Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

My great grandfather George Foltz had two middle names, Lee and Roy. Nowhere in his parents' families do any of his given names exist, so it's unknown what led to him being named George LeeRoy. George LeeRoy Foltz But was he named George LeeRoy? Or was it George Lee Roy? Or how about George LeRoy or Leroy? In the end, he went by the nickname Roy, so I guess it doesn't really matter. But there are certainly historical documents out there that list him with all of those variations. And even on his homestead application, 3 of those variations are included across just 2 pages....and he corrected one of them to LeeRoy, inserting a missing "e"! Plus, he signed his name "Georg LeeRoy Foltz" on another page (oddly dropping the "e" from George)! What's that about? Is it likely that going by Roy seemed the simplest way to always get it right? Well, if that's the case, then why go and name your son Charles Leroy Foltz?  Or did they name him LeRo

Sutton is a small town in Braxton County, smack dab in the center of West Virginia. Home to the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum and the Haunted Haymond House, there's not much else to write home about, but this place was once called home by my mom's side of the family from about 1902 to 1945-ish. It was also the birthplace of Lizzie's roadhouse! Elizabeth (Rockwell) Dixon was my 2nd great grandmother, and she also happened to be a fine businesswoman. She ran her own gas station and store on the side of the road. Mrs. Lizzie Dixon roadhouse, Sutton, West Virginia, circa 1930.  Photo provided by Nancy (Hogg) Jones to Kira D. Foltz. Dixon roadhouse, Sutton, West Virginia, 18 Nov 1934. Dixon roadhouse, Sutton, West Virginia, 18 Nov 1934. And that's right; it wasn't managed by her husband! It was HER name up on that sign: Mrs. Lizzie Dixon roadhouse sign, Sutton, West Virginia, circa 1930.  Photo provided by Nancy (Hogg) Jones to Kira D. Foltz. The exact location of where t

It's hard to think I'm related to my family when discussing the topic of food. My generation, also known as Gen-Y or Millennial, is well known for dining out at restaurants or ordering meal delivery on the daily. It's even a rare occurrence to see me enjoying leftovers! There's something about the elapsed time between the food being cooked and it being ingested that I just can't stomach. So juxtaposing that lifestyle with those of my parents or grandparents feels like a world of difference. My parents, the Baby Boomers, really straddled the middle of two food cultures in America. They were born and grew up in a time where families gathered around the dinner table each evening to enjoy a home-cooked meal off the stove or out of the oven, which the matriarch of the family likely labored over for the majority of the day.  (Left to right: Edna (Dean) Millhouse, Tommy Hogg, Beatrice (Dixon) Dean Cole, Mary (Dixon) Hogg, Beatrice and Frannie Millhouse in front) Then, even

Thirty eight years of marriage doesn't make the list of the longest union in the family tree or the shortest, but it was a memorable length of time for my second great grandparents, Charles and Matilda Foltz. Matilda and Charles Foltz, circa 1888. Although Charles was raised in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland, the Civil War seemed to be the catalyst for his resettling further west. His half-brother John Henry Fultz put down roots in Livingston County, Illinois by 1868 and Charles must have arrived within a few years. There, he met Matilda Stafford, who had grown up in the area. Charles and Matilda Foltz, wedding portrait tintype, Illinois, 1872. On March 3rd, 1872, Charles (23 years old) and Matilda (16 years old) were wed in Eppards Point, Livingston County, Illinois by Reverend H. D. Ledgerwood of Weston (who had also officiated John Fultz's marriage to Harriet Switzer). Charles E. Foltz and Matilda K. Stafford marriage license, Livingston County, Illinois, 3 Mar 1872