Bramble Bush

Bramble Bush

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday - Layman Family

In the first photograph, is my great grandfather, great grandmother, and my great grandfather's second wife.

My great grandfather was Charles Wesley Layman. He was born August 15, 1898 in Fairmont, West Virginia. His parents were John Jay Layman and Nancy Jane Burns. He had only one sibling, an older sister, Bessie May. He died April 9, 1979 in Newton Falls, Ohio and was buried in Vienna, Ohio at Crown Hill Burial Park.

My great grandmother was Alberta Agusta VanGilder Layman. She was born September 3, 1888 in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Her parents were James Monroe VanGilder and Miriam G Brane/Brain. Alberta had eight siblings; Roanna Virginia (F), Jessie (M), Harriet Olive (F), Elijah Otho (M), Fredrick Coleman (M), James Blaine (M), Rose Alice (F), and Luther Paul (M). Alberta was in between Fredrick and James. She died February 15, 1967 in Newton Falls, Ohio and was buried with her husband.


Charles and Alberta ended up connecting the VanGilder line back together. Jacob VanGilder had Fredrick and James. Alberta coming from the James side and Charles coming from the Fredrick side. Charles and Alberta had three daughters Kathleen, Miriam, and Mary.

My great grandfather's second wife was Minnie Rebecca Setzer. She was born November 18, 1909 in North Carolina. She died October 21, 1992 in Newton Falls, Ohio and was buried with her husband and his first wife. I don't know much about her except her mother's maiden name was Gibson. Despite her being alive after I was born, I never did meet her.

On the back of my great grandparents headstone is one of their daughters Kathleen Alberta Layman Whiteman Welch. She was born June 3, 1925 in Salisbury, Pennsylvania. Kay contracted Rheumatic fever sometime in her youth and was never well after. She married Presley Whiteman who died in 1954 then she married Jack Welch. She died May 7, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio at Cleveland Clinic at the age of 38. Kay never had any children, perhaps she couldn't because of her illness. She was buried with her father and mother.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Wedding Wednesday - Harold and Jeanette


My aunt on my dad's side is also interested in family history. So this story comes from her interviewing my grandmother, her mother.

During the last week of February in 1943, while home on furlough, Harold Winston Todd met Jeanette Mary Elwell (age 27) at the Tick Tock Tavern (owned by her father William Vincent Elwell Jr.) After a whirlwind week, Jeanette traveled with Harold to Crewe, Virginia where he was stationed. They arrived on Friday and spoke to the priest about getting married. On Monday, March 1st, paperwork was completed and they were married in the priest's house. While in Crewe, they rented a room from a family. 

Harold

Jeanette



















Jeanette & Harold Todd

Oh, by the way, the Tick Tock Tavern is in Cleveland, Ohio and is still in operation.
TICK TOCK