). They were
united in holy matrimony on Christmas Day 1958, when he was 20 years of age and
she was 21. They lived in Stockport, and had five children --
Debra Kay Walker, Lisa Ann Vilardi, Molly Jo Richards, Jane Ellen Connor and
Wilbur "Billy" Hill. Wilbur "was a coal miner and retired
from Central Ohio Coal after 28 years," reported the Zanesville (OH)
Times Recorder. "He was an avid horseshoe player and coon hunter,
member of Fur Traders Association and was a loving husband, father and
grandfather." Wilbur died at the age of 66 on May 4, 2005, at home. He
rests for eternity at Mount Hermon Cemetery. Spanning the entire width of
their onyx colored grave marker is an etched scene of a log house surrounded by
pines and situated beside a lake, with a deer watching from the other side of
the water.
Brothers'
graves at Mount Hermon Cemetery Mount Hermon
Cemetery Son Henry Leon "Hank" Hill Sr. (1940-2007) was born in
1940 in Sharpsburg.
Said the Athens (OH) Messenger, he was a "graduate of Amesville High
School" and "retired from Columbia Gas Co. as a transmission
mechanic. He was a member of Allegheny Wesleyan Church and a veteran of the
U.S. Army." In 1964, when he was 24 years of age, Henry married
23-year-old Zelma L. Butcher (1941- ? ), and they remained married for 43 years. They lived in Guysville and had two sons -- H. Leon Hill Jr. and Terry L.
Hill. Henry passed away at the age of 67 on Aug. 25, 2007, at St.
Joseph's Hospital in Parkersburg, Wood County, WV. He was buried at Mount
Hermon Cemetery. At the top of his grave marker is inscribed the words "In
Loving Memory."
Son Raymond Wayne "Deck" Hill
(1944-1991) was born on Jan. 31, 1944. He married Margaret Croston ( ? - ? ).
They made their home in Chesterhill,
Morgan County. Deck passed away on May 23, 1991. His remains were placed
into eternal repose in Mount Hermon Cemetery. Margaret's fate is not known. On
Raymond's grave marker, above his name, is inscribed the word
"Brother." Son Donald "Ricky" Hill resided in Zanesville,
Muskingum County. Son Jerry Hill lived in Zanesville,
Muskingum County. Howard and
Pauline, 1947 ~ Daughter Pauline (Kennedy)
Sephfus Flowers ~ Daughter Pauline Kennedy (1916-2000) was born on July 30,
1916 either in West Virginia or near Sharpsburg, Athens County. She was married to the son of a former slave. At
the age of 16, on New Year's Eve 1933, she wed 30-year-old widower Howard "Judy"
Sephfus (1903-1967), a native of Athens County, OH and the son of
Charles and Malinda Alice (Goins) Cephfus or "Cephas" (variant
spellings). They were 13 years apart in age. Because Pauline was underage, her parents both had to sign their
consent to the union. Rev. W.H. Long of Sharpsburg officiated. Howard
had been married once before, to Agnes Lenora "Nora" Smith (1910-1931), daughter
of Charles and Maggie (Mayle) Smith, and brought a son to
the marriage, Charles "Bus" Smith (or "Sephfus"). Nora
tragically had died in January 1931, at the age of 20, of pulmonary
tuberculosis.
Howard's
father, Charles, born a slave Howard's father, Charles Sephfus, was a
former slave who had been born on a
plantation in Virginia. According to an Ohio newspaper article, "The
parents of Mr. Sephfus, owned by their master near Christianburg, Va., continued
to reside in his employ, following emancipation and the termination of the Civil
War. When the parents passed on, young Sephfus came to the Ohio country and for
years was employed in the coal mines about Sharpsburg, until retirement."
Pauline and Howard had one known son, Bernard
Howard "Jimmy" Sephfus.
They resided in the Plantsville,
Chesterhill and Sharpsburg areas, where Howard was a longtime coal miner. In
early March 1938, in the lingering throes of the Great Depression, state liquor
law enforcement agents raided the Sephfus home and "in cooperation with Deputy Sheriff Frank Adrean confiscated one and
a half gallons of illegal liquor," reported the Zanesville
Times-Recorder. Officials found seven cases of beer and 24 pints of wine,
which Howard apparently intended to sell. Arraigned before Judge C.M. Riecker in
McConnelsville, he pleaded not guilty and was released on a $1,000 bond. He
later changed his plea to "guilty" and paid a fine of $250. He also
was ordered to be confined to the county jail for six months, but the
"sentence was suspended on conditions he does not sell liquor or keep on
his premises liquor for sale," said the Times Recorder. Mount Hermon
Cemetery Circa
1940, federal census records show the family residing in Marion, Morgan County. At
the age of 62, Howard was admitted to the Marietta Memorial Hospital, where he
died shortly thereafter on March 14, 1967. His funeral was held at the Mount
Hermon Evangelical United Brethren Church, followed by interment in the church
cemetery.
Later, Pauline wed Arthur Flowers ( ? -
? ). Circa 1988-1989, she made her
home near Marietta and McConnelsville, OH. She died on Nov. 20, 2000, at the age of 83,
as a result of an automobile accident near Chesterhill. Her remains were taken for burial in
Mount Hermon
Cemetery.
Stepson
Charles A. "Bus" Smith Sephfus (1926-2000) was born on June 24, 1926.
He was only age five when his mother died, and he took the Sephfus surname of
his stepfather who raised him. During the Korean War, Charles served in the U.S.
Armed Forces. He later married Juliet E. (1943- ? ), who was 17 years his
junior. They made their home in 1967 in Chesterhill, and by the late 1990s and
early 2000 in Columbus, Franklin County, OH. Charles died on Sept. 21, 2000 at
the age of 74. He was interred in Mount Hermon Cemetery. Son Bernard Howard "Jimmy"
Sephfus (1934- ? ) was born in 1934. On May 27, 1953, at the age of 19, he married
18-year-old Norma Dolores Hill (1935- ? ). She was the daughter of Elmer Ellsworth and Marie Elzina Marie (Mayle)
Hill of Perry County, OH. They
had six children -- Marcia Sephfus, Gloria Winters, Terry Sephfus, Jerry Sephfus,
Joyce Flowers and Renee Nichols. They lived in Vincent, OH in 1967 and Amesville/Plantsville circa
2000-2003. Jimmy worked for many years for Kaiser Aluminum in Belpre, OH, while
Dolores was employed with Warren Local Schools. The couple celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary in May 2003 with a surprise potluck dinner. Church Street
in Chesterhill, early 1900s Lena and Hayward ~ Son Hayward Kennedy ~ Son Hayward Kennedy (1920-1953) was born on June 13,
1920 in West Virginia. When he was 19 years of age, on May 1, 1939, Hayward married 29-year-old Lena Mae Hale (1910- ?
). She was a decade older than her husband and is believed to have been the daughter of James W. and Katherine Hale of Zanesville, Muskingum County, OH. They did not reproduce. In the early years of their marriage, Hayward and Lena lived in Marion, Morgan County, OH. The 1940 federal census shows him earning a living as a laborer providing "road work." Hayward served in
World War II as a corporal in the 1749th Engineer General
Service Regiment of the U.S.
Army. After the war, the Kennedys resided in the 1950s in Canton, Stark County, OH, where Hayward was a construction worker.
Tragically, Hayward was afflicted with what physicians diagnosed as "acute alcoholism." During a period
of unemployment, he drank heavily, suffered a heart attack and was found dead in his automobile, near his home, in the early
morning of March 14, 1953. He was only age 33. Hayward's remains were taken
to Chesterhill for the funeral at the Mount Hermon Evangelical United Brethren
Church, followed by burial in the Mount Hermon Cemetery. Today a flag
stands at his final resting place in honor of his wartime military service to
our nation. As a widow, Lena Mae remained in Canton. She was named as a surviving daughter in her father's 1964 Zanesville Times Repository obituary. Lena Mae's fate is not yet known. Hayward is not to be confused with Hayward Kennedy (1908-1987), son of Samuel and Sarah (Male) Kennedy, who in the 1940s earned income from transporting moonshine
in his Chevrolet but was eventually apprehended by local constables who confiscated 27 gallons of the hooch
in four kegs and two one-gallon jugs. Louise Thomas Tabler ~ Daughter Louise (Kennedy) Thomas
Tabler ~ Daughter Louise Kennedy (1922-1988) was
born on the Fourth of July 1922 either in West Virginia or in Canton, Stark County, OH. Her name is said to
have been pronounced "Lew-ize."
She was married twice. Her first spouse
was (?) Thomas.
Obituary, 1988 Then, in 1975, at the age of 53, she
wed 57-year-old Willard "Pucker" Tabler (1918-1990), son of Warren "Pie"
and
Vesta Mae (Hill) Tabler.
Louise and Pucker would have known each
other well at the time, as his father had cohabitated for many years with
Louise's elder sister Carrie.
Louise and Pucker enjoyed 13 years of
married life together.
She made her home circa 1948-1988 in Sharpsburg and Canton, Stark County, OH.
She was a member of the Army Navy Lodge #150.
Louisa died at the age of 66 in 1988 in Rose Lane Health Center in
Massillon, OH. Interment was in the Sunset Hill Cemetery, with Rev. Kenny
Dalton officiating at her funeral service.
Pucker survived his wife by just two years. He died in Canton at the age of
72 on Aug. 20, 1990. Copyright © 2005-2012,
2014-2016 Mark A. Miner
He brought two stepsons into the
relationship with Carrie -- Leroy Eldon Tabler and Willard "Pucker"
Tabler, both of Lathrop, Athens County,
OH.
The federal census of 1950 shows Warren and Carrie (spelled "Carry") sharing a home in Bern Township, with him earning a living as a driver in a coal mine and her marked as "housekeeper" and her marital status as "separated." That year, the census-taker listed their race as "Neg." There were no children in the residence. Among their near neighbors were Garfield and Goldie Mayle, John Mayle, William and Emmaline Mayle and Carl and Ella Mayle.
Warren's son Willard "Pucker"
Tabler (1918 -1990) was born on Feb. 24, 1918 in Lathrop, Athens County. He lived in Canton in
1965 and in 1975 married Carrie's
much younger sister, Louise (Kennedy) Thomas. See her entry below.
Later, he moved to Zanesville where he spent the rest of his life, said the Zanesville
Times Recorder.
He married Beulah Gibson ( ? - ? )
and resided in Zanesville.
and her newspaper obituary,
1948
They produced a brood of 10 children -- Henry Leon "Hank" Hill Sr., Wilbur Dean Hill, Raymond "Deck"
Hill, Shelby "Jean" Fischer, Robert R. Hill, Jerry L. Hill, Donald "Ricky" Hill, Tony James Hill, Dorothy Mae
Barnett and Vivian "Biddy" Mayle.
