Emory Hamilton BURRESS

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1910 Census
Name: Emry H Burress [Emory]
Age in 1910: 3
Birth Year: abt 1907
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1910: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's name: Raleigh Burress
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's name: Cana M Burress
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Household Members:
Name Age
Raleigh Burress 27
Cana M Burress 25
Walter Burress 8
Sarah R Burress 6
Bird B Burress 4
Emry H Burress 3
Dora E Burress 1 month 3 months

1920 Census
Name: Emery Baurrass [Emery Burress]
Age: 12
Birth Year: abt 1908
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1920: Big Creek, McDowell, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's name: Rollo Baurrass [Burress]
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's name: Kenny Baurrass [Cannie Burress]
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Attended School: Yes
Household Members:
Name Age
Rollo Burress 38
Kenny Burress 35
Tilda Burress 16
Bird Burress 14
Emery Burress 12
Dora Burress 11
Earnest Burress 9
Chairman Burress 7
Georgia Burress 4
Lola Burress 3

Birth:
Social Security Death Index
Name: Amery Burress
SSN: 703-03-3449
BORN: 27 Jan 1907
Died: Sep 1961
State (Year) SSN issued: Railroad Board (Issued Through) (Before 1951)

Buried:
Grave location:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=143923244&ref=acom

Emory married Hazel Leona Palmer 03 Aug 1927, Mingo Co. WV. Hazel was born 11 May 1911, Tazewell Co. VA; died 18 Jul 1932, Mingo Co. WV; was buried , Palmer Family Cemetery, Raven, Tazewell Co. VA. [Group Sheet]

1. Vernon Hamilton BURRESS was born 02 Jul 1929, Mercer Co. WV; died 13 Dec 1997, Citrus Co. FL; was buried , Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Sumter Co. FL.

Emory married Bessie A. Thompson 17 May 1934, McDowell Co. WV. Bessie was born 02 Jul 1903, Summers Co. WV; died 29 Nov 1939, McDowell Co. WV; was buried , Roderfield Cemetery, Iaeger, McDowell Co. WV. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:
West Virginia Vital Records
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11418085&Type=Marriage

Emory married Frances Louise (Fannie) Alberty. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1900 Census
Name: R H Buress
Age: 19
Birth Date: Aug 1880
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1900: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Connie Buress
Marriage Year: 1900
Years Married: 0
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Household Members:
Name Age
R H Buress 19
Connie Buress 17

1910 Census
Name: Raleigh Burress
Age in 1910: 27
Birth Year: abt 1883
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1910: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Cana M Burress
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Native Tongue: English
Occupation: Miner
Industry: Coal Mine
Employer, Employee or Other: Wage Earner
Home Owned or Rented: Rent
Farm or House: House
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Years Married: 10
Out of Work: N
Number of weeks out of work: 9
Household Members:
Name Age
Raleigh Burress 27
Cana M Burress 25
Walter Burress 8
Sarah R Burress 6
Bird B Burress 4
Emry H Burress 3
Dora E Burress 1 year 3 months

1920 Census
Name: Rollo Baurrass [Raleigh Burress]
Age: 38 [36]
Birth Year: abt 1882 [abt 1884]
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1920: Big Creek, McDowell, West Virginia
House Number: 312
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Kenny Baurrass [Canie Burress]
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Track Layer
Industry: Coal Mine
Employment Field: Wage or Salary
Household Members:
Name Age
Rollo Burress 38 [36]
Kenny Burress 35
Tilda Burress 16
Bird Burress 14
Emery Burress 12
Dora Burress 11
Earnest Burress 9
Sherman Burress 7
Georgia Burress 4
Lola Burress 3

1930 Census
Name: Hamilton Burress
Birth Year: abt 1881
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Virginia
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1930: Big Creek, Mcdowell, West Virginia
Street address: Berwind - Newhall Road
House Number in Cities or Towns: 305
Home Owned or Rented: Rented
Home Value: $8
Radio Set: No
Lives on Farm: No
Age at First Marriage: 20
Attended School: No
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Miner
Industry: Coal Mines
Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker
Employment: Yes
Household Members:
Name Age
Hamilton Burress 49
Francis Burress 49
Georgia Burress 15
Elsie Burress 16
Perry Burress 8
Joe S Burress 10

BIOGRAPHY

From the website of Michelle Burress

http://burress.us

Written by Matilda Burress Bledsoe, daughter of Raleigh & Cana Combs Burress in her later years, and at times repeats herself.

My father was the oldest boy. His name was Raleigh Hamilton Burress. He grew up with the Combs family. My father and mother were neighbors. They were raised on farms that joined. They were both large families. My father's family was 5 girls and 4 boys. One set of twins. They were nick named Bud and Sis. Then the next girl was Sarah Ann. Then the next was another John. W. Burress. Then the other girl, Mary Lou. Then Dora Elizabeth. The Flora. The other boy came along, his name was Newt.

My grandfather, John W. Burress, didn't take too much care of his family all though he had a wonderful wife She had a hard life with John. He mistreated his wife and children. He was a horse trader. He was a heavy drunkard. The children, when they would see him coming would ran to safety. Sometimes at the neighbors. If the weather was warm, they would hide other places. I have heard my mother say he would be gone from his family for days just horse trading around. So when Newt was only three weeks old, grandfather was out on one if his sprees. It was a rainy season, low in the 18's and with the children all very young. So Grandmother needed milk for the children. Grandfather wasn't home to help out so she went out and milked the cow so should could have milk for the children. She had a severe cold at the time, so took pneumonia and lived only a few days. Then the children were scattered around their kin folk.

Grandmother had a sister, Ollie, she had another sister Mattie, who married Byrd Patton Brewster. They didn't have any children. They were both middle aged, and they had always liked my father, Raleigh, very much. At the time, Dad was about 15 years old. So he made his home with his Aunt Mattie Brewster and his Uncle Byrd Brewster who was a railroad man. He got his leg cut off by a train. He didn't live to long after that. The other children were scattered around until grandfather married Jennie Chambers. Then they kept all the children together.

Granddad (John W. Burress) met a fine widow, Jennie Chambers. She had two little girls by her first husband. He was a railroad man before he got killed by a train.

The girls were Mollie and Cynthia. So Granddad and Jennie became married. Both had children. Now there were 10 for them to raise and they had two children of their own. Back in those days people raised their food. Some of them were very thrifty. So they did a very good food.

Granddad didn't care to much about work. He would rather beat about then work for the family so the children did little jobs around such as picking berries in the summer and selling them.

At the time Granddaddy would come in drunk and would be very rude with his family. When he wasn't drinking he had a nice personality, but when he drank he was mean. The children were afraid of him. I have heard my mother say, the children and grandmother would have to hide when they saw him coming. Some times they wouldn't have time to hide. He would beat them, he didn't care. Grandmother hardly knew how to please him. He was wicked when he was drinking. My mother said he came in one time after they had a little son. He was three years old. He had had pneumonia, but had got over it and was running across the floor in front of the fireplace, which had a hot fire of logs like they used in those days. The weather was very cold with large snow. So Robert, the child's name, fell into the fireplace and was so severely burned he almost died. But after so long he regained his health and was getting along fine. But one night, Granddaddy came home drunk and mean. Robert was playing.

Granddad got mad at grandmother and threw a large coffe cup at her. The cup hit the child in the head. He took pneumonia and died. Then Grandfather finally began to see himself, but he still couldn't do without his drinking.Granddaddy was a smart man. If he could have left off the liquor, the lawyers could have helped him. They tried to get him to let it alone so they could use him in law work. They told him he was to intellegent to let liquor fool with him. They gave him a law job. He had the opportunity to become a lawyer in Tazewell County. He read law books and could have been a great help to the law service but he could not let liquor alone. So they couldn't use him. So he was a horse trader and a drunkard. He wasn't an honest man either. I have heard my mother say he would bloat horses up on baking soda to make them look healthy until he got them sold. The children were all very young when Grandmother died, they had a very hard life after grandmother's death, but they were all nice children. They all married.

Aunt Sis married a law man by the name of Edgar Harman. They raised a large family. Uncle Bud married a young lady by the name of Mary Quesenberry. They too, had a large family. Sarah married Henry Shortridge in Tazewell. Mary married her cousin, George Quesenberry. Dora Elizabeth married Jim Hooker, John W. married Nora Griffith. Flora married Bill Whitt. Newt married Verge Reedy. The two step children Cynthia and Mollie, Cynthia married Robert and Mollie married Robert Waldron.

Grandmother Jennie had another girl by John. Her name was Beatrice. Then a son, Robert, who died at four years. Beatrice married Walter Reedy, he was from Virginia, he died at a young age. They had 7 children.

After all the children grew up, grandfather came to West Virginia. He was stable boss there for several years when the coal companies had horses and wagons to haul coal to their employee's homes back in the earl 1900's. Grandfather lived to be 85. He lay bedfast for 3 1/2 years with what was called in those days white swelling (in his leg).

My father, Raleigh, married Cannie Combs, but in the meantime, there was an orphan girl. Mother's father had a large family. His name was Richard Combs. He married Susie Totten from Scott County. (Although I'm sure she confused that with Symth County) That was my mother's mother's name. So they took this small girl in and gave her a home with their children. They had at that time about six children, so this girl, her name was Rose Mae Stamper was added to their family.

As time went on the Combs and the Burress' lived on joining farms. As the children grew to what we call today teenagers, they call them the young folks. My father fell in love with Rose and they were engaged, but they broke up. The dad began going with Cannie Mae Combs. Cannie was young, Rose was older. Cannie had four sisters at that time. Three brothers, and a set of twin girls. Mother Cannie had a brother older than she was named Charles. The twins were Laura and Rachel. Laura married a man by the name of William Rose. Rachel married a widower man with four children. His name was Robert Martin. Uncle Charles soon married a lady by the name of Ollie. Mother had a sister Beatrice. She married Jimmy Smith. They only had two girls, but Aunt Laura had four children; two sets of twin girls. Rose, the girl mother's family raised married George Blankenship, who was a relative of my father.

My grandfather Combs was an orphan. He was raised by a relative by the name of Pennington, but grandmother Combs was related to the Catterns (sp).

My Grandfather's father was William Burress. His wife was from the Pack family Her name was Sarah Ann. They had five children that I can remember. Three girls and two boys. One of the boys was John W. The other was George and one was Jim. They had 3 girls, Mollie, Cynthia and Ollie. Mollie married Billy Marrs, Cynthia married Bud Sharader, ollie married a Quesenberry. George, I think married a Lambert.

Grandfather married Sarah Rose Matilda Earls. He was a drunkard and a horse trader. A Horse Jacky, I guess we say, but grandmother was a christian. She loved the Lord. She had a brother, Dudley, older than her. He owned (unreadable) the wool mill there in Tazewell, Virginia. Uncle George was manager of the meat packing house in Tazewell, Va, but Jim wasn't to good. He scouted around.

The house was in a wood land gust. They had padlocks on their doors and hardly any windows. When the twins were only a day or so old, this was in Scott (maybe Smyth) county, there were bears there. So Grandfather had to sit by a small window all night long with a shot gun barrel in the window to keep the bears away. They smelled the young babies.

In those days there were wild onions in Tazewell County. So my father had a sister named Sarah Ann. She was the girl, then John W., a brother, then Mary. Mary married her cousin, a Quesenberry. Flora married a Whitt. Dora Elizabeth married a Hooker. Then there was another boy. They named him Newt.

Back in those days, people had only what they raised. Every family made their own clothes, knitted their stockings, made their bed clothing. They hardly had blankets, all were quilts.

The Combs were a large family when my mother and father got acquainted. Grandmother Combs was Susan Totten. Grandfather Combs was an orphan boy. He was raised by the Pennington family. Grandmother Combs was from Scott County, but at that time the Burress' and combs lived in Tazewell County. So did all the young folks.

My grandfather Combs was Richard Combs. My mother's name was Cannie Mae. She had a brother older than her. His name was Charley. There were a set of twins. Their names were Laura and Rachel. Berty (Bertie) was another girl. John, then Brytain, then Mannie. They had a girl Evelon and Ervin, Robert and Clara. But in the meantime, there was an orphan girl. Her name was Rose Stamper. My mother's father and mother took Rose and raised her too. She was older then Cannie. Mother had a brother Charles. He married a girl by the name of Ollie. They had 2 girls and 1 boy. The boys name was Clarence. One of the girls was Edna.

Mother's sister, Laura married Bill Rose. Her sister Rachel married Robert Martin. He had four children. His first wife died at child birth when the youngest girl was born. There were two girls and two boys, Eric and Lee as the boys names. Elsie and Zulta were the girls.

Uncle John, Mother's other brother, married Norah Jones. They never had any children, but uncle John was wounded in WWI. Mother's other brother married Floocy Bear. There were no children. This brother's name was Britan. Three of mother's brothers were railroad men. Rose Stamper married George Blankenship, my father's cousin. He was tongue-tied. Berta, mother's other sister, married Jim Smith. They had two girls, Lola and Lula.

My mother's first child, Walter, was born December 7, 1900. Matilda Glady's Cannie's next child was born 1902. She was named after Raleigh's mother. They Byrd Patton in 1905. He was named after Raleigh's Uncle Byrd Brewster. Then in 1907, Emery Hamilton was born. Then Dora Helen in 1909. Then Arthur Ernest in 1911. In 1912 Sherman Woodrow. Then twins - a boy and a girl - Emmison and Georgia Emma. The boy died at age four months and the girl Georgia married Bill Harman. In 1921 Perry Vernon was born to the Burress family. He went by the nickname Jack. He was in WWII. He had to marry a girl by the name of Adaline Whitt. They had four children. After the children, they didn't get along too well, so they separated and adopted the children. Adaline died after several years and Jack married a woman, Allen was her name. They both worked at the General Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He was a Janitor and she a nurses aid.

My mother was 16 when she married. My father was a cook on the railroad at that time. My mother's oldest brother was Charles Combs. Grandfather Combs lived on the farm and they were cutting timber when Raleigh and Charles fell out with anger. They threatened each other, but they lived and got along very well as brothers-in-law.

My father had a high temper. He would fight a circle saw. He wasn't afraid of anyone and he lead the banjo picking. He called the figures for the dances. He was very famous. So father and mother lived on the farm for several years until they had four children. At that time the Burress' lived in Pounding Mill, Virginia. in 1905, Byrd Patton was born, then in November the Burress' moved to West Virginia. Then Emory Hamilton was born in 1907. So when Emery was 8 months weeks old, my father moved back to the farm. At that time Dad was working in the coal mines at Canebrake. He worked after the coal cutting machine at Mine No. 3. He helped to open up No. 3 mine. He worked night shift. So one night he got his big toe broken, so he never did work at the machine any more, but moved to the farm in Virginia. Mother's brother in law ran the machine. That was in 1907. So we lived on the farm for a little while.

So dad got dissatisfied and moved back to Canebrake. The company came to see if the would move back, so he did. He had laid track for the railroad company in his young life. So the coal company gave him a job laying main line track. So he later became main line track boss. He liked his job very much, he had several men under him learning to lay track from dad. Then in 1909, there was born the family another child, a daughter. Her name was Dora Elizabeth Helen Burress. She was born February 1909. Then when Dora was two months old, dad flew up and moved back to the farm in Tazewell, Va. So he lived in Virginia until after the fall. Dad moved back to West Virginia and picked up his old job and stayed until 1914. Then he moved back to Virginia and lived in Virginia until after the death of my brother, Walter. Walter died in 1915, on April 6th on Mother's birthday. Georgia and her twin brother were born on April 19, 1915. Then in June dad moved back to West Virginia. He stayed in West Virginia until after the death of my mother. Mother liked West Virginia. She always said she wanted to die in West Virginia, so she died in War and was buried in West Virginia.

My dad was a preacher at that time. So after mother's death, dad met a fine woman, Frances Alley, who had lost her husband a short time before mother's death. This lady lived in Richlands, Virginia, so dad and Frances kept seeing each other, so they got married in 1929. Mother died February 28, 1927. She was quick with TB.

After Raleigh and Frances married they lived in West Virginia for a few years. Then he got cut off from work. He worked outside the mines at Berwind, WV. He had for 32 years. Then the moved to Richlands, VA. He sold products for different companies. She did many extra jobs such as sewing. She was a fine hand to sew scarves, quilt, and did laundry for the hotel there in Richlands. So they both did every well. Raleigh had three boys and one girl at home. At the present, Frances had two boys and one girl, Elsie. Raleigh's daughter was Georgie, the boys were Ernest and Sherman. Frances boys were Cecil and Joe. So Raleighs children stayed with their brothers and sisters until they grew up. When the children married off, Raleigh and Frances moved to Cedar Bluff. They lived there about 12 years and Frances sewed for the sewing factory there in Tazewell. Raleigh sold products and other items as well. They both had to work very hard to earn a living. They were never poor but the work was hard. They farmed, raised the gardens, did lots of canning and some times raised their hogs. Raleigh was a hard working man when his first wife was living most of the time. He raised their hogs, had his cows, kept plenty of milk for the children.

There were three girls that grew to women, Matilda G., Dora Helen, Georgia Emma. There were five boys that grew to be men, Byrd P., Emery H. Earnest A., Sherman W. and Perry N. Burress.

There were several children that died in childhood. Dad had a sweet red-readed boy. Him and Georgia were twins. He lived to be four months old. In April 1916 there was another girl born to the Burress family. He name was Lola Mae. She was killed by a car running over her in 1921 September. There was another son born to the Burress family in October. His name was Perry Vernon. He was 5 years and 4 months when Mother died. She called me to her room on Tuesday, before she died on Monday and told me to move in my furniture with father and take care of the home as I had always done. So my husband and I moved what furniture we wanted to keep and lived on with the family until Dad married Frances Alley. This was in April 1929. Tyler and I had already moved out by the time dad and his new wife came in. She was a wonderful person, a real Christian and was so good to all the children.

Birth:
World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Name: Rolie Hamilton Burress
County: McDowell
State: West Virginia
Birth Date: 28 Aug 1880
Race: White
Draft Board: 2

World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
Name Roy Hamilton Burress [Raleigh]
Birth Date 28 Aug 1880
Birth Place Tazewell, Virginia
Residence Tazewell, Virginia
Race White

Died:
Virginia, Deaths, 1912-2014. Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.
Name: Raleigh Hamilton Burress
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age at Death: 85
Birth Date: 28 Aug 1880
Death Date: 12 Oct 1964
Death Place: Bristol, Virginia
Registration Date: 11 Dec 1964
Father: John Burress
Spouse: Francis Alley
Burial location: Hankins Cemetery, Richlands, Tazewell Co. VA

Raleigh married Cana (Cannie) Combs 31 Jan 1900, Tazewell Co. VA. Cana was born Apr 1883, Tazewell Co. VA; died Bef 1930, McDowell Co. WV. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1900 Census
Name: Connie Buress [Cannie Buress]
Age: 17
Birth Date: Apr 1883
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1900: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: R H Buress
Marriage Year: 1900
Years Married: 0
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother: number of living children: 0
Mother: How many children: 0
Household Members:
Name Age
R H Buress 19
Connie Buress 17

1910 Census
Name: Cana M Burress
Age in 1910: 25
Birth Year: abt 1885
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1910: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Raleigh Burress
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Native Tongue: English
Able to Read: No
Able to Write: No
Years Married: 10
Number of Children Born: 5
Number of Children Living: 5
Household Members:
Name Age
Raleigh Burress 27
Cana M Burress 25
Walter Burress 8
Sarah R Burress 6
Bird B Burress 4
Emry H Burress 3
Dora E Burress 1 year 3 months

Notes:

Married:
Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
Name: Roley Burress
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Age: 19
Birth Date: 1881
Birth Place: Tazewell Co. VA.
Marriage Date: 31 Jan 1900
Marriage Place: Tazewell Co., Virginia
Father: Jno. W. Burress
Mother: Matilda Burress
Spouse: Canny Combs
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Age: 16
Birth Date: 1884
Birth Place: Tazewell Co. VA.
Father: Richard Combs
Mother: Susan Combs
FHL Film Number: 2048451

Other Events:

• _UID: A25E100199AA4EF09B10E5FF9119CA60F5A9

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1870 Census
Name: John Burran [John Burress]
Age in 1870: 10
Birth Year: abt 1860
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1870: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Knob
Household Members:
Name Age
William Burress 43
Sarah Burress 26
John Burress 10
Matilda Burress 8
Mary Burran 6
Cynthia Burran 4
James Burran 1

OBITUARY

JOHN BURRESS, RICHLANDS, DIES
Native of Tazewell County Had Been Bedfast from Rheumatism For Past Six Months; Funeral Today Richlands, VA, May 24 --

John Burress, 68 died at his home one mile northeast of Richlands early this morning from rheumatism, from which he had been bedfast for the past six months. He was a native of Tazewell County and was twice married. His first wife was a Miss Tilda Earls of near Gillespie. His second wife was a Miss Cinthia Chambers of near Richlands. He was known quite well among the people of Tazewell County as the "horse trader" on account of his good judgement of horses.

He is survived by his wife and the following children: John Burress, Jr.; Raleigh Burress of West Virginia; Newton Burress of North Tazewell; Mrs. George Quesenberry of Pounding Mill; Mrs. Henry Shortridge and Mrs. Vergil Reedy of Richlands. Funeral will be held at the home Saturday and interment will be in the Jones Chapel cemetery near Cedar Bluff.

BIOGRAPHY

From the website of Michelle Burress

http://burress.us

Written by Matilda Burress Bledsoe, daughter of Raleigh & Cana Combs Burress in her later years, and at times repeats herself.

My father was the oldest boy. His name was Raleigh Hamilton Burress. He grew up with the Combs family. My father and mother were neighbors. They were raised on farms that joined. They were both large families. My father's family was 5 girls and 4 boys. One set of twins. They were nick named Bud and Sis. Then the next girl was Sarah Ann. Then the next was another John. W. Burress. Then the other girl, Mary Lou. Then Dora Elizabeth. The Flora. The other boy came along, his name was Newt.

My grandfather, John W. Burress, didn't take too much care of his family all though he had a wonderful wife She had a hard life with John. He mistreated his wife and children. He was a horse trader. He was a heavy drunkard. The children, when they would see him coming would ran to safety. Sometimes at the neighbors. If the weather was warm, they would hide other places. I have heard my mother say he would be gone from his family for days just horse trading around. So when Newt was only three weeks old, grandfather was out on one if his sprees. It was a rainy season, low in the 18's and with the children all very young. So Grandmother needed milk for the children. Grandfather wasn't home to help out so she went out and milked the cow so should could have milk for the children. She had a severe cold at the time, so took pneumonia and lived only a few days. Then the children were scattered around their kin folk.

Grandmother had a sister, Ollie, she had another sister Mattie, who married Byrd Patton Brewster. They didn't have any children. They were both middle aged, and they had always liked my father, Raleigh, very much. At the time, Dad was about 15 years old. So he made his home with his Aunt Mattie Brewster and his Uncle Byrd Brewster who was a railroad man. He got his leg cut off by a train. He didn't live to long after that. The other children were scattered around until grandfather married Jennie Chambers. Then they kept all the children together.

Granddad (John W. Burress) met a fine widow, Jennie Chambers. She had two little girls by her first husband. He was a railroad man before he got killed by a train.

The girls were Mollie and Cynthia. So Granddad and Jennie became married. Both had children. Now there were 10 for them to raise and they had two children of their own. Back in those days people raised their food. Some of them were very thrifty. So they did a very good food.

Granddad didn't care to much about work. He would rather beat about then work for the family so the children did little jobs around such as picking berries in the summer and selling them.

At the time Granddaddy would come in drunk and would be very rude with his family. When he wasn't drinking he had a nice personality, but when he drank he was mean. The children were afraid of him. I have heard my mother say, the children and grandmother would have to hide when they saw him coming. Some times they wouldn't have time to hide. He would beat them, he didn't care. Grandmother hardly knew how to please him. He was wicked when he was drinking. My mother said he came in one time after they had a little son. He was three years old. He had had pneumonia, but had got over it and was running across the floor in front of the fireplace, which had a hot fire of logs like they used in those days. The weather was very cold with large snow. So Robert, the child's name, fell into the fireplace and was so severely burned he almost died. But after so long he regained his health and was getting along fine. But one night, Granddaddy came home drunk and mean. Robert was playing.

Granddad got mad at grandmother and threw a large coffe cup at her. The cup hit the child in the head. He took pneumonia and died. Then Grandfather finally began to see himself, but he still couldn't do without his drinking.Granddaddy was a smart man. If he could have left off the liquor, the lawyers could have helped him. They tried to get him to let it alone so they could use him in law work. They told him he was to intellegent to let liquor fool with him. They gave him a law job. He had the opportunity to become a lawyer in Tazewell County. He read law books and could have been a great help to the law service but he could not let liquor alone. So they couldn't use him. So he was a horse trader and a drunkard. He wasn't an honest man either. I have heard my mother say he would bloat horses up on baking soda to make them look healthy until he got them sold. The children were all very young when Grandmother died, they had a very hard life after grandmother's death, but they were all nice children. They all married.

Aunt Sis married a law man by the name of Edgar Harman. They raised a large family. Uncle Bud married a young lady by the name of Mary Quesenberry. They too, had a large family. Sarah married Henry Shortridge in Tazewell. Mary married her cousin, George Quesenberry. Dora Elizabeth married Jim Hooker, John W. married Nora Griffith. Flora married Bill Whitt. Newt married Verge Reedy. The two step children Cynthia and Mollie, Cynthia married Robert and Mollie married Robert Waldron.

Grandmother Jennie had another girl by John. Her name was Beatrice. Then a son, Robert, who died at four years. Beatrice married Walter Reedy, he was from Virginia, he died at a young age. They had 7 children.

After all the children grew up, grandfather came to West Virginia. He was stable boss there for several years when the coal companies had horses and wagons to haul coal to their employee's homes back in the earl 1900's. Grandfather lived to be 85. He lay bedfast for 3 1/2 years with what was called in those days white swelling (in his leg).

My father, Raleigh, married Cannie Combs, but in the meantime, there was an orphan girl. Mother's father had a large family. His name was Richard Combs. He married Susie Totten from Scott County. (Although I'm sure she confused that with Symth County) That was my mother's mother's name. So they took this small girl in and gave her a home with their children. They had at that time about six children, so this girl, her name was Rose Mae Stamper was added to their family.

As time went on the Combs and the Burress' lived on joining farms. As the children grew to what we call today teenagers, they call them the young folks. My father fell in love with Rose and they were engaged, but they broke up. The dad began going with Cannie Mae Combs. Cannie was young, Rose was older. Cannie had four sisters at that time. Three brothers, and a set of twin girls. Mother Cannie had a brother older than she was named Charles. The twins were Laura and Rachel. Laura married a man by the name of William Rose. Rachel married a widower man with four children. His name was Robert Martin. Uncle Charles soon married a lady by the name of Ollie. Mother had a sister Beatrice. She married Jimmy Smith. They only had two girls, but Aunt Laura had four children; two sets of twin girls. Rose, the girl mother's family raised married George Blankenship, who was a relative of my father.

My grandfather Combs was an orphan. He was raised by a relative by the name of Pennington, but grandmother Combs was related to the Catterns (sp).

My Grandfather's father was William Burress. His wife was from the Pack family Her name was Sarah Ann. They had five children that I can remember. Three girls and two boys. One of the boys was John W. The other was George and one was Jim. They had 3 girls, Mollie, Cynthia and Ollie. Mollie married Billy Marrs, Cynthia married Bud Sharader, ollie married a Quesenberry. George, I think married a Lambert.

Grandfather married Sarah Rose Matilda Earls. He was a drunkard and a horse trader. A Horse Jacky, I guess we say, but grandmother was a christian. She loved the Lord. She had a brother, Dudley, older than her. He owned (unreadable) the wool mill there in Tazewell, Virginia. Uncle George was manager of the meat packing house in Tazewell, Va, but Jim wasn't to good. He scouted around.

The house was in a wood land gust. They had padlocks on their doors and hardly any windows. When the twins were only a day or so old, this was in Scott (maybe Smyth) county, there were bears there. So Grandfather had to sit by a small window all night long with a shot gun barrel in the window to keep the bears away. They smelled the young babies.

In those days there were wild onions in Tazewell County. So my father had a sister named Sarah Ann. She was the girl, then John W., a brother, then Mary. Mary married her cousin, a Quesenberry. Flora married a Whitt. Dora Elizabeth married a Hooker. Then there was another boy. They named him Newt.

Back in those days, people had only what they raised. Every family made their own clothes, knitted their stockings, made their bed clothing. They hardly had blankets, all were quilts.

The Combs were a large family when my mother and father got acquainted. Grandmother Combs was Susan Totten. Grandfather Combs was an orphan boy. He was raised by the Pennington family. Grandmother Combs was from Scott County, but at that time the Burress' and combs lived in Tazewell County. So did all the young folks.

My grandfather Combs was Richard Combs. My mother's name was Cannie Mae. She had a brother older than her. His name was Charley. There were a set of twins. Their names were Laura and Rachel. Berty (Bertie) was another girl. John, then Brytain, then Mannie. They had a girl Evelon and Ervin, Robert and Clara. But in the meantime, there was an orphan girl. Her name was Rose Stamper. My mother's father and mother took Rose and raised her too. She was older then Cannie. Mother had a brother Charles. He married a girl by the name of Ollie. They had 2 girls and 1 boy. The boys name was Clarence. One of the girls was Edna.

Mother's sister, Laura married Bill Rose. Her sister Rachel married Robert Martin. He had four children. His first wife died at child birth when the youngest girl was born. There were two girls and two boys, Eric and Lee as the boys names. Elsie and Zulta were the girls.

Uncle John, Mother's other brother, married Norah Jones. They never had any children, but uncle John was wounded in WWI. Mother's other brother married Floocy Bear. There were no children. This brother's name was Britan. Three of mother's brothers were railroad men. Rose Stamper married George Blankenship, my father's cousin. He was tongue-tied. Berta, mother's other sister, married Jim Smith. They had two girls, Lola and Lula.

My mother's first child, Walter, was born December 7, 1900. Matilda Glady's Cannie's next child was born 1902. She was named after Raleigh's mother. They Byrd Patton in 1905. He was named after Raleigh's Uncle Byrd Brewster. Then in 1907, Emery Hamilton was born. Then Dora Helen in 1909. Then Arthur Ernest in 1911. In 1912 Sherman Woodrow. Then twins - a boy and a girl - Emmison and Georgia Emma. The boy died at age four months and the girl Georgia married Bill Harman. In 1921 Perry Vernon was born to the Burress family. He went by the nickname Jack. He was in WWII. He had to marry a girl by the name of Adaline Whitt. They had four children. After the children, they didn't get along too well, so they separated and adopted the children. Adaline died after several years and Jack married a woman, Allen was her name. They both worked at the General Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He was a Janitor and she a nurses aid.

My mother was 16 when she married. My father was a cook on the railroad at that time. My mother's oldest brother was Charles Combs. Grandfather Combs lived on the farm and they were cutting timber when Raleigh and Charles fell out with anger. They threatened each other, but they lived and got along very well as brothers-in-law.

My father had a high temper. He would fight a circle saw. He wasn't afraid of anyone and he lead the banjo picking. He called the figures for the dances. He was very famous. So father and mother lived on the farm for several years until they had four children. At that time the Burress' lived in Pounding Mill, Virginia. in 1905, Byrd Patton was born, then in November the Burress' moved to West Virginia. Then Emory Hamilton was born in 1907. So when Emery was 8 months weeks old, my father moved back to the farm. At that time Dad was working in the coal mines at Canebrake. He worked after the coal cutting machine at Mine No. 3. He helped to open up No. 3 mine. He worked night shift. So one night he got his big toe broken, so he never did work at the machine any more, but moved to the farm in Virginia. Mother's brother in law ran the machine. That was in 1907. So we lived on the farm for a little while.

So dad got dissatisfied and moved back to Canebrake. The company came to see if the would move back, so he did. He had laid track for the railroad company in his young life. So the coal company gave him a job laying main line track. So he later became main line track boss. He liked his job very much, he had several men under him learning to lay track from dad. Then in 1909, there was born the family another child, a daughter. Her name was Dora Elizabeth Helen Burress. She was born February 1909. Then when Dora was two months old, dad flew up and moved back to the farm in Tazewell, Va. So he lived in Virginia until after the fall. Dad moved back to West Virginia and picked up his old job and stayed until 1914. Then he moved back to Virginia and lived in Virginia until after the death of my brother, Walter. Walter died in 1915, on April 6th on Mother's birthday. Georgia and her twin brother were born on April 19, 1915. Then in June dad moved back to West Virginia. He stayed in West Virginia until after the death of my mother. Mother liked West Virginia. She always said she wanted to die in West Virginia, so she died in War and was buried in West Virginia.

My dad was a preacher at that time. So after mother's death, dad met a fine woman, Frances Alley, who had lost her husband a short time before mother's death. This lady lived in Richlands, Virginia, so dad and Frances kept seeing each other, so they got married in 1929. Mother died February 28, 1927. She was quick with TB.

After Raleigh and Frances married they lived in West Virginia for a few years. Then he got cut off from work. He worked outside the mines at Berwind, WV. He had for 32 years. Then the moved to Richlands, VA. He sold products for different companies. She did many extra jobs such as sewing. She was a fine hand to sew scarves, quilt, and did laundry for the hotel there in Richlands. So they both did every well. Raleigh had three boys and one girl at home. At the present, Frances had two boys and one girl, Elsie. Raleigh's daughter was Georgie, the boys were Ernest and Sherman. Frances boys were Cecil and Joe. So Raleighs children stayed with their brothers and sisters until they grew up. When the children married off, Raleigh and Frances moved to Cedar Bluff. They lived there about 12 years and Frances sewed for the sewing factory there in Tazewell. Raleigh sold products and other items as well. They both had to work very hard to earn a living. They were never poor but the work was hard. They farmed, raised the gardens, did lots of canning and some times raised their hogs. Raleigh was a hard working man when his first wife was living most of the time. He raised their hogs, had his cows, kept plenty of milk for the children.

There were three girls that grew to women, Matilda G., Dora Helen, Georgia Emma. There were five boys that grew to be men, Byrd P., Emery H. Earnest A., Sherman W. and Perry N. Burress.

There were several children that died in childhood. Dad had a sweet red-readed boy. Him and Georgia were twins. He lived to be four months old. In April 1916 there was another girl born to the Burress family. He name was Lola Mae. She was killed by a car running over her in 1921 September. There was another son born to the Burress family in October. His name was Perry Vernon. He was 5 years and 4 months when Mother died. She called me to her room on Tuesday, before she died on Monday and told me to move in my furniture with father and take care of the home as I had always done. So my husband and I moved what furniture we wanted to keep and lived on with the family until Dad married Frances Alley. This was in April 1929. Tyler and I had already moved out by the time dad and his new wife came in. She was a wonderful person, a real Christian and was so good to all the children.

Buried:
Grave location, portrait and death certificate photo:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=42742098&ref=acom

Died:
Virginia, Deaths, 1912-2014. Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.
Name: John Burress
Gender: Male
Race: White
Death Date: 24 May 1929
Death Place: Tazewell, Virginia
Registration Date: 25 May 1929
Father: Billy Burress
Mother: Sarah Pack
Spouse: Jennie Burress

John married Matilda Rose EARLS 09 Sep 1879, Tazewell Co. VA. Matilda (daughter of Samuel EARLS and Amanda Melvina DELONG) was born 1863, Tazewell Co. VA; died 03 Nov 1896, Tazewell Co. VA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• _UID: 37AD0A04147841439982EDCE8B7305916C5A

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1870 Census
Name: Matilda Earls
Age in 1870: 9
Birth Year: abt 1861
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1870: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Post Office: Knob
Household Members:
Name Age
Samiel Earls 56
Amanda E Earls 55 [56]
Amaniel Earls 22
James Earls 10
Dudley Earls 12
Cyntha Earls 14
Matilda Earls 9
Martha Earls 3

Died:
"Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010.
Name: Matilda Burress
Birth Date: abt 1863
Birth Place: Tazewell, Virginia
Death Date: 3 Nov 1896
Death Place: Cavatts Creek, Tazewell, Virginia
Death Age: 33
Race: White
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Female
Spouse Name: J. W. Burress
FHL Film Number: 2048586


Tazewell County Death Register, Maiden Springs District, Line 7

Name of Deceased: Matilda Burress Race: White Sex: Female Date of Death: November 3, 1896 Place of Death: Cavatts Creek, Tazewell County, Virginia Cause of Death: Fever Father: Not Given Mother: Not Given Age: 33 Birth Place: Not Given Marital Status: Married Name of Informant: J.W. Burress (Husband)

Notes:

Married:
Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
Name: John Burrass
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 18
Birth Date: 1861
Birth Place: Tazewell County
Marriage Date: 9 Sep 1879
Marriage Place: Tazewell, Virginia
Father: L Burrass
Mother: S. E
Spouse: Matilda Early
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Age: 16
Birth Date: 1863
Birth Place: Tazewell County, VA
Father: S Early
Mother: M
FHL Film Number: 34214
Reference ID: Page 52 Line 71

Other Events:

• _UID: FF5D120070BF475891F3451419133D21A319

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1850 Census
Name: Wm Burress [William Burress]
Age: 18
Birth Year: abt 1832
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1850: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
Gender: Male
Family Number: 632
Household Members:
Jas Burress 43
Frances Burress 42
Wm Burress 18
Thos Burress 16
Jas R Burress 12
Geo Burress 7
Jno W Burress 2
Rebecca J Burress 6
Julia A Burress 4

1860 Census
Name: William Burriss [Burress]
Age: 26
Birth Year: abt 1834
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Virginia
Home in 1860: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
Post Office: Baptist Valley and Knob
Family Number: 1134
Household Members:
Name Age
William Burress 26
Sarah E Burress 17

1870 Census
Name: William Burran [William Burress]
Age in 1870: 43
Birth Year: abt 1827
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1870: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Knob
Household Members:
Name Age
William Burress 43
Sarah Burress 26
John Burress 10
Matilda Burress 8
Mary Burress 6
Cynthia Burress 4
James Burress 1

1880 Census
Name: William H. Burriss [Burress]
Age: 49
Birth Year: abt 1831
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1880: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Sarah E. Burriss [Burress]
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Occupation: Farmer
Household Members:
William H. Burress 49
Sarah E. Burress 36
Mary E. Burress 16
James H. Burress 12
Cintha A. Burress 13
Caldona Burress 9
Laura B. Burress 7
Charles P. Burress 3
Olla Burress 11 months

COURT CASES

[Note: Unsure what the case was about, but it was delayed from 29 Aug 1847 to 27 Sep 1849 at which point both sides decided to drop the charges. Given the distance to travel to the court house and/or to the lawyer's office for each of these continuances was more than likely an aggravation for William Burruss and Wysor Adkins. In the end, it was more convenient and less costly for them just to forget the lawsuit.]

Source: Court Records Tazewell County Law books; 1844-1859

Burress VS. Adkins (Case)

Law Book 1844-1859; Page 87

Thursday, August 29, 1847


James Burrass, Plaintiff VS. Wysor Adkins, Defendant - Case

On the motion of the plaintiff by his attorney, it is ordered that the monsciet (?) obtained against him in the office in the cause be set aside, and that he have leave to file his declaration therein, and thereupon he filed the same accordingly; and the cause is remanded to rules for further proceedings to be had therein.

William Burrass, Plaintiff VS. James Burrass, Defendant - Case
On the motion of the plaintiff by his attorney, it is ordered that the monsciet (?) obtained against him in the office in this cause be set aside, and that he have leave to file his declaration, and thereupon be filed the same accordingly; and the cause is remanded to rules for further proceedings to be had therein.


Law Book 1844-1859; Page 108 and 109

Thursday, September 30, 1847

James Burrass, Plaintiff VS. Wysor Adkins, Defendant - Case
On motion of the defendant by his attorney, who pleaded "not guilty" to which the plaintiff by his attorney replied generally, the judgment obtained against him in the office is set aside; and the trail of the issue is deferred till the next term.

William Burrass by &c., Plaintiff, VS. Wysor Adkins, defendant - Case
On the motion of the defendant by his attorney, who pleaded "not guilty" to which the plaintiff by his attorney replied generally, the judgment obtained against him in the office is set aside, and the trail of the issue deferred till the next term.


Law Book 1844-1859; Page 126

Wednesday, April 26, 1848

James Burrass, Plaintiff VS. Wysor Adkins, Defendant
This day came again the parties by their attorneys and the defendant by his attorney filed a special plea in writing, to which the plaintiff by his attorney replied generally, and the cause is continued til the next term.

William Burrass, by &c. Plaintiff VS. Wysor Adkins, Defendant
This day came again the parties by their attorneys and the defendant by his attorney filed a special plea is writing, to which the plaintiff by his attorney replied generally. And the cause is continued till the next term.


Law Book 1844-1859; Page 143

Wednesday, September 27, 1848

William Burrass, by &c. Plaintiff VS. Wysor Adkins, Defendant - Case
On motion of the defendant in these causes, and for reasons appearing to the court, it is ordered that these causes be severally contained till the next term at the costs of the respective defendants.


Law Book 1844-1859; Page 176

Thursday, September 27, 1849

James Burrass, Plaintiff VS. Wysor Adkins, Defendant
William Burrass by &c. Plaintiff VS. Same, Defendant
Ordered that these causes be dismissed, the parties having agreed the same.

-----------

FORGERY CASE

William Burress (Forgery) Acquitted

Source: Tazewell County Law Order Book 1844-1859; Page 451
Monday, March 29, 1858

At a Circuit Court of Tazewell County begun and held at the Courthouse on Monday the 29th day of March 1858. Present Samuel V. Fulkerson, Esq. Judge; Henry B. Harman, foreman, Charles F. Tiffany, J. Mosely Davis, John C. Carpenter, Eldred R. Baylor, Robert Neel, Thomas G. Peery, George S. Ritter, Shadrach Steel, Harvey King, Harvey Deskins, Cornelius McGuire, James McBrown, Edward Steel, Jonathon Hurley, David Turley, Josiah W. Wynn, Alexander Scott, Pleasant Murphy and Robert Smith, were sworn a grand jury for the body of this county and having received their charge withdrew to their apartment and after some time returned into court and presented:

An indictment against William H. Burress for forgery - A true bill

An indictment against William H. Burress for petit larceny - not a true bill

Robert Beasley, Josiah Beasley and Joseph Corrin Jr. who stand bonded by recognizance entered into before Harry George a Justice of the Peace of this County on the 1st day of January 1858 in the penalty of $50.00 each conditioned for there appearance here on this day to give evidence in behalf of the commonwealth against William Burress charged with petit larceny, were this day solemnly called but came not.

Law Book 1844-1859; Page 456

Tuesday, March 30, 1858

William H. Burress, who stands indicted for Forgery, was this day led to the bar in the custody of the jailor of this court, thereof arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the indictment and by consent of parties it is ordered that the trail of the cause be continued till tomorrow.

Law Book 1844-1859; Page 458

Wednesday, March 31, 1858

William H. Burress, who stands indicted for forgery was led to the bar in the custody of the jailor of this court and the jurors elected for his trail to wit: Joseph J. Mays, Samuel McGuire, Harvey Claypool, Jeremiah B. Claypool, Chapman A. Spotts, Thomas Barrett, John G. Baylor, Joseph Harrisson, Clinton Barns, Rees T. Bowen, William S. Seabolt and James Thompson appeared in court and were sworn a jury for the trail of the said William H. Burress upon the indictment aforesaid (the counsel for the accused having stricken eight of the jurors from the panel) and the jury sworn as aforesaid having fully heard the evidence were, with the consent of the prisoner, committed to the custody of the sheriff of this county who is directed to keep them together without communication with any other person and to cause them to appear here on tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock whereupon an oath was administered to E.S. Howard, sheriff of this county to the follow effect "You shall and will truly, to the best of your ability, keep this jury, and neither speak to them yourself, nor to suffer any other person to speak to them touching any matter relative to this trail until they return into court tomorrow" and the said William H. Burress is remanded to jail.

Law Book 1844-1859; Page 460

Thursday, April 1, 1858

William H. Burress, who stands indicted for forgery was again led to the bar in the custody of the jailor of this court, whereupon the jury who were sworn for his trail were brought into court by the sheriff of this county and the said jury upon their oath do say, that the said William H. Burress is not guilty of the forgery aforesaid as is alleged against him in said indictment, and nothing further appearing on being alleged against him it is considered by the court that the said William H. Burress be acquitted and discharged of the forgery aforesaid and go thereof without delay.

Law Book 1844-1859; Page 465

Saturday, April 3, 1858

E.S. Howard, Sheriff of this county this day presented in court, an account against the Commonwealth for boarding the jury in the case of the commonwealth against William H. Burress, charged with felony, amounting to $34.00, and the said account being verified by the oath of said sheriff was examined by the court allowed and ordered to be certified to be auditor of public accounts for payment.

Tazewell County Court Order Book; Page 25

This day James W. NEEL, jailer of this county producded to the cour an account against the Commonwealth for keeping William BURRESS amounting to 2.30, charged with grand larceny, which we found to be just by the oath of said NEEL, and was admitted and allowed by the court, and ordered to be certified to the auditor of public accounts for payment.

-------

FORNICATION CASE

William Burress (Fornication) Guilty, Fined $20

Source: Tazewell County Law Order Book 1859-1878; Page 27

Date: March 26, 1860

The Commonwealth, Plaintiff VS. William H. Burress, Defendant - Indictment for Fornication. This day came the parties by their attorneys and the defendant in the case pleaded "not guilty" to which the attorney for the Commonwealth replied generally, and the trail of the issue is continued till the next term.

Law Book 1859-1878; Page 46

August 28, 1860

The Commonwealth, Plaintiff VS. William H. Burress, Defendant, Fornication.

This day came the parties by their attorneys and thereupon came a jury to wit: John A. Brown, John Necessary, John Woods, James McBrown, John D. Peery, John B. Harman, Solomon C. Turley, John D. Rutherford, Ephraim Claypool, Robert Barrett, and William McGuire (11 by consent) who being elected tried and sworn the truth to speak upon the issue joined on their oaths returned the following verdict. "We the jury find the defendant guilty and assess the fine at $20.00." It is therefore considered by the court that the commonwealth recover against the said defendant, $20.00 the fine aforesaid and the costs of this prosecution.

----------

MILITARY RECORDS

Name: William Burress
Enlist Date May 10, 1863
Where Enlisted Tazewell County, Virginia
Enlist Rank Corporal
Enlisted By C.C. Pack
Discharge Rank Corporal
State Served Virginia
Company 5
Unit 37 Bat'l Virginia Cavalry (Dunn's Bat'l Partisan Rangers)
Army Confederacy
Enlist Date 10 June 1863
Enlist Place Greenville, South Carolina
Enlisted By Lt. Wallis
Period 2 Years or the War
Last Paid By Captain Dunn
To What Time 31 October 1863
Absent or Present Present
Remarks Pay due him for his horse up to 01 Oct 1864 Entitled to 6% bond
Rank Private
State Served Virginia
Company B
Unit 37 Bat'l Virginia Cavalry (Dunn's Bat'l Partisan Rangers)
Army Confederacy

01 Nov 1863 to 31 Aug 1864 (Dated 30 Dec 1864); Appeared on Register or Payments September 1, 1863 - October 31, 1863. Paid the sum of 24 dollars on October 10, 1864 by P.P. Barbour; Appeared on a report of absentees from Co. K, 37 Batt'n Virginia. Absent on 28 November, 1864, residence, Tazewell Co., Virginia.

37th Battalion Virginia Cavalry (also known as Dunn's Battalion Partisan Rangers) was organized about August 2, 1862. Company B was composed of former members of the 4th Regiment South Carolina Infantry, Company F of North Carolinians, and Company K was formerly Captain Pack's Company, 21st Regiment Virginia Cavalry. Company H was transferred to Swann's Battalion Virginia Cavalry by S.O. No. 130, Hdqrs. Dept. W.Va. and E. Tenn, dated December 28, 1864. In November it was changed to regular cavalry. It was assigned to W.E. Jones', McCausland's and W.L. Jackson's Brigade. During April, 1864, it totaled 300 effectives and by June had increased its strength to ten companies. It was involved in various operations in western Virginia and East Tennessee, then saw action in the Shenandoah Valley. The unit disbanded in mid-April, 1865. Lieutenant Colonel Ambrose C. Dunn and Major J.R. Claiborne were in command..

Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
Name: William H Burress
Application Date: 28 May 1903
Application Place: Tazewell, Virginia
Spouse: Mrs Sarah Burress
Marriage Place: Tazewell County, Virginia
Death Place: Tazewell County, Virginia
Application Type: Widow

Died:
This was the date of Sarah Pack Burress' Confederate Pension application as a widow.

William married Sarah Elizabeth PACK 10 May 1860, Tazewell Co VA. Sarah (daughter of John PACK and Matilda Ann DELONG) was born 15 Sep 1843, Floyd Co., VA; died 15 Jul 1922, McDowell Co. WV; was buried , Tazewell Co VA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• _UID: 05B5E402B82B4A27A8348002D86FB2E530E5

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah Pack
Age: 8
Birth Year: abt 1842
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1850: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
Gender: Female
Family Number: 1286
Household Members:
Jno Pack 45
Matilde Pack 40
Isham Pack 16
Fleming Pack 14
Cricket Pack 12
Trnsell Pack 10
Sarah Pack 8
Cynthia Pack 7
Wm Pack 5
Elenor Pack 3

1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah Pack
Age in 1860: 17
Birth Year: abt 1843
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1860: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
Gender: Female
Post Office: Baptist Valley
Household Members:
John Pack 47
Matilda Pack 47
Tinsley Pack 20
Sarah Pack 17
Cynthia Pack 15
William Pack 13
Elenor Pack 10
Amanda Pack 7
Otifane Pack 6
Elenor Pack 20

[Note: Sarah was enumerated twice in the 1860 census, in her parent's household and then as a newlywed.]

1860 Census
Name: Sarah E Burriss [Burress]
Age: 17
Birth Year: abt 1843
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Virginia
Home in 1860: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
Post Office: Baptist Valley and Knob
Family Number: 1134
Household Members:
Name Age
William Burress 26
Sarah E Burress 17

1870 Census
Name: Sarah Burran [Sarah Burress]
Age in 1870: 26
Birth Year: abt 1844
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1870: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Post Office: Knob
Household Members:
Name Age
William Burress 43
Sarah Burress 26
John Burress 10
Matilda Burress 8
Mary Burress 6
Cynthia Burress 4
James Burress 1

1880 Census
Name: Sarah E. Burriss [Sarah Burress]
Age: 36
Birth Year: abt 1844
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1880: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: William H. Burriss [Burress]
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Occupation: Keeping House
Household Members:
William H. Burress 49
Sarah E. Burress 36
Mary E. Burress 16
James H. Burress 12
Cintha A. Burress 13
Caldona Burress 9
Laura B. Burress 7
Charles P. Burress 3
Olla Burress 11 months

1910 Census
Name: Sarah E Berress [Burress]
Age: 57
Birth Date: Sep 1842
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1900: Jeffersonville, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother: number of living children: 7
Mother: How many children: 12
Household Members:
Name Age
Sarah E Burress 57
Allie E Burress 20
George W Burress 15

1910 Census
Name: Sarah Buress
Age in 1910: 67
Birth Year: abt 1843
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1910: Jeffersonville, Tazewell, Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Household Members:
Sarah Buress 67
Allie Buress 29 [daughter]
George L Buress 8 [grandson]
Lessie M Buress 5 [grandaughter]

CONFEDERATE WIDOW'S APPLICATION

Sarah Pack Burress Widows Pension

FORM NO. 3 APPLICATION OF WIDOW

I, Sarah Burress, do hereby apply for aid under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, entitled an act to aid the citizens of Virginia who were disabled by wounds received during the war between the States while serving as soldiers, sailors, or marines of Virginia, and such as served during the said war as soldiers, sailors, or marines of Virginia, who are now disabled by disease contracted during the war, or by the infirmities of age, and the widows of soldiers, sailors, or marines of Virginia who lost their lives in said service, or whose death resulted from wounds received or disease contracted in said service, and providing penalties for violating the provisions of this act, and I do solemnly swear that I am a citizen of the State of Virginia resident at North Tazewell, in the County Tazewell in the said State, and that I have been an actual resident of the State for two years, and of the said city (or county) for one year next preceding the date of this application, and that I am the widow of William H. Burress, who was a soldier (sailor or marine) in the service of the State of Virginia in the war between the States, and who was a member of (here state specifically the command and branch of the service to which the husband of the applicant belonged, and, if possible, the names of his immediate superior officers) 37 Battalion Capt. C.C. Pack and S.C. Morgan and who, while in the discharge of his duty in the military or naval service of the State of Virginia, or of the Confederate States, during the said war, lost his life (if the husband of such widow was killed or died during the war as the result of wounds received, state the facts of the case as near as possible, giving the date of the husband's death) died since the war (if husband died after the war, strike out all relating to his death during the war, and then proceed as follows:), and who has since the said war died (here state specifically the cause of the death of the husband of the applicant and the date thereof) died since the war contracted lung ??? which resulted in consumption and that, to the best of my knowledge, during the said war my said husband was loyal and true to his duty, and never, at any time, deserted his command or voluntarily abandoned his post of duty in the said service, and that I was never divorced from my said husband, and that I never voluntarily abandoned him during his life, but remained his true, faithful, and lawful wife up to the date of his death, and that I have never married since his death, and that I am now entitled to receive, under the said act, the sum of forty dollars annually. And I do further swear that I do not hold any position or office, weather national, state, city or county, which pays me in salary or fees one hundred and fifty dollars per annum, nor have I an income from any other employment or other source whatever which amounts to one hundred and fifty dollars per annum; nor do I receive from any source whatever money or other means of support amounting in value to the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars per annum; nor do I own in my own right, nor does any one hold in trust for my benefit or use estate or property, either real, personal, or mixed, either in fee or for life, of the assessed value to five hundred dollars; nor do I receive any aid or pension from any State, or from the United States, or from any other source, and that I am not an inmate of any public institution, and that I am without means of support, direct or indirect; and I do further swear that the answers given to the following questions are true:

What is your age? 60

Where were you born? Floyd County, Virginia

How long have you resided in Virginia? All my life

How long have you resided in the city or county of your residence? Ever since I was 5 years old

What is your husband's full name? William H. Burress

When and where were you married and by whom? Tazewell, by Bird Lockhart

When and where, as near as you can state, did your husband die, and from what cause? Tazewell County, Virginia

Have you been married since the death of your said husband? Never

Where and with whom do you now reside? By myself, one daughter, 20 years old, and one son 18 years old

What property - real, personal or mixed - do you own? Very little ??? need ??? after finances

What assistance do you receive, and what income have you from any source? Nothing

If your husband died since the war, please state where he died, and, if possible, the name and address of the attending physician? Died since the war in Tazewell Co. Dr. Alexander Hufford

Give the names and addresses, if possible of two comrades in arms of your deceased husband. C.C. Pack, Raven Va. Mack (?) Pruett

Give the names and addresses of two persons who are familiar with the circumstances of your husband's death. Reese Peery and Wesley P.W Lilly, North Tazewell, Va.

If your husband died since the war, please state whether his death resulted from wounds received in the war or from disease. Contracted consumption during the war

Give, as near as you can, the nature of the wound or the character of the disease from which your husband died. No answer

Give here any other information you may possess relating to the service of your husband or of his death that will support the justice of your claim for aid. No answer

Is there any camp of Confederate veterans in the city or county of your residence? Yes

Is there any one living, the residence and address of whom is known to you, either comrade or otherwise, who has knowledge of your husband's service and the cause of his death? If so or not, state. C.C. Pack and Mack (?) Pruett

Given under my hand this 28th day of May, 1903 Sarah Burress

I H. Bane Harman, Clerk of the Circuit Court, in and for the County of Tazewell, in the State of Virginia, do certify that Sarah Burress, whose name is signed to the foregoing application, personally appeared before me in my office aforesaid and having the aforesaid application read to her and fully explained, as well as the statements and answers therein made, the said Sarah Burress made oath before me that the said statements and answers are true.

Given under my hand this 28th day of May, 1903
H. Bane Harman Clerk, Tazewell Circuit Clerk

(A)
OATH OF RESIDENT WITNESS

We ________ , do solemnly swear that we are residents of the County of ________, in the State, and that we have known personally and well for ________ years ________, whose name is signed to the annexed application for aid under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, and that the said ________is a resident of the said county, and is a woman of good reputation for truth and honesty, and that we have read the annexed application and the answers to the questions therein propounded, made by the said applicant, and verily believe that the said applicant has been truthful in the said statements and answers, and that from our personal knowledge we verily believe the said applicant is justly entitled to aid under the said act, and that we have no personal interest in the allowance of the applicant's claim.

Subscribed to and sworn to before me, ________ for the County of ________, State of Virginia, this ________19___.

Signed ________

-------------

(B)
AFFIDAVIT OF COMRADES

We, C.C. Pack and ? Gillespie do solemnly swear that we are residents of the County of Tazewell, in the State of Virginia, and that Sarah Burress whose name is signed to the annexed application for aid under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, is personally well known to us, and that we have known her for life, and know her to be the widow of William H. Burress, who was a soldier (sailor or marine) in the military (or naval) service of Virginia, or of the Confederate States, and that we were soldiers (sailors or marines) in the said service during the said war, and that we were, with the said William H. Burress, members of (here state the command and the immediate superior officers thereof) 37 Battalion under Col. A.C. Dunn, Major Claiborne and Captain C.C. Pack and that our personal knowledge, on or about the ----------- day of -------- 186- at (here state battle or combat where killed or fatal wounds received) ------------ and that the said ------------------------ during the said war (state here whether killed or died as a result of wounds received, or surgical operation therefore) ------------------------ (if he died after the war, strike out all relating to death during the war and proceed as follows), on or about the 5th day of ???? the said William H. Burress died, and that the said William H. Burress was a true and loyal soldier in the said service, and was faithful in the discharge of his duty as a soldier (sailor or marine) in the said service, and that we have no personal interest in the allowance of the applicant's claim.

C.C. Pack

Subscribed and sworn to before me, ???? for the County of Tazewell, State of Virginia, this 2nd day of August, 1902
W.B. Spratt

Note.-- If only one comrade is living whose residence and address is known to applicant, let him make the above affidavit. If no such comrade is living whose address is known to applicant, then let one or more reputable persons who have personal knowledge of the services of the applicant and of cause of his disability, make the following affidavit.

(C)
AFFADAVIT OF WITNESSES, NOT COMRADES, AS TO WOUNDS

We, _______ of the County in the State of Virginia, do solemnly swear that we personally know, and are well acquainted with _______ whose name is signed to the annexed application, and who is applying for aid under the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, and that we have known the said applicant for _______ and that to our personal knowledge she is the widow of _______, who was a loyal and true soldier (sailor or marine) in the military (or naval) service of Virginia, or of the Confederate States, in the war between the States, and that on or about the -------- day of --------- 186-- at (here state battle of combat where killed or fatal wound received) ------------------------------- the said ---------------- during the said war (state here whether killed or died as the result of wounds received, or surgical operation therefore) -------------------- (if he died after the war, strike out all relating to death during the war and proceed as follows), on or about the _______ day of _______, the said _______ died, and that the said _______ and _______ lived as husband and wife up to the date of the death of the said _______ and that we have no personal interest in the allowance of the applicant's claim.

Subscribed and sworn to before me _______, in and for the County of _______ Virginia this _______ day of _______, 19__.

(D)
CERTIFICATE OF PHYSICIAN

I, C.W. Greever a practicing physician in the County of Tazewell, in the State of Virginia, do certify that I am personally acquainted with Sarah Burress, whose name is signed to the annexed application for aid under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, and that I attended her husband, did wit attack the said William H. Burress, during his last illness, and that from my professional knowledge of the cause of his death, I verily believe that his death resulted from ??? lung trouble and I have no personal interest in the allowance of the applicant's claim.

Given under my hand, this 28th May, 1902.
C.W. Greever M.D

NOTE.-- This certificate of physician shall only be required in cases where the husband has died since the close of the war.

(E)
CERTIFICATE OF CAMP OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS

The _________ Camp of Confederate Veterans of the County of _________, in the State of Virginia, hereby certifies that it has examined into the merits of the annexed application of _________ for aid under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, and being satisfied of the justice of her claim, hereby recommends the said _________ for aid under the provisions of the said act, and that it has no personal interest in the allowance of the applicant?s claim.

NOTE - If there is no camp of Confederate veterans in applicant?s city or county, then the affidavit of two ex-Confederate soldiers residing in said city or county must be obtained, as follows:

(F)
CERTIFICATE OF EX-CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS

We, ------------------------------ and ------------------, of the ------------ of --------- State of Virginia, do certify that we were soldiers (sailors or marines) of Virginia in the war between the States, and that we have examined into the merits of the annexed application of ---------------- for aid under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, and that we are satisfied of the justice of her claim, and recommend the said -------------------------- for aid under the provisions of the said act, and that we have no personal interest in the allowance of the applicant?s claim. Given under our hands, this ---------day of--------, 19--

(G)
CERTIFICATE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE.

I, J. N. Johnson, Commissioner of the revenue, in the County of Tazewell in the State of Virginia, do certify that Sarah Burress or her trustee, whose name is signed to the annexed application for aid under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved April 2, 1902, is charged on the land and personal property books of the said County with estate, real, personal and mixed, of the assessed value of $500 (or 100??) dollars. Given under my hand, this ??? day of September, 1902.
J.N. Johnson

STORIES

Note: Georgia Maude Quesenberry Maxfield, an 80 year old Tazewell resident (deceased), has written these recollections of early Tazewell County life as told to her by her great-grandmother and her grandmother. Her Recollections appeared in the Tazewell Newspaper sometime in the early 1980's. Georgia was the daughter of George & Mary Frances Burress Quesenberry.

Grandma Sarah and Grandma Cynthia Pack Quesenberry took turns telling us things. As far as we could tell, they never told us anything that wasn't true, for they were Christians. Grandma Sarah smoked a clay pipe. Mother would let her smoke it till it became strong, and then mother would get her a new one and threw the old one in the stump down by the river. I remember the little boys would slip them out of the stump and try to find tobacoo or cown silk to smoke in them.

One the other hand, Grandma Cynthia liked to sleep. She'd go to bed early and sleep late. When they both stayed together they would argue like small children. Sarah would say, "Cynthia, I don't see how in the world you can lay in bed and sleep so much." Cynthia would answer, "Well Sarah, I don't see how in the world you can stand to puff on that smelly old pipe, either, but you do." Nevertheless, they would go to church together whenever they could.

Grandma said there was once a long rain that was what was to become known as the Jun Flood. Grandma lived at Busthead then, and there was a store there that sat close to the creek. Now there was a man who ran the store whose wife had gone to spend the weekend with her mother. When it became night, he locked up the store, when upstairs where they lived over the store and went to bed. It had been raining for a few days and the water was up some. He said he awakened long into the night by something banging against the house. He got up and raised the window, and lo and behold, the house - store and all, was floating down the creek that had now become a river. He knew the house would eventually turn over, so he dressed and waited at the windown till the house floated near a tree. He reached out, and caught a limb, and hung on. The house floated on downstream until it came to Cedar Bluff. Then it turned over and destroyed everything they had.

At this same time, there was a preacher known as Brother Sheffy, who had been holding services at the church at Busthead. The people gathered at the church that morning for services as usual. After church, some of the people tried to get him to go home with them for dinner, but he said no, he had promised to be at Pounding Mill Branch for prayer meeting that night. They began to tell him he couldn't get across the wather, but he just said he had to try. The people were afraid he would drown, so they stayed and watched him. He climbed on his horse and rode down to the water, then got off, took a sheepskin off his saddle, and untied it, and spread it out on the dry ground. He knelt down and prayed fervently, then got up, rolled up his sheepskin, tied it back on his saddle, and rode across the water. The horse did not walk in the water, it walked on top of it. All the people from the church saw it, and proclaimed it a miracle to themselves. They said nothing outside the community about it, for fear that other people woldn't believe them.

Once he was on the other side of the waters, the water once again became wild and full of sawlogs and other debris. But all the while Brother Sheffy was crossing, it had been calm - no sawlogs or anything else odd went by. Mother wouldn't tell anyone outside the family about it for fear they would think she was crazy, but she said she saw it with her own eyes and knew it to be one of many miracles God had performed for Brother Sheffy.

This was what was to be the June flood. It caused an awful lot of damage and loss of life. There was a swinging bridge you had to cross to get to Pounding Mill, the store, and the post office. A woman named Margie Johnson lived there at that time, and she wanted to go to the store and the post office. Her family begged her to wait until the water went down, but she said the bridge was high up off the water. So she waded into the water and up on the bridge. when she was about half-way acorss, a sawlog hit the bridge and swung it high, throwing her off into the water. She was swept away to her death.

The Hoops family who lived on Pounding Mill Branch had a two part house. Several rooms were on one side of the creek, and a small two room building across the creek was used for a wash house and a dining room in the summer. There was a small bridge from one to the other. Mrs. Hoops always served meals there in summer, for it was too hot to eat in the kitchen. She put the noon meal on the table, then went back across the bridge and got her one year old baby, her teenage daughter, and her sweetheart. All four of them started back across the bridge to eat, when a great wall of water - later known as a cloudburst - came down the hollow and swept all four to their deaths. The water had swept away the samll house and damaged about everything in the other house. When the water began to recede early the next week, the neighbors banded together to search for the bodies. By the end of the week they had found all by Mr. Hoop's wife. My uncle Isam joined the search and he quickly told them they were looking in the wrong direction. They were looking down in the bushes, and he said to look up because the water was over the tops of some of the trees. They searched till they came to a place that was called the horse shoe bend. there they found her body, caught fast by her apron and her long hair, high in the top of a sycamore tree. These were just a few things that happened then. It was time of grave danger, mourning and loss of life and property. They people never forgot the June flood.

[Note to this story from Michelle Burress, this was posted in the Clinch Valley News: July 12 1901 Pounding Mill, Tazewell, Virginia, Mrs. Hoop's baby, about one year old, that was drowned in the flood, was found on the ninth day by Isom Quesenberry, in a bad state of decomposition.]

-----------

Cynthia Gets A Husband

Now as Bill and Amelia Pack's lives went along, Amy found she was expecting a baby. Back in those days, the new monther wasn't allowed to even put her feet on the floor till the the baby was nine days old. There were those that said it was even bad luck to get out of bed until the baby was nine days old, so, you see Amy was going to need help.

So Bill made the long trip from Floyd County back to Pounding Mill to ask his sister Cynthia to come stay with them. Now Cynthia was at the ripe old age of 24, she was more then glad to go - giving her one more chance to meet someone of marrying age, as she was going to stay all summer.

Bill had a neighbor whose name was Fred Quesenberry. One day Fred came over to Bill's and in no time at all he was head over heels in love with Cynthia. He told Bill she bothered him so much that he was going to have to marry her to see any peace. Bill told him he had better do it before she went back to Pounding Mill, because if she did, there wasn't much chance he'd ever see her again. So when the circuit rider came by, Fred and Cynthia were married.

Now, Fred already had a nice big three room cabin on his land, along with the animals they would need to survive. One thing Cynthia didn't know was that Fred had 17 full blood brothers and three sisters - a whole lot of Quesenberry's. He told Cynthia if she would agree to live one year in Floyd County, he would come back to Pounding Mill to live with her, for she was fast becoming homesick. So Fred worked hard and saved everything he could, and in one year's time, they were on their way to Pounding Mill.

Fred had a one horse wagon. On the way over the first mountain, one wheel came loose on the wagon. While he was repairing the wheel, Cynthia said she would get out and walk around a while. Fred said to her, "Don't go far, there are all kinds of wild animals around here." Now it was the time of year for hunkleberries to ripen, and there were plenty along the road. There wasn't much to take along to eat, so she said she'd pick them and some to eat. She was busy picking berries, and in no time she had gone out of sight around the bend from Fred.

Just then, she heard something that sounded like children playing. She listened again, and decided it was an animal. She was just about to panic when Grandpa Fred came in sight "Hurry, Cynthia, get here." he said. "That's a panther with cubs or a bear with cubs. If you don't want to be their Sunday dinner, we'd better make some kind of tracks."

He loaded his big old muzzle loader rifle just as a precaution, and proceeded on down the mountain, just one of several they had to cross coming back to Pounding Mill. It took them two weeks - they very best they could do.

They always tried to find a farm cabin before dark where they might stay the night. They were never turned away. Grandma said, everybody was always friendly. One time they couldn't find a farm, but found where a cabin had burned down, and stayed in the barn for the night. Another time they had arrived at the base of a mountain, and hadn't found a farm. They made camp, not wanting to cross the mountain at night, and slept in the wagon.

The trip took so long because sometimes they had to stop and cut the bushes out of the way, or chop a tree out of the road, but they finally made it to Pounding Mill. They settled down between Cliffield and Pounding Mill, and there they raided their children - four boys and three girls - and lost one boy at a young age. (more but cut off...)

Grandpa had fought in the Civil War. When he got to retirement age, he received a check every month and paid their way with that, as they were very independent. Thirty dollars was a lot of money then, and Fred had been proud of it. When their children were grown with homes of their own and Grandpa Fred was getting old, the couple decided to stay with their children. They went to stay with their boy, Jim Quesenberry, who took care of them until Grandpa Fred died at the age of 84. Then Grandma went to stay with Aunt Martha and Uncle Jim Brewster's house in Pounding Mill. (Aunt Martha was Grandma's second child).

My Great Grandmother was Samantha, the Indian baby found by John Delong [Note from Michelle Burress all records are pretty solid that her great grandmother was Matilda Delong, not Samantha, and that she was not an only child]. My other great grandmother (*Sarah Pack Burress) and grandmother were sisters. They were Great Grandma Sarah and Grandma Cynthia Pack.

One of Cynthia and Fred Quesenberry's several children was George Mansfield Quesenberry, who married Mary Frances Burress, the daughter of Mailda Earls and John Burress. These two were my parents and I was born at Pounding Mill. My mother and grandmother used to tellus about what they thought to be the only real total eclipse. Mother said it was around 1870, or thereabouts, and happened in the later morning hours. She and the girls were getting ready to pick berries, when Grandma Jenny (*would this be Jenny Chambers, John Burress' second wife?) said it suddenly began to grow dark. The cows came back to the barn, and the chickens that were out in the field scratching around all came back. They didn't go back in the henhouse as usual, but instead went under the house and cooed and cawed softly, just as if they were discussing the matter that was taking place.

Grandma said it was more than spooky. Grandpa was out in the fields plowing, and had to come home cause he couldn't see to work. The birds quit singing and the frogs and crickets became very still. There was a hush all around - you could hear a pin drop almost, even if it didn't drop.

She gathered the children around and sat on the porch with Grandpa for what seemed like a couple of hours, till it because bright light again. The old chickens hurried out into the bright sunlight and stretched and carried on as if they had been asleep all night. the other animals did the same. The next day, down at the store, Grandpa said he heard of several people that had tried to kill themselves. They had thought the wold was coming to an end. Grandma Cynthia and Grandma Sarah would come and stay for as much as up to a month at a time together. Talk about fun, we had it. Us kids would ask them to tell us about their lives 79 some years ago, which would be well over 100 now.



Birth:
Info is from her death certificate.

Died:
West Virginia Death Certificate
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=1010690&Type=Death

Notes:

Married:
Tazewell County Marriage Register, Book 3, page 11, line 27

Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940
Name: Wm H. Burrip
Birth Date: 1834
Birthplace: Russell County, Va
Age: 26
Spouse's Name: Sarah E Pack
Spouse's Birth Date: 1841
Spouse's Birthplace: Floyd County, Va
Spouse's Age: 19
Event Date: 10 May 1860
Event Place: Tazewell, Virginia
Father's Name: James Burrip [Burress]
Mother's Name: Mary
Spouse's Father's Name: John Pack
Spouse's Mother's Name: Matilda
Spouse's Marital Status: Single
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:M01695-4
System Origin: Virginia-EASy
GS Film number: 34214
Reference ID: Page 11 Line 27

Other Events:

• _UID: EA7451DBDBD040D78F3259736A29D5317265

Notes:

Information: Sue Prideaux, sueprideaux@earthlink.net

Samuel married Amanda Melvina DELONG 27 Apr 1843, Floyd Co., VA. Amanda (daughter of Ormond/Orman DELONG and Sarah REED) was born Abt 1825, Floyd Co., VA; died , Tazewell Co VA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• _UID: 9C65988D9F3D4BAAB3BFF36E252E1B6FA78B

Notes:

Information: Sue Prideaux, sueprideaux@earthlink.net