George Christian Shawver - 3rd Family

So, it is 1904 and George Christian Shawver is left with five children to care for after the death of Rebecca Jane “Frankie” Pitsenbarger.  According to Harvey (Oldest son from first family) Chris made overtures to his first wife, Sarah Emaline Pitsenbarger.  Also according to Harvey – she wanted nothing to do with him.  I am sure that Jessie took over as the oldest child…and perhaps Chris hired someone else to help out.  It is impossible for me to know.  It isn’t until 20 Jan 1906, that Chris married Tamsey Omisca Perry Davidson – and so begins a new chapter.

Marriage photo - 1906

Tamsey Omisca Perry was born on 2 Apr 1882 in Carl Twp, Adams Co., IA to Joseph Henry Perry and Sarah Ada Drake.  She married Charles V. Davidson on 25 Dec 1901 in St. Clair, Monona Co., IA.  She had three children:  William Merle Davidson b. 21 Nov 1902 Whiting, IA d. 27 Aug 1967 Tulare, CA and twins John b. 12 Dec 1904 and died at birth and Ralph b. 12 Dec 1904 d. Jan 1905.  I had always understood that Tamsey was a widow.  However, after a bit of research on who she married, I have discovered that Charles Davidson did not die and remarried to a Myrtle Williams on 4 Sept 1907 and lived until after 1940.  Tamsey married Chris Shawver in 1906 and had a ready-made family with her son and Chris’ five children.  I remember that my great grandmother (Florence Shawver Gage) always referred to Tamsey quite fondly as Mama and I am certain that Tamsey provided the mothering her step children needed. 

It wasn't too long before Chris and Tamsey’s first child was born.  Aida Elizabeth Shawver was born on 13 Dec 1908 in Lyons, Burt Co., NE followed by Ruth Margaret Shawver b. 7 Mar 1911 in Lyons, Burt Co., NE.  Harold Christian Shawver was b. 16 Jun 1913 in Lyons and Ernest Perry Shawver followed on 22 Jun 1914.  Virginia Rachel Shawver was born on 3 Jan 1918 in Lyons.  Then on 3 Jun 1926 when Tamsey was 44 years old, their last child was born – Naomi Jeanne Shawver in Lyons, Burt Co., NE.  Their family was complete with six additional children along with the five children from Chris’ second marriage.

Taken about 1919 - Top Left - Dewey, George, Merle, Florence, Nettie
Bottom Left - Harold, George "Chris" Aida, Ernie in front, Tamsey holding Virginia, Ruth

At this point, some of my information comes from my great grandfather, Ora Gage.  He and my great grandmother were married in 1917 and I think that they actually became quite close.  There were a lot of combined trips to Chicago to sell farm stock and I know that my great uncle spent a lot of time working for his grandfather on his farm.  Chris was actually quite a prosperous farmer.  However, from what I understand, there were some issues with his step son, Merle Davidson.  He made several careless ventures and a lot of money was lost.  In 1930 or so, Chris went back to West Virginia for the first time that I know of since he left in 1888 or so.  There are photos taken with his brother, cousins and nieces as well as photos of his childhood home.  I know from what was told to me that he also went to a bank and watched his son work for a short time.  This makes me think that his older children were still on his mind.  In 1931, shortly before his death, Chris and his son Dewey disappeared for a weekend with a load of goods.  It was thought that he was taking that load to someone from the first family.  I don’t know if his suicide happened shortly after that for later – but on 13 Apr 1931, Chris Shawver was found hung in a barn. 

There are a few reasons why Chris Shawver might have committed suicide.  He was considered to be an upstanding citizen and leader of his community.  From everything I have ever read – he was well regarded.  My great grandfather had the theory that his financial problems might have prompted the suicide and there is also the thought that he was about to be found out about his first family.  I think that his wife, Tamsey, knew about this first family but his other children did not.  So, after his death this came out and his adult children who had children of their own had the shock of finding out that they had five siblings that they had known nothing about.  In fact, the first family and second family were probably as close as siblings genetically since their mothers were sisters and they shared the same father. This is the obituary that was in the local newspaper:

Chris Shawver was born August 6, 1867, and came to Nebraska when a young man. For a number of years he farmed near Decatur, and later moved to his farm northeast of Lyons. At the time of his death he had attained the age of 63 years, 8 months,and 7 days. He was good to his family, a considerate and helpful neighbor, and honest and straightforward in his business dealings and had the respect of who knew him. He leaves to mourn his death, his wife and 11 children. They are: Mrs. John Bacon, George Shawver, Mrs Ora Gage, Dewey Shawver, Mrs Clarence Davidson, Mrs. Art Frey, Mrs. Dale Besst, Harold, Ernest, Virginia and Jeanne and Merle Davidson. One brother John Shawver of Smoot, W. Va. and one sister, Mrs. Wm Rogers of California also survive. The funeral services were held Thurs. afternoon at 2:00 o'clock from the Presbyterian church in Lyons, and with Rev. L. A Thompson in charge. Interment was made in the Decatur Cemetery. Songs: Face to Face, Nearer My God to Thee, In the Sweet By and By. Choir: Clay Newman, Mrs. Walton, Mrs. Matt Pond, Dr. Heyne Odd Fellows had charge of the services at the Decatur Cemetery. Paul Bearers Osean Swanson, Tom Crippen, Wid Bacon, Earl Bacon, Lewis Frey, Charles Frey.

I would assume that it was several years later – perhaps about 1940 when the older siblings met some of their younger siblings.  Sarah Emaline Pitsenbarger came along and also met the siblings.  I don’t think that my great grandmother was at this meeting – but I know that she traded letters back and forth many years with her sister, Mary Shawver Booker and when her brother Harvey moved to Spokane, WA there were many occasions when they were able to visit.  I imagine that the entire episode was something that was hard to reconcile with their knowledge of their beloved father.  I tried to get a copy of Chris Shawver’s death certificate and it wasn't available…which makes me believe that it was never filed and it was another way to keep what happened secret.  However, there is no way that gossip won’t be spread and that is probably how I found out about the story in the first place.  My uncle grew up near the family in Nebraska and moved out to Idaho about the same time.  So, he had first hand knowledge.

Tamsey still had a job to take care of herself.  She was left with four children still under the age of 18 with the youngest being just five years old.  By all reports, she was an excellent mother and her children certainly illustrated that.  I know that she made a few trips west to visit her family that had moved out to Idaho.  My father remembers fairly well.  She was the only great grandmother that he ever knew.  Tamsey died on 16 Apr 1958 in Lyons, Burt Co., NE at the age of 76.

Here is a list of Tamsey & Chris Shawver’s family:

• Aida Elizabeth Shawver b. 13 Dec 1908 Lyons, NE d. 27 Feb 1978 Portland, OR m. 13 Dec 1926 Arthur Glen Frey – 4 children m. 1 Dec 1940 Dell Stewart m. Dec 1945 Vaughn Elijah Maxfield – 3 children m. Dec 1954 Guy Emery Neal
• Ruth Margaret Shawver b. 7 Mar 1911 Lyons, NE d. 12 Nov 2002 Lewiston, ID m. 31 Jul 1928 Dale Elwood Besst – 7 children
• Harold Christian Shawver b. 16 Jun 1913 Lyons, NE d. 23 May 1989 MT m. bef 1934 Ruth Evelyn Whitney  4 – children m. Opal Blossom
• Ernest Perry Shawver b. 22 Jun 1914 Lyons, NE d. 7 Mar 1987 Yuma, AZ m. 22 Apr 1933 Fern Lillian Craig – 1 child
• Virginia Rachel Shawver b. 3 Jan 1918 Lyons, NE d. 15 Sept 1964 San Francisco, CA m. John Guy Bernich m. John Vincent Biagi – 1 child m. Howard Johnson 1 child
• Naomi Jeanne Shawver b. 3 Jun 1926 Lyons, NE d. 30 Dec 2012 Moscow, ID m. 3 Aug 1946 Warren Philip Renz – 6 children

Shawver Brothers - Left to Right: Harvey, Ernie, Harold, Marvin & Dewey

Back Left: Harold, Dewey & Ernie
Front Left: Ruth, Jessie, Florence & Jeanne - Taken about 1981.

Cemetery Tales - Shingletown Cemetery

The first time I visited the Wesley Methodist Cemetery aka Shingletown Cemetery near Laurel Bloomery, Johnson Co., TN was in 2001.  It was a voyage of discovery that was made even more special by the fact that I was able to visit the home that my great grandmother grew up in.  (The Little House in the Hollar)  In 2003, I was able to go back…but this time I took a cousin with me to visit the house and we were able to visit the church as well.  We were also able to visit the daughter of the Ferd Reid who had directed me to the Dollar home in the first place.  Betty was taking care of her mother, who had dementia.  As we took some time to visit, Betty explained to me that she had grown up there in that house and her father had run a store that had burned down.  I remember as a child hearing my great grandmother talking about walking to town to go to the store.  I always wondered where exactly she was going because Mountain City was a long way away.  Betty told me several bits and pieces of information and asked me if I knew anything about her family.  I told that I didn’t really have any information…however, that has changed.

One of the most pivotal relatives that I have come across is Andrew Pennington b. 7 Sept 1813 in Ashe Co., NC and who died on 29 Dec 1894 in Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN.  You might wonder why I call him pivotal…In 1850, he and his family is recorded in the Ashe Co., NC census with an elderly man named Ephraim Pennington.  Within two years, he sells his land to an Elijah Pennington and moves to Johnson Co., TN.  That elderly man living with him was most likely his father and the Elijah Pennington who he sold his land too was his nephew.  That information makes him important in my ancestry because it turns out that Andrew Pennington was the younger brother of my ancestor, Levi Pennington b. 1794 and Ephraim was their father.  Not only that, when Andrew went over to Laurel Bloomery in Johnson Co., TN – within 20 years, Levi’s daughter and husband (my 3^rd great grandparents) followed him over there – and that is where my great grandmother was born. 

Betty had told me that her mother was the daughter of Bettie Pearl Blackburn who had come from Arkansas and her grandfather was William A. Davidson.  She didn’t really know all that much about him.  So, in 2005, when Hazel Davidson (Betty’s mother) passed away, I was able to read her obituary and get a little more information.  So, knowing that she was born in Johnson Co., TN near Shingletown, TN, I was able to establish from the census that her father, William A. Davidson was born in 1881.  William is recorded with his parents, Creed and Nancy Davidson.  At this point, my curiosity is somewhat appeased and I go on and do some other looking in the census records for my Pennington line.  I am starting to piece together the children of Andrew Pennington and his wife Mary Elizabeth Pope, imagine my surprise when I discover that they had a daughter named Nancy Laurinda Pennington who married a Creed Davidson.  I’ve been able to further establish the link by cemetery records for the Wesley Methodist Church Cemetery aka Shingletown Cemetery and her death record.

Nancy Laurinda Pennington Davidson

Creed Davidson Grave

That one link led me to look even more closely at that cemetery and its inhabitants.  I have found that a large percentage are either directly descended from Andrew Pennington.  So with that information, I was able to learn even more about Andrew Pennington and his family.  Enough to know that in that little piece of Tennessee – there are a lot of Pennington relatives.  So by researching layer by layer on a family, I was able to gain a larger understanding of the family as a whole.  Andrew Pennington is quite distinct to me now and not to be confused with the Andrew Pennington who lived in Smyth Co., VA (A Tale of Two Andrews)  It just goes to show that it might be a good idea to explore some of these small cemeteries where some of our ancestors are buried.  You never know when you will discover another family layer to explore.

Family of Andrew Pennington

Generation No. 1

1.  ANDREW⁴ PENNINGTON  (EPHRAIM³, EPHRAIM², EPHRAIM¹) was born 07 Sep 1813 in Ashe Co., NC, and died 29 Dec 1894 in Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN.  He married (1) ELIZABETH SHEPHARD.    He married (2) MARY ELIZABETH POPE Abt. 1835.  She was born 18 May 1812 in NC or VA, and died 12 Oct 1884 in Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN.

    

Children of ANDREW PENNINGTON and MARY POPE are:

                   i.    MARY E.⁵ PENNINGTON, b. Apr 1836, Ashe Co., NC; d. 27 Mar 1916, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; m. ROBERT C. SEXTON, 14 Mar 1863, Johnson Co., TN; b. 06 Mar 1835, VA; d. 04 Feb 1887, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN.

                  ii.    LEVI PENNINGTON, b. Abt. 1837, Ashe Co., NC; d. Bef. 1860.

                 iii.    JOHN H. PENNINGTON, b. Abt. 1840, Ashe Co., NC.

                 iv.    EPHRAIM PENNINGTON, b. 07 May 1842, Ashe Co., NC; d. Sep 1904; m. (1) LOUISA KATHERINE HALL, 07 Oct 1862, Johnson Co., TN; b. Abt. 1842, TN; d. Bef. 1875; m. (2) MARGARETT R. RICHARDSON, Abt. 1885; b. Jan 1861, NC.

                  v.    MARTHA JANE PENNINGTON, b. 26 May 1848, Ashe Co., NC; d. 21 Apr 1928, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; m. MADISON M. MCCRACKEN; b. 26 Jul 1894, Wideners Valley, Washington Co., VA; d. 20 Feb 1928, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN.

                 vi.    MARGARET C. PENNINGTON, b. 19 Mar 1851, Ashe Co., NC; d. 06 Sep 1914, Grainger Co., TN; m. PLEASANT ALEXANDER DIXON, 23 Jun 1863, Johnson Co., TN; b. 25 Aug 1844, Yadkin Co., NC; d. 09 Jul 1910, Grainger Co., TN.

                vii.    NANCY LAURINDA PENNINGTON, b. 07 Sep 1853, Ashe Co., NC; d. 15 Feb 1930, Johnson Co., TN; m. CREED F. DAVIDSON, Bef. 1875; b. 28 Jan 1852, Smyth Co., VA; d. 13 Jan 1922, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN.

               viii.    ADELAZA PENNINGTON, b. Abt. 1856, TN.

Uncle Dewey

The first family reunion that I remember clearly was in 1977 when the Gage & Shawver clan gathered for the 50^th Wedding Anniversary of my great grandparents.  Before that time, I have images and some memories…but that is the first one that I remember the most detail from during my childhood.  I was 10 years old and probably a bit too precocious and lively as 10 year girls are.  I was enthused about playing with my godmother and Cousin Patti’s little girl.  I think she was about 15 months old and just the right size to play with.  I remember sitting on a blanket with her and playing peek-a-boo and talking to her.  It must have been my first experience with a baby that age.  I then engaged a bit tom foolery with an older cousin.  I dumped some ice down his back and he retaliated by grabbing my shoes, filling them with water and dumping that over my head.  We called a truce for a short time…and then the combat really started.  We found a stash of acorns and started throwing them at each other.  He was much older and was careful not to hurt me…but he also wasn’t going to let me get away with my pranks without some retaliation.  Evidently, my great great uncle decided that it wasn’t quite fair and joined me in attacking my cousin with the acorns.  I thought this was pretty remarkable at the time…because to me he was probably was an old man who I know was related to me but really wasn’t sure of his name…from then on, I knew he was uncle Dewey.

Dewey Dountain Shawver was next in age to my great grandmother.  He was born on 25 May 1899 in Decatur, Burt Co., NE to George Christian Shawver and Rebecca Jane Pitzenbarger.  I think he was named for a cousin of Chris Shawvers who lived back in West Virginia, because that is the only time that I have seen the name Dountain.    Chris Shawver’s older son left home not too long after he turned 18 – first to the military and World War I and then married moved to Montana.  Dewey stayed and lived near his father and helped him work the farm and was probably a partner as well as a son in many ways.  I know they were very close.   Dewey married Alice Elizabeth Davidson on 28 Sep 1919 in Lyons, NE.  His sister, Nettie had married Alice’s brother a few years before.   For the rest of their lives, they were never apart.  After Chris Shawver died in 1932, Dewey lived in Nebraska another 20 years before following his sister out to Idaho to Princeton where he and Alice made their home.

Shawver Family - Taken about 1905 - Dewey  is in the front with my great grandmother Florence behind him.
Jessie is in the middle, George is in the back and Chris Shawver has Nettie on his lap.
 I  think that this was taken after their mother died of  Tuberculosis in 1904.

Dewey worked as a logging truck driver from 1952 until he retired in 1965.   From what I have heard from others, Dewey was a great and skillful truck driver.  My memories of him are his gentle smile and kinda goofy looks.  By the time I knew him; he was bald and had a big nose.  He was an example of one those old men that my Mom always mentioned wearing bib overalls.  However to a little girl there was a sweetness and friendliness about him that made him approachable and certainly memorable.  I still remember him at his 70^th wedding anniversary with all of his children, various nieces and nephews and his siblings about him.  He pulled my 92 year old great grandmother down on his knee and she put her arm about him and you could see the love and affection that had existed since they were children.

Dewey died at the age of 96 after spending his last few years in a nursing home.  He and Aunt Alice were at the point that they couldn’t take care of a home anymore.  I remember visiting him in the nursing home with my grandmother and watching how he tenderly held hands with his bride of 70 plus years.  She survived him three more years.  They both are buried at Freeze Cemetery near Potlatch, ID.  Whenever, I think of Uncle Dewey – I smile and remember that cool old guy who helped me trounce my cousin with acorns at that long ago family picnic.

Thrashing Grain

Mom and I set up the website probably about 10 years ago.  I did most of the family data pages and she wanted to do the photo pages.  You might say that it took a while with our combined efforts to complete the webpage.  Don’t remind me how long it has been since I have updated everything.  I was going through and a looking at a few page when I came across the main photo page…and remembered that there is a quite a good story to go with that photo.

Working the land has always been an important part of our family’s lives.  It is how they made their living and what they loved to do.  From lumbering to farming – the land has been a central part of our ancestor’s lives.  There was one photo that Mom thought really was emblematic of that love of land.  It was taken probably around 1910 when my great great grandfather and his boys were thrashing grain I Nebraska.  George Christian Shawver is the adult male with his two sons Dewey and George and stepson Merle Davidson (I think Merle is the one standing on the wagon with George on the horse and Dewey standing next to his father..   Sitting in the carriage is Tamsey with Aida (Chris Shawver’s third wife) and Nettie’s head is poking out above the grain near the wagon wheel.  It was taken on the family farm near Lyons, NE.

Now a version of this picture is on our website and it is also on the front cover of the Shawver family cookbook that was published many years ago.  It wasn’t too long ago when I found a much better copy of the photo to scan that Mom and I didn’t have available when we first put it on our website.  It wasn’t on too long before Mom received an email from a gentleman named Earl Bacon.  He commented to Mom that the photo looked like on that he had seen at his Aunt Jessie’s house and wondered where we got the photo.  After a little bit of questioning we found out that the Aunt Jessie Bacon that he was talking about and the one we knew were one and the same.  So began an email friendship that lasted.  Earl and Mom started out by trading short emails and soon they were trading email jokes.  I must say that I have never seen better jokes than the ones we got from Earl.  All of the family enjoyed them and they became known as “Earl” jokes.  Mom and Earl also traded family news of their children, political beliefs and other assorted items in these emails and through email became close friends.  When Mom got sick, Earl was a concerned friend who I regularly updated.

When Mom died on December 26, 2005, I went back to our den and turned her computer on.  I was thinking about taking care of some of her correspondence and letting her friends know of her passing.  One of the first emails that came up was one from Earl Bacon wondering how Mom’s Christmas was.  It became my sad duty to let Earl know that Mom had passed.  I told him how much she had enjoyed her contact with him and thanked him for being such a wonderful friend.  I asked him to keep sending the jokes to Dad’s email because he needed the smiles.

One day in October of 2007, we received an email from Earl’s son, informing us of his death.  We mourned someone that we had never met in person but who we got to know through email.  Just as if we had been friends for years – we mourned his passing.  To think – it all started with a picture of a family thrashing grain back in 1910.  What a happy coincidence!

Edy Pennington Eastrage

Depending on whatever theory that you believe in…Edy Pennington is most likely the oldest child of Levi Pennington and Elizabeth Henson.   I am fairly confident that Levi Pennington and Elizabeth Henson had at least 12 children and possibly as many as 14.  I am descended from one of the youngest daughters, Elizabeth, but I have always been interested in Edy Pennington.

Edy was born about 1815 likely around the Little Laurel region of Ashe Co., NC.  Her parents probably either married the year she was born or just before.  It would have put her mother at the age of 16 and her father at the age of 21.  Edy marries a Nathan Estrage in about 1835.  He was likely a close neighbor.  Nathan was the son of Henry Eastridge and Elizabeth Floyd.  I’ve never spent a lot of time looking at Nathan’s ancestry but I have spent a bit of time trying to figure out if the name is supposed to be Eastrage, Eastridge, or Estrage.  I’m still not sure of the spelling but I have gone with the spelling of Eastrage because that is what I have found in census records.

Edy and Nathan had children right away after the marriage and had at least six children.  According to the estate record of Levi Pennington, we actually have a pretty good rundown of the children.

• Elizabeth was born abt 1836 in Ashe Co., NC and d. bef 1865. She was married to Radford Davidson on 17 Jan 1852 also in Ashe Co., NC.  Elizabeth died before 1865 and her husband died before 1870.  I’ve had limited luck tracing their children any further.  I only have limited information on the children and a death date on one of them. 
• William Harrison was born 2 Jan 1840 in Ashe Co., NC and d. 6 May 1925 Ashe Co., NC.  He was married to either Mary Dishman or Davis.  They had 9 children spent their lives in the area.
• Catherine was born Jun 1842 and d. 8 Nov 1915.  She married Charles A. Warren on 3 May 1869 and they had three children.
• Nancy was born about 1845 in Ashe Co., NC and d. bet 1876-1880.  She was married to John H. Shepherd and had six children. 
• Edia was born about 1848 in Ashe Co., NC and d. Feb 1880.  She was married to Alvin Columbus Lou Allen.  (Alvin’s brother Calvin, was married to Edia’s 1^st cousin, Tishia Pennington)  I have very little on their two daughters, although I suspect on the little bits of information that I do have that the family might have ended up in Johnson Co., TN
• Hiley was born about May 1850 in Ashe Co., NC, married Wiley Elbert Vanover on 18 Aug 1882 in Johnson Co., TN and they are next found in the 1900 IL census with three children.

It is obvious that Edy named at least one of her daughters after her sister Hiley and possible that she named another one after Elizabeth…but I think it more likely that she was named after Nathan’s mother.  Every one of these families is due more research because there is always new information that seems to come to light and sometimes new ways to search.   However, Edy seemed to leave her mark.  She stayed her entire life in Laurel Twp., Ashe Co., NC and sadly preceded both her parents in death.  Her husband never remarried as far as I can tell and stayed in the Laurel Twp., Ashe Co., NC.  Their burial location is unknown but they are probably buried in a family cemetery nearby.