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I’m looking for info on these surnames on my dad’s side Porter and Darnell his mother was a Darnell out of the Whitetop Mountain area of Grayson county her name was either Ruby or Ruth and she was born in the 1920’s his father was a Porter who was last known to have lived in Roanoke, Va I don’t have anymore info because my dad was adopted.
On my Mom’s side she was born Linda McGee her mother’s maiden name was Lettie Bowers they are from the Fries area and her mother’s mother was a Hills on her dad’s side there were some Davis’ and some Miller’s I don’t have much to go on cause everyone on mom’s side gets all funny and hush hush whenever I start asking questions about our ancestry any tidbits that anyone has on these surnames would be really appreciated though.
Actually if anyone has access to the Census records for Grayson County Va and Ashe county NC for the census in 1920 and 1930 that would be a huge help. Any info on the Darnell family in that area would be helpful especially from 1900 to around 1950 I know I have the right general family she was probably the grandaughter of Lewis William Darnell and Margaret Lucinda Peak. Lewis was the son of William Darnell and Sarah York and William was the son of William “Surry Bill” Darnell. I’m 90 percent sure I have the right group of Darnells I just need to know who the children of Lewis and Margaret were and who they married and the names and birth dates of thier children then I’ll either find my grandmother’s family or rule out this line.
As for the other surnames I was asking about both sides of my family have the Indian grandmother story or great grand something or the other was a Blackfoot Indian so I was wondering if McGee, Davis, Hill/Hills, Porter, Miller or Bowers have any ties to any of the local tribes and if so which ones?
Welcome TanyaGale!
Children of Lewis William Darnell and Margaret Peak:
Hughie born 9-6-1878. Is William Hughie.
Robert Haywood b 4-30 1880
James Charles b4-10-1881. Show a marriage to Daisy Alberta Weaver.
Wade Hampton b6-28 1882. Marriage to Frances Malissia Caudill
Columbus and Columbia. Twins born 2-14-1884. Died same day.
Grover Cleveland bOct 15 1885 in Ashe co NC. All children previous to this born in Grayson co Va. Marriage to Ellen Miller. She born 24 Sept. 1875 Pond Mountain Ashe co NC.
Margis Sara Luemma “Emma” born 7-11-1888. Married Cicero Dixon.
BRAXTON “Brack” McKee Darnell born April 11 1889 Whitetop, Grayson Co Va. Married Mamie Hodges. Brack died 1968 in West Virginia. Buried Sophia, Raleigh Co, WVa.
Vilena Elizabeth bApr13 1892, died 1979. Married Solly Blevins.
Cora, Born…………”…Twins…married Wade Miller
Roy Lee4-20-1897..Married 1. Ella Taylor and 2. A Coldiron.
Charity Clyde b4-7-1905 married William Harrison Weaver.
Cont.’d
Cont’d.
1930 Horse Creek Township, Ashe NC census
Lewis Darnell Age 73 Lewis died April 8, 1939. Pond Mt. Ashe co NC.
Margaret Age 76. Margaret Lucinda Peak Darnell died Nov 24 1935.
Lewis is found in the Pond Mountain Primitive Baptist church records. Just notes of minutes. Not any concrete info.
I870 Horse Creek Township, Ashe NC census
William45
Sarah 42
Sylvester 21
Wade 19
Nancy
Elizabeth
Lewis 12 This would be about right for Lewis born C1857.
Sarah
Haywood 8
Roxan
Newton
There is a Ruth age 3 in the Household of Brack McKee Darnell in 1930.
Brack 41 and Mamie 34.
Children Ethel 14, Stella 12, James 9, Mary 7, Delma 5 Ruth 3 and Junior 1.
This is 1930 Slab Fork, Raleigh Co, WVa.
Margery Peak out of Grayson co Va. Parents Hugh Rye Peak and Margery Hart. Both b circa 1825. Hugh Died May 19 1896 and Margery died Oct 25 1887. Both buried in Robbins Cemetery, Grassy Creek (Grayson?) Va. Both are shown on Ancestry on an extensive tree as part Cherokee Indian. Cherokee was used broadly. They could be mixed from other tribes. This is it so far for info. Saj
Thank you! I did some research at the library today and came to the same conclusion so at least now I know it wasn’t just me grasping at straws. I wish I had the money at the moment to get an account for ancestry.com they have so much info.
Ok I got my dad’s research he did back in the early 90’s when he was trying to find his brother’s and sister and I found out more about my grandparents on his side my grandmother’s maiden name was Nannie Ruth Darnell but she seemed to go by Ruth her and my grandfather may or may not have been legally married but his name was George Junior Darnell they may have married in Winston Salem, North Carolina. My dad and his brothers and sister were born at Shenandoah Hospital in Roanoke my aunt and uncle’s birth names were Georgia Gayle/Gail Porter who was adopted by her uncle Leonard Lee Darnell and his wife who lived in Florida. Richard Wayne Porter who was never adopted my dad who was born David Junior Porter but was renamed Jack David Lindamood when he was adopted and then Delmer Lee Porter who was renamed Raymond Woodhouse when he was adopted. They were taken into Child Services custody on July 22 1960. When my grandmother apparently left them in the care off a neighbor to run off with John Ivan “The Human Cannonball” a carnival entertainer who had recently performed at Lakeside amusement park.
My grandmother’s last known address was 544 Day Avenue S.W. in Roanoke although a sister recieved a letter from her when she was staying briefly in the Washington DC area. When living in Roanoke she had been known to frequent the Manhatten restaraunt.
And lastly I found an Obit on the New River Notes webpage for a Sylvia Matilda Hillenburg widow of Friel Hillenburg. It listed her siblings as Bessie Martin of Marion Va, Nannie Ruth Sawyer of Whitetop and Leonard Darnell of Florida I believe I found my grandmother and three of her siblings it also mentioned Sylvia having a son and daughter in law named Carl and Judy Darnell living in Marion and that she was laid to rest in Cole Cemetery in Whitetop the Rev Joe Powers officiated and Barnett’s funeral home was in charge of arrangements. What I still don’t know who Sylvia, Ruth, Bessie and Leonard’s parents were. I think it was probably one of the sons of Lewis William Darnell and Margaret Lucinda Peak Darnell. Thier sons who are likely fathers for Nannie Ruth include Wade Hampton Darnell born 28 June 1882 who married Francis Malissia Caudill or Grover Cleveland Darnell born 15 October 1886 he married Ellen Miller then there is the Braxton McKee “Brack” Darnell was mentioned above and a Roy Lee “Roey” Darnell born 20 April 1897 he married Ellie Taylor and is burried in McClure Cemetery in Chilhowie Va. Could someone with better access to online vital records look these names up for me.
Oh just to correct a mistake my Grandfather’s name was George Junior Porter of Roanoke Va he had a sister Helen Wyrick of Roanoke who my dad made contact with my grandfather’s mother was Ruby Katherine Crowder she married and George Porter and then an Eanes. My grandfather remarried after he and Ruth Darnell split her name was Lavelle. My grandpa died in 1981 at age 59 and is burried in City Cemetery in Roanoke.
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