Once upon a time, in a land far away, in a time almost forgotten lived a man named George. George was born in 1625 in the southwestern part of England known as Whales.

Many years later George with being a farmers son needed to sow his own wild oats sat out to find his bride. Being a dashing young Englishman he fought off the advances of others until he met a young lady named Sarah. Even though she was seven years his younger he knew she was the one that would love him for the rest of his life so he asks her to be his bride and she accepted.

Wanting a better life for his new family he sat out for the new world particularly Virginia somewhere in the Gloucester Co. area.

Shortly after their arrival in the new world they moved to the Mathews Co. area around Kingston parish where the new family was blessed with a son in the year of 1660 and they named him John.

George and Sarah lived the rest of their lives there in that same area. Its not known when Sarah passed on but George lived to the age of 59 when in 1684 he passed on.

John, Grief stricken from the loss of his parents took 35 years to find someone to help him carry on. He met and fell in love with Mary Glassock and they were wed on 6 June 1695.

Their love was true and shortly there after near Mobjack Bay, Va. In 1697 a son was born and they named him Joseph

Joseph met a fine lady named Margaret Lilly she was three years his younger and in 1719 they were married.

All together Joseph had seven children the first a son named Edward.

Joseph lived to til 1769 and Margaret joined him one short year after that both of which was long enough to see Edward take a bride in 1756 her name was Sarah Casey

Edward became a lieutenant in the militia and fought in the revolutionary war while Sarah kept the home fires burning.

Burning so hot that Edward had 11 children. The second and eleventh named Sarah and the eighth born in 1778 they named Richard.

It is said that Edward moved many times back and forth to and from Crawford Co., Ohio. Finally coming to his resting place in Montgomery Co. Va. Its said that he and Margaret both passed on in the year of 1822.

Meanwhile, Richard growing up with so many other siblings, fighting for every little thing he could get and no stranger to travel and moving decided to strike out on his own. Born in Lunenburg, Va. He set his sights west. Through his travels with his parents he recalled an area like no other where the hills were green, the dirt was black and the water flowed clear and strong. So he struck out to find that place and he did so in Putnam Co., W.Va..

At the age of 21 Richard met a beautiful young lady named Margaret Webster and on 30 Dec. 1799 they were wed.

In 1808 Richard and Margaret gave birth to their son Peter and lived out the rest of their lives in that area.

Peter also stayed in Putnam Co. meeting a man named Rev. James Mitchell. A very important man to Peter because Peter was in love with his daughter Margaret. Maybe she reminded him of his mother but he also loved this Margaret enough so to ask the Rev. for his daughters hand in marriage and the Rev. permitted.

Well Peters love for Margaret was so strong they had eight children of which some were named Silas, America, and the youngest son was named Sue.....not really, he was named Francis (Francis Marion).

Francis was born on 13 Nov. 1860 while his father was 52 years old and he would keep company with his father til he was 13 when Peter passed away on 10 June 1873. After which Margaret survived him long enough to see her youngest son married on Christmas day 1887 to a proud and beautiful 20 year old named Emma G. Pridemore

Francis and Emma moved to the southern most point of Putnam Co. to a small town called Eggleton, where they gave birth to the first of two children the first named Della Mae and the other named Thomas. And this is where they spent the rest of their lives

The youngest, Thomas born on 27 Nov. 1889 met and Married a lady named Nora Dell Ferguson. They had five children and lived out their lives in the same area of Putnam Co. W. Va.

Their children Billy Joe, Helen, Edward, Audrey and Odfer were all born and raised in Putnam Co.

Odfer born on 14 June 1911 sought out and Married a wonderful woman named Stella Pearl Hager she was born on 11 Nov. 1917. She and Odfer moved to Mud River in Boone Co. W.Va where they had 10 children: June, Odfer Jr. (Sonny), Thomas, Bethel, Silas, Ellen, Frances, Clayton, Kathy, and Gary.

Odfer and Stella were hard workers. Stella taking care of the home, gardens, and children while Odfer often spent many hours a day walking many miles one way to put in a full days work in the coal mines until Sept.1973 when our Lord was so impressed with the sermon he was giving at that time in the name of Jesus Christ that our Lord took him right there from the pulpit.

Stella mourned the loss and was comforted by her sons and daughters for another five years until in Aug. 1978 when she passed on due to complications from diabetes.

Of the 10 children Ellen Jean born 29 July 1935 married a man named Clell Toney, he, born 3 Jan, 1913 was her first husband and she bore him four children: Jack, Belva, Maxine, and Clell Jr.

They lived in Lincoln Co. for the most part except for a short period in the early 60's when they lived near Louisa, Ky. Where Maxine was born.

Well, I would suspect that by now you have figured out that this is not just any love story. It’s the story of our Love. Some of us wonder, how do we all have such good relationships with each other? I am here to say we have been taught it for many generations. Just when I thought I could not love and appreciate my family anymore than I already did, I found all these others that made it possible for me to be the person that I am and that all the rest of us are.

Thanks for being part of a GREAT family.

Love Ya’ll,

Clell (Jr.) & Sarah L. Toney. Aug. 2002