WELCOME TO
WEST VIRGINIA BAILEYS
Irish Motto: "Nothing is brighter then the stars"
English Motto: "One's country is where one is well"
ANCESTRY DOCUMENTS BAILEY ANCESTRY FAMILY NEWS FREEDA SLOOP MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL PAGE PHOTO GALLERY WW SLOOP TRIBUTE
"If you can't get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."
George Bernard Shaw
From Calhoun County, West Virginia, to Nicholas County, West Virginia, then to places unfamiliar to our ancestors, this is the story of my Bailey Heritage.
My American ancestry started in what was Tazewell County, Virginia with Richard Peyton Bailey. Then, it moved into Calhoun County, West Virginia.
If you are interested in Richwood, West Virginia, please visit the site below.
WWW.RICHWOODERS.COM
SOME OF MY FAMILY AND I TOOK A TRIP BACK TO THE HILLS OF WEST VIRGINIA IN APRIL 2009, INCLUDING RICHWOOD, WHERE MY DIRECT LINE WAS RAISED. WE VISITED THE GRAVES OF THE SHAFFER SIDE ON FRIDAY APRIL 17th 2009, IN CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA. THEN WE WENT TO CALHOUN COUNTY ON SATURDAY, WHERE MY BAILEY ANCESTORS GOT THEIR START IN THE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA. WE VISITED THE GRAVES AT UPPER AND LOWER FINK CEMETERIES, IN MILO, WEST VIRGINIA, WHERE ALL OF PERRY EVERETTE BAILEYS' ANCESTORS ARE BURIED, BACK TO DODRIDGE BAILEY, WHO WAS BORN IN 1788. THEN ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, WE WENT TO RICHWOOD, WHERE MY FATHER, LAWRENCE BAILEY AND HIS PARENTS ARE BURIED. I HAVE ADDED PICTURES OF ALL THE TOMBSTONE'S WE SEEN ON THE TRIP.
OUR BAILEY GRANDPARENTS
This is a picture of my paternal grandparents, Perry Everette Bailey (July 10th, 1882-June 6th,1961) and Pearl Nichols (June 1st, 1898-October 24th, 1950). She was born in Roane County and passed away in Nicholas County. He was born in Calhoun County and passed away in Belmont County, Ohio. Both are buried in the Richwood Cemetery in Richwood, West Virginia. Perry was the son of Christopher Columbus Bailey and Rachel Elizabeth Cutlip. Some records show C.C. Bailey also married to a woman named Henrietta B. Young. Perry must have met Pearl around 1915. Pearl had a daughter named Gypsy Lucille (July 20th, 1916-April 7th, 2005). I was told that Pearl had Gypsy Lucille Moore when she met Perry, with a man named Caney? Moore. Perry already had two boys named General Cyrus (August 4th, 1905-July 4th, 1947) and Bernard Duncan (April 19th 1912-April 17th, 1959) by a woman named Zada Siers. They were married in 1903. I also found a son named Thomas Wheeler (1908-1909) on the internet. The best that I can tell, the first child Perry and Pearl had together was my father, Lawrence Wouldford Bailey. Apparently, the Baileys and Siers lived close to each other, because Zada's father Alan C. Siers married Perry's Aunt, Nancy Ann Bailey, which would have made Perry and Zada first cousins.
This picture was sent to me by a distant cousin named Valerie Jarvis. I believe it is Perry Bailey with Zada Siers. I believe the two young boys are Bernard Duncan and General Cyrus Bailey. the older lady on the porch is Lucinda Godbey Bailey. The young girl in the background is unknown.
According to official Census records, Perry and Pearl lived in the Washington District of Calhoun County in January 1920. By the 1930 Census they are shown as residents of Nicholas County in the city of Richwood. Some folks say that is where Perry worked in the coal mines of the times. I have found records of two children that died as infants that were born to Perry and Pearl: Virgil (1920-1923) and Basil (1932-1933). They are buried in the Richwood Cemetery. I also found a copy of a draft card for Perry where he registered for the WW2 draft on April 7th, 1942 at the age of 60.
OUR SHAFFER GRANDPARENTS
This is Ralph Harry Shaffer (June 23rd, 1911-November 21st, 1943) and Pauline Cole Haynes (August 11th, 1919-November 9th, 1967), my maternal grandparents. They were married in 1936. The young girl in the middle is Freeda Mae Shaffer, my mother at the age of 5. She told me the picture was taken in 1943, just before Ralph passed away. Ralph was born a son of Nicholas Shaffer and Louise Holbart in Roane County, West Virginia in the city of Roane. Ralph worked at the Charleston Broom Factory where it is believed he contacted Tuberculosis from inhaling the straw dust. He spent the latter part of his life at the Hopemont Sanitarium until his death. Funeral services were held at The Elmore Memorial Church on November 21st, 1943 at 3:00p.m. on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. Reverend Monroe Dodson officiated. The pallbearers were Broom Factory Boys. He was buried at Withrow Cemetery in Charleston along side his mother and father.
Pauline Cole Haynes was born on August 11th, 1919 in Roane County, West Virginia to Albert Harrison Haynes and Laura Sleath. According to the 1930 census, Laura lived with a cousin named Charles Swigger and his family in Charleston. It is unknown to me what happened to Albert. Laura is shown in the Census records as living with the Swiggers and her in-laws. Sometime after Ralph passed away in 1943, she married a man named Charles Edward Dunbar. Charles and Pauline were alcoholics, but they had two children together, Sue and Charles, Jr. According to a newspaper article I found, Pauline was living in a makeshift hovel made of cardboard and wood on the outskirts of Charleston, West Virginia in the 1960's. She passed away on November 9th, 1967. The picture above is the only known picture of Ralph and Pauline together.
OUR PARENTS
Lawrence Wouldford Bailey (July 24th 1918-Juky 2nd, 1978) and Freeda Mae Shaffer (January 19th, 1938-May 8th, 2008) are my parents. They were married on July 17th, 1956 in Charleston, West Virginia. They met each other through Freeda's high school classmate Shelby Jean Bailey, who was Tonnie's half niece. Tonnie, as Lawrence was known because of his size, made numerous trips back and forth between Columbus, Ohio and Charleston, West Virginia looking for work, sometimes with Freeda and sometimes without. Tonnie spent 7 years in the penitentiary in West Virginia. The original charge was theft, but like the idiot he was he kept escaping, thus adding more time to a 1 year sentence. I can't tell you much about Tonnie, except what I have heard through relatives. Tonnie was a heavy drinker. He was featherweight boxing champion in the penitentiary. Tonnie and Freeda were at constant odds with each other most of their relationship. Tonnie held numerous jobs during his life, but as far as I know he did not do much to support his huge family. Eventually Tonnie and Freeda went their separate ways. Freeda remarried my stepfather Welsh Whitcomb "Bill" Sloop (August 2nd, 1911-September 28th, 1989) on March 3rd, 1973 in Columbus, Ohio. Tonnie remarried a woman named Joanne Varney and had twin daughters named Jennifer and Kelly. The whereabouts of the twins are unknown to me.
As for Freeda, she graduated from Johnston High School in West Virginia in 1955 as Valedictorian of her class. She held her family together, along with Bill, by working as a CRT operator for Sears, American Red Cross and the State of Ohio. She received her LPN License on August 7th, 1981 from the State of Ohio with a passing score of 86. She worked and retired from the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital on Columbus' hilltop. She went on disability retirement due to Diabetes. Freeda passed away from complications of her disease on May 8th, 2008 and will be sadly missed by her family.
MY GENERATION
This is a picture mom had taken of us, we believe in 1964, due to the fact that Shelby Mae was still a baby.
Top (L-R): Ralph Daniel, Glen Arnold, Pearl Sue
Bottom (L-R): Tonnie Eugene, Jon David, Shelby Mae
This
is a picture we got together for in the late 1970's trying to duplicate the one
above. we had to rearrange the sitting due to our sizes.
Top (L-R): Glen Arnold, Shelby Mae, Ralph Daniel
Bottom (L-R): Pearl Sue, Jon David, Tonnie Eugene
**My sister Edith Ann isn't in either picture due to the fact that she was raised by my Aunt and Uncle, Obrey Roy and Gypsy Lucille Bailey Fisher.
INDIVIDUALLY THIS IS MY FAMILY
AS WAS TRADITIONAL WITH MY PARENTS, THEY NAMED MOST OF THEIR CHILDREN AFTER RELATIVES. I HAVE THREE SISTERS, PEARL SUE (BUTLER) BAILEY, EDITH ANN BAILEY, AND SHELBY MAE (MCCALLISTER) BAILEY, AND THREE BROTHERS, TONNIE EUGENE, RALPH DANIEL, AND JON DAVID BAILEY.
PEARL
SUE
IS THE OLDEST SHE WAS NAMED AFTER
MY PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER
AND A HALF SISTER OF MY MOTHERS.
SHE WAS BORN IN RICHWOOD, WEST VIRGINIA ON MARCH 12th, 1957
TONNIE
EUGENE'S NAMES
WERE
FROM A NICKNAME HIS DAD HAD,
AND EUGENE WAS AN UNCLE'S MIDDLE NAME.
HE WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 27th, 1958 IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.
EDITH ANN WAS NAMED AFTER
MY GREAT AUNTS, EDITH EDNA SHAFFER
AND RACHEL ANN SHAFFER.
SHE WAS BORN APRIL 15th, 1959 IN CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.
RALPH DANIEL'S NAMES WERE
FROM HIS MATERNAL GRANDFATHER AND
DANIEL IS FROM GRANDMA PAULINE, (PRESUMABLY FROM THE BIBLE).
HE WAS BORN APRIL 21st, 1960 IN CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA
THIS
IS ME, GLENN ARNOLD.
I WAS NAMED AFTER TWO OF MY UNCLES, GLEN AUBREY BAILEY AND ARNOLD LEONARD KIDD.
I WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 23rd, 1961 IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.
JON DAVID'S NAMES WERE BOTH FROM THE BIBLE. I WOULD ASSUME MY GREAT AUNT RACHEL SHAFFER KIDD WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS NAMING
HE WAS BORN APRIL 16th, 1963 IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.
SHELBY MAE WAS NAMED AFTER
A NIECE OF MY FATHER'S AND
FREEDA'S MIDDLE NAME.
SHE WAS BORN JUNE 5th, 1964 IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.
***(THE NAMES ABOVE ARE IN BIRTH ORDER)
THE NEXT GENERATION
**NOT TO TAKE ANY CREDIT AWAY FROM NOR UPSET ANYONE FROM HERE ON, BUT, I HAVE TO BE FAIR. MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS MEAN A LOT TO ME, SIMPLY BECAUSE MY WIFE AND I DON'T HAVE KIDS OF OUR OWN. I DO ALL I CAN TO HELP ALL OF THEM WHEN I CAN. SO, THIS IS HARD FOR ME TO DO, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE THIS WAY TO KEEP FROM MIXING THINGS UP.
The first born to my generation was Jason Allen Ward. He was born on
December 5th, 1975 to Ralph Daniel Bailey and Delores Bragg. Ralph and
Delores were never married, therefore Jason grew up on the Bragg side of his
family. After some time Delores married a man named Dwayne Ward and he adopted
Jason and changed his name to Ward. Jason kept in contact when he was young and
still does now. He has two sons named Austin and Braxton.
Next is Joseph Eugene Bailey. He was born to my youngest sister, Shelby,
on April 24th, 1978 in Columbus, Ohio. Joseph was adopted by his grandmother
Freeda and Welsh Sloop, due to the age of Shelby when she had him. That legally
makes Joseph my younger brother. Joseph married Angela Myers on October
13th, 1999. She was born on August 14th, 1984. they have two daughters together,
Jordan Elyce and Rhianna Mae.
Joseph and Angie are divorced now and he is remarried to Kristy Robinson.
He has two step daughters named Hailey and Kimberlynn. They have no children together. He lives in Licking County, Ohio.
This is Justin Ray McCallister, Shelby's second
child. his father was Elba McCallister, Jr. He was born on May
21st, 1984 in Columbus, Ohio. He was the first "Bailey" to graduate high school
since his grandmother, Freeda in 1955. He played football
for Westland High School in Galloway, Ohio. Justin made the Varsity team his
sophomore year. He was listed in "Who's Who of Ohio Sports" in his senior year.
Justin joined the U.S. Army after high school and spent 2 tours in Iraq
and 1 in Afghanistan during his service. Justin has been married twice, once to
Whitney Kappes, and to Ashley Patton. Justin has no
children.
This is April Leah McCallister, Shelby's second to Elba McCallister, Jr. She was born on. She is married to Jason Casto. They have two daughters, Ayla Leah and Leah Allee. The Casto's live in Columbus, Ohio.
This is Zachary Tyler Bailey. He is the second son of Ralph and a girl he dated named Jessica Conn. He was born October 10th, 1998, in Columbus, Ohio. Ralph and Jessica fought over custody of Zach for awhile, when Franklin County Children Services took permanent custody of him and put him up for adoption. The last we knew of Zach, he was living in Gahanna, Ohio with a family named Bogue.
THE YOUNGEST GENERATION
The next generation begins with Austin Allen Ward, Jason Ward's son. Sorry, I don't have a picture of Austin.
This picture is Joseph and Angela's first daughter Jordan Elyce Bailey.
She was born on August 21st, 1997 in Columbus, Ohio.
This picture above is Joseph and Angela's second daughter Rhianna Mae Bailey.
She was born on September 16th, 1999 in Columbus, Ohio.
This is Apill McCallister and Jason Casto's first daughter Ayla Leah Casto.
She was born in Columbus, Ohio.
This is April and Jason's second daughter Leah Allee Casto.
She was born on April 12th, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio.
This is Braxton Scott Bailey. He is the newest Bailey family member, born on
February 11, 2010 to Jason Bailey and his girlfriend, Laura Erdy.
Isn't this the cutest little girl in the world!!!
ANCESTRY DOCUMENTS BAILEY ANCESTRY FAMILY NEWS FREEDA SLOOP MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL PAGE MY LIFE STORY PHOTO GALLERY WW SLOOP TRIBUTE