About me

From Brian...

I was born in Beckley, WV. I am the son of Linda Halstead Bowman, grandson to Lillie Basham Halstead and Ed Halstead, great grandson to John Wesley Alexander Basham (yes, that's his true full name!) and Ida Jane Albatine Lilly, and great great grandson to Alexander Basham and Mary Jane Pack.

I went to college at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.  I am a teacher (please, support teachers!).  I have taught history, and, currently, I teach English (Reading Language Arts).  Before entering the profession, I worked for the airlines followed by a stint in banking.  I longed to return home to West Virginia.  I have discovered that many, like me, leave for greener pastures only to return home.  In my opinion, the beauty of West Virginia has no equal.  I also needed tranquility and peace in my life.

My grandmother (Lillie Basham Halstead) would often talk about growing up in Streeter.  She had some spooky stories to tell me when I was little.  One involved her and her sister walking back from the meat house and being followed at a distance by a panther late in the day.  "Mawmaw Halstead" always spoke with reverence about her father, John Wesley Basham.  How he was a teacher, a general store owner, and a farmer.

During the Summer, we would go down to Streeter for the reunion.  Pawpaw and Mawmaw Halstead would set up in "the camp" - I still remember the musky smell of that old cabin.  It has since fallen in.  I remember Pawpaw playing croquet at "Aunt Ula's and Uncle Lester's".  I once kicked one of the balls - Pawpaw scolded me.

Why do I do this blog?  Initially it was a way of sharing photos and stories with my immediate cousins.  It seemed to grow a little after that.  I don't profess to be an expert.  Genealogy is a journey that is never really complete.  In reality, our genealogies stretch thousands (really hundreds of thousands) of years.  We are lucky to have the few stories we do have.  You will not find many kings...or queens.  You will not find many extraordinarily rich or famous people.  What you will find are some of the first people to settle in West Virginia, some of the first to come to America, some were brave men who fought in wars of freedom, and some made good and bad choices in extremely difficult situations.  Life in early America was extremely hard for most pioneers.

15 comments:

  1. Hi, I'm hoping you can help m . I am trying to find a Johnson cemetery that is located in streeter. My two times great grandfather is burried there and I am hoping to find his grave . Any info you can provide would be amazing

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  2. Hi, I'm hoping you can help m . I am trying to find a Johnson cemetery that is located in streeter. My two times great grandfather is burried there and I am hoping to find his grave . Any info you can provide would be amazing

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  3. I remember visiting with your grandparents as a child. Aunt Lilly and uncle Ed were always so kind. My Dad was the youngest son of Emma Grace Basham Eastridge and David Lee Eastridge. My father Eldon was born and raised in Streeter. My wife Gretchen and I have been coming to the reunion in August since we were 19 My Dads brothers were Wesley and Mason and his sister is Beulah June Simpson. Dad passed away on Tuesday Jan. 23 2018, mom is doing fine. They had their 70th anniversary on Dec. 24. Dad so much loved the reunion every year, loved seeing all the family young and old. Dad was a great man loved by all that knew him. Thank you for your work on the website. Some day I would like to add some family history. Eldon Eastridge Jr,

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    1. My father, John Basham, just learned of your father's death today while we were researching family history. My dad is Eldon's cousin. Ray Basham was John's dad. We found the obituary on the funeral home website and my dad really enjoyed watching the memorial video. I'm sure he would love to have contact with the family. My dad remembers your mom. We would love some of the pictures to add to our family history.
      Thanks,
      Melissa
      malivengood@alumni.purdue.edu

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  4. Add it anytime. Send an email to me and I would be happy to post it. By the way. I'm a teacher and I have a young Eastridge girl in my class. We will have to connect and find out how she's related.

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  5. Brian, I am Emmett H.Meador. My grandfather is Estel D. Basham and is father is John Wesley Basham. I am a retired teacher and businessman.Your mother was my favorite person. I would like to attend the next Basham reuion, plese notify me of date. Thank you.
    My email: memmett961@yahoo.com

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  6. Hello Brian. I am Todd Mackey, my mother is Gay Nell Basham. I remember Aunt Ula and Uncle Lester as well as the log cabin.Also visiting Uncle Ed's appliance store and staying in the old house he had just before you got into Streeter. Going to make it to the reunion this year, haven't been in 40 years, hope that church bell still rings.

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  7. Hey Brian,

    My family is hitting a hard brick wall in Rutherford County North Carolina, trying to figure out the parentage of a John M Pack (b ~1815, marries Nancy LNU, lives in Spartanburg, dies in Cocke County TN) where around the same time a Samuel Pack appears from nowhere, marries into the Allison/Ellison family (He marries Judah Allison, they have 5 kids, he abandons those kids when she dies, then he is living with another, much younger Allison girl later. Pretty scandalous.) There is also a 1820 census in Rutherford showing John Ellison Sr, John Pack Jr, William Newman, John Pack Sr, John Ellison Jr living near each other (if the Census is listing people in order of contact walking down the road). Sam Pack, his wife, and their 5 kids are probably (according to most of our research) living in John Ellison Sr's house.

    We have family tales that we're descended from "George Pack", but who knows which one?! There was one in Rutherford in the 1770s. Can't figure out if he's related to the Samuel Pack there or not, or if any of these (George or Samuel or John Allison) are related to the John Ellis(-on?), James Ellis(-on?), George Pack, and Samuel Pack's in the Pleasant Point blog post; and if not what is going on with these people and their names?!

    I'm trying to figure out how they link up to the VA/WV Samuel Pack's, the timelines aren't overlapping all that well, but the names are spot on. John Ellison Sr dies in 1835, right around the time Samuel Pack (Sr?) dies in VA/WV.

    A030093,BU6028979, and T141057 on GED match

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  8. Hello brain my name is billy joe basham jr my great grandfather was green basham I don't know if were related or not my grandfather used to tell me that he was the youngest of 21 kids his name was verlin basham the rumor i here about bashams is all bashams are related

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    1. My email is billybasham123@gmail

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    2. Hi, Billy, I apologize for taking so long to get back with you. Yes, we have a common Basham ancestor.

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  9. Brian,
    Just discovered your blog while doing genealogical research. My husband is Ben Vest. We still own the home place on Streeter Rd. (Mt. View Rd.) Where do you teach? We are active in the Summers County Historical Society and would love to have you join us at our next covered dish supper--Tue, Nov 13, 6 PM at the Catholic Church in Hinton.

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  10. Thanks for reaching out! I will let you know if I can make it. I teach here in Raleigh County. You are welcome to reach me directly at brianbowmanga@gmail.com

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    1. Brian i am stanley pack you gest son of ester n ora pack i was born n raised in the old house in streeter was owned by my aunt uncle herbert n ethel cooper ellison good stuff bro

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