1. "The Heritage of McDowell County, West Virginia, 1858-1995"; McDowell County Historical Society;
1995; "The Tom Balllos"; Article; Page 96; submitted by Jean Balllo, Box 415, Kimball, WV 24853.
2.1940 Cenus McDowell Co, WV; Browns Creek District; Kimball; E.D. 24-26; taken 9 Apr 1940; Page
532A; Image 15 of 62; Household #158.
Listed as Thomas Ballalo; age 50; born in Italy; married; 3rd grade education; has 1st immigration
parers; lived in same place on 1 Apr 1935; coal loader in coal mine; head of household.
1. "The Heritage of McDowell County, West Virginia, 1858-1995"; McDowell County Historical Society;
1995; "The Tom Balllos"; Article; Page 96; submitted by Jean Balllo, Box 415, Kimball, WV 24853.
2.1940 Cenus McDowell Co, WV; Browns Creek District; Kimball; E.D. 24-26; taken 9 Apr 1940; Page
532A; Image 15 of 62; Household #158.
Listed as Mary Ballalo; age 44; born in Italy; married; 3rd grade education; alien; lived in same place
on 1 Apr 1935; in household of husband, Thomas Battlo.
1.1940 Cenus McDowell Co, WV; Browns Creek District; Kimball; E.D. 24-26; taken 9 Apr 1940; Page
532A; Image 15 of 62; Household #158.
Listed as Frank Ballalo; age 22; born in WV; single; 4 yrs HS education; lived in same place on 1 Apr
1935; coal loader in coal mine; in household of father, Thomas Battlo.
2. "The Heritage of McDowell County, West Virginia, 1858-1995"; McDowell County Historical Society;
1995; "The Tom Balllos"; Article; Page 96; submitted by Jean Balllo, Box 415, Kimball, WV 24853.
1.1940 Cenus McDowell Co, WV; Browns Creek District; Kimball; E.D. 24-26; taken 9 Apr 1940; Page
532A; Image 15 of 62; Household #158.
Listed as Marion Ballalo; age 17; born in WV; single; 7th grade education; not attending school; lived
in same place on 1 Apr 1935; in household of father, Thomas Battlo.
2. "The Heritage of McDowell County, West Virginia, 1858-1995"; McDowell County Historical Society;
1995; "The Tom Balllos"; Article; Page 96; submitted by Jean Balllo, Box 415, Kimball, WV 24853.
1.1940 Cenus McDowell Co, WV; Browns Creek District; Kimball; E.D. 24-26; taken 9 Apr 1940; Page
532A; Image 15 of 62; Household #158.
Listed as Katherine Ballalo; age 15; born in WV; single; 1 yr HS education; attending school; lived in
same place on 1 Apr 1935; in household of father, Thomas Battlo.
2. "The Heritage of McDowell County, West Virginia, 1858-1995"; McDowell County Historical Society;
1995; "The Tom Balllos"; Article; Page 96; submitted by Jean Balllo, Box 415, Kimball, WV 24853.
1.1940 Cenus McDowell Co, WV; Browns Creek District; Kimball; E.D. 24-26; taken 9 Apr 1940; Page
532A; Image 15 of 62; Household #158.
Listed as Jeanne Ballalo; age 9 mons; born in WV; in household of father, Thomas Battlo.
2. "The Heritage of McDowell County, West Virginia, 1858-1995"; McDowell County Historical Society;
1995; "The Tom Balllos"; Article; Page 96; submitted by Jean Balllo, Box 415, Kimball, WV 24853.
3. Fanning Funeral Home; Iaeger, WV; Posted Obit.
"Jean Batttlo
"Emily Dickenson once wrote, “I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.” So was the philosophy of Jean Battlo. We now have lost one of West Virginia’s most prized authors. Teresa Jean Battlo of Kimball, WV passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at the age of 85. She was an avant-garde artist whose life touched our world with an abounding and endless love of God, family, peace, the arts, and life itself. Jean was a great author, an educator, a playwright, a cat lover, a fabulous gardener, a staunch Catholic, a sensitive soul, a voice of reason and encouragement, and also a lover of a good martini. Her sense of humor and her wit will truly be missed by family, friends, and her beloved West Virginians."Jean Battlo was a playwright and local historian who grew up in her beloved West Virginia. She was preceded in death by her loving parents, Fortunato (Battaglia) Battlo and Concetta Maria Roschelli, immigrants from Calabria, Italy, and her siblings, Frank, Dominick, Angeline, Melly, Kat, Tony, and Mary. Jean is survived a plethora of nieces and nephews who live across the world which greatly displeased Jean. Her dream was a family compound where no one ever left her reach.
"Jean was adamant about looking a person in the eyes, introducing herself, and conversing cordially, often on a level few could emulate. “That is just how you treat people,” she would say. Every soul had purpose in her eyes.
"Jean’s intellect was beyond reproach. A true lover of learning, Jean graduated from Welch High School. She earned a B.A. and an M.A. at Marshall University. There she studied history, drama, literature, philosophy, and of course education. This was all good, but not enough for this consummate learner. She spent summers studying at William and Mary honing her knowledge of the humanities.
"Jean began her teaching career in McDowell County where she taught at Iaeger High School and Mount View High School. Being awarded the McDowell Teacher of the Year title was impressive, but Jean’s love was her students, not the accolades she accumulated. Jean’s most treasured classes were drama and the humanities. She related to students on their level and gave them her undivided attention. The community came to know Jean’s reach through the plays her students performed. Her community reach went far beyond the classroom.
"Friends and family encouraged Jean to write for a local theatre group. Thus, her play A Highly Successful West Virginia Business was born. Centered on the loss of jobs in the coal industry, a family takes up a mortuary business to make ends meet. The play had the audience in stitches. With nearly a dozen plays under her belt, Jean was often contacted by theatre groups who wanted to perform the plays. Her play, #8, was selected as a finalist by Camel-Sea in 1990, and was optioned by Off-Broadway Stage Arts in New York City. The play centered around a Jewish family living just before the Holocaust. It was a finalist in the Eugene O’Neill National Playwright’s Competition. She wrote plays about Pearl S. Buck and Lizzie Borden.
"Her most well-known work is Terror on the Tug, a play centered around the Sid Hatfield murders and performed at the Globe Theater in Keystone. The theatre was built just for Jean as a place to bring live dramas to her beloved county. It was a replica of Shakespear’s Globe Theater in London. Often performances were in McDowell County, others across the state and country, and one was even performed in Germany.
"In later years, Jean Battlo, with great support from Senators Keith Wagner and John P. Fanning, found funding to build the McArts Ampitheater. Jean frequently sought funding for her goals with the West Virginia Division of Arts, Culture, and History. She was just this year awarded a grant to continue her work with McArts. McArts was founded in 1980 by Jean Battlo, Irene Ernest, Moe Seay, and Lisa Colombo. McArts is one of Jean’s proudest accomplishments which, to this day, brings the arts to McDowell County. McArts was formed as a non profit organization to bring the arts to McDowell County and to nurture local artists and performers. Her mission was to rid our world of the hillbilly stereotype and teach others that her county, her home, her state, was rich in history and culture with deep roots held in the hearts of its people. Jean also co-founded Coal Camp Creations. The business, located in the building her father built, made coal figurines from McDowell County coal that were sold at Tamarac and local artisan events.
"Jean Battlo was instrumental in directing the $1.5 million restoration project in Kimball of the Houston Coal Company Store, perhaps the best preserved of more than 100 company stores that once operated in the coal camps of McDowell County during the first half of the 20th century.
"Jean’s talent was not just as a playwright. She wrote poetry, short stories, historical fiction, and is most well known for her book, Pictorial History of McDowell County. Her work is published by McClain Printing Company of Parsons, West Virginia.
"Numerous accolades were bestowed on Jean Battlo. She was a Writer-in-Residence with the Beckley-based Theater West Virginia, Italian Woman of the Year and Business Woman of the Year for West Virginia. To Jean’s delight, she even served as the Grand Groundhog Watcher at the Groundhog Day Breakfast at Concord University just to name a few. Jean was interviewed on-camera for the 2016 documentary The Mine Wars seen on PBS and was often called for interviews entailing local history. On the History Channel, Jean was interviewed for “Hillbilly: The Real Story.” This was a documentary narrated by Billy Ray Cyrus.
"Jean Battlo was not a person that one article can describe. Her creativity, passions, and love of God, life, and family were endless. She touched many lives through her teaching, writing, and community service. Her mark is made. Her legacy is sealed. Her journey on earth is done. She now lives with the loved ones she has longingly mourned, and watches over the loving family that was her earthly treasure. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “We are ever dying to one world and being born into another.
"The family will receive friends from 10:30 to 1PM at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Powhatan, WV. A mass of Christian Burial will follow at 1 PM with Very Rev. Sebastian E. Devasya, V.E. officiating. Burial will follow directly after mass at Woodlawn Memorial Park. Nephews will serve as pall bearers. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jean Battlo’s memory can be made to Sacred Heart Church, 35508 Coal Heritage Road, Northfork, WV 24868 or the Sacred Heart Food Pantry at the same address. Memorial donations can also be sent to the McDowell Commission on Aging, 725 Stewart St., Welch, WV 24801."
1. 1870 Census, McDowell Co, WV, Elkhorn Township, Tug River PO; taken 27 Jun 1870; Page 477A;
Image 2 of 11; Family #10.
Listed as Josephine Smith, age 5; born in WV; in household of father, Abraham Smith.
2. 1880 Census, Tazewell Co, VA; Clear Fork Township; taken 3 Jun 1880; Page 186B; Image 8 of 47;
Listed as Josephine Smith; age 14; born in VA; single; keeping house; in household of father,
Abraham Smith.
3. "Samuel Howard Isaac"; Family Tree; posted by Joyce Taylor; Ancestry.com Web Site.
"Josephin** M "Josie" Smith
1865–
Birth ABT 1865 • McDowell County, West Virginia, USA
Death Unknown"
4. West Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1724-1985 for Abraham Smith; McDowell Co, WV; Wills;
Vol1-2, 1893-1924; Ancestry.com Web Site.
"...Fourth: I devise unto William D. Smith, my son, and to John W. Smith, Jackson Smith and
Margaret Pauley, the last named three being the children of my daugheter, Josie, all of the land of
which I may die seized and possessed in the county of Tazewell, state of Virginia; this said land
being owned by them as follows; one-half of the same to William D. Smith and the other one-half to
be owned by the named three children equally and jointly; said tract of land consisting of about one
hundred and five (105) acres more or less...."
1. Douglas Mortuary; Welch, WV; Posted Obit.
"Marlin Eugene Carr, 67, of War passed away Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at his home.
" Born May 4, 1952 in War he was the son of the late Latham Carr and Lulu Helen Carr. He was a former water technician with War Light and Water Co. He was of the Baptist faith."In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by two brothers, Michael Ray and Michael Wayne Carr, and a sister, Wanda Bailey.
"Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Connie Whitt Carr of the home; a son, Devin Carr of War; a brother, Johnny Carr and wife Bonnie of Rift; and two sisters, Zona Dottie Davis and husband Don of Winfield, WV, and Marcella Tyree and husband Hubert of Virginia.
"A memorial service to honor his life will be held Sunday, September 29, at 1 p.m. from the Advent Christian Church in War Cove with Rev. Danny Cyphers officiating.
"The Douglas Mortuary of Welch is serving the family."
Samuel Franklin "Sammy" Addair
1. McDowell Co, WV; Marriage Records; Vol #__(1958); Page 76; WV Archives Web Site.
Sammy Franklin Addair; age 18; born and living in Avondale, WV; single; married on 21 Sep 1958 in
Beartown, WV; Eula Mae Franklin; age 18; born in Hampton Rhodes, WV; single; living at Roderfield,
WV; with consent of Virgie Addair, mother of Sammy Franklin Addair, father deceased, and Robert
and Wilda Franklin, parents of Eula Mae Franklin.
2. FindAGrave.com Website; submitted by Barbara J. Howard; 9 May 2016; maintained by
RobMinteer57.
" Samuel Franklin Addair
Birth 5 Sep 1939
Michigan, USA
Death 8 May 2016 (aged 76)
Wayne County, Michigan, USA
Burial
Michigan Memorial Park
Flat Rock, Wayne County, Michigan, USA
Memorial ID 162411261"Additional Information Posted:
"ADDAIR, Samuel F. age 76 of Romulus, May 08, 2016. Beloved husband of Patricia Addair. Loving father of Brenda (Allen) Rose, Debbie Kay (Herbert) Wolford,Jr., Rosetta (Robert) Nichols and Jammie Lee Addair. Dearest grandfather of Christina, Amy, Sam, Jessica, Scott, Dreama, Brian, Joseph, Makayla, Trinity, Adrian and Patrick and great-grandfather of Juliana, Vance, Vern, Allyson, Brooklyn, Christian, Tyler, Skylar and Kailey."He is also survived by his brother Earl Addair and his sister Tamsey Raises.
"He was preceded in death by his parents Norman and Virgia Addair, his brother Wetzel, his nephew Steve, his granddaughters Autumn and Mckenna and his first wife Eula Mae Addair."
1. 1930 Census, McDowell Co, WV; Sandy River District; taken on 11 Apr 1930; Page 255A;
Family #244/250.
Listed as Violet Atwell: age 7; born in WV; in household of father, J. Clarence Atwell.
2.1940 Census, McDowell Co, WV; Sandy River District; Garland; E.D. 24-60; taken on 12 Apr 1940;
Page 1195A; Image 27 of 132; Household #203.
Listed as Violet Atwell; age 16; born in WV; single; 1 yr HS education; not attending school; lived in
same house on 1 Apr 1935; in household of father, James C. Atwell.
1. Mercer Co, WV; Marriage Registry; Vol #__(1911); Page 43; Line #21; WV Archives Web Site.
Morgan McCloud; age 21; born in Russell Co, VA; living at Coopers, WV; married on 26 Apr 1911
in Mercer Co, WV; May Moore; age 17; born in Mercer Co, WV; living at Coopers, WV.
1. Mercer Co, WV; Marriage Registry; Vol #__(1911); Page 43; Line #21; WV Archives Web Site.
Morgan McCloud; age 21; born in Russell Co, VA; living at Coopers, WV; married on 26 Apr 1911
in Mercer Co, WV; May Moore; age 17; born in Mercer Co, WV; living at Coopers, WV.
1. 1900 Census, Pittsylvania Co, VA; Pigg River District; taken on 5 Jun 1900; Page 115A; Image 4 of 21;
Family #21/22.
Listed as Hattie L. Oatneal; age 2; born in Jun 1897 in VA; in household of father, Jacob Oatneal.
2. Allegheny Co, PA; Death Certificate #044030-62; Ancestry.com Web Site.
Hattie Worthy; age 64; born 9 Jun 1897 in Chatham, VA; widow; Colored; housewife; living at 16-1A Harrison
Village, McKeesport, PA; daughter of Jacob and Mollie (Finney) Oatneal; died 9 May 1962 in McKeesport
Hospital, McKeesport, PA ; due to cerebral hemorrhage; buried 12 May 1962 in Fairview Cemetery,
McKeesport, PA; informant, Lawrence Worthy, of same address.
1. Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Ancestry.com Web Site.
"Name: Robert G Dixon
Gender: Male
Application Age: 18
Birth Date: abt 1930
Birth Place: Washington, USA
Application Date: 27 Apr 1948
Application Place: Clark, Washington, USA
Father: Ellis Dixon
Mother: Eva Dixon
Spouse: S Dorathy Gentry "
1. Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Ancestry.com Web Site.
"Name: S Dorathy Gentry
Gender: Female
Application Age: 17
Birth Date: abt 1931
Birth Place: West Virginia, USA
Application Date: 27 Apr 1948
Application Place: Clark, Washington, USA
Father: George Gentry
Mother: Stella Gentry
Spouse: Robert G Dixon "
2. Oregon, County Marriage Records, 1851-1975; Ancestry.com Web Site.
"Name: Sunny Dorothy Dixon
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Birth Date: abt 1930
Marriage Date: 8 Sep 1950
Marriage Place: Yamhill, Oregon, USA
Spouse: George Dale Cary
Film Number: 004474577"