Gravestone Pics - George William Shawver & Elizabeth Matilda Legg

My great great grandfather moved to Iowa and later Nebraska in the late 1800's.  He likely wasn't there when his parents both died in 1900.  When he visited West Virginia in 1930, he took this photo of his parent's gravestone and it is in a photo album of photos taken during that trip back to West Virginia.

Neither one of these photos is all that cheerful.  I suspect that no one likes to see a picture of a gravestone unless you are interested in genealogy.  However, if you are interested in genealogy, there are two things missing as far as I am concerned.  Those two things are the maiden name of the woman and full dates on the gravestone.  Doesn't seem that important to most...but sometimes it is very difficult to figure out what the maiden name is for a particular ancestor.  Perhaps there wasn't a marriage record available, or no one had a Bible record.  It makes it so much easier to have the maiden name already on the stone.  This caused quite a discussion for my mother and I many years ago.  We decided that women should always have their maiden name on their gravestones because it not only acknowledges the family they were born into but also their own family history.  Plus it would make it so much easier on later generations.  So, when my mother passed away - her maiden name was on her gravestone.

This couple would be my 3rd great grandparents.  The handwriting on the photo is from my great grandmother, Florence Shawver Gage.  The typewritten description also comes from her.  She decided to redo some of her photo albums once upon a time, taught herself to type and typed up the descriptions.  You might call her an early "scrapbooker!"

George William Shawver was born 15 Nov 1824 at Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., WV (It was still VA when he was born) and he died 9 Mar 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  He was married to Elizabeth Matilda Legg on 02 Nov 1848 in Fayette Co., WV (VA).  She was born 16 May 1830 in Leander, Fayette Co., VA (WV) and she died just a few weeks before her husband on 12 Feb 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  He was the son of Robert Shawver and Mary Jane Callison and she was the daughter of Thomas Henderson Legg and Elizabeth Nutter.

I don't know when the photo was taken, but I suspect it was around 1890 or so.  My younger relations have commented that he looks friendly enough but she looks rather sour.  Have to remind the younger generations that she probably didn't have many teeth left...and they probably had to sit there for a few minutes to take a photo.  She couldn't really hide behind the beard!

Genealogy Wanderings - Dountain/Downtain

My great grandmother's family came from West Virginia. Most of her family lines were in West Virginia for all of the 19th century.  There are so many family relationships that sometimes it is easy to lose focus...because once you start looking it is almost like you go into a black hole and forget what your goal was.  This is one of the most complicated family relationships that I have.  I am directly related to Shawver, Nutter, Pitsenbarger, and Amick - and those families are intermarried and there are a lot of other names the fall into the mix like O'Dell

My great grandmother's younger brother was called Dewey Dountain Shawver.  I have many fond memories of him, because he was truly a character.  His son was called Dewey Dountain Shawver, Jr and there is now 4 generations of Dewey Dountain Shawver's.  Our family left West Virginia in the late 19th century - still one has to wonder where the name came from...because it is unusual.  I have found several with the name in the associated families...not sure if one of them is the source of the name.  Here are a few of these Dountain/Downtain cousins.

Isaac "Ike" Dountain Nutter is one of my earliest Dountain's.  He was born 11 Aug 1856 in Nutterville, Greenbriar Co., WV and died 21 May 1935.  His parents were John B. Nutter and Elizabeth Pitsenbarger.  John B. Nutter was the half brother of my 4th great grandmother, Elizabeth Nutter  (m. to Thomas Henderson Legg) and Elizabeth Pitsenbarger was the younger sister of my 3rd great grandfather, William Pitsenbarger.  Isaac Dountain Nutter was married to Mary Etta Walker and they had 5 children.

Levi Dountain Nutter was born March 1866 in Nicholas Co., WV and died 31 Oct 1931 in Nicholas Co., WV.  His parents were Charles W. Nutter and Sarah Pitsenbarger.  Charles Nutter's grandfather was David Nutter - my 5th great grandfather. Sarah Pitsenbarger's grandfather is my 5th great grandfather, Abraham Pitsenbarger.  They had 4 children.

Pascal Dountain Nutter was born 18 Aug 1896 in Greenbrier, WV and died 14 Nov 1955.  He was married to Rebecca May Trout.  His father was Johnson Floyd Nutter whose parents were John B Nutter and Elizabeth Pitsenberger.  (See above) His mother was Elbina Catherine Nutter, who parents were Charles W Nutter and Sarah Pitsenbarger.  They had 14 children including Pascal Dountain Nutter, Jr.

Adam Downtain Bailes was born 13 Sep 1857 in Mt Nebo, Nicholas Co., WV and died 14 Oct 1886 in Nicholas Co., WV.  He was married to Rachel Anna Pitsenbarger who was the sister of my second great grandmother, Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger.  They had 2 children.

Paschal Downtain Nutter was born May 1861 Greenbrier Co., WV and died 13 Jan 1897 in Greenbrier Co., WV.  He was the son of Levi William Nutter and Margaret Backus.  Paschal is the grandson of my 5th great grandfather David Nutter and his second wife, Christina O'Dell. (I am descended from his first wife, Ruth Cottle.)  He was married to Caroline Richardson and they had 5 children.

Of course then there is my great great uncle, Dewey Dountain Shawver born 25 May 1899 in Decatur, Burt Co., NE and died 18 Oct 1995 in Moscow, Latah Co., ID.  He was the son of George Christian Shawver and Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger. Dewey was married to Alice Davidson and they had three children, including Dewey Dountain Shawver Jr aka "DeweyD".  

I am not sure where the Dountain/Downtain name came from...but the name is interspersed with the Nutters and Pitsenbargers primarily but it also shows up in the O'Dell family which is closely tied with the Nutter family since David Nutter (my 5th great grandfather) married Christina O'Dell after the death of Ruth Cottle.  David and Ruth had 10 children and then David and his second wife had 7 more children.  Since the name mostly shows up among the descendants of David Nutter with the exception of Adam Downtain Bailes, it makes me think that there must have been local individual who was an important and/or beloved member of the community.  Perhaps someone can tell me who it might be.

If you would like to read more about Dewey Shawver's siblings and parents...check out:

George Christian Shawver - 1st Family

George Christian Shawver - 2nd Family

George Christian Shawver - 3rd Family

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David Nutter...and family...

I have West Virginia roots…deep roots that stretch back to the 1700’s.  I can’t say that they have been all that difficult to find because my great grandmother had pretty good notes about her family’s ancestry.  What has been difficult, is to ascertain which family belongs with which.

One of these confusing family lines is that of my 4^th great grandmother Elizabeth “Betsy” Nutter.  Anyone who has spent any time in genealogical research has to realize that Elizabeth might be one of the most common names and the most common nickname was Betsy.  Betsy was born on 21 Jun 1790 in Monroe Co., VA today, WV.  She died on 20 Apr 1869 in Leander, Fayette Co., WV.  On 19 Apr 1810, she married Thomas Jefferson Legg in Monroe Co., VA.  She was daughter of David Nutter who was most likely born in 1769 in Somerset Co., MD and died in 1851 in Nicholas Co., VA (WV).  You might say, that David Nutter is probably one of the main causes of all the confusion.

David married Ruth Cottle on 13 Jan 1789 in Monroe Co., VA.  She was the daughter of William Cottle and his wife Elizabeth.  They quickly, as was customary, started their family and had 10 children between 1790 and 1810 when she died on 10 July 1810 probably from childbirth with her youngest daughter, Malinda.  She was buried at the Old Rehoboth Methodist Church in in Union, Monroe Co., WV – you can view what is left of her gravestone at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22084644

David and Ruth’s children were:

• Elizabeth “Betsy” Nutter b. 21 Jun 1790 d. 20 Apr 1869 m. Thomas Henderson Legg
• Matthew Nutter b. 1791 d. aft 7 Jun 1860 m1 Sarah Cochran m2 Nancy Elkins m3 Margaret “Peggy” Hall
• Elijah Nutter b. 1792 d. abt 1860
• Hannah b. 1793 d. aft 1870 (As far as I know…she never married but still had five children)
• Jane Nutter b. abt 1795 d. Sep 1871 m. Steven O’Dell
• William b. abt 1799 d. aft 1850 m. Elizabeth Curren m2 Margaret Jones
• Ruth E. Nutter b. 1 Dec 1801 d. 30 Jan 1876 m. Hiram Pierson
• Nancy Myra Nutter b. 1802 d. 1848 m. Samuel Dorsey, Sr
• David Nutter, Jr b. 1807 d. aft 1880 m. Leah Buckle
• Malinda Nutter b. 1810 d. Feb 1850 m. John Duffy McClung

Seven years after the death of his wife, David Nutter married Christina O’Dell on 3 Aug 1817, daughter of Jeremiah O’Dell and Rachel Walters.  She was b. 28 Jan 1790 and d. 19 Aug 1891.  She was just five months older than David’s oldest daughter.

They had the following children:

• Grandison McCutcheon Nutter b.  31 Jul 1815 d. 17 Nov 1904 m. Christina Pitsenbarger
• Rachel Nutter b. 10 Jun 1821 d. 8 Jan 1904 m. Alexander Brown, Jr
• Elinor Nutter b. Jun 1823 d. aft 1906 m1 Sinnett Williams m2 Andrew Brown
• John B. Nutter b. 2 Aug 1826 d. 18 Jun 1896 m. Elizabeth Pitsenbarger
• Ginsette Magdaline Nutter b. abt 1827 d. ? m. Abraham Neff
• Jeremiah “Jerry Nutter b. Jun 1830 d. 1909 m. Susan Miller
• Levi William Nutter b. 13 Nov 1833 d. 13 Jun 1882 m. Magaret Backus

Within these 17 children of David Nutter, you can find some of the most prominent families of Nicholas & Fayette Co., WV.  My own family includes Nutter, Legg, Pitsenbarger, Amick and Shawver but O’Dell, Dorsey, Brown, and McClung are also prominent families.  If you go a little deeper, you will also find Ramsey, and Walker.  The lines get even more tangled the more you dig in.  You might say that David Nutter with his 17 children was definitely one of the founding fathers of Nicholas and Fayette Co., WV.

My line goes back to him this way:

Florence Christine Shawver m. Ora Silas Gage (my great grandparents)

George Christian Shawver m. Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger

Elizabeth Matilda Legg m. George William Shawver

Elizabeth "Betsy" Nutter m. Thomas Henderson Legg

David Nutter m. Ruth Cottle - my 5th great grandparents

George William Shawver

George William Shawver & Elizabeth Matilda Legg

George William Shawver was born on 15 Nov 1824 at Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., WV (VA) as the second son of Robert S. Shawver and Mary Jane Callison.  His father’s family had emigrated from Germany probably in the mid 1700’s. (See Sebastian Shawver – Immigrant Ancestor) and from the 1790’s on – the Shawver family had lived in Virginia or West Virginia as it was after 1860.  His mother’s grandfather was James Callison who was born in Ballyhagen, Armagh Co., Ireland around 1739.

It is interesting to note that George William Shawver probably had some interesting ancestors with perhaps some interesting stories.  I have James Callison listed in my database as “Sir James Callison” which implies some sort of Irish nobility.  I also have an interesting note that Mary Jane Callison’s grandfather also had a noble line.  Although, it is suspected that it isn’t of the legitimate variety.  His mother possibly arrived in America on a convict ship.  If is mother was “well-born” and arriving in the colonies with her children on a convict ship – one has to wonder what happened in Ireland or England.    In any case, I suspect there is a good story there and I am not sure that we will ever know the “whole” of it!

George William Shawver married Elizabeth Matilda Legg on 2 Nov 1848 in Fayette Co., VA (WV).  She was the daughter of Thomas Henderson Legg and Elizabeth Nutter.  Elizabeth was born on 16 May 1830 in Leander, Fayette Co., VA (WV).  Her parents had settled in and around Nicholas and Fayette Co., VA around 1820 and she was the youngest daughter in a family of 10 children.

It is hard to know much about a family that lived over a hundred and fifty years ago.  There are really only a few details that one can gather from the census records that counted the passage of time.  In 1850, George and his wife Elizabeth are living with his father in Greenbrier Co., VA with their first son, Robert Thomas Shawver.  By 1860, they are living in Nicholas Co., VA with their growing family including Robert, Melcena, Paul Harvey, John Morrison, Henry, and Daniel.  George is listed as a farmer at this point with land valued at $600 and a personal estate of $100…not terribly prosperous.  By 1870, he is still listed as a farmer with a value of $3,000 land value and $900 personal estate.  He is listed with wife Matilda, children Harvey, John, Henry, Ruth, George C. (my 2^nd great grandfather) and Felix.  In 1880, George is no longer listed as a farmer but rather a Stone Mason, land and personal estate values are no longer listed but rather parental birthplaces.  This is the last census that George and Elizabeth Matilda are counted as they both passed away in 1900.  Elizabeth died on 12 Feb 1900 and George died on 9 Mar 1900 both in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  They were both buried at Prosperity Cemetery in Raleigh Co., WV.

 

 

I know from notes that I have that George William Shawver was also a Blacksmith and Methodist minister.  He was referred to as “Shoutin George Shawver” and referred to many as “brother”.  My 2^nd Great Grandfather left West Virginia sometime before 1890 and only returned to West Virginia once in 1931 not too long before he died. My Great Grandmother had pictures filled with photos taken during that trip including pictures of the old home place and photos of his siblings and parent’s graves.  So…that is really all I have of my 3^rd Great Grandparents…a few pictures and a few details of their life.  I suppose that is more than most!

 

 

 

Descendants of George William SHAWVER

Generation No. 1

1.  GEORGE WILLIAM⁴ SHAWVER  (ROBERT S.³, GEORGE², SEBASTIAN¹) was born 15 Nov 1824 in Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., VA (WV), and died 09 Mar 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  He married ELIZABETH MATILDA LEGG 02 Nov 1848 in Fayette Co.,  VA (WV), daughter of THOMAS LEGG and ELIZABETH NUTTER.  She was born 16 May 1830 in Leander, Fayette Co., VA (WV), and died 12 Feb 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.

       

Children of GEORGE SHAWVER and ELIZABETH LEGG are:

                   i.    ROBERT THOMAS⁵ SHAWVER, b. 06 Nov 1849, Kentucky District, Nicholas Co., VA (WV) or Fayette Co., VA; d. 22 May 1907, Spruce Grove, Nicholas Co., WV; m. ANNETTA T. MORRISON, 17 Feb 1866, Nicholas Co., WV; b. Dec 1847, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 1932, Spruce Grove, Nicholas Co., WV.

                  ii.    MELCENA E. SHAWVER, b. 01 Apr 1851, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 22 Dec 1903, Nicholas Co., WV; m. WILLIAM H. O'DELL, JR., 13 Jun 1867, Nicholas Co., WV ?; b. 1850, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. Dec 1893.

                 iii.    PAUL HARVEY SHAWVER, b. 14 Mar 1853, Greenbrier Co., VA (WV); d. 02 Mar 1917, Danville, Vermilion Co., IL; m. (1) MARY COPELAND KING, 21 Mar 1878, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 1860, WV; d. Bef. 1885; m. (2) MARY FRANCIS FULCHER, 15 Jul 1885, Montgomery Co., IN; b. 27 Sep 1860, Owensboro, Daviess Co., KY; d. 31 Jan 1925, Danville, Vermilion Co., IL.

                 iv.    JOHN MORRISON SHAWVER, b. 14 Mar 1855, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 25 Nov 1938, Grassy Meadows, Greenbrier Co., WV; m. ELIZABETH MEDORA BOLEY, 07 Jan 1875, Nicholas Co., WV; b. Feb 1856, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 06 Feb 1940, Grassy Meadows, Greenbrier Co., WV.

                  v.    HENRY W. D. SHAWVER, b. 06 Dec 1857, New Kentucky, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 1964, Nicholas Co., WV; m. MARGARET ELLEN STOWERS, 03 Feb 1874; b. 04 Jul 1853, WV; d. 15 Jul 1915, Nicholas Co., WV.

                 vi.    DANIEL L. SHAWVER, b. 06 Mar 1859, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 20 Oct 1861, Nicholas Co., WV.

                vii.    MELVINA J. O. L. SHAWVER, b. 25 Feb 1861, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 20 Nov 1865, Nicholas Co., WV.

               viii.    RUTH ELIZABETH SHAWVER, b. 05 Aug 1864, Nicholas Co., WV; m. MAHLEN ALBERT MILLS, 26 Apr 1877, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 02 Aug 1854, Greenbrier Co., VA (WV).

                 ix.    GEORGE CHRISTIAN SHAWVER, b. 06 Aug 1867, Fowler's Knob, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 13 Apr 1931, Lyons, Burt Co., NE; m. (1) SARAH EMALINE PITSENBARGER, 26 Aug 1883, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 19 Aug 1861, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 17 Aug 1947, Linden, Montgomery Co., IN; m. (2) REBECCA JANE PITZENBERGER, Abt. 1891, IA; b. 28 Jan 1870, Kanawha River near Shawverville, WV; d. 10 May 1904, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE; m. (3) TAMSEY OMISCA PERRY, 20 Jan 1906; b. 02 Apr 1882, Adams Co., IA; d. 16 Apr 1958, Lyons, Burt Co., NE.

                  x.    FELIX L. A. SHAWVER, b. 10 May 1869, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 19 Oct 1889, Darlington, Montgomery Co., IN.

                 xi.    CHRISTINA SIGNORA JANET LILLY SHAWVER, b. 10 Aug 1871, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 11 Jul 1945, Lindsay, Tulare Co., CA; m. WILLIAM MARTIN ROGERS, 13 Jan 1887, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 27 Nov 1862, WV; d. 21 Jan 1926, Lindsay, Tulare Co., CA.

 

 

Great Great Aunt Jeanne

Taken 1981 - Top L- Ernie, Dewey, Harold
Bottom L: Ruth, Jessie, Florence and Jeanne
(7 of the Shawver Siblings)

A few days ago, we learned that my great great Aunt Jeanne had passed away.  She was the last of my great grandmother’s siblings – and had been the last one for the last ten years.  I always identified with Aunt Jeanne…and whenever we got together at reunions or funerals, I always spent some time visiting with her.  I don’t think that she would be offended if I called her a combination of “sugar and spice!”  I believe that she would appreciate the cooking term as she was a well known "great" cook.  Aunt Jeanne was a lady who as incredibly kind and loving but she always had spine of steel.  The health challenges alone that she survived took a strong will.  She had had numerous joint replacements for the last 20 years.  Aunt Jeanne was stubbornly independent but was also generous and strong presence in the lives of all she touched. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother – the devotion of her children and grandchildren are proof of that. 


George William Shawver &
Elizabeth Matilda Legg

In genealogical terms, I have always found Aunt Jeanne to be fascinating.  She was the youngest child of the 17 children of George Christian Shawver (he had three separate families).  Her oldest sibling was born in 1883 (Harvey) and she was a great aunt when she was only a few years old.  Her paternal grandparents were born early in the previous century.  George William Shawver was born 15 Nov 1824 and his wife, Elizabeth Matilda Legg was born 16 May 1830.  They both died in 1900 (Elizabeth on 12 Feb 1900 & George on 9 Mar 1900) and her paternal great grandparents were born in the late 18^th century.  Aunt Jeanne was born on 6 Jun 1926 when her father was 59 years old and her mother was 44 years old.  Her next oldest sibling, Virginia, was eight years older than her.  I suspect that she was an “oops” baby!  My great grandmother, Florence, was born on 14 Jun 1897 and she married in 1917 when she was 20 years old.  Her oldest five children were all older than Aunt Jeanne.  Aunt Jeanne used to love to hear stories from my grandmother and great uncle because she said that they knew her father better than she did.  They had more time with their grandfather than Aunt Jeanne had with her father.  Aunt Jeanne lost her father in 1931, when she was only 5 years old and she was raised by her mother.  She married Warren Renz in 1946 in Lyons, Burt Co., NE and she and Warren were the parents of six children.  Aunt Jeanne lost her husband twenty years ago and had remained a widow since.

George Christian "Chris"  Shawver & Tamsey Perry

It wasn’t just the gap in years with her ancestral generations but even when with the younger generations.  She was my great great aunt and 42 years older than I!  She was a great aunt before she was a mother.  She probably had at least 20 great, great, great, great nieces and nephews.  She has a large family with many children and grandchildren – but her nieces and nephews must number near 1000 and span at least 5 generations.  (I know from my family alone, there are about 180 nieces and nephews!)  Her father was old enough to have known his grandparents who were born in the 1700’s and Aunt Jeanne was old enough to remember her father.  That span of memory is over 200 years. 

It will be strange attending the next Shawver picnic and not finding Aunt Jeanne there with her coffee directing traffic or at the Gage picnic enjoying the visiting with the family.   She has been a presence in my life – for my entire life…and I will miss her!