Robert VanBever, Sr., one of Bell County's pioneer leaders was born at Yellow Creek on Feb. 7, 1870. He was the third of six children, the son of William and Emily Howard VanBever.

His father, William was a gallant soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. He died when Bob was only 8, and an uncle helped care for him until he was 11. At that youthful age he started working for the railroad and local sawmill which gave him knowledge of the coal and timber business. In later years he became an entrepreneur in the coal and timber industry.

On Dec. 24, 1902 he married Bertha Bailey, the daughter of C.H. and Eliza Rice Bailey. They became the parents of five children: Clara and Robert Jr. (deceased), Myrtle, Glenn and Louise all three living as of this writing.

At age 26, Robert was elected chief of police of Pineville, but after serving two years he resigned to enlist in the Fourth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry and served during the Spanish-American War.

After the war, as a staunch Republican, he served four years as deputy sheriff. In 1902 he was elected jailer of Bell County and served two four-year terms. In 1909, he was elected sheriff of Bell County and later served as county judge. From that day he was known and called by all "Judge VanBever."

In addition to his elected offices of public service, Judge VanBever served nine years as postmaster of Pineville. He was prominent in several fraternal circles, and he and Bertha were devout members of the Methodist Church.

An editorial in the Pineville Sun newspaper in 1952 capsulized the Judge's life, "Always aligning with the forces standing for improvement of Pineville, Judge VanBever took an active part in all community endeavors, and even after age and illness made it necessary to curtail his activities, he still served in an advisory capacity whenever called upon to help his native state and county. Although he served in numerous elective and appointive offices during his long and useful life in Pineville, Judge VanBever made no enemies. Those who disagreed with him politically were quick to note his fine qualities of honesty and fairness. His charitable acts endeared him to many."

All five VanBever children married and reared their own. Clara married Clarence Wordrup and to this union four children were born: Neal, Patricia, Julia and Gail.

Robert Jr. married Zelma Goodman and to them were born Robert (Buddy) and Ann Bailey.

Myrtle married Gene Snaveley and they had one son, Charles Robert, prior to Gene's death. Myrtle later married Elmer Bush and they had three children: Gretchen, Patricia and Mary Jane.

Glenn and Nadine Compton married and parented two children, Christopher and Jan Margaret.

Louise and her husband, Avil L. McKinney added two children to the family, Avil L. II (Len) and Barbara.

The only member of Judge VanBever's immediate family still residing in Bell County is his son Glenn. Glenn's wife, Nadine, died in 1979. He bought the home place years ago and continued to reside there. Among other business and civic duties and responsibilities, Glenn, too is a devout Methodist and has served Pineville as a councilman since 1950, 43 years and is still seated on the body. The Judge would have been proud.

By Avil McKinney

History & Families, Bell County, Kentucky, Page 373.

James Burruss Carden, of Virginia ancestry, was born near Lizemore, Clay County, on the 30^th day of April, 1882, the second son of David Purinton Carden and Martha Ayre Carden. There are at present three surviving member of this family, viz: Mrs. William T. Stanard and Mr. Oliver H. Carden, of Enon, West Va., and Dr. David R. Carden, of Huntington, West Virginia.

David P. Carden moved to Enon a short time afterward, where he and his brother William D. Carden owned adjoining farms, and here "Jimmie" grew to manhood. His education was limited to the free schools which had not been established long and these advantages were interrupted by the death of his father in 1872. Notwithstanding this, he obtained a fairly good education and obtained employment in a general store conducted by George H. Alderson at Enon, West Virginia. There he remained until 1883.

At this time he came to old "Winston" on the old Gauley Bridge and Weston turnpike and was the junior partner in the J. B. Carden & Company store. This business was moved to Zela in 1885, where he bought the interest of his partner, Mr. Alderson, January 5, 1888 and started in the general mercantile business for himself.

The post office at Zela was established August 26, 1885, with James B. Carden as Postmaster, during Grover Cleveland's administration and this Commission Mr. Carden held at the time of his death, January 30, 1928. From the latest data we have, he was one of the three oldest postmasters in West Virginia in time of service, having served as such over forty-two years.

He was united in marriage to Margaret Felicity VanBibber, April 2, 1885, and to this union six children were born: Nena Ezella, Alva Olin, David Lamont, Byrna Hautense, Andrew Burrus and Olive Broaduss. Alva Olin and Olive Broaduss have preceded him to the heavenly home.

The only fraternal organization to which he belonged was the Summersville Lodge No. 76 of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons having been raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason, October 6, 1897, at Summersville, West Virginia.

He was the Democratic nominee for Member of the County Court of Nicholas County in 1908, but was defeated by fifteen votes.

At the early age of ten years he professed faith in Christ and in October, 1873, was baptized into the fellowship of the Enon Baptist Church by Elder A. N. Rippetoe. He transferred his membership to Salem Baptist Church, March 17, 1888, and was chosen a deacon April 14, 1888, which office he held to the time of his death. The Salem Baptist Sunday School elected him superintendent, June 19, 1887, in which capacity he served until the time of his death, with the exception of three short intervals, in all about thirty-five years. He was president of Hopewell Baptist Sunday School Convention in 1889, 1900, 1901, 1909 and 1913, in all five years, and was Treasurer of the Hopewell Baptist Association for the years 1902, 1903, 1906 to 1915 inclusive, and in 1917, total of thirteen years.

The writer first met J. B. Carden while he was clerk at old "Winston" in 1883, and our acquaintance ripened into an enduring friendship and we are living in anticipation of a continuance of that friendship on the unseen, shoeless sea of the Infinite, where "God is love and Love is Heaven." We were intimately associated in church work for more than thirty years and have attended Associations and Sunday School Conventions, many times traveling over the hills and valleys alone. Last June Brother Carden and myself rode side by side to the Sunday School Convention at Rainelle. Little did either of us think that we would so soon be separated and at the next Sunday School Convention he would be absent.

Shortly after Brother Carden's death I received a letter from Brother Squire Halstead in which he expressed his sorrow because of our loss. He said that the ranks of the old guard were being thinned. I immediately thought of a great Sunday School Convention which is being recruited and that Brother Carden is now a member of that great Convention whose ranks never lose a member. I therefore "Think of him fareing on, as dear In the love of There as the love of Here."

The Lord said to Israel after the death of his meek servant; "Moses, my servant is dead; now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan." Brother Carden one of the Lord's servants, is dead. Let us therefore so live that we may meet him over the Jordan in Canaan's fair land.

Tuesday morning this community received the news that another good man and pioneer of this county had passed away. Slowly the meaning of our loss crept into the minds of the people. After a time all this section of the county was mourning its loss.

Mr. Carden had bronchial influenza about three weeks ago. He held a high temperature for several days and when it left he apparently was on the road to recovery. Sunday he began getting worse and Monday evening his life passed away. It was thought that the high fever in the first stages of the flu had been so hard on his heart that it failed to stand the strain.

We have not learned at this writing the time of the funeral. We feel safe in saying that Rev. J. E. Brown, pastor of the Baptist Church will be in charge of the funeral and it will be held in the Zela Baptist Church.

Mr. Carden is one of the very good and respected men of this county. He has been a cornerstone of the Zela community and had held the respect of good and bad, rich and poor, old and young for many years.

The passing of Mr. Carden is not the death of an ordinary man. It means the loss of a leader. It is the loss of a gentleman in every respect.

He leaves a widow and several children to mourn their loss.

The Nicholas Chronicle, Summersville, Nicholas County, West Virginia, February 2, 1928.

J. B. Carden -- Compiled by J. E. Brown, Pastor -- Press of The Nicholas Chronicle -- Summersville, W. Va. -- To the Memory of James Burruss Carden this Book is Affectionately Dedicated.

William Alexander Chowning was born at Old Alton in Denton County, Texas, August 10, 1855 to James William "Washington" Chowning and Nancy Myers. The Chowning family migrated from Greene County, Illinois, to the Peters Colony in the Republic of Texas, sometime during the year 1845. Nancy Myers, William's mother, was the daughter of David Myers, a Baptist minister and his wife Letitia Reddish Myers. Nancy’s father, David Myers, traveled around Dallas County organizing Baptist Churches and he became known by the settlers as the "Dallas County Moses." He established the first Baptist Church in Dallas County, Texas.

William worked many jobs as a young man and on a trip back from working as a cowboy, driving a herd of cattle to the railhead, he met Nancy Ann Elizabeth Loyd. Nancy Ann (later known to the family as Betty) was the daughter of James H. and Melcena Zumwalt Loyd. He met Nancy when he was returning through the Oklahoma Territory in the summer of 1877, he had stopped at a farm on the Washita River to work in the threshing. He and Nancy eloped and were married September 7, 1877 in Indian Territory near what is now Marietta, Oklahoma. They returned to Texas and settled in Dallas County, then Denton County, Wise County, and finally settled on a farm in Cundiff, in Jack County, Texas. Nancy died on April 13, 1945 and William died eight years later on April 25, 1953. Both are buried in Truscott Cemetery, Knox County, Texas.

Children of William Chowning and Nancy Loyd are:

H. Van Bibber                 53    M   Hotels 15000     S. Carolina
Nancy E. Van Bibber      57     F   Wife                       "
Sam Van Bibber              30    M                             Georgia
Flasri... Van Bibber          23    M Clerk                       "
Thomas Van Bibber         19    M Clerk                       "
Philip Ropin                      25   M Clerk                   Virginia

Notes:

1. This is Henry Van Tromp Van Bibber (b. 8 Feb 1798, Charleston Dist.-S.C.)
2. Nancy E. Leak (b. 27 Nov 1799) source family bible. Typo on her age, she is 52.
3. Sam Van Bibber (Van Bibber, Samuel b. 1819 d. May 9, 1896) source A NECROLOGY OF GRAVES AT THE OLD OAKLAND CEMETERY OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, Compiled by Eric J. Brock 1986 - 1987 Shreveport, Louisiana 1988. Pages 50, 77, & 106.
4. F ? Van Bibber. I think this is F. J. Van Bibber. The census taker scribbled his first name. The best I can make it out is FLASRIN. Here are the letters I can make out FLAS?I?.
5. Thomas H. Van Bibber was born December 14th 1830, source family bible.

Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers & Confederate Commands, - Vol. I-III (3)

Andrew B. Booth

New Orleans, LA: np, 1920.

Volume 3, "V", page 906

Van Bibber, F. J., Pvt. 3rd Batty. (Benton's) La. Lt. Arty. Roll of Prisoners of War of furloughed and detailed men, C. S. A., Paroled Shreveport, La., June 7, 1865. Res. New Orleans, La.

Van Bibber, F. J., Pvt. Co. G, Confed. Grds. Regt. La. Mil. Roll for March 8 to April 30, 1862 (only Roll on file), En. March 8, 1862, New Orleans. Roll states Present. Note: Transfd. by Gov. Thos. O. Moore to Maj. Gen. M. Lovell. C. S. A., for local defense Page 906 of the City of New Orleans and its approaches.

Van Bibber, Samuel, Pvt. Co. I, 27th La. Inf. Roll of Prisoners of War of detachments and regiments, La. and Ark. troops, C. S. A., Paroled Shreveport, La., June 9, 1865. Res. Shreveport, La.

Peter VanBibber, Jr. and Marguery Bounds
   Jacob VanBibber and Sarah Miller
      Nancy VanBibber and Moses Haney
         Aaron Haney and Melissa Jane Claypool
            Jessie Ann Haney and Charles H. McGaffey
               Nellie Mae McGaffey and D. Roy Ramsey

Last Name: Ramsey
First Name: Nellie
Middle: Mae
Birth Date: March 21, 1890
Mother Maiden: Haney
Father Last: McGaffey
Sex: F
Birth Place: Iowa
Death Place: Alameda
Death Date: November 19, 1958
Age: 68 years

--------------------

Isaac VanBibber and Sarah Davis
   Peter VanBebber and Ellinor VanBibber
      Jacob VanBebber and Catherine Ann Guthrie
         Calvin VanBebber and Barthena A. VanBebber
             Kitty Ann VanBebber and James T. Minton
                John Franklin Minton and Edna Olive Stark

Last Name: Minton
First Name: Edna
Middle: Olive
Birth Date: March 22, 1886
Mother Maiden: Bunch
Father Last: Stark
Sex: F
Birth Place: California
Death Place: Mendocino
Death Date: April 11, 1958
Age: 71 years

--------------------

John VanBibber and Chloe Staniford
   Chloe VanBibber and Jesse Bryan Boone
      Panthea Grant Boone and Lilburn W. Boggs
         Albert Gallatin Boggs and Lucy H. Evans
            Henry Evans Boggs

Last Name: Boggs
First Name: Henry
Middle: Evans
Birth Date: October 11, 1868
Mother Maiden: Evans
Father Last: Boggs
Sex: M
Birth Place: California
Death Place: Los Angeles County
Death Date: April 19, 1944
Age: 75 years

--------------------

John VanBibber and Chloe Staniford
Chloe VanBibber and Jesse Bryan Boone
Albert Gallatin Boone and Zeralda E. Randall
Mary Boggs Boone and Benjamin D. Spencer
Charles Winston Spencer

Last Name: Spencer
First Name: Charles
Middle: W.
Birth Date: June 20, 1886
Mother Maiden: Boone
Father Last: Spencer
Sex: M
Birth Place: Colorado
Death Place: Los Angeles County
Death Date: May 22, 1957
Age: 90 years

--------------------

John VanBibber and Chloe Staniford
   Chloe VanBibber and Jesse Bryan Boone
      Panthea Grant Boone and Lilburn W. Boggs
         Sophia Barnes Boggs and James M. Palmer
             Lulu B. Palmer and Henry B. Migliavacca
                Henry Haold Migliavacca

Last Name: Migliavacca
First Name: Henry
Middle: Harold
Birth Date: April 13, 1890
Mother Maiden: Palmer
Father Last: Migliavacca
Sex: M
Birth Place: California
Death Place: Napa County
Death Date: January 7, 1956
Age: 65 years

Peter VanBibber, Jr. and Marguery Bounds
   Jacob VanBibber and Sarah Miller
      Nancy VanBibber and Moses Haney
         Aaron Haney and Melissa Jane Claypool
            Oscar Stephen Haney and Della Mae Morrison
               William Gordon Haney

William G. Haney, son of Oscar and Della Morrison Haney, was born July 6, 1913, at Keosauqua, and departed this life Monday September 18, 1978, at his home in Pittsburg at the age of 65.

He grew up in Washington, Iowa and Fort Madison and lived many years in the Quad-City area. He operated the Haney Ambulance Service in Davenport for a number of years, and was a Security Officer for Turnstyle Department Stores. He moved to Keosauqua in 1970, and later to Pittsburg. He served as a Van Buren County Deputy Sheriff since 1973, and had also been a part-time Keosauqua Town Marshall.

Remaining to cherish his memory are two sons, Donald of Davenport and George of Wapello; two daughters, Pamela Franklin of Rock Island, Illinois and Bonnie Ehlers of Oxford Junction, Iowa; eight grandchildren and a great granddaughter. Also surviving are his twin brother, Charles with whom he lived in Pittsburg; a brother, Ned of McComb, Illinois; a sister Dora Layton of Vienna, Virginia, other relatives and many friends.

Bill was a member of Davenport Lodge No. 37, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and a thirty-second degree Mason in Davenport Consistory.

Funeral services were held Thursday, September 21, 1978 at 10:30 a. m. at Pedrick Funeral Home in Keosauqua with the Rev. Harold Schnedler officiating. Internment was in Pittsburg Cemetery.

Isaac VanBibber and Sarah Davis
   Martha VanBebber and George Yoakum, Sr.
      Isaac Yoakum and Mary Davis
        Aaron Alvice Yoakum and Lucinda Elizabeth Duke
           Isaac Yoakum and Josephine Houseman
              Willard A. Yoakum and Mary Etta Jeffries
                 Lawrence Yoakum and Alma K. Weyerbacher

Alma was a member of the Main Street General Baptist Church in Boonville. Rev. Temas Taylor baptized Alma in January 1934, at the Boonville General Baptist Church. Alma was a 58-year member of the Boonville Rebekah Lodge 259. In 1978, she started the Senior Citizens Bowling League at Lincoln Lanes. She belonged to the Warrick County Senior Citizens Kitchen Band. She and her late husband, Lawrence "Pappy" Yoakum, owned and operated "Lil Abner's" grocery on South Seventh Street in Boonville.

Alma was preceded in death by her son, Joe Allen Yoakum, in 1945, and her husband of 52 years, Lawrence "Pappy" Yoakum, in 1983. Alma was also preceded in death by one sister and two brothers.

Alma is survived by nieces and nephews including, Ruby Yoakum and Esther Chapman, both of Boonville who cared for her. Alma is also survived by one sister, Imelda Blackburn of Jasper, Ind.

Funeral services 10 a.m. Friday, December 6, from the Koehler Funeral Home Boonville Chapel, burial in Maple Grove Cemetery in Boonville, the Rev. Dwight Bland officiating.

Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. to service time at Koehler Funeral Home Boonville Chapel, with Boonville Rebekah Lodge memorial services Thursday evening. Memorials may be made to the Bread of Life Ministries.

Evansville Courier and Press -- Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana -- December 4, 2002

Lena Justice Allen passed away on January 15, 2003 in a St. Louis, Missouri after battling many illnesses and a long nine day stay in the hospital. She was born January 5, 1943 in Lockwood, Nicholas County, West Virginia.

Peter Van Bibber, Jr. and Marguery Bounds
   Nathan Boone and Olive Van Bibber
      Henry Zumwalt and Jemima Boone
         James H. Loyd and Melcena Zumwalt
            Nancy Ann Elizabeth Loyd and William Alexander Chowning
               Ola Blanche Chowning and Lenard Haskel O'Neal