Descendants of Mary "Polly" Belcher
Generation No. 1
Notes for Mary "Polly" Belcher:
According to the 1900 Wyoming Co. WV Census, Mary was the mother of 11 children, 7 of whom were living.
Notes for Amos E. Morgan:
1) Amos E. Morgan family listed in the 1880 Wyoming County Census as follows:
Morgan, Amos E., WM, 31, Farmer, WV, WV, WV
Morgan, Mary, WF, 24, Wife, Keeping House, WV, KY, KY
Morgan, Parris, WM, 4, Son, WV, WV, WV
Morgan, Albert, WM, 2, Son, WV, WV, WV
Morgan, Melton, WM, 2/12, Son, WV, WV, WV
2) The Wyoming County, WV, birth index lists Morgan (not named) born 7/17/1877 child of A.E. & Mary Morgan, reported by A.E. Morgan, Father.
3) 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census listing, page #241, dwelling #271, family #277, Center District.
MORGAN, Amus E. Head WM April 1850 Farmer
Mary Wife WF May 1855
Albert Son WM July 1877 Day laborer
Harrison Son WM June 1884 Farm laborer
Ada Dau WF June 1889 Farm laborer
Etta Dau WF May 1891 Farm laborer
Ella Dau WF May 1893
Denna Son WM Feb 1895
Bertha Dau WF May 1898
Amos and his children (Albert, Harrison, Ada and Etta) could all read, write and speak English. Mary (his wife) could read and speak English. Amos owned his own farm which was free of a mortgage in 1900.
Children of Mary Belcher and Amos Morgan are:
2 i. Amos15 Morgan.
Notes for Amos Morgan:
Violet Meadows believes that Amos Morgan died young.
3 ii. Parris Morgan7, born 18768; died Bef. 19009.
+ 4 iii. Albert Hayden Morgan, born July 17, 1877 in Wyoming Co., VA; died September 1947 in Welch, McDowell Co., WV.
5 iv. Melton Morgan10, born April 1880.
6 v. Harrison Morgan, born June 11, 188411,12.
7 vi. Ada Morgan, born June 188913.
8 vii. Etta Morgan, born May 189113. She married ? Altizer.
9 viii. Ella Morgan, born May 189313. She married George Lambert.
Notes for Ella Morgan:
Violet Meadows remembers her mother Thelma Morgan telling that she and her sister Bertha would take turns going to stay with Ella Morgan Lambert (their aunt) when she was pregnant so they could help her carry water. She lived at Sophia.
+ 10 ix. Denny K. Morgan, born February 09, 1895; died 1976.
11 x. Bertha (Birda or Bertie) Morgan, born May 189814,15; died 198816. She married James J. Cecil; born May 10, 187916; died May 14, 196816.
Notes for Bertha (Birda or Bertie) Morgan:
Birdie was the last of Amos Morgan's children to die (at age 90).
12 xi. Unknown Morgan.
Notes for Unknown Morgan:
I have added an "unknown" child to account for the 11 children reported on the 1900 census.
Generation No. 2
4. Albert Hayden15 Morgan (Mary "Polly"14 Belcher, Abraham/Abram13, Bartlett "Bartley"12, George11, Isham10, Richard9, John8, Robert7, William Thomas6, Henry5, William4, Edmund3, John2, Hugh1)17 was born July 17, 1877 in Wyoming Co., VA18,19, and died September 1947 in Welch, McDowell Co., WV. He married Elsie McCoy Bef. 1903, daughter of William McCoy and Surrilda Morgan. She was born 1884, and died 1938.
Notes for Albert Hayden Morgan:
1) Albert Morgan's birth was registered as "No name Morgan".
2) Albert Morgan was employed by the Kingston Pocohontas Coal Company at Hemphill. He lived in McDowell County for 23 years. He had a stroke sometime prior to his death, and died at Grace Hospital, Welch, WV after a long illness.
3) On 8/17/00 Violet Miller Meadows and her brother Raymond Howard Miller were reminiscing with family members about their Grandpa Morgan, and the following were some of their recollections. Raymond remembered that his Grandpa Miller was an awful big man, but he said his Grandpa Morgan was a "monster of a man" and was a champion wrestler in McDowell County. Violet remembered that he was a very stern man and it was said that he merely had to clear his throat to regain control of his numerous children. Raymond said that he used to make snow ice cream, he chewed tobacco, and he could "cuss up a storm". Violet also remembered that he was a very gifted auto mechanic; his grandson Raymond must have inherited his abilities. Albert drove a dinky train at Organdy Hollow (two miles outside of Welch going toward Davy); the train was used to haul logs to the mine and haul coal out of the mines to the tipple.
More About Albert Hayden Morgan:
Burial: September 1947, Wolf Pen, Wyoming Co., WV
Notes for Elsie McCoy:
1) Elsie's granddaughter, Violet Miller Meadows, tells the story that Elsie McCoy's father left her mother before Elsie was born, and she never saw her father. According to Violet, it was said that, "Elsie could cure trench mouth just by blowing in your mouth, because she never saw her father."
2) Elsie McCoy Morgan died at Grace Hospital, Welch, McDowell Co., WV. Violet Miller Meadows remembers Elsie in the hospital the night before she died. She is buried in the Morgan Cemetery on the Pineville- Welch Rd., Wyoming Co., WV. A search of the cemetery on Aug. 3, 1999, did not reveal a gravestone which was marked.
Children of Albert Morgan and Elsie McCoy are:
13 i. Emmett16 Morgan, born 1902.
14 ii. Roy Morgan, born 1903. He married May ??.
15 iii. Houston Morgan, born June 20, 1905. He married Nell ??.
+ 16 iv. Thelma Gladys Morgan, born January 04, 1907 in Mercer Co., WV; died September 26, 1982 in Man, WV.
+ 17 v. Bertha Clara Morgan, born 1909.
18 vi. Berna "Pete" Morgan, born September 11, 1910; died December 30, 1985. He married Theda ??.
19 vii. Hayden Morgan, born May 29, 1912; died December 31, 1983. He married Mildred.
Notes for Hayden Morgan:
Hayden Morgan lived in Washington State.
More About Hayden Morgan:
Burial: January 04, 1984, Chehalis-Centralia, Washington
20 viii. Mavie Virginia Morgan, born October 02, 1914; died January 14, 1991. She married (1) Kell Coe Unknown; born Unknown; died Unknown. She married (2) Raymond Odum Unknown; born Unknown.
+ 21 ix. Cleatis Raymond Morgan, born September 03, 1916; died August 02, 1997.
22 x. Ruby Morgan, born 1918.
23 xi. Okey Morgan, born August 27, 1920; died December 14, 1988. He married Helen Moore.
Notes for Okey Morgan:
Okey Morgan served in the Army in India during World War II.
24 xii. Earl Morgan, born 1923; died July 07, 1943.
Notes for Earl Morgan:
Earl Morgan never married. He was killed during World War II in Italy when the tank he was driving ran over a mine.
Earl Morgan is listed in the World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, 1946, at the National Archives and Records Administration as follows: Mercer County, West Virginia, Earl W. Morgan, 35201216 or 35201316 (hard to read third number from left), TEC4, KIA
25 xiii. Dempsey Morgan, born Unknown.
10. Denny K.15 Morgan (Mary "Polly"14 Belcher, Abraham/Abram13, Bartlett "Bartley"12, George11, Isham10, Richard9, John8, Robert7, William Thomas6, Henry5, William4, Edmund3, John2, Hugh1) was born February 09, 189520, and died 197620. He married Georgia Ann Morgan. She was born 189920.
Notes for Denny K. Morgan:
Denny Morgan served in World War II.
Children of Denny Morgan and Georgia Morgan are:
+ 26 i. Ray16 Morgan, born August 19, 1927.
27 ii. Lena Morgan, died Bef. 199021.
Notes for Lena Morgan:
Died of cancer.
28 iii. Lonida Morgan.
29 iv. Lessie "Boots" Morgan.
30 v. Doris Morgan, died Bef. 199921.
Notes for Doris Morgan:
Died of a heart attack.
31 vi. Pat Morgan.
32 vii. Robert Morgan.
33 viii. Rolland Morgan.
34 ix. Linda Morgan.
35 x. Ann Morgan.
Generation No. 3
16. Thelma Gladys16 Morgan (Albert Hayden15, Mary "Polly"14 Belcher, Abraham/Abram13, Bartlett "Bartley"12, George11, Isham10, Richard9, John8, Robert7, William Thomas6, Henry5, William4, Edmund3, John2, Hugh1) was born January 04, 1907 in Mercer Co., WV, and died September 26, 1982 in Man, WV. She married Luther Terry Miller July 11, 1925 in Welch, McDowell Co., WV22, son of James Miller and Matilda Hatfield. He was born June 28, 1906 in Still Run, WV, and died December 09, 1975 in Man, WV.
Notes for Thelma Gladys Morgan:
Thelma Miller's funeral was held at Church of God of Prophecy, Brenton, WV.
More About Thelma Gladys Morgan:
Burial: 1982, Miller Cemetery, Mill Creek, WV
Cause of Death: Liver and colon cancer
Notes for Luther Terry Miller:
1) ". . . Luther grew up in the Mill Creek area of Bartley (Brenton) and moved to Welch, West Virginia, where he met and married Thelma. They lived on Brown's Creek in the Welch area for a period of about fourteen years. Luther and Thelma moved to Bartley (Brenton) in Wyoming County in 1936 with the intentions of building and opening a general mercantile in the western end of town. When the grocery store did not materialize, Luther then did road construction work in the Baileysville area. He also worked as a timber man at Dry Branch. Luther worked as a coal miner at Red Jacket (Wyoming) for Island Creek Coal Company from 1938 to 1954. Later, he became foreman of a group of men that cut right-of-way in and around Wyoming County for Hope Gas Company. Frequently Luther and the men would bring home trophy-sized rattlesnakes and copperheads that had been killed on remote hillsides in the heat of day. Evenings were spent sharpening mowing scythes in preparation for the next day's work.
Luther and Thelma were also in charge of distributing commodities in the Brenton area from 1955 to 1960 when this form of public assistance was eliminated. Eligible families received basic foods such as navy beans, pinto beans, rice, flour, yellow cornmeal, powdered milk, powdered eggs, cheese, and butter. Scales were used to weigh out specified amounts allotted to each family according to the total number of members in the family. This was a great opportunity for Luther and Thelma to see almost all members of the community on a monthly basis, since everyone had to come in person and pick up their commodities. This kind of made up for the store that they were never able to build, although they received no pay for distributing the commodities.
Through most of her married life, Thelma kept a milk cow and sold fresh milk and butter in the neighborhood. A gallon of good, cold, fresh milk was only fifty cents. A pound of rich, fresh butter was also fifty cents. Upon retiring from the milk and butter business in the 1960's, Thelma produced a great, big basket of fifty cent pieces which were hauled to the bank in Pineville and netted her a total of $867.00.
Luther and Thelma always had a vegetable garden and raised chickens and pigs. Luther was very generous-hearted and gave away much of what he and Thelma raised in the garden. Luther was well-known for the huge pink and yellow tomatoes that he raised each year.
Luther was also known for his fox hounds. He would have as many as twenty at a time that he kept in a pen up the hollow known as Dry Branch. A good hound dog with superior tracking abilities sold for as much as $100.00 or more. All-night hunts each weekend made for exciting tales of the day. Many times, daylight broke upon a weary Luther trying to retrieve his best hound dog. A hunting horn, hanging from a leather string around his neck, was blown periodically to call the dog. The good dogs had names. The others were just around for a short time. A fox hound with a good mouth was music to Luther's ears as he frequented the ridges in and around Brenton and Baileysville, hoping for the hunt to end all hunts. Households in main Brenton and in Egypt Bottom saved table scraps for Luther on a daily basis. Luther regularly drove to the back porch of each participating house where there would be a small pail of leftovers hanging on a nail on a post. Luther collected the scraps in a five-gallon bucket, as it took a lot to feed all of those hound dogs.
On August 3, 1953, at Gilbert in Mingo County, Luther T. Miller was ordained as Deacon of Mill Creek Freewill Baptist Church. He is remembered for his beautiful voice which rose above all others at every church service. Each Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening, Luther could be seen heading up Mill Creek in his jeep, tooting the horn all along the way, and stopping to pick up anyone who needed a ride to church. Luther had a great deal of respect for his cousin, Lawrence Miller, who was a fire and brimstone preacher and greatly influenced Luther in keeping his faith in God. Luther always made the grandchildren sit still and listen when Lawrence preached, even at the Miller Reunions which were held outside, at the Miller Reunion Grounds, all day on the first Sunday in August of each year.
Luther, Senior, Thelma, and Luther, Jr. are buried in the Miller Cemetery at Mill Creek, West Virginia. Frances is buried in the upper cemetery at Mill Creek.
Violet Lea Miller Meadows lives at Brenton, West Virginia, and Raymond Howard lives at Front Royal, Virginia."
Submitted by,
Violet Meadows
April 28, 1994
2) Luther Miller's family moved from Still Run to Mill Creek by horse and wagon when Luther was seven years old (per Gerald & Violet Meadows).
3) Luther Miller's funeral was held at Church of God, Brenton, WV.
More About Luther Terry Miller:
Burial: December 12, 1975, Miller Cemetery, Mill Creek, WV
Cause of Death: Cardiorespiratory failure due to lung cancer
Children of Thelma Morgan and Luther Miller are:
36 i. Frances Lorraine17 Miller, born May 07, 1927; died October 08, 1929.
More About Frances Lorraine Miller:
Burial: 1927, UpperCemetery at Mill Creek, WV
37 ii. Violet Lea Miller23, born April 01, 1929. She married Gerald Kermit Meadows November 10, 194724; born June 15, 192625.
38 iii. Raymond Howard "Ray" Miller, born October 22, 1930 in Welch, McDowell Co., WV. He married Dorothy Maria Green November 26, 1949 in Wyoming Co., WV; born November 16, 1930 in Corinne, WV.
Marriage Notes for Raymond Miller and Dorothy Green:
Dorothy and Raymond were married by Preacher Edgar Beverly at Baileysville, WV.
39 iv. Luther Terry Miller, Jr., born March 19, 193226; died July 25, 193427.
Notes for Luther Terry Miller, Jr.:
1) Birth date on tombstone is March 19, 1932. Death date on tombstone is July 25, 1934.
More About Luther Terry Miller, Jr.:
Burial: 1933, Miller Cemetery, Mill Creek, WV
17. Bertha Clara16 Morgan (Albert Hayden15, Mary "Polly"14 Belcher, Abraham/Abram13, Bartlett "Bartley"12, George11, Isham10, Richard9, John8, Robert7, William Thomas6, Henry5, William4, Edmund3, John2, Hugh1) was born 1909. She married Arthur Miller Unknown, son of James Miller and Matilda Hatfield. He was born Abt. 1904, and died March 17, 1947.
Notes for Bertha Clara Morgan:
Children of Bertha Morgan and Arthur Miller are:
40 i. Burgess17 Miller, born Unknown.
41 ii. Helen Miller, born Unknown.
21. Cleatis Raymond16 Morgan (Albert Hayden15, Mary "Polly"14 Belcher, Abraham/Abram13, Bartlett "Bartley"12, George11, Isham10, Richard9, John8, Robert7, William Thomas6, Henry5, William4, Edmund3, John2, Hugh1) was born September 03, 1916, and died August 02, 1997. He married (1) Betty Shell Morgan. He married (2) Yvonne Workman.
Children of Cleatis Morgan and Betty Morgan are:
42 i. Cletis Earl17 Morgan.
43 ii. Sharon Morgan. She married James Trent.
26. Ray16 Morgan (Denny K.15, Mary "Polly"14 Belcher, Abraham/Abram13, Bartlett "Bartley"12, George11, Isham10, Richard9, John8, Robert7, William Thomas6, Henry5, William4, Edmund3, John2, Hugh1) was born August 19, 192728. He married Bessie Lester 195228.
Children of Ray Morgan and Bessie Lester are:
44 i. Debbie17 Morgan.
45 ii. Sharon Morgan.
46 iii. Bobby Morgan.
Endnotes
1. 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census.
2. 1910 Wyoming Co. WV Census.
3. 1880 Wyoming Co. WV Census.
4. Turner, Ronald Ray, Wyoming County Marriage Index, Book 1, Page 24.
5. 1880 Mercer Co., WV Census, Age 31 on census.
6. 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census.
7. 1880 Mercer Co., WV Census.
8. 1880 Wyoming Co. WV Census.
9. 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census.
10. 1880 Mercer Co., WV Census.
11. 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census.
12. Wyoming County Births, Pauline Haga.
13. 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census.
14. Gravestone, Morgan Cemetery, Pineville-Welch Rd., Wyoming Co., WV.
15. 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census.
16. Gravestone, Morgan Cemetery, Pineville-Welch Rd., Wyoming Co., WV.
17. 1880 Mercer Co., WV Census.
18. Wyo. Co. Births, US GenWeb Project, Age 2 on census.
19. 1900 Wyoming Co., WV Census.
20. Gravestone, Morgan Cemetery, Pineville-Welch Rd., Wyoming Co., WV.
21. Ray Morgan, Aug. 3, 1999.
22. Marriage Book No. 44, Pg. 211, McDowell Co., WV.
23. Verbal from Violet Miller Meadows.
24. Violet Meadows.
25. Verbal from Violet Miller Meadows.
26. Gravestone, Mill Creek, WV.
27. Gravestone, Brenton Cemetery, Mill Creek, WV.