Genealogy Road Trip: A Journey to the Ozarks

For a long time now, I've wanted to do two things: 1) Introduce my 4-year-old son to the fun of camping, and 2) Visit the "homeland" of sorts of my great grandpa, Tom Martin. He grew up in Baxter County, Arkansas before coming to Oklahoma as a young man. His people were pioneers of the region, and I've always wanted to go there to visit landmarks I've read about, look through local history resources for mentions of my relatives, and meet with distant cousins. So I planned a weekend trip where I would meet with several cousins (some distant, some quite close biologically-speaking), visit my ancestors' old stomping grounds, and camp out with my son while I'm there. I was very fortunate that all of this came together with very few hitches. It was a wonderful trip where I learned a lot, gained some priceless family knowledge, and got to bond with my son. Below is a summary of mine and my son Elliott's adventures.

Day 1

On Friday, most of our afternoon and evening was dedicated to driving to Mountain View, Arkansas. We got to drive through the gorgeous Ozark mountains, and drove across many rivers and streams. It's not difficult to see why these mountains were so appealing to my forebears; there's endless lush scenery, beautiful mountains and large hills, and many animals I'm not accustomed to seeing around Tulsa where I live. Finally, we arrived at the Sylamore Creek Camp, where we set up camp right next to the beautiful river. I've read all about the Sylamore Creek and its surrounding areas in "Life in the Leatherwoods" by my cousin John Quincy Wolf. (A wonderful biography of his incredible life can be read here: http://web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/lankfordbio.htm)

Our campsite was perched just across the river from a large cliff. We found turtles and frogs; fish jumped out of the water, and large birds were flying low over the water early in the morning when we broke camp.

Day 2

We broke camp about 7 a.m. the next morning, and this was our view first thing. I really don't have the words to describe the beauty of this place.

We then headed into Mountain View, where we had an 8 a.m. appointment with Lynda Swafford at the Stone County Historical Society's Museum and Library. Lynda was extremely helpful, having gathered numerous materials for me related to my Rorie family and some of their related families. I was able to copy quite a bit of information I didn't have previously, and I couldn't be more grateful to Mrs. Swafford for he assistance. The library itself was very impressively organized, with many of the area's most prominent families having their own folders or files filled with materials directly related to them. The area's obituaries were collected in several binders, and were indexed and very easy to sift through. The museum was very fun and interesting, while the building itself is attached to Mountain View's first school building. Elliott had a great time looking at the exhibits. Thank you again to Lynda and the Stone County Historical Society for going out of your way to meet us at 8 a.m. on a busy day (the annual Folk Festival was taking place that weekend, with a parade that included a float for the historical society). 

We then headed north toward Norfork in Baxter County. We soon crossed the White River as we reached Calico Rock, Arkansas. We stopped here to admire the scenery of the White River, which was a cornerstone of pioneer life in this part of Arkansas. My Wolf, Hutcheson, and Martin families relied on this river much of their lives, and the beauty of it cannot be overstated. 

We also enjoyed a short tour of the Calico Rock Museum, where we encountered courteous, knowledgeable staff, and a fantastic restroom with awesome pictures of historic outhouses from across the nation hanging on the walls, which I found very entertaining.

Soon after, we made it to Norfork, Arkansas, the town whose surrounding areas my family called home for decades. Our first stop was the historic Jacob Wolf House. Norfork Mayor Jim Reeves was kind enough to unlock the house so that we could take a look inside the house. My understanding is that Norfork used to own the house, but it is now owned by Baxter County. At one time, it was filled with historic period furniture, and locals would dress in period garb and walk around there, but since the county has taken over, the atmosphere at the home is a more subdued. 

Regardless, the grounds are gorgeous, the house is fascinating, and you can really feel the history as you walk through. Jacob Wolf was my 4th great grand uncle. The house is one of the oldest standing structures in Arkansas, and at one point acted as the Baxter County courthouse. Multiple generations of my family lived in, visited, and stayed at this home, and walking through it really made me feel connected to them. 

Also on the grounds of the Wolf House are the old Wolf Blacksmith shop, and the cabin of Reverend John Wolf, Jacob's brother.

The spot where the house is is incredibly scenic; my videos and pictures really don't do it justice.

Our next visit was to our distant Martin family cousin, Don Blair, at his store, Riverview Emporium. It was full of really cool, unique items; I bought a couple of books and a Wolf House souvenir. Don was very knowledgeable about the family, and had lots of stories. He was able to draw me a handy map to get to Martin Springs and the other area landmarks I was looking for. 

So with Don's map in hand, we made our way to Martin Springs, the home stomping grounds where my great grandfather Tom Martin grew up. We stopped first at the Martin Cemetery, where three of my direct ancestors are buried; namely Richard C. "Dick" Martin, and his parents, Thomas D. and Susan (nee Hutcheson) Martin. Numerous other uncles, aunts, and cousins are also buried there. It is a beautiful area, that luckily wasn't heavily damaged in the severe floods that hit the area a few years ago. Please note that in the below video, I erred in labeling Annie Martin a sister of my great great grandfather, Dick Martin. She was actually Dick's sister-in-law, as she was the wife of John "Lige" Martin. I apologize for the mistake.

Next we trekked down Martin Springs Road to where my Martin ancestors once resided. Joe Boyd, another distant Martin cousin, and his son-in-law own most of the land around the area I was looking around in, including the Martin Springs and the Martin Springs schoolhouse. He wasn't home at first, but I walked around a bit and waited for him. He eventually came home, and he and I discussed the family and his various memories of the Martin family. He told me where my Martin family's home, called the "Mollie Martin Place" or the "Dick Martin Place" once stood. He also said he was a pallbearer at my uncle Wilson's funeral; Wilson was a brother of my great grandpa, Tom. He said he'd heard a story that as children, the Martin brothers and their friends would pull back large trees and let them go like a catapult. Once, they talked Wilson, who was the youngest, into climbing onto the tree and being slung through the air. He says Wilson went nearly 50 feet and really banged up his backside. 

He allowed me free range to explore the area around the springs. The school house is where my great grandfather attended school as a boy. It is still in great condition, and a pie supper is held there each year to raise money to take care of the Martin Cemetery. There are two old houses nearby; one belonged to a cousin named Randolph Martin, who descend from Joel C. Martin, the brother of my 3rd great grandfather Thomas D. Martin. The other old house belonged to my great great grandfather Richard C. "Dick" Martin's brother, "Bully" Joe Martin, and sister, Maggie Martin, late in their lives. Joe said that Maggie's was the first dead body he saw as a child, and he could remember her funeral. He said that "Bully" Joe had another house before this one, that was a few hundred yards behind the current one. It burned down, but parts of the chimneys and foundation are still intact. 

The Martin Spring school outhouse.

Elliott found a turtle!

Joe Boyd

Rudolph Martin home

"Bully" Joe Martin home

The Martin Spring

The above spot is where the below home used to stand; this was the home my great grandfather grew up in, and is known both as the "Mollie Martin Place" and the "Dick Martin Place".

Next, we headed to the Hutcheson Cemetery, which is a couple more miles up Martin Springs Road; we had to cross over the river twice, but luckily the waters weren't too high that day. This cemetery apparently was only re-discovered relatively recently, in just the last few years. It was very overgrown and had been completely forgotten and neglected. Luckily, once it was found, people got together and cleaned it up. There are more than 20, maybe as many as 40 field stones, but only three legible headstones. It is likely that my 3rd great grandparents, Richard C. and Nancy Wolf Hutcheson, who were parents of Susan who married Thomas D. Martin, are buried there.

At this point, we headed for Mountain Home to set up our camp for that night. We camped out at Cranfield Park, a beautiful Federal park, and set up camp right next to the lake.

Day 3

The next day, we headed for Flippin in Marion County to meet with couple more cousins. We started with Kathryn Hodges Busch. She is my great grandfather's half-1st cousin, so biologically speaking she is a close cousin as my 1st cousin 3 times removed. Her mother was Beviah "Bevie" Rorie Hodges, the half-sister of my great great grandmother, Mollie Rorie Martin. She and her husband Ernie graciously agreed to meet us in the morning, and we went over Kathryn's vast collection of photographs. She had pictures of several relatives that I had never seen before, and a good deal more of relatives that are unknown. She has a lot of "tin type" photos that are unidentified. They belonged to her mother Bevie, so they could be Rories or Normans. 

I copied many of her Rorie pictures, and several of her Normans as well. I am not a Norman myself, but I am a fan of interesting old photographs. Plus I thought some other Norman descendants might be interested in some of the photos she had. Mary Mahala Norman was the second wife of my 3rd great grandfather, William Josiah "Bill" Rorie, and the mother of my great great grandmother Mollie's four half-siblings. So Mary, or "B" as she was called, would be my step-grandmother, and her relatives my step-relatives. She sent me copies of the unidentified tin types too, and I hope to work on getting those identified. Below are the pictures that Kathryn shared with me. 

Robert Arthur Rorie Sr. - "Uncle Arthur" - Son of William Josiah Rorie and Louisa Lauvice Selph

Unknown, un-labelled picture. Most likely Norman cousins. I always enjoy old photographs featuring musicians. 

Martin Springs School

Mary Mahala "B" Norman Rorie and her daughter Beviah Rorie Hodges

Morgan Alexander Norman and Hannah Roxanne Lawson Norman, parents of Mary Mahala Norman Rorie

Morgan Alexander Norman and Hannah Roxanne Lawson Norman, parents of Mary Mahala Norman Rorie. Very similar to the picture above it, but the hand placements prove it is a different photo.

Robert "Bob" Arthur Rorie Jr. and Jean Earley Rorie, sons of Robert Arthur Rorie Sr. 

Rorie sisters. Mollie [Martin], Effie [Cox], Pearle [Clay], and Ada [Canada]. All daughters of William Josiah "Bill" Rorie.

Beviah Rorie Hodges with her nephew and niece, Gay and Ruth Rorie, children of Allie Forrest Rorie.

William Josiah "Bill" Rorie

Bill Rorie and his friend, Frank Tanner.

Bill Rorie

Frank Norman and family. Frank was an uncle of Mary Mahala Norman Rorie.

Green and Elisa Norman, grandparents of Mary Mahala Norman Rorie.

Beviah Rorie Hodges on right, with friend Iva White on the left.

Robert Arthur Jr. and Jean Early Rorie, sons of Arthur Rorie.

Kathryn Hodges Busch, daughter of Beviah Rorie Hodges, with her newborn, Kathy. I neglected to get a picture of Kathryn during our visit, though I meant to. She sent me this.

This is an extremely intriguing photo labelled "Grandma Wolf" on the back. I am Wolf from my Martin side of the family, but I was unaware of a connection to either to Norman or Rorie families. I am determined to figure out who this might be.

Kathryn and Ernie were extremely nice, and put up well with Elliott's hyperactivity. I hope to visit them again in the future.

My next visit was still in Flippin. I met with A.J. Rorie  and his wife Gayla, and at the home of his sister, Ruth Rorie Jones. A.J. and Ruth are children of my uncle Allie Forrest Rorie, half-brother of Mollie Rorie Martin, making them my 1st cousins three times removed. They were also very kind and wonderful hosts, keeping Elliott entertained while we exchanging stories, information, and pictures. A.J. had more amazing pictures to share, which are below.

Absalom and Mary Snellgrove Rorie, my 4th great grandparents, parents of William Josiah "Bill" Rorie.

Ada Rorie Canada, daughter of Bill Rorie.

Ada Rorie Canada, daughter of Bill Rorie.

Allie Forrest Rorie, son of Bill Rorie.

This is an intriguing tin type photo. The two men in the front row to the right are Henry and John Rorie, two of the three "Blind Rorie Brothers" who are well known in the area. They are sons of the above Absalom and Mary Snellgrove Rorie. It is not known who the other four persons are. In my opinion, this appears to be a formal portrait. I know of no reason these four persons would be grouped together as such, unless they were siblings. I think it is possible that the other two men and two women are their brothers and sisters, but which I cannot say. It is also possible that the women are their sisters and the men are their husbands, or the men are their brothers and the women are their wives. It's difficult to say. Neither of the two men appear to be Bill Rorie as best I can tell, and neither appears to be Buddy Rorie, the eldest blind brother. They could be Hezekiah, Hugh Alec, Thomas, or Scott. I do not have pictures of those four brothers for comparison. Likewise, the women could be Martha, Becky, or Julie, but without photos to compare I cannot say definitively. Regardless, this is a fantastic photo, and it's great to have more than one of the Blind Rorie brothers.

In the middle holding the broomstick is Henry Rorie, and to the right (his left) I believe is his blind brother Buddy Rorie. I do not know who the other men are. They could be other Rorie men, but without pictures for comparison I cannot say definitively. 

Arthur Rorie, son of Bill Rorie, with his mother-in-law, Gay Earley.

Allie Forrest Rorie, taken not long before he died.

Allie Forrest Rorie

Morgan Alexander and Hannah Roxane Lawson Norman, parents of Mary Mahala Norman Rorie

An old physician's ledger owned by A.J. Rorie.

In the ledger is a bill for William Josiah Rorie, showing the expenses he paid for the birth of his son, Allie Forrest Rorie.

Opal Clay, daughter of Stacie Pearle Rorie Clay, daughter of Bill Rorie.

Stacey Pearle Rorie Clay, daughter of Bill Rorie and Louisa Selph.

Orestus Rorie, son of Bill Rorie and Mary Mahala Norman Rorie. The story goes that his father Bill was bad-tempered and forced him to ride into town for supplies on horseback in the pouring rain. Orestus became gravely ill with pneumonia. But then Bill forced him to go out and work in the yard digging, even though he was sick. After a while, he collapsed and died shortly after. He was 25 years old.

I also heard other stories about Bill Rorie's bad temper. One was that he insisted on Bevie having a cold drink of water ready for him each day when he returned from working. One time she forgot, and he abused her badly. Bill was apparently taken advantage of by his Norman in-laws. They had him co-sign on a number of loans for them, and then when the market crashed they stopped payments and Bill lost everything.

While these stories may not be flattering, I think they're interesting to note and remember regardless. They flesh out the personalities of the people who came before us, the same as pictures do, making them feel like more than just a name and some dates on our family tree.

The last stop on my trip was to see Juanita Rorie Tilton in Fayetteville. Her dad was Oscar Rorie, who was a son of Hugh Alec Rorie. While she did not have any pictures of her grandfather, she was full of interesting stories about her childhood, including when her grand uncle "Buddy" Rorie came to live with her grandfather. He was one of the three blind Rorie brothers, and she remembers wanting to follow him around and see what he did as he went throughout his day. She was very sweet, and promised that if she came up with any pictures of her grandfather she would send me one. She also gave me a couple more leads to pursue for finding pictures, so if I find any pictures of her grandfather, I'll be sure to send her some. She was really a delight to get to talk to.

This was really a wonderful trip. Meeting Don, Joe, Kathryn, A.J., and Ruth was very enlightening and interesting, and they were all such great, smart, nice people. I hope I get to see them all again, and I hope I get to take another trip like this again soon.

12 Unfortunate Ways My Ancestors Met Their Demise

It's a little dark, but there is some genuine fascination felt when you discover that something strange, gruesome, or out-of-the-ordinary happened to one of our early relatives, even if it resulted in their untimely death. It's difficult to explain the "Oh, wow!" feeling that overcomes you when you find something like that. Usually, it's not a very pleasant fascination, like when you read of the death of a relative who died in childhood. Our early ancestors lived difficult lives, and that fact is really brought to life like never before when can read all the gritty details. Those old newspapers left little to the imagination.

In my genealogical research, I have come across several relatives who died in unnatural ways. For the purpose of this article, I am defining an unnatural death as one that did not occur because of old age or any sort of disease. I had ancestors die of meningitis, tuberculosis, dysentery, cholera, diphtheria, and even pellagra. While all of those diseases could be considered unnatural to an extent, for the purpose of the forthcoming list I am lumping those deaths with the more common causes of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and other conditions of that nature.

The following is a list of family members whose deaths were the direct results of their own actions, or the actions of others.

12. Howard T. Taylor - Died August 16th, 1851, Daviess County, Kentucky

The diary of Joseph Thomas of Daviess County, Kentucky provides us with the details of the death of my 4th great grandfather, Howard T. Taylor, who was shot and killed in a hunting accident.

11. Roxie Emeline May Jay - Died November 14th, 1938 in Guthrie, Oklahoma and Sarah Olive Sain Moose - Died November 3rd, 1944 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

These two are lumped together for two reasons: first, they died the same way, and they were the two grandmothers of my grandmother. My two great great grandmothers were both struck and killed by cars.

Roxie Jay was on her way to a night service at the First Baptist Church in Guthrie, where she was a Sunday school teacher, when she was struck by a car driven by four teenagers. In 2013, I called and spoke to the driver of the vehicle that killed Roxie, Kenneth English of Guthrie. He stated that it was very dark out, and as they came down the bridge on Noble Avenue, she was suddenly there, right in front of them. Kenneth was 15 years old at the time, and he had three friends in the car ages 14 and 15.

The article in the Guthrie Daily Leader states: "Patrolman Harold Shultz said Kenneth English 15-year-old high school sophomore signed a statement asserting he was driving the car. ... Mrs. Jay was rushed to the Cimarron Valley hospital. An attending physician said she received fractures below the knee in both legs, a shattered right arm, and probable internal injuries. She lapsed into unconsciousness about an hour following the tragedy." Roxie died 11 hours later.

Sarah Olive Sain was on her way to work at Wesley Hospital in Oklahoma City at 7:30 in the morning. She was struck by a car and died an hour later. [The below article is from The Daily Oklahoman.]

10. Albert Louis Moose - Died April 18th, 1932 near Ardmore, Oklahoma

Like his mother, Albert was killed when struck by a motor vehicle. However, there are significant differences in their circumstances. Albert was killed, along with a man named Joe Fitch, by an intoxicated 20-year-old man, Frank Coker in a hit-and-run. Coker was a known alcoholic, and despite this, his mother provided him with the means to obtain alcohol and access to a vehicle.

Albert's widow sued Coker and his mother, and was awarded a large sum of money. Coker's family appealed the ruling until the case came before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, where the court upheld the lower court's ruling, though they did reduce the amount of damages to be paid by Coker's mother.

The LexisNexis overview of Coker, et. al. v. Moose, et. al. states:

"The survivors were the widow and another relative of the decedent who was killed after being struck by a car that was driven by the son. The evidence revealed that the son was a known alcoholic and that at the time of the accident empty beer bottles were found in his car. The complaint alleged that the mother knew that her son was a careless, reckless, and incompetent driver and that she knew of a number of serious accidents that he had had. However, the mother gave the son free access to an automobile and paid the repair bills after his accidents. A jury awarded damages in favor of the survivors, and the court affirmed. It held that an error in the jury instructions was harmless and could not have prejudiced defendants in view of the evidence in the case. The court further held that there was no evidence that the jury ever was aware that either defendant was protected by insurance. The court reduced the amount of the verdict, however, because it found that the award was excessive based upon the decedent's history of earnings."

This case established the legal precedent in the state of Oklahoma that a parent, guardian, or caretaker could be held responsible for the actions of someone in their charge.

In the end, as it usually does, karma had the last laugh. Frank Coker was unceremoniously killed December 21st, 1934 at the age of 22 in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He got into an altercation with two other youths when he allegedly tried to steal the vehicle in which they were all traveling and leave the others behind. One of the other boys knocked Coker to the ground on the highway, where he was struck in the head by another car and died shortly after.

9. Colbert "Cole" Campbell - Died October 15th, 1862 in Jackson, Kentucky

My family had countless deaths that occurred in the fighting during the Civil War. However, it is my 4th great grand uncle's death that occurred while he was serving in the Civil War but not in action at the time that is the most interesting.

According to the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky, Cole was killed when struck by lightning.

The above excerpt comes from "History of the Orphan Brigade", an 1898 book by Ed Porter Thompson. Cole was enlisted in the 5th Kentucky Mounted Infantry (CON) at the time of his death.

It should be noted that the adjutant general's report of his death differs from the account on his Civil War service record, which states he was "accidentally shot" on October 15th, 1862. So while the two reports agree on the date, they do not agree on the means. Either way, Cole's death could be considered both unfortunate and out-of-the-ordinary.

8. Dr. David Allen Duckworth - Died November 19th, 1891 near Keosauqua, Iowa

Dr. Duckworth was my first cousin five times removed. He was a prominent physician in his locale in Iowa and was a veteran of the Civil War. He was conducting a house call at the home of a Mr. Duffield when Mrs. Duffield's dress caught on the hammer of Mr. Duffield's gun, discharging it and killing Dr. Duckworth instantly.

7. Reuben A. L. May - Died November 6, 1897 near Huron, Indiana and George A. Downing - Died October 16th, 1881 in Jeffersonville, Indiana

Reuben was my 3rd great grand uncle, and George was my 2nd cousin four times removed. The reason the two are lumped together are because they (sort of) related, and their deaths were very similar. Reuben was the son of an elder Reuben May, and was a product of Mr. May's second marriage. Mr. May's first marriage was to an Elizabeth Downing, who was the grand aunt of George A. Downing.

Reuben's death is described in the November 11th, 1897 edition of the Brownstown Banner in Brownstown, Indiana. It reads:

"How time has proven the words which Reuben May made to an acquaintance here during the last term of court, when he stated that he "had never been in an accident, but no telling how soon he would, and probably be killed."

A freight train on which he was fireman was wrecked near Huron, about ten miles west of Mitchell last Saturday. The place where the wreck occurred was a stretch of road that contains a number of bad curves. The cause was spreading of the rails. Seeing the train was about to be wrecked, May jumped and was caught under a box car. He was dead when found and it is supposed that death was instantaneous. The engineer did not jump and was uninjured. The wreck is said to have been a very
costly one for the company."

George A. Downing's death was similarly gruesome. A summary of the accident can be read below, which came from the October 17th, 1881 edition of The Indianapolis News:

A much lengthier article from The Courier-Journal [Louisville, Kentucky] dated October 17th, 1881 states in part: "Downing was conductor of what is called the L., N. A. and C. freight train. ... The train consisted of fourteen loaded freight cars, which were backing up at the usual rate of speed. This train is backed over, the engine being in the rear. When near the junction where the Jeffersonville Short-line intersects with the Louisville branch, a cow stepped on the track and the car knocked it under the trucks, turning the car completely over. Conductor Downing was standing on this car and attempted to jump. He went over the embankment with the car and was crushed beneath the debris. ...The body was soon removed, and it was found that the head and chest were terribly crushed, and death must have been almost instantaneous. His neck, right arm, and leg were broken."

6. Louvica Barnett Cunningham - Died January 1911 in Davenport, Oklahoma

Louvica was the elder sister of my great great grandfather, Andrew Barnett. Her death was the most unjust of those listed here. She had recently married to Richard Cunningham, but for reasons known only to she and those close to her, she attempted to have an abortion. The man hired to carry out the procedure was "Dr." Albert B. Armstrong, a native of Kentucky who resided in Shawnee but was well known in Stroud and Davenport. It had been established that despite the fact that he called himself a "doctor", he was not a licensed physician. He swindled multiple persons out of their money, and was a wanted man not only across Oklahoma, but in Texas as well.

Louvica died while Armstrong was performing the operation, and he promptly fled the area. He was a wanted man, and eventually apprehended in Hollis, Oklahoma and extradited back to Davenport. In what can only be described as a tasteless and classless move, a number of citizens of Davenport signed a petition for Armstrong to be granted bail, and then promptly threw a party in his "honor". Only after he swindled yet another citizen of Davenport was he apparently seen for what he was, and he fled again. He escaped jail, was apprehended again, and was going to be extradited to Texas on other charges when he escaped once again. I have not found record that he was ever held accountable for his crimes, including the death of Louvica Barnett Cunningham. She was 19 years old.

5. Thomas Glass - Died February 21st, 1915 in Thompson, Texas

Thomas is the youngest person on this list, and his death was perhaps the most tragic. My first cousin four times removed was accidentally shot and killed by his younger brother, Byron, who was four years old at the time. Eight-year-old Thomas (the newspaper incorrectly gave his age as 7) and Byron were presumably playing when Byron pointed his father's gun at Thomas and fired, shooting Thomas through the neck. Their parents consoled the frightened and upset Byron, not knowing that Thomas had even been hurt. Tragically, they only discovered this after it was too late.

The above article was from the February 25th, 1915 edition of The Courier-Gazette out of McKinney, Texas. Thomas was interred at Princeton Cemetery.


4. John M. Downing - Died  June 18th, 1921 in Iowa City, Iowa

John Downing's death is both depressing and morbidly fascinating. Downing, who was my first cousin five times removed, attempted to hang himself in his home in West Liberty, Iowa. It is unclear if the attempt simply failed, or was thwarted by another person's intervention. Either way, he clearly intended to leave this life relatively quickly, and instead he hurt himself so badly that his last weeks were certainly filled with significant pain, both physically and emotionally.

The first article comes from the Iowa City Press-Citizen (18 Jun 1921), and the second from the Lime Springs Herald (30 Jun 1921).

3. Roy Lewis Moose - Died July 28th, 1929 in Pampa, Texas

My great grandfather's cousin, Roy, and another man were killed in a gruesome accident in an accident at an oil site in Pampa, Texas. The Pampa Daily News (July 28th, 1929) writes:

"One man killed outright and another was critically injured late Friday in a shower of lines and blocks from the top of the rig of Gulf's Saunders No. 2, about 2 miles southeast of Lefors. Amos Robertson, 36 years old, died instantly, his body crushed to the floor of the rig and battered by falling materials. Roy Moose, 22 years old, suffered a skull fracture and has since been in a semi-conscious condition. His recovery is problematical. His wife is with him at Pampa hospital. ... The men were working for Adams & McGahey, drilling contractors, at the Gulf well, in section 3, block 1, when the accident occurred. In some manner a string of pipe under control of a rotary rig crashed into the top of the derrick. Lines, pulleys, and part of the crown block fell to the floor of the rig.

It is believed that neither man was aware of the danger. Others working on the floor miraculously escaped injury. Two Malone ambulances were summoned as soon as possible after the accident, which took place about 5 p.m. Mr. Moose was at first thought fatally injured, but he rallied and yesterday was slightly improved, The back of his head was crushed when struck by a portion of the crown block."

Despite his rally, Roy died the day the above article was published, his death certificate citing a brain contusion resulting from his skull fracture as the cause of death.

2. Thomas Alexander Jeter - Died May 15th, 1885 in Bedford County, Virginia


Thomas Alexander Jeter, or "T. A.", was shot and killed by Hairston H. Terry, or "H. H.", the son of famed General William R. Terry. (This is General Terry's Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_R._Terry) He was said to have been killed because he named his family's dog, which had been gifted to him by the Terry family, "Lettie", which was the name of Harriston's sister and grandmother. Perceiving this to be a slight against his family, Terry shot Jeter, my first cousin six times removed, and was arrested.

The book "Our Kin: The Genealogies of some of the Early Families who made History in the Founding and Development of Bedford County, Virginia" was co-authored by Jeter's daughter, Lula Jeter Parker, along with Mary Denham Ackerly. About Thomas, they wrote:

"Thomas A. Jeter (called "Pomp" Jeter from childhood by his family and intimate friends), was one of the most popular men that Bedford County has ever produced. He had a big heart and pleasing personality and his business brought him into daily contact with all classes of people--both black and white--and also placed him in position to befriend many who needed assistance, by advancing money on their crops of tobacco. These kindnesses were never forgotten, and for decades after, were recounted to his children whenever occasion permitted.

He was assassinated May 16, 1885, at his place of business by Hairston H. Terry, son of General William R. Terry, who, in a temporary fit of insanity and without the slightest provocation, shot him through the heart--death resulting almost instantly. Terry, for years, had been one of his most intimate friends, had never shown any ill feeling toward him, and often came in town and visited him at the warehouse in a most pleasant manner."

The below article originated in the May 27th, 1885 edition of the Staunton Spectator out of Staunton, Virginia.

The below article is another condensed version of the events which came from May 23rd, 1885 edition of the Peninsula Enterprise out of Accomac, Virginia.

The picture below came originated in the previously-referenced book, "Our Kin".

As in the case of the above Frank Coker, karmic justice was swift and unfavorable to Hairston H. Terry.

1. Absolom Rorie and Hezekiah Columbus Rorie - Died January 24th, 1864 near Sylamore, Arkansas

The most gruesome and terrible of the deaths in my family were those of my 5th great grandfather, Absalom Rorie, and his son, Hezekiah. They were said to have been providing powder works to the Confederate army, and when the Union army learned that Colonel Thomas R. Freeman was reportedly camped at Rorie's Mill, which was owned by the eldest Rorie who was assisted in running it along with his sons, soldiers came to apprehend Freeman.

The following was written in "Places of Our People: Stories of the People and Places of the White River Valley" by Freda Cruise Phillips:

"Scouts were sent to find Freeman, with the remaining Union troops moving to Riggsville to join the Eleventh Missouri Cavalry that had gone south out of Batesville. The scouts reported back that Freeman was camped on Middle Sylamore Creek at Rorie’s Mill. Union soldiers were dispatched. Next morning, Jan 27th, 1864 William] Monks and the 11th Missouri Cavalry went in first, but Freeman had left before dawn going back northeast toward Livingston Creek. Official records report they [Monks and his men] burned both the saw mill and grist mill and killed three men. ... Angry that Freeman had gotten away, the Union soldiers burned the Rorie family’s sawmill and grist mill to the ground, but not before torturing and killing three men of the Rorie family in an effort to determine the location of Freeman and of Rorie’s Cave, believed to be producing powder works. Absalom Rorie and his sons, Andrew and Hezekiah, had their arms tied to separate horses, which were driven in opposite directions, dismembering the bodies."

After this was published, it was discovered by this researcher that Andrew B. Rorie was not the third man killed at Rorie's Mills as previously believed. He, along with his brother John G. and Absolom Josiah "Jody" Rorie [my ancestor], enlisted in the Union army days after their father's and brother's deaths, presumably for the safety of their surviving family members. My belief is that they assumed that if they joined the Union army, were the soldiers who killed their father and brother to return to the area, they would be less likely to harm their family with three of them being soldiers in the Union army. Andrew died in the service of the Union army according to his service records, so the identity of the third man killed at Rorie's Mills is not known. More on the scoundrel William Monks can be read here: http://ozarks-history.blogspot.com/2013/04/william-monks.html.

Pictured above is Absolom Josiah Rorie and his wife Mary Snellgrove, my 4th great grandparents. In his later years, Jody would not speak of the attack on his father and brother in 1864. But the effect on him was lasting, and the family has never forgotten what occurred that day.

This has been a summary of some of the unusual and unfortunate deaths that have occurred in my family. Though all sad in their own ways, I think it is important to remember these events, as they affected our families immensely, and can often be cited as the reasoning for some family's habits or beliefs. Perhaps one day I will have discovered 12 more and I will share those as well.