wmsbwill

Born: April. 2, 1849, Washington County, Ohio. Died December 16, 1927, burial at IOOF cemetery, St. Marys, WV

William S. Barkwill, then a 22 year old carpenter, was living at his parents home in the Independence Township of Washington County, Ohio during the 1870 census. Two houses away was the Henry Goodman family, with a 16 year old daughter, Elizabeth. Apparently, William married “the girl next door”. He and Elizabeth “Emma” Goodman were married September 24, 1874.

William S. and Emma had a son, John Henry Barkwill, born January 22, 1875, and then she died from childbirth complications. Young John died when he was 6, after drinking extract of “wood ashes” (lye) that was prepared for making soap.

September 21, 1878, William married Alice Maria Kester from Pleasants Co. West Virginia. Alice had a son Clyde Kester, March 4, 1874 in WV. She also had a daughter, Katherine "Kate" Inez Kester, when they were married, that William S. raised as his own. William S. and Alice settled into the hills of Washington Co., Ohio, had the following children:

The 1880 census shows that William S. and Alice had, also living with them, William’s father John, and his sister Mary’s children Eliza and James Chapman.

Alice died from childbirth complications in 1892, shortly after Ruth was born. William then moved to the West Virginia side of the Ohio River, into a home at Raven Rock, Pleasants County.

William S. Barkwill was a carpenter and cabinet maker. He built the Deucher Chapel in Washington County, Ohio, and many homes on both sides of the Ohio River. Alys-Mae (Barkwille) Shrank recalls that William was raised unable to read or write until his children taught him. He became a lay preacher in the Baptist Church and preached in many country Churches in Pleasants County. He was a trustee of the United Church when it was formed in Raven Rock about 1900. In 1926, he rode along with Earl and Maidie Barkwill when they migrated to Los Angeles, so he could visit his daughters that had settled there. After the visit, he returned to West Virginia, where he died December 16, 1927 and was buried in the IOOF cemetery in St. Marys, WV.

Barbour Herrinton NOTE: I WAS NEVER ABLE TO DETERMINE HIS MIDDLE NAME. SEVERAL OF HIS CHILDREN WERE CONVINCED THAT THEY KNEW, BUT THEY COULD NOT AGREE AMONG THEMSELVES. I NEVER FOUND ANY SIGNATURE SPELLING HIS MIDDLE NAME.

In 1850, his parents lived in Newport, Ohio, but before the census of 1860, they moved to Independence Twp. near Wade, Ohio. In the census of 1870, he was listed as a carpenter living with his parents. He built the Independence Church in that year. It is still in use (and in 1968, B.L.H.) though it is now known as the Deucher Chapel. It stands beside County Road C9 a short distance east of C14.

A map dated 1875 shows that W.S.B. owned a small tract of land in section 14 of Independence Twp. quite close to the home of Eliza Barkwill, presumably his mother. In 1874 he married Emma Goodman, also known as Lizzie. She died the following year when her son was born. In 1878, W.S.B. married Alice Maria Kester and took her daughter Katherine into his own home.

The census of 1880 shows that they had three children of their own in addition to Katherine, and that two children of his sister Mary were living with him, Eliza (17) and James (11). His father, John, was living with him also.

At some undetermined time, W.S.B. moved his family from their first home in the valley of Rea's Run to a log house on the ridge east of, and across from the Independence Church. When they left that house for a third home a short distance away on Township Road 710, the Deucher's moved into it. Pearl and Isabelle Deucher still spent most of each summer there as late as 1968. The Barkwill's new home was burned down. It was located on the east side of T710 a short distance north of where the Reynolds lived in 1968. Isabelle said that, from their house, they could hear Alice singing when she hung up her washing. The song she sang most often was: "He's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star, the fairest of ten thousand to my soul." Alice was always trying to help the sick and would carry milk from her cow long distances to those who were ill.

The son, John, died in 1881 after drinking an extract of wood ashes prepared for the making of soap. Alice died in 1892, eight days after the birth of Ruth. She is buried beside Deucher Chapel in an unmarked grave. As a consequence of her death, the family was scattered. Elinore (Nell) apparently went to Newport and graduated from Newport High School in 1899. Bernice went to work for the Carpenter family in Raven Rock. She was with them in 1893 and they named their new born daughter after her. After "three or four years", W.S.B. collected most of his family together and moved into Raven Rock, W.Va., where the family lived in a house across from the Carpenters. Soon afterward, the family moved to a hill farm about 1/2 mile up Java Run.

The family soon scattered again. After graduation in 1899, Nellie went to Akron, Ohio, to work in the rubber works. Katherine and Harry followed her to Akron. Bernice answered an ad for a wife and went to Wilson Creek, Washington, to be married. Jim and Earl followed her to Wilson Creek. After his marriage in 1907, Oll and his wife went to Akron but they soon returned to live on his father's farm up Java Run. Four to eight years later,* they moved to St. Mary's. W.S.B. remained on Java Run until near the end of his life, then he he moved into a small house which Oll built for him behind his own home on Barkwill Street in St. Marys.

I have been told that, in his youth, W.S.B. was a real "hell raiser". The record shows that he participated in two "shotgun marriages"¹. In later life, he became a "Christian" and a strong supporter of the Deucher Chapel. He was the one chiefly responsible for the organization of the Church in Raven Rock, where he taught an adult Sunday School Class for many years. He also acted as a lay preacher in the hills back of Raven Rock.

Bernice once wrote that, when she lived with her dad, "he never told us anything--only religion." In his home, each day started with family worship. Some one was assigned to read a chapter from the Bible and then W.S.B. offered a long prayer while the family knelt by their chairs. Earl wrote that "my father was the kindest man I ever knew."

W.S.B. was a carpenter, a cabinet maker, a contractor on a small scale. He never had enough capital to handle a large job. He was kind to his clients, bidding so low that he scarcely made wages for himself. He remained poor all his life, poor in money but not in the esteem of the community in which he lived.

1: Birthdates of John Henry, born to William’s first wife Emma, and of Elinore, daughter of William and Alice, give credence to this rumor. gec

BLH NOTE. The obituary was copied from a newspaper clipping. The author is unknown. I was able to find the Deucher sisters in an apartment in Washington, D.C. They told me that they used to walk to school with my mother and they told me that Alice Maria Kester Barkwill was buried right beside their own mother. The grave was marked by a round stone which could be found by raking away the grass. They said that they always placed flowers on her grave on Memorial Day when they placed flowers on their own mother's grave. When I visited St. Marys, later, I arranged for a permanent marker to be placed upon Alice's grave. I was never able to locate the grave of John or James Barkwill. The foregoing obituary is of unusual format...more like a genealogist's notes. Perhaps the author was actually Barbour Herrington? GEC.

Kate was born to Alice Kester, October 10, 1876 at Newport, Ohio. After William Barkwill married Alice, Kate was raised as one of his own. There has been speculation over the years that she was, in fact, a natural child of W. S. Barkwill. At any rate, she was raised as and always considered as a regular member of the family. She was married in Pleasants County, WV about 1904 to William M. Brown, who was born about 1871 in Ohio. The next information I've found about Kate was the 1920 census. In 1920, they were counted in the community of Ingrahm, Alleghany County, PA. From that census, it appears William was a widower with two children, and they had between them 3 more.

William M. Brown, 49 years old, born in Ohio, as was his father--mother born in Maryland--a commercial trucker of furniture. Katherine, then 43, not employed
                Children:
    Robert S. Brown, born about 1897 in Ohio, a department store salesman
    Geraldine Brown, born about 1902 in Ohio, a public school teacher
    William W. Brown, born about 1908 in Ohio, then 12 years old
    Harriet E. Brown, born about 1911 in Pennsylvania, 9 years old
    Marion Brown, born 1918

Kate Barkwill/Brown with her daughter Harriet and newborn Marion Brown, Alys-Mae and Leighton Barkwill, Philadelphia, 1918

Below, is Alys-Mae Barkwill and her brother Leighton with Kate Inez Barkwill/Brown, and the picture on the right would be with Kate's husband, William M. Brown. Notice the unusually strong resemblance of Alys-Mae to her Aunt Kate.

Katherine was in the Los Angeles are, I think Pico Rivera, in 1952. At that time, she was crippled and confined to a wheelchair with arthritis. In the summer of 1953, she planned to make a trip up to Porterville for a visit with Earl and Maidie Barkwille, then go back east for a visit--I don't know if she ever made that visit. In 1955 she had both legs amputated as the result of gangrene that developed from a sore toe. Kate died September 30, 1956 and is buried at the Hebron Cemetery in Clinton, PA.

I have not yet found anything about the other children, except for Kate's daughter Marion Jean Brown, who was born July 22, 1918 in Pennsylvania. She married a Williard E. Bayles, and they had a daughter, Kimberly H. Bayles. Marion died October 16, 1969 in Whittier, California. Williard E. Bayles was born August 20, 1914 in PA and he died in Los Angeles County on April 14, 1972.

Parents: William S. and Alice Maria (Kester) Barkwill
Born Dec. 28, 1878 Near Wade, Washington County, Ohio
Died Aug. 29, 1945 at Friendly, WV
Spouse: Ernest Herrington who was Born June 10, 1880, London England
He Died July 4, 1911, 377 Rhodes Ave., Akron, Ohio
Ernest's Father was Frederick Herrington, and his mother was Lydia Lockyer

1. Barbour Lawson HERRINGTON, Born June 12, 1904 at Akron City Hospital, Akron, OH--died Feb. 6, 1998 in San Bernardino Co., CA.

2. Arthur Kester HERRINGTON. Born June 18, 1906, Akron, OH. DIED 5/20/1987 AT SEATTLE, WA

Arthur was an architect in the Northwest and designed several West coast hospitals. I do not know if he married or had children.

“Elinore went to live with ?? in Newport, Ohio, while attending high school. She graduated in 1899 and went to Akron to work in the rubber factories. She did not like the work and enrolled in nursing school. I believe it was a three year course. At that time she was a member of a church choir and became acquainted with Ernest Herrington, the man who worked in the basement pumping the bellows to operate the organ. When they were married (June 10, 1903), she became in-eligible for nurses training. (Earnest Herrington was a successful businessman in Akron, Ohio, as owner of a machine shop.GEC)

"Harry" (Elinore's brother) came to Akron from West Virginia and asked my father for a job in the die sinking and machine company. He had had no training as a mechanic but my father gave him a job as a drill press operator.” Ernest Herrington died without a will on the 4^th of July,1911. The court appointed Harry guardian of Nell’s children, and placed him in charge of the machinery company.

“He had had no training or experience for the job. The highly skilled mechanics in the shop had no confidence in him, and disliked his cockiness. Many left to start businesses of their own. Some became very successful but the die sinking and machine company failed. After Ernest Harrington died, she invited a young girl, Jessie Parshall, to live with her family. Nell was considered a wealthy women from her late husband’s estate and his considerable life insurance. After expending considerable funds on unsuccessful investments and questionable financial proposals, Nell moved to Wilson Creek, WA to join her sister Bernice and her brothers Jim and Earl. "

OK, I've spent many hours trying to identify this old snapshot. I'm sorry for the poor quality, but this is the best I could do with scanning, since it was very faded and worn. Some may disagree with me, but here's my interpretation: This is a picture taken at Wilson Creek, Washington in 1911, when Elinor arrived from Akron to visit Bernice, James and Earl. My best interpretation is that the lady with the horse is Elinor who would have been 33, next to her is James Barkwill at the age of 25. On the porch would be 31 year old Bernice Barkwill with her first husband Arthur Allen and in the shadows would probably be Earl Barkwill, who had not yet made his moves on Maidie, who was obviously the photographer. The children on the porch would be Barbour Herrington at the age of 7 and young Alfred at about 2.

Elinor, after moving east of Riggins, Idaho, operated a Hunting Lodge in French Creek, Idaho until it burned down on New Year's week-end of 1916. Details of the Idaho experience, will be included in the section on Earl and Maidie [coming soon].

" In June, (1916) W. S. Barkwill borrowed enough money to send tickets for mother, Arthur and I to come to live with him in Raven Rock. We arrived there on my 12th birthday. The following spring, she discovered a livery stable in Bens Run that had gone out of business. There was an office and bedroom for the stable attendant in the barn loft. We moved into it. It was right beside a section of double track where trains could pass. There were many freight trains carrying coal and it was easy to find all the coal we needed along the track, until the snow came. The winter of 1917-18 was a very bitter one. We all slept together on a pile of straw using newspapers between the blankets for added warmth. They did help but they trapped moisture and the bedding had to be aired each day.

There were two teachers and two rooms in the school at Bens Run. The teachers were Mr. & Mrs. Hissom. At the end of the term, I thought that I was ready for High School. That meant that we had to move to St. Marys. It was at this time that O.C. Barkwill became our guardian.

He found a place for us to live in a house on the hillside below the road. We had to carry water from a spring at the base of the hill and the hill was very steep, and very slippery when rains came. That house was alive with bed bugs and we never could get rid of them. After two years, O.C. built a house for his father near the ball park and mother again lived with her father.

In 1918, I went to Bozeman, Montana. The following year, mother and Arthur came to Bozeman. Mother got a job cleaning offices at night. Later, she became telephone girl in Willsal, Mont. In 1928, Arthur graduated fron M.S.C. and went to Helena (or Great Falls?) I went to Cornell U. in Ithaca, New York. A few years later, we helped mother return to W.Va. I was very busy in graduate school and have few memories of that period. She did come to see her grandson Bruce soon after he was born. Then she went to California and for a number of years she and Bernice operated a used book and magazine store on Florence Ave. In Los Angeles.

She wanted to come back to W. Va. I bought her a very small house near her niece Virginia Hayes in Friendly, W.Va. She was unwilling to come to Ithaca and live with us in a much nicer home. Virginia and her children gave her much help until she died of heart failure. Life was not kind to her, but she never lost hope, and she never complained."

Even though Barbour left copious notes on his genealogy research into the Barkwill family, he left us very little information about himself and his brother Arthur. gec

BORN 6/12/1904 AT AKRON CITY HOSPITAL, AKRON, OHIO, DIED February 6, 1998, San Bernardino Co., CA

After Barbour’s father died, his uncle Harry Barkwill was appointed guardian of the Herrington Children, and had custody the their share of the estate. “After a few years, my mother appealed to the court to transfer the guardianship to another brother, Oliver, pointing out that Oliver lived within a few miles of our home while Harry was hundreds of miles away. The request was granted."

Barbour was a Professor of Dairy Chemistry at Cornell University, N.Y., for over 30 years. He was instrumental in developing powdered eggs and milk products for military use during WWII. He also developed a method of making plastic products from milk solids which was used during the war for manufacturing knitting needles and other plastic devices.

In 1949, Barbour took a year of Sabbatical Leave, bought a mobile-home, then he and his family started a trek across the country visiting relatives he had not seen in several years. I think it is at this point that he started chronicling the Barkwill family history, which he continued for over 40 years

Barbour, Maidie Barkwille and Irma Herrington Bruce, Irma and Barbour Herrington

CORNELL Alumni Death notices: PhD--Barbour L. Herrington of Morongo Valley, CA, formerly of Rio Rancho, NM, February 6, 1998; professor emeritus of dairy chemistry at Cornell; author.

Bernice Vera Barkwill, Dec. 16, 1880-May 27, 1973

Parents: William S. and Alice Maria (Kester) Barkwill
BORN 12/16/1880 IN INDEPENDENCE TWP. WASHINGTON CO. OHIO
DIED 5/27/1973 AT PORTERVILLE, CA
MARRIAGES
#1: ARTHUR ALLEN, at Wilson Creek, WA
#2 : TOM MARKHAM
#3 : T0 FRANK THURBER

"Bermice had no children, though she had three husbands: Arthur ALLEN, Tom MARKHAM and Frank THURBER. Frank died Febr. 14, 1943.” --Earl Barkwille.

“Bernice went from West Virginia to Wilson Creek, Washington, as a "Mail Order Bride" in answer to an ad. It was difficult for anyone to get along with Bernice. Earl told me that her first husband turned over all his property to her to escape." (August 13, 1913, Bernice received a patent for Arthur Allen's 160 acre homestead near Wilson Creek: The SW 1/4 of Section 22, Twnship 22 Noeth, Range 30 East.-GEC)

[In the 1940s, Bernice and her older sister Elinor operated Barkwill Books..a used and antique book store in downtown Los Angeles..GEC]

When she became old, she wanted to return to W. Va. where she had lived as a child. She lived with her niece, Barbara, for a year or so, then returned to California to live near her brother, Earl Barkwille in Porteville.

"Bernice Barkwill Thurber died today about 1 PM in Porterville. She had a stroke some weeks ago and has not recognized anyone in the last few weeks." From newspaper clipping, May 27,1973.

William Henry “Harry” Barkwill

Parents: Willam S. and Alice Maria (Kester) Barkwill
BORN 11/19/1882 Independence Township, Washington Co., Ohio
DIED 5/18/1960 McHenry, IL bur. Reynoldsburg, Glen Rest Cem.

Harry first married Jessie Laura PICKETT, 8/23/1905 at Akron, OH
    Jessie Pickett was born 4/6/1883 Albany, OH and died 10/7/1932 at Akron, OH
        FATHER:- Ananias PICKETT , MOTHER:- Mary Elizabeth REEVES

CHILDREN OF WILLIAM "HARRY" AND JESSIE (PICKET) BARKWILL:
        Kester Harold BARKWILL, born 1/13/1909 Akron, OH and died 8/16/1957 OR 58 Peoria, ILL.

        Reba Fern BARKWILL, born 3/14/1912 Akron, OH

SECOND WIFE: Mina Diehl BARKHURST
THIRD WIFE: Lillyn Welland PLATT, married 11/3/1934 AT Waukegan, ILL
        Lyllyn was born 6/11/1896, Cleveland, OH--she died 6/16/1974 , McHenry, ILL.

Oliver Cleveland “O.C. or Ollie” Barkwill

Parents: William S. and Alice Maria (Kester) Barkwill
BORN 11/15/1884 Washington Co., OHIO
DIED 6/15/1967 Grape Island, Pleasants CO., WV., Buried at St. Marys

Married Anna Louise REA, Apr. 7, 1907 Raven Rock, WV. Anna was born 1888 , daughter of James Martin and Elizabeth (Martin) REA. She died April 1, 1954 at Grape Island, Pleasants Co, WV

"O.C" was a construction contractor and many other things. He bought and sold mine properties. He was in the coal and ice business. He became sheriff of Pleasants Co., and acting postmaster in St. Marys. He was appointed district (seven counties) appraiser of Home Owners Loan Corporation of WV. He was president of Pleasants County Bank.

This is a picture of Ollie Barkwill, cropped from a Kiwanis Club Portrait published in History of Pleasants County. Sorry its not better quality.

James Francis “Jim” Barkwill, Apr. 28, 1886-1913

Parents: William S. and Alice Maria (Kester) Barkwill. Born 4/28/1886 Washington Co., OH. Died June 8, 1913 at "the ferry ranch" 20 miles above Riggens ID.

“Jim was a telegrapher. He went to Wilson Creek, WA., when that was the junction point on the railroad, a very busy place. He filed on a homestead and built a one room house. I cannot recall any cultivated fields....

[James F. Barkwill received a patent for 160 acres issued February 18, 1913, being the center of Section 20, Twnshp 23 North, Range 30 East...GEC]

...He and Earl, also a telegrapher in Wilson Creek, wanted to move to Idaho where there were forests. They had heard of a ranch for sale on french creek, about 20+ miles up the salmon river from Riggins, Idaho. They persuaded my mother to go with them.

Jim, with his own savings and those of Earl, went to see it with a saddle horse and pack horse. He hired a guide in Grangeville and the two reached "the ferry ranch", an abandoned house with a forest service telephone. They called the Jasper boys who lived perhaps 3 miles down river asking how to cross the salmon river. They were told that the Jaspers would come up the next morning. There was a rowboat hidden at the ranch.

When the Jaspers arrived, they found no trace of Jim or the guide. Their horses were still tied to a tree. The cinches had not been loosened, one of the first things that they would normally do. It is presumed that they were murdered for Jim's money very soon after they arrived, but the bodies were never found." BLH

Ada May BARKWILL, Jan. 15, 1888-1924

Parents: William S. and Alice Maria (Kester) Barkwill
BORN 1/18/1888, Independence Township, Washington Co., OH. Died 1924 Friendly, WV.
Ada May married Grover Cleveland HAYES, Oct 1910 at Muncie, IN

Grover Hayes was born 2/22/1884, Pleasants Co., WV and he died 4/18/1957, Marietta, OH

His parents were William T. HAYES and Mary E.. KELLY--William was in Co. G of the Ohio Infantry in the Civil War, both he and his wife Mary are buried at New Bethel Cemetery in Pleasants County, WV

Grover Hayes secondly married Nellie May Barnhart, November 10, 1927. They had one child I know of: Grover Cleveland Hayes JR. born 11/10/1927. He married Pauline Orvin of Charleston, SC. They had children Pamela Delander, William B., Susan and Brenda. Grover Jr. later married Sharon Doty.

Standing is Elinor Barkwill-Herrington and the seated mother is Ada May Barkwill-Hayes. The children, left to right would be: Julia, Kemper, Katherine and then Olive. By the ages of the children, this dates the picture at about late summer of 1919--just before Elinor went to Bozeman, Montana to join her son Barbour.

Virginia married Robert Hayes, and when she died, she left 9 children for Robert to care for. Virginia's uncle Ollie Barkwill financed a trip for some of the children to California, where they lived with Earl Barkwill's family for a few years. As I recall, Alice stayed for a time with Frances and Red Harris then returned to WV in 1954.. Sally was with Leighton and Ellen Barkwill, The twins were with Frances (Barkwill) Harris and her husband Red for a short time, then with Earl and Maidie Barkwill--the others I don't know about, nor do I known when they all returned to West Virginia..

This picture on the right, was taken in about 1956 in Porterville, CA. seated in front are Mike Shrank, Kathy (or Katy) Hayes, Richard Shrank II, and then the other Hayes twin. On the sofa are Red Harris, husband of Frances James Barkwille, then Maidie and Earl Barkwille, and on the sofa back are Richard Shrank, husband of Alys-Mae Barkwille, then Frances James Barkwille-Harris and Yours Truly, Gordon Case.

2. Olive Barbara HAYES (BARBARA) born 6/3/1915, married Roy A. Smith and their children were:

3. Julia Kathleen HAYES (KATHLEEN) born 11/28/1916. She married Cecil E. Fetty and they had seven childen:

5. Charles Oliver HAYES (OLIVER) born 1/24/1922. He married Anna Cochran and their children were Oliver Jr., and Millie.

CHILDREN OF ADA MAY and GROVER HAYES and his second wife Nellie, had one child I know of: Grover Cleveland Hayes JR. born 11/10/1927. He married Pauline Orvin of Charleston, SC. They had children Pamela Delander, William B., Susan and Brenda, They were in Tyler County in 1980. Grover Jr. later married Sharon Doty.

Died February 17, 1971 at Porterville, CA, buried in Hillcrest Memorial Park, Tulare Co., CA

Married August 16, 1912 AT WILSON CREEK, WA. TO JESSIE MAE PARSHALL (MAE LOIS LEIGHTON)

LEIGHTON EARL BARKWILL BORN 5/30/1913 , KENDRICK, IDAHO. Died August 24, 2000 in Los Angeles, CA.

ALYS MAE BARKWILL BORN 2/22/1915 , FRENCH CREEK, ID, 20+ MILES ABOVE RIGGENS. She died March 25, 2000 at Palm Springs, CA

FRANCES JAMES BARKWILL BORN 3/5/1921, PHILADELPHIA, PA. DIED 11/15/1980 AT BAKERSFIELD, CA

Earl learned telegraphy on his own in West Virginia. He and his brother James, who was also a telegrapher left the railroad and went to Wilson Creek, Washington, where they started a wheat farm. He married Maidie Parshall there, August 16, 1912—they then followed his sister Nellie to French Creek, Idaho.

For Maidie Lois Leighton/Jessie May Parshall background see the soon to be loaded section on Jessie May 2 Mae Lois Leighton

For the story of Earl and Maidie’s family, see THE EARL AND MAIDIE BARKWILL section. soon to be loaded...

Ruth Ernestine Barkwill, Mar. 8, 1892

“ Ruth was reared by relatives (her mother died shortly after Ruth was born--GEC) but I cannot name them. She came to Wilson Creek, Washinton to join her siblings (Jim, Earl, Nellie and Bernice) in the summer of 1912.

A few years later, she spent a summer with us on French Creek in Idaho. While there she was courted by Cy Perkins and Bill Vaughn. She married Bill Vaughn and they went to Oregon. I still have a leather folder given to me by Bill Vaughn.

Much later, I learned that she was in California. For a time, she and Robinette ran a restaurant in El Centro.