Barbara Ellen Proffit was my great aunt.

Jack Spangler
Ellicott City, MD
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HUGHEY ISAAK SPANGLER and MAMIE BYER PROFFIT SPANGLER
By
Mamie Byer Proffit Spangler

            We were a happy family of four children living in Floyd, Virginia, USA. My Father, Joseph Ananias Proffit, would take us on his knee and teach us to sing hymns at a very early age. The year that I was five Years old, my father was killed in a storm. Because of financial reasons, Mother was not able to keep all of us, therefore my brother Will (Proffitt), who was older, and myself went to live with our Grandparents - William and Barbara Ellen (Spangler) Proffitt.
            There were many changes through the years. My brother Will and I helped one of the Uncles in the corn fields. He would say,  "When you finish your work, you can go a fishing"- There was so much to do that we didn't ever get to go fishing!!!
            Grandpa did all the planning and we just fitted in. When he was going some place and you wanted to go along -- you had to be ready right now!
           When I was 17 years old, I met Hughey Spangler. He had come to Floyd, to visit his Uncle Gus Whitlock), who was the same age as himself. Gus was a son of Hughey's Grandmother, Octavia.  My Great Grandfather, Barbara Ellen's Father William H. Spangler, was also a brother of Octavia. Hughey's Father, James Hughey had been born out of wedlock to Octavia when she was 18 years old, and therefore raised by his Grandparents, Samuel Spangler and his wife Catherine (Hilton), and after she died, his second Wife.
           Octavia married to Elinas Whitlock and they had a big family of children.
           One day, my cousin and I were walking to the store on a Saturday afternoon, and we met the two boys. The next day the boys cane to visit us at home. Thus the romance began. We were married the next year on May 13, 1911, in the Parlor at Grandpa's, by Sam Spangler, who was a Dunkard Minister. Because we were related, all the other ministers did not want to marry us!
          After spending a few days in Roanoke, Virginia, we traveled west by train, to Montana. Breakfast in Big Sandy, Montana, was quite different from what I had been used to at home. There were grapenuts, toast and green tea!  All things we didn't have at home. At home, we always had hot biscuits.
          Frank Spangler, Hughey's brother, was supposed to meet us with his wagon and horses and take our things out to his place where we were going to stay for awhile. As he was not there when we arrived, we
decided to walk along the road to meet him!! Well! We missed the road and him!  Twelve miles was quite a trip to go again the next day!  I had never seen a coyote before and they would come clawing at the corner of the shack, making their mournful howl!  It was scary for a young bride!
           Later that same Year we went across the border to Saskatchewan, Canada where Hughey had come earlier and had a place. It was a beautiful trip. Miles and miles of  grain fields. I also enjoyed the winter with sleigh rides and jingle bells.
           The following Spring, Hughey got work on the railroad at Margo, Sask. where we were living at the time. It was here that we met two of God's servants and accepted the gospel into our lives. This brought great joy to us not only then but all through the years.
          May was born at Marbo, Sask. on Jan. 5, 1913 and Margaret was born at Invermay, Sask. on Oct. 7, 1914. It was now war time. We moved to a farm near Vermilion, Alberta which was owned by Hughey's Dad.
          My girls were lively and kept me busy keeping up to them! Looking down the old well, riding down the hill in their little wagon, with a barb wire fence at the bottom-- they told me there was no danger-- when they got near they would just lie down!!  Once they went to a neighbors, half a mile away from our place. When I arrived looking for them, they were quite enjoying themselves!!
          Hughey became Section Foreman at Vimy, Alberta, so we moved there. This was a French settlement and the girls learned a lot of French while we were there. Hughey was bumped and sent to Roseland, Alberta, as a relief foreman. It was while we lived there that our son Joseph Hugh was born on Feb. 15, 1924 in Camrose. In 1929, we moved to a homestead at Owlseye, Alberta. This was close to St. Paul, Alberta and was our home for over 30 years.
        Hughey died in 1952, and the homestead was sold soon after. I then moved to Edmonton where my daughter Margaret was living. I lived in Edmonton until 1980 when Margaret and Gladys moved to Kelowna, B.C. and I moved along with them.