Doddridge County Roots

A West Virginia Genealogy

First Name Last Name
Home Search Login  
Share Print Bookmark

Howard Ethelbert ADAMS

Male 1877 - 1949  (~ 72 years)


Personal Information    |    Media    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Howard Ethelbert ADAMS 
    Born May 1877  Auburn, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4] 
    • Howard E. Adams' birth date is given in both his obituary and his death record, as well as in his WW I draft registration and Social Security records, as May 8 1877, But his birth record shows it as May 10 1877 (handwritten entry could be mistaken for May 15), as does his WW II draft registration. His middle name is reported in "Davis - The Settlers of Salem WVa," p. 319, as Elanus, but his draft registrations and Social Security records show it as Ethelbert.
    Gender Male 
    Residence 1902  Tyler Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Census 1910  Tenmile District, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Occupation 1910  [5] 
    laborer for oil company 
    Occupation 1911  [6] 
    mill worker 
    Residence 1911  Homestead, Allegheny Co, PA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Occupation 1918  [7] 
    laborer for South Penn Oil Company 
    Residence 1918  Wolf Summit, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Residence 1914, 1918  Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [8, 9] 
    Census 1920  West Homestead, Allegheny Co, PA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation 1920  [10] 
    engineer in steel mill 
    Occupation 1930  [11] 
    U.S. Mail carrier 
    Census 1930, 1940  Victory Ridge, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation farmer, retired oil field worker  [2, 12, 13] 
    Occupation 1940  [14] 
    farmer 
    Residence Ellenboro, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 12, 13] 
    Residence FORMERLY  West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [12] 
    Residence 1940  Ellenboro, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [15] 
    Died 8 Nov 1949  Parkersburg, Wood Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Buried Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (IOOF section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3, 12] 
    Person ID I49727  Doddridge County Roots
    Last Modified 19 Sep 2020 

    Father George Whitman ADAMS,   b. 30 Apr 1858, Ritchie Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef Sep 1936  (Age 78 years) 
    Mother Rachel Laverna WALLER,   b. 9 Apr 1856, Flemington, Taylor Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1 Sep 1936, Harrisville, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years) 
    Married 20 Aug 1876  Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F12613  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Sarah A. "Sadie" SPENCER,   b. CA 1876, Tyler Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef Apr 1910  (Age ~ 34 years)  [3] 
    Married 27 Aug 1902  Middlebourne, Tyler Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Notes 
    • 1910 Census, Harrison County WV (Tenmile District), enumerated on Apr 15 1910 on the Northwestern Turnpike:
      Howard Adams, 32, widowed, laborer for oil company; mother Rachel Adams, widowed, 54, mother of 4 children, all still living; son Clad, 6; dau Dessie, 5; son Herald, 4. All born in West Virginia.
      NOTE: "Davis - The Settlers of Salem WVa," p. 319, reports the children of Howard Adams and Sadie Spencer as Clad, Harold, George and Darryl.

      We have found no record of Sarah Spencer Adams' death or burial. However, Howard's widowed status in this census indicates that she had died sometime between the 1906 birth of son Harold and the April 15 1910 census enumeration. Three days after this census, Howard married Minnie "Evie" Gatrell, who died four years later. They had two children together, Emmett and Richard. In 1918 Howard married Lena Leota Spencer, with whom he would spend the rest of his life. They had one daughter, Frankie.
    Children 
    +1. Clad E. ADAMS,   b. 20 Apr 1903, Grant District, Wetzel Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Jun 1973  (Age 70 years)
     2. Amelia Dessie ADAMS,   b. CA 1905,   d. 3 Jul 1919, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 14 years)
     3. George Harold ADAMS,   b. 11 Jun 1906, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 3 Dec 1972, Syracuse, Onondaga Co, NY Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 66 years)
    Documents
    49727_HowardEAdams_SarahASpencer_MarriageRecord_27Aug1902.jpg    		49727_HowardEAdams_SarahASpencer_MarriageRecord_27Aug1902.jpg
    Family ID F20519  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Minnie Evelyn "Evie" GATRELL,   b. 22 Feb 1885, Blue, Tyler Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Aug 1914, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 29 years)  [3, 16] 
    Married 18 Apr 1910  Blue, Tyler Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [17] 
    Children 
     1. Emmett Howard ADAMS,   b. 1 Apr 1911, Homestead, Allegheny Co, PA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Jun 1975, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years)
     2. Richard Harry ADAMS
    Family ID F20520  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 Lena Leota EDWARDS,   b. 6 Apr 1878, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Jun 1960, Lamberton (Ellenboro), Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 82 years) 
    Married 14 Jul 1918  Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [18] 
    Notes 
    • 1920 Census, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania (Borough of West Homestead), enumerated on Jan 2 1920 at 219 Grandview Blvd:
      Howard E. Adams, 42, b. WVa, engineer in steel mille; wife Lena L, 41, b. WVa; son Clad, 16, b. WVa; dau Amelia D, 14, b. Pa; son Harold, 12, b. Pa; dau Emma, 8, b. Pa; dau Frankie, 3 months, b. Pa.
      NOTE: There are several problems with this census listing. Daughter Amelia Dessie Adams had died in Clarksburg in July 1919. Her inclusion in this census is clearly in error. The Pennsylvania birthplace for her and siblings Amelia and Harold is inconsistent with other records. Additionally, the child listed as daughter Emma was actually a son, Emmett.

      1930 Census, Ritchie Co, WV (Clay District), enumerated on Apr 30 1930 at Victory Ridge:
      Howard E. Adams, 52, U.S. Mail carrier; wife Lena L, 52; son Emmet H, 19, farmer; dau Frankie H, 11.

      1940 Census, Ritchie Co, WV (Clay District), enumerated on Apr 24 1940 at Victory Ridge:
      Howard E. Adams, 62, farmer; wife Lena, 61; son Emmet, 29, road construction worker; dau Frankie, 20. All born in W.Va. except for Emmet, born in Pennsylvania. All were residing in the same house in 1935.
    Children 
     1. Frankie Hazel ADAMS,   b. 28 Sep 1919, West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 23 Apr 1977, Arlington, Arlington Co, VA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 57 years)
    Documents
    49727_HowardEAdams_LenaLeotaEdwards_MarriageRecord_14Jul1918.jpg    		49727_HowardEAdams_LenaLeotaEdwards_MarriageRecord_14Jul1918.jpg
    Family ID F20521  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - May 1877 - Auburn, Ritchie Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 27 Aug 1902 - Middlebourne, Tyler Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1910 - Tenmile District, Harrison Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 18 Apr 1910 - Blue, Tyler Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1911 - Homestead, Allegheny Co, PA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1918 - Wolf Summit, Harrison Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1914, 1918 - Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 14 Jul 1918 - Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1920 - West Homestead, Allegheny Co, PA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1930, 1940 - Victory Ridge, Ritchie Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - - Ellenboro, Ritchie Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - FORMERLY - West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1940 - Ellenboro, Ritchie Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 8 Nov 1949 - Parkersburg, Wood Co, WV Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (IOOF section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Documents
    49727_ADAMS_HowardE_1877-1949_Obit.jpg    		49727_ADAMS_HowardE_1877-1949_Obit.jpg
    49727_ADAMS_HowardE_1877-1949_DeathCertificate.jpg    		49727_ADAMS_HowardE_1877-1949_DeathCertificate.jpg
    49727_ADAMS_HowardEthelbert_WW-I_DraftRegistration_12Sep1918.jpg    		49727_ADAMS_HowardEthelbert_WW-I_DraftRegistration_12Sep1918.jpg
    49727_ADAMS_HowardEthelbert_WW-II_DraftRegistration_27Apr1942.jpg    		49727_ADAMS_HowardEthelbert_WW-II_DraftRegistration_27Apr1942.jpg

  • Sources 
    1. [S1809] Ritchie County Birth Records, Harrisville, WV, BR p. 109, Line 14 : http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=2273583&Type=Birth.

    2. [S1853] Death Certificate, WV State Dept of Health, Div of Vital Statistics, (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_dcsearch.aspx), http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=1397400&Type=Death.

    3. [S83] Davis - The Settlers of Salem, West Virginia, Susie Davis Nicholson, (Gordon Printing Co, Strasburg OH, 1979 (Revised & Enlarged) < www.wvgenweb.org/harrison/books.htm >), p. 319.

    4. [S2293] Tyler County Marriage Records, Middlebourne, WV, http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=12042484&Type=Marriage.

    5. [S2113] 1910 Census, Harrison County, WV.

    6. [S1599] Birth record of son.

    7. [S1875] World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, National Archives and Records Administration, (Ancestry.com online database).

    8. [S692] Obituary of wife.

    9. [S1654] Harrison County Marriage Records, Clarksburg, WV.

    10. [S1734] 1920 Census.

    11. [S2055] 1930 Census, Ritchie County, WV (Clay District).

    12. [S14] Obituary.

    13. [S2508] World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, National Archives and Records Administration, (Ancestry.com online database).

    14. [S2641] 1940 Census, Ritchie County, WV.

    15. [S2708] World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line], (Ancestry.com).

    16. [S1588] Death record of wife.

    17. [S2293] Tyler County Marriage Records, Middlebourne, WV.

    18. [S1654] Harrison County Marriage Records, Clarksburg, WV.
      Identified as Howard E. Adams, widowed, 41, b. Ritchie Co, res. Clarksburg, son of George W. & Rachel L. Adams; and Lena Leota Edwards, single, 40, b. Doddridge Co, res. Harrison Co, dau of James & Columbia Edwards. Married Jul 14 1918 in Clarksburg.