DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM CONNER

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                              Don Norman

 

1.WILLIAM CONNER

 

    William Conner was probably born about 1785.  He married

Susannah Kendall.

 

Children of William and Susannah (Kendall) Conner.

 

  2.  (1). Preston                 b.       1813

         m.Rachel Kendall

 

 

2.PRESTON CONNER     1.WILLIAM CONNER

 

    Preston Conner, a son of William and Susannah (Kendall) Conner,

was born in Clarke County KY in 1813.  He came to Kanawha County Va

(WV) with his family in 1817.  He married Rachel Kendall.  Rachel, a

daughter of James and Mary (Lockhart) Kendall, was born in Alleghany

County VA in 1822.

 

Known children of Preston and Rachel (Kendall) Conner.

 

  3.  (1). Preston                 b.       1847   d.        1903

         m. Elizabeth J. Kendall

 

3.PRESTON CONNER     2.PRESTON CONNER     1.WILLIAM CONNER

 

    Preston Conner, a son Preston and Rachel (kendall) Conner, was

born in 1847 and died in 1903.  He married Elizabeth J. Kendall. 

Elizabeth was born in 1853 and die in 1893.

 

Known children of Preston and Elizabeth J. (Kendall) Conner.

 

  4.  (1). Ernest                  b.Feb  5 1877

         m.Carrie Louella James  Jun 21 1903

 

 

4.ERNEST CONNER     3.PRESTON CONNER     2.PRESTON CONNER

1.WILLIAM CONNER

 

      Ernest Conner, a son of Preston and Elizabeth J. (Kendall) Conner, was born February 15, 1877 and died in 1960.  He came to Clay County, WV as a railroad engineer for the Judge Lewis Timber Company. During the years 1895 to 1902, he was an engineer on one of the locomotives used on the Shelley Railroad, a subsidiary of the Judge Lewis Timber Company, along Big Laurel and Big Sandy Creeks.  When the Judge Lewis Company moved,  Ernest went to Ivydale and worked as an engineer for the Tidewater Oil Company on their railroad along Big

Otter Creek from 1902 to 1910.

     During the years 1910 and 1911, he was an engineer for the Elk and Little Kanawha railroad, and from 1911 to 1918, he was employed by the Interstate Cooperage Railroad.  After 1918, Ernest was an engineer for the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad from Dundon, WV to Widen WV.

     To the best of the writer's knowledge, the Elk and Little Kanawha Railroad was a narrow gauge line that ran from Frametown, WV, to the head of Bear Fork of Steer Creek, near the present site of the Frozen Chapel, and its sole purpose was to haul logging supplies into the area for use of the Interstate Cooperage Company and to ship finished barrel staves to market.

    However, the railroad ran in an area that was hungry for transportation, and hauled everything except ivory, apes and peacocks during the time of its existence.  The road may have been built initially by private funds and bought by the Interstate Cooperage Company in 1911.

     At Frametown, WV, the Elk and Little Kanawha road joined the standard gauge road that ran from Charleston to Sutton.  This standard gauge road was originally built as the Charleston, Clendenin and Sutton Railroad and was completed in 1895.  In 1902, the CC&S Railroad was sold to the Coal and Coke Railroad Company operated by Henry Gassaway Davis.  About 1912, the Coal and Coke Railroad was sold to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.

     Ernest married Carrie Louella James in Clay County WV June 21, 1903.  Carrie, a daughter of William and Rebecca (Conrad) James, was born December 10, 1885.

 

Children of Ernest and Carrie Louelia (James) Conner.

 

  5.  (1). Delbert                 b.       1904   d.        1970

          m.Josephine Gray

 

  6.  (2). Ray                     b.Feb 17 1906   d.Jan 23 1994

          m.Dorothy White

 

  7.  (3). Noble "Bud"             b.       1909   d.        1963

          m.Madge Young Dec 24 1935

 

  8.  (4). Richard "Dean"          b.       1914

          m.Louise Marshall

 

  9.  (5). Nina Pauline            b.       1919

          m.James Ashton

 

 

6.RAY CONNER     4.ERNEST CONNER     3.PRESTON CONNER

2.PRESTON CONNER     1.WILLIAM CONNER

 

    Ray Conner, a son of Ernest and Carrie Louella (James) Conner, was

born in Clay County WV February 17, 1906 and died in Kanwha County WV

January 23, 1994.  He married Dorothy White in Clay County April 16,

1927.  Dorothy, a daughter of Orland and Ann White, was born at

Wallback, Roane County WV August 18, 1909.

 

Children of Ray and Dorothy (White) Conner.

 

 10.  (1). Gertrude May             b.Jan  5 1929     d. Feb 11 2009

         m. David E. Bess

 

 11.  (2). Betty

         m.------ Hunt

 

 12.  (3). Jack

 

 13.  (4). Nancy

         m.------ Jones

 

 

7.NOBLE CONNER     4.ERNEST CONNER     3.PRESTON CONNER     2.PRESTON

CONNER     1.WILLIAM CONNER

 

    Noble "Bud" Conner, a son of Ernest and Carrie Louelia (James)

Conner, was born in 1909 and died in 1963.  He married Madge Young

December 24, 1935.  Madge, a daughter of Thomas and Lilly (Bragg)

Young, was born October 12, 1913.

 

Children of Noble E. and Madge (Young) Conner.

 

 14.  (1). Brenda Kay              b.Mar  3 1942

 

 15.  (2). Sharon Louise           b.Aug 27 1945

 

 

10.GERTRUDE MAY CONNER   6.RAY CONNER     4.ERNEST CONNER     3.PRESTON CONNER

2.PRESTON CONNER     1.WILLIAM CONNER

 

Gertrude May Conner, a daughter of Ray and Dorothy (White) Conner, was born in Clay County WV January 5, 1929 and died in Dunbar, WV February 11, 2009. She married David E. Bess, who preceded her in death.

 

Children of David E. and Gertrude May (Conner) Bess.

 

16.        (1). David R.

        m. Jeannie ------

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 

Dawson, Hubert E., "Twistabout and Thereabout"

"History of Clay County WV" 1989, pp.140,141

Karabogias, Pauline, Nathaniel Young family group sheets

The Clay County WV Free Press Feb 2 1994

“Charleston WV Gazette” Feb 14 2009