Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bluestone Cemetery Relocations





Sorry for my long absence. I've been busy taking some courses and haven't had much free time.
I have neglected to post the Bluestone Cemetery Relocation list which lists the graves relocated for the construction of the Bluestone Dam in Summers County. As noted on the sheets, this encompasses the "Lilly Cemetery" in the village of Lilly. Which, by the way, does still exist (the village). Some have suggested that the village is under water. This is not really true. Some of the area was inundated, but most of the land was purchased by the Corps of Engineers. So, you can still go today to find the village; albeit, it is off the beaten path for anyone not familiar with the area (and there is not much to see). But, locals can point you in the right direction.

Hope you find this helpful. Remember to use the list of sources I have included (to the right on the page) for other information.

Also, keep in mind that when you go to the Lilly/Crews Cemetery to find the relocated graves many of the tombs are illegible. Yes, this is frustrating. According to random sources, the Corp could not identify many of the tombs. This is not unusual. Unfortunately, many of our ancestors made crude tombstones that could not withstand time.

Be sure and follow the "Reinterment Site list" on the right of the lists to determine which cemetery. Not all ended up at the Lilly/Crews Cemetery.

Click on the images and they should enlarge

5 comments:

  1. I am searching for information about the parents of my great-grandfather, Jesse G. Schuck (or Shuck), who was born in Summers County about 1874.

    So far I have been unable to learn the names of the parents of Jesse G. Schuck.

    A survey of records and documents mentioning the name of Jesse G. Schuck (or Shuck) indicates the following:
    - Jesse G. Schuck was born in Summers County, West Virginia, about 1874.
    - Jesse G. Schuck was living as a boarder with a Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Ferguson at Jumping Branch, Summers County, in 1880.
    - In 1895, he married Pribble Harper in Roane County, West Virginia.
    - In 1900, Jesse, his wife Pribble, and children Letha (later Letha Pennington, my grandmother), Gladys, and a son were living at Crown Hill, Kanawha County, West Virginia.

    The 1880 census of Summers County, West Virginia seems to suggest that in 1880 Jesse G. Schuck, at age 6 and listed in the census as Green Shuck, was living with his sister Rosa B. Shuck (age 1) as boarders in the household headed by Jesse Ferguson and his wife Rebecca at Jumping Branch, Summers County, West Virginia.

    Jesse Ferguson's wife was Rebecca Pack Ferguson.
    According to information I have found
    - Rebecca Pack Ferguson was the daughter of Robert B. Pack and Rhoda Basham Pack.
    - Rhoda Basham was the daughter of William Basham and Amanda Meador.

    I am interested in learning not only who were the parents of Jesse G. Schuck but also how Jesse G. Schuck and his sister came to be boarders at such a young age in the home of Jesse Ferguson and Rebecca Pack Ferguson.

    I would appreciate any information, ideas, or help you could offer in my quest to learn more about the parents and ancestry of Jesse Schuck. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John, Thanks for the question...

    I did a quick look in West Virginia Archive online (looking under Births/Deaths/Marriages).

    First, it looks like many Schucks/Shucks lived in the Fayette County area pre-1880.

    While no birth certificate came up under Jesse/Green Shuck/Schuck, I did manage to uncover a record for "Rosa D. Shuck" born 1885 in Fayette County: parents John W. Shuck and Rebecca J. Shuck. Could that be the sister? Remember, don't be strict about dates.

    Also, something very interesting... I did uncover the marriage certificate for "J.J." Shuck and Prebble Harper. The date of their marriage is actually 1895! (the original certificate via WV archive online).

    If I were you, I would keep looking under those birth/death certificates. Maybe there are some other names that will jump out at you.

    Keep this mind: do not avoid names because they are missing the correct letter, or spelling of a name. For instance: They have Jesse as "J.J." not "J.G." as is correct on view of the original (click on the view and you'll see). The archivists did not always use a lot of scrutiny when judging the handwriting. My Point: look through as many lists as possible...you never know. They had my grandmother as "Lillian Basham"....it's "Lilly" and pretty clear on the certificate.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for taking the time to look into that.

    I had previously done a lot of searching using the West Virginia Archive online. I was hoping I could find someone living in Summers County who might be able to help fill in the gaps.

    The image of the marriage record at http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11550507&Type=Marriage, which I had previously located, gives their names as J. G. Shuck and Pribble Harper.

    The 1895 marriage record gives Summers County as the place of his birth as well as the place of his residence.

    I am hoping that someone who lives in Summers County or who has family connections there might help to determine how it was that Jesse G. Schuck (or Shuck), presumably the same person as Green Shuck, came to be living as a boarder with the Jesse Ferguson and his wife at the time of the 1880 census of Summers County.

    I am aware that there were a lot of Shucks in the Fayette County area pre-1880 but so far I have been unable to establish any connection between them and Jesse G. Schuck (or Shuck).

    I think it is unlikely that the Rosa D. Shuck who was born in 1885 was the sister of Jesse Shuck.

    I think it is more likely that Jesse's sister Rosa was the Rosa who was married in 1898 reportedly at age 21, implying a birth year of 1877, to John S. Taylor in Clay County WV. There is a record of that marriage at
    http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=10984178&Type=Marriage . That record indicates her age as 21 in 1898 and the place of her birth as Summers County. That seems to be somewhat more consistent with the 1880 census that lists Rosa B. Shuck at age 1 living as a boarder along with Green Shuck (age 6) in the Ferguson household in Summers County.

    By the way, I have an image of the WWI draft card of Jesse Green Schuck. It lists the date of his birth as December 16, 1872.

    Thanks again for your help. I will keep looking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rosa B Taylor married a Smith later on and became Rosa B Smith

      Delete
  4. Thank you, Brian.
    I'll try to get in touch with you sometime.

    ReplyDelete