Mystery Photo – House Ruined by Fire

unknown-houseThis photo was part of a packet of photographs of the Rigg and Farley family. I assume the house damage was caused by fire due to the dead trees in front, but there certainly could be other explanations. I do NOT believe that this is the Rigg/Farley Ferry House (post coming on that before long), as that house was right at the river’s edge and this appears to back up to a wooded area. Continue reading “Mystery Photo – House Ruined by Fire”

Aud’s High Point Pie

This recipe was used by my grandmother, Audrey Vellence Hale Farley (1908-2001, affectionately known as “Grandmam”) and shared with many friends and family. Grandmam was known as “Aud” or “Audrey” to her many friends, and it was one of those who called this “Aud’s High Point Pie” and that has a nice ring. Continue reading “Aud’s High Point Pie”

Death Date for Thomas Willis Farley

Thomas Willis Farley was born 26 January 1841 in Buckingham County, Virginia. His father was James Henry Farley. His mother was Catherine F. Roberts, who fell over dead of a heart attack across Thomas’s crib when he was six months old.

Thomas grew up in Buckingham, and attended Hampden-Sydney College, and served with the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He married Nancy “Nannie” Montgomery Rigg and they had 10 children.

1900-census-nannie-farleyOne of the first records I found for Nannie (and Thomas) is the 1900 U. S. Federal Census for Kanawha County, WV, on which Thomas does not appear at all, and shows his wife Nannie as widowed. I had his date of death noted as “bef 1900” for many years. Then over the last few years I stumbled across several sources which jointly establish his date of death  as 26 July 1903. Continue reading “Death Date for Thomas Willis Farley”

Wedding Book of Grace Campbell

Wedding Portrait of Grace Lavenia Campbell in 1903
Wedding Portrait of Grace Lavenia Campbell in 1903

Grace Lavenia Campbell married Carl DeWitt Hopkins on 25 July 1904 in Galipolis, Ohio. Grace and Carl were my great-grandparents, and my mother remembers them well.

Grace was born in 1883, the daughter of Samuel Henry (S. H.) Campbell and Nancy Jane Meadows. She was 21 at the time of her marriage to Carl. They had two sons (Keith Campbell Hopkins, my grandfather, and Henry Frederick Hopkins), and a daughter who did not live past infancy. Continue reading “Wedding Book of Grace Campbell”