Fall 2014 Newsletter - Muttenz Descendants

Fall 2014
Heritage Day 2014
Fun on Friday Night
Group Photo on Saturday
Heritage Day 2014
On the next few pages you will find reflections from several of our family
members who attended Heritage Day 2014.
Our Family Journey Westward
North Carolina was the third most populous state in the union in 1790. By 1860, it had
dropped to twelfth in population. Thousands of North Carolinians left the state during those
years, seeking cheap fertile land in Tennessee, western Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, Missouri,
and Mississippi and other Tran’s Allegany states and territories. Thirty percent of North Carolina’s native born population, amounting to more than four hundred thousand persons was
living outside of the state in 1860. Indiana became a state in 1816. With statehood, settlers
began swarming into the state and by 1830 Indiana’s population was above 300,000.
Our ancestors migrated westward from Stokes County, North Carolina beginning with our
third paternal great-grandfather, Jonathan Spainhower, his wife Catherine Booze and their
children. They settled in Washington County, Indiana between 1827 and 1830. It seems apparent that they followed others from North Carolina. Levi Fulk, was born in Indiana in 1815,
his parents were from Stokes County North Carolina. Levi married Jonathan’s daughter, Salome. Land records show that Jonathan Spainhower bought 40 acres of land in Washington
County on 10, August 1837. It is said that this land was next to the land of his son-in-law,
Levi. During this period they continued to be farmers.
Interestingly our maternal third grandfather, Daniel Payne and wife, Elizabeth Harrel and
children migrated from Caswell County, originally part of Orange County, North Carolina, in
the early 1830’s to Orange County, Indiana. Paoli is twenty-one miles west of Salem, Indiana.
Daniel Payne died in Paoli on 25 October, 1839. His son Barzilla grew up in Paoli and became
a shoe maker. In 1846, Barzilla joined the Indiana volunteers. As a private he served as a
musician of Company B and served under General Winfield Scott during the war with Mexico.
In 1847, he returned to Paoli. His son, my great grandfather Larkin was born in Paoli, Indiana
in 1847. In approximately 1853, Barzilla and his son-in-law, Harrison Miller traveled to Texas
by ox cart. He acquired public land in Lampasses County. Barzilla was scalped by renegade
Indians in 1863. My grandfather was born in Lampasses in 1875. In the early 1920’s, he
moved his family to Wichita Falls, Texas.
Jonathan Spainhower died about 1840 in Washington County, Indiana and Catherine
Booze Spainhower died in 1871 in Jackson, Washington County, Indiana.
Their son, Edgar Emanuel Spainhour married Elizabeth Jane Prince Belding in 1847. She
had been previously married to Charles Belding, who died before 1847. He was the father of
David M., Sarah, and Elizabeth M. The children took the Spainhour name.
Edgar Emanuel, Elizabeth Jane, Aaron, Peter, William T., Charles, Joseph Warren, and Alfred Decatur moved to Fulton County, Illinois between the years of 1864-1870. They appear
in the 1870 census in Illinois. Their son, my great grandfather Aaron Spainhour who married
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Emma Elizabeth Pitman on 28 May, 1871, appears in the 1880 census in Buckheart, Illinois.
His occupation is listed as a coal miner. The first coal miners in this area dug coal from strip
mines that was used by local families and businesses in the area.
Peter Spainhour and his brother William T. and his family moved to Arkansas between
1880 and 1885. All five brothers including Aaron, Joseph Warren, and Alfred Decatur were in
Arkansas in the 1880’s with their parents Edgar Emanuel and Elizabeth Jane Belding Prince
Spainhour. Most of the sons worked for the first coal mining company in Russellville, which
was the Ed Shinn coal mines, that employed about twelve men at that time.
My grandfather, Foster Leroy was born in Russellville, Arkansas on 21 December, 1891.
In 1893 or 1894, Aaron, my great grandfather, moved his family across the Indian Territory
(Oklahoma) by covered wagon, to Cisco in Eastland County, Texas. The family also lived in
Swenson, Stonewall County, Whitney, in Hill County, Meridian, in Bosque County, and near
Wichita Falls, in Wichita County.
My Grandfather Foster and Grandmother Mary Myrtle Belcher stayed in Wichita County
when Aaron and Emma relocated to Liberty Grove Community in northeast Dallas County,
south of Wylie, Texas in the year 1910. They are buried in the Cottonwood Cemetery in this
area. Foster Leroy and my grandmother lived their lives out in Wichita Falls and are buried in
the Hillcrest Cemetery.
Our father, Thelan Spainhour married our mother Allie Mae Payne , on 3 Nov 1935, thus
the Spainhour and Payne families from North Carolina reunited in Texas.
Genealogy research is a fulfilling experience, mixing the history of family with the history
and development of our nation.
Donald C. Spainhour
Riverdale, GA
Reflections of a First Time Attendee
My wife, Chancy, and I were honored and delighted to attend our first Heritage Day of
the Society of Muttenz Descendants in King, North Carolina, on 2 August 2014. I grew up between Rural Hall and Bethania, just across the Forsyth County line from the Heritage Day site.
Although we now make our home in Raleigh, we are renovating my grandfather Kapp’s farmhouse on Shore Road as a weekend retreat, so we remain “close to home”.
My family can claim its place among Muttenz descendants through the descent of my
dad, William Henry Kapp, from Spainhours and Shores. I am the six-times great-grandson of
Johann Heinrich Spänhauer through two connections descending from his daughter, Mary
Elisabeth Spoenhauer Hauser. Both my great-great grandmother Permelia Shore Kapp and
her daughter-in-law Ellen Phylena Vest Kapp, my great-grandmother, were descendants of
Mary Elisabeth.
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The lines on the Shore side are even more tangled. Suffice it to say that Shores grow
in profusion in the Kapp family tree. Through my paternal grandfather, Frank William Kapp, I
am the five-times great-grandson of Freidrich Shore, and through my paternal grandmother,
Floy Viola Kreeger Kapp, I am his six-times great grandson.
I first became acquainted with Muttenz Descendents Society in preparing for a trip to
Switzerland with my brother, Karl Kapp (now on the MDI board) and my nephew, Jonathan
Kapp. I had known of the Shore connections to Muttenz for a number of years, and I was
also aware that the Kapps were from Munchenstein, which is – literally – just over the hill
from Muttenz. Verna Spainhour Brewer filled out our knowledge of the Spainhours as she
helped us prepare for the trip, which Karl described in his article in the Fall 2012, Muttenz Descendants, Inc. Family Newsletter. Verna made us realize that we have more Muttenz blood
in us than we do from anywhere else!
Heritage Day gave me a wonderful chance to return to my roots, to discover some branches unknown to me before and to introduce Chancy to the important parts
of my life. Right from the first, we could tell that people who attend Heritage Day come
ready to have fun and enjoy each other. Rain? No problem – organizers had a good plan B.
Tight quarters? No problem. Everyone figured out how to sit in shifts and most importantly,
where to put all of the terrific food. Many of the dishes took me back to my childhood in
Grandma Kapp’s kitchen on Shore Road. Some years ago, Chancy learned to make
Grandma’s signature chess tarts, and my only disappointment was that they were gone before
I could get seconds.
We expected the music to be good; we were happily surprised that it was rock and roll
rather than the bluegrass or gospel that Southern reunions seem to favor. It’s great to have
so much talent in the family!
And finding out what – or who – is “in the family” is surely the most important part of
Heritage Day. I had good visit with Greg Tuttle, a friend from high school days and a fellow
Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill. We made new friends from Ohio and from Illinois by
way of Oklahoma. As we posed for the “all-family” portrait outside, Chancy snapped a photo
of the proud young dad and his son standing next to us and emailed it to him immediately.
That’s what families do for each other in today’s world.
As a lawyer, I am proud to be part of a family that includes Superior Court Judge Erwin
Spainhour and the late Harold I. Spainhour, who practiced law in High Point. Unfortunately,
my work as a lawyer will prevent our attendance at Heritage Day in 2016. We will be attending the American Bar Association meeting, where I will be one of North Carolina’s representatives in the House of Delegates. We will be with you in spirit and look forward to seeing old
friends and new friends in 2018.
Keith Kapp
Raleigh, NC
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Family Afghan & DVD’s — Unique Gift Ideas
Don’t forget the Spainhour Family Afghan is still
available to order. The afghan is custom woven
and it depicts images of importance to our family
history such as St. Arbogast Church in Muttenz and
the Johann Jacob Spainhour cabin in King Central
Park. The border displays all the known surname
spellings from the earliest in Muttenz to current
day variations.
The afghan sells for $50.00 if picked up locally and
for $60.00 if mailed to an address within the continental U.S. The afghan makes a great unique gift
idea for that “hard to buy for” relative.
Muttenz Descendants, Inc., is making available for
$25.00 the purchase of DVD recordings of the original historical drama, OF FAITH AND COURAGE, which was presented on May 14th, 2005, at the amphitheater in King’s Central Park. The
drama which was researched, written, and presented by Patsy Moore Ginns, Dr. James D. Spainhour, other family and related members, along with others from the community, depicts the original journey of the Spaenhauer family from the town of Muttenz, Switzerland, to America in the mid
1700’s. Based on research of historical records, personal accounts, letters, and Moravian archives,
the play follows two brothers, Heinrich and Werner Spaenhauer, and their families into the wilderness as they first joined the Moravian settlement and then built their own homes. The cabin which
is now situated in King’s Central Park, the site of the present Heritage Day family reunions, was
the final destination of the Werner Spaenhauer family where son, John Jacob and his bride, Anna
Catherina Volck, established their home in 1774.
Contact Verna and order yours now.
([email protected], PO Box 2255, King, NC 27021 or PH# 336-985-0286)
Checks may be made payable to Muttenz Descendants, Inc.
Calling All Cousins!
The newsletter is in immediate need of news — any news – all news!
Send announcements: wedding, anniversary, birth, graduation, etc. Send
newspaper articles. Send photos.
Please send by email to [email protected] or by snail mail to
Drewann Lynch
2115 Brookhurst Street Apt 3. W-S NC 27106.
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MDI Genealogy Update - www.muttenzdescendants.org
By Dr. James D. Spainhour
Report from the History & Genealogy Committee
OUR MUTTENZ ANCESTORS:
Our data about our Muttenz ancestors came from many different sources. After combining the various published collections, we noticed a small number of potential errors because there were different indiv iduals with
the same names, and because some collections used Anglicized versions of names rather than the ones in
the original records. For example, a man named Hans in some collections might be recorded as Johannes in
other collections -- but since the name Johannes was also used in Muttenz; some confusion is obviously possible. This is a most challenging part of our efforts to better document our genealogy collections.
Our enthusiastic thanks go to Bob Laughon (Columbus, Ohio) for his impressive work on this project. Bob‘s tedious work involved reading microfilm images of original records from Muttenz which were collected by the LDS Family Library. Bob reports that the book titles suggest that the records inside date between 1530 and 1903 but only records beginning in 1624 still survive. These records were recorded by a
church official (hand-written old German script). The records vary from line to line depending on the official’s
penmanship and the sharpness of his pen; but the quality of the images also varies with the focus of the
camera, the density of the writing, and how clean or dirty the page was when filmed. As a result, some records read easily, some with difficulty, and some are illegible.
In spite of all this, Bob has confirmed many of the events listed in our web site collections (baptisms, marriages, and deaths) and when the event or its date could not be confirmed (or corrected), Bob’s report includes a note to that effect. Bob’s files are now included in our web site Library and I am conducting a project which is using them to update our database information.
Please join me in thanking Bob Laughon for his work. Unless you have done research of this
type, it is difficult to imagine the hours of effort it required.
ISRAEL SPAINHOUR --- CHAPTER THREE:
Israel & Elizabeth’s Children:
First we had to reconcile James, Charles, Aaron and Levi Benjamin.
In Chapter Two, we learned that James appeared in the 1860 census at age 1 and Charles was absent –
while in the 1870 census Charles appeared at age 12 and James was absent. After finding further records for
Charles, but no further records for James, we now are convinced that these 2 are one child named Charles H.
and that the name James in 1860 was a census-taker’s error.
Aaron first shows up in the 1870 census at age 7 liv ing with Lucy (age 29) in the household of Henry & Elizabeth Schaus. He next appears in the 1880 census at age 15 and is listed as a son of Bettsy (Israel’s wife
Elizabeth). His death record lists his father’s name as Israel Spainhour and his mother’s name as Lucy Barner. The logical conclusion is that Aaron is an out-of-wedlock son of Lucy.
Our interest now turned to learning more about Israel & Elizabeth’s daughter called Lucy. Her name in the
1850 census was Louisana; but she is listed as Lucy A. in later records. One is tempted, therefore, to suggest that her mother probably named her Louisa Anna.
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The search on Lucy turned out to be an interesting exercise!
We found two ladies, both named Lucy A. Spainhour who were both born in Forsyth County
within a few months of each other:
Number one was born 1845.0301 in Forsyth County & died 1918.1223 in Old Richmond, Forsyth County at
age 73.
Number two was born 1846.0926 in North Carolina & died 1927.1030 in Tobaccoville at age 81.
Both these ladies married a man named James H. Peoples about 1880:
The marriage record of Lucy #1 was dated 1880.0316 in Forsyth County: Lucy is listed at age 32 (she was
actually 35) and James is listed at age 51. In the 1880 census, the couple (James = 52 & Lucy = 32) are
liv ing in Old Town, NC with ten children (none are Lucy’s). In the 1900 census the couple (James = 71 &
Lucy = 54) with three children (all are Lucy’s). Lucy #1 is listed as white and daughter of Israel Spainhour and her husband is listed as white. By 1880, Lucy’s son Aaron was 15 and liv ing with his widowed grandmother Elizabeth – leaving his single mother, Lucy “free” to marry. She married a much older
man who clearly needed her help in taking care of his minor children from his first bride.
The marriage of Lucy #2 had no date. It lists James =21 and Lucy = 32 (calc. marriage = 1879). The 1880
census, however, lists Lucy A. Spainhour as a single servant, age 33, living in Raleigh – so the marriage was
more likely in the later part of 1880 (after the census was taken).
Lucy #2, in her marriage record is listed as white but her husband is listed as black. There were, of course
no mixed race marriages in North Carolina in 1880 – so I examined the image of the original handwritten record. In the race column, it showed James as Col. (colored) and Lucy (line below him) with a mark in her
race column which the record transcriber had interpreted as a W (white), but which I interpret as a “ditto”
mark. Neither of her parents are listed.
It is interesting to note that Lucy #1 married a man much older than she, and that Lucy #2 married a man
much younger than she.
Census records for Israel’s daughter named Lucy A.:
In the 1880 census for Old Town, Forsyth County, NC, Lucy is listed as age 32 (calc. b=1848) and James is
listed as age 52 (calc. b=1828). There are ten children liv ing in their household, but their ages demonstrate
that none of these children are Lucy’s.
In the 1900 census for Old Richmond, Forsyth County, NC, Lucy is listed as age 54 (calc. b=1846) and James
is listed as age 71 (calc. b=1829). There are three children liv ing in their household with ages suggesting all
are Lucy’s.
In the 1910 census for Winston-Salem, NC, Lucy Peeples is listed as a servant in the home of Lewis F.
Shore. She is a indicated as a widow at age of 66 (calc. b=1844).
Lucy Spainhour Peoples’ death record shows her birth as 1845.0301 in Forsyth County and death as
1918.1223 in Old Richmond, Forsyth County. Her father is listed as Israel Spainhour.
We are confident now that Israel Spainhour & Mary Elizabeth Fulk had nine children, who were:
1.
Susan Permelia (1840-1903)
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2.
William W. (1843-????)
3.
Lucy A. (1845-1918)
4.
Marietta (Mary) (1846-????)
5.
John H. (1849-????)
6.
Melisha C. (1852-????)
7.
Feliltlia (1855-????)
8.
Charles H. (1858-????)
9.
Levi Benjamin (1860-1864)
Susan P. Spainhour is listed as a daughter of Israel in the census of 1850 at age 9, indicating birth = 18401841.nnShe is missing from the family in census records for 1860, 1870, and 1880. No birth or marriage records have yet been found. There is a death record for a lady named Permelia Spainhour who was born on
March 10, 1840 and who died on January 1, 1903 buried at Pfafftown, Forsyth County, NC. The dates of this
listing do not match other known Susan's or Vermeils, and Pfafftown is close to the family home in Old Richmond. Connecting these records seems reasonable, but must be regarded as still tentative until further information is available.
William W. Spainhour is listed as a son of Israel in the census of 1850 at age 6, indicating birth = 18431844. He is missing from the family in census records for 1860, 1870, and 1880. We believe that he enlisted
in Company D of the NC 53rd Infantry Regiment of CSA on April 30, 1862 and was mustered out in Raleigh
on April 12, 1863. There were two other William W. Spainhours liv ing nearby; but one was only 9 years old
in 1863 and the other was age 44 -- thus the record seems to reliably apply to Israel’s son. There are other
military records which may apply to him also, but these are in the name William (not William W.) but since
we have many William Spainhours in our collection, these records are impossible to link to a specific indiv idual without further information.
Our research on Israel & Elizabeth’s children will continue.
Israel Spainhour's Parents:
You will remember from the article in the previous newsletter, that we created a research list containing all of
our known couples which in terms of chronology (age and marriage) could have been parents of Israel (born
1814-1815). The couples which have been eliminated from that research list are listed below followed by the
reason for their elimination.
1.
Joseph Spainhour & Elizabeth Schuss
The family numbers -- males & females and their ages -- in the 1820 and 1830 census records for Joseph and
Elizabeth Schuss Spain hour -- match exactly the family as we know it – so this couple can be eliminated
from our list.
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2.
John Henry Spainhour, Jr. & Sarah Davenport
This couple was eliminated because they had migrated to Kentucky by 1806.
3.
John Spainhower & Elizabeth (mn unknown)
This couple was eliminated because they had migrated to Kentucky by 1806.
4.
Peter Spainhower & Catherine Elizabeth Rider
There are extra persons (other than known children) in the census lists for Peter Spainhower and Catherine
Rider, but none of them are appropriate for a son named Israel born in 1815 ---- plus the family home place
in 1805, and the birth for Leah in February 1815 – both also exclude Peter and Catherine as parents of Israel
(1815).
5.
Jacob Spainhour & Elizabeth Harris
Eliminated as parents of Israel because Jacob’s death in July of 1814 has been confirmed.
6.
Jacob Spainhour & Elizabeth Krieger
There are several comments that one can make about the census records for Jacob Spainhour & Elizabeth
Krieger, but the birth of their daughter Margaretha in 1815, and the absence of a son in this age range is
convincing that Israel was not a child of this couple.
7.
Jonathan Spainhower and first wife
Jonathan and his sons Joshua b=1813 and John David b=1816 went to Indiana with their father in 1834 and
Joshua was married there. If Israel had been a son between these two he would have also gone west. The
family movement pattern is inconsistent with Israel being part of this family.
The couples which still remain on our research list for Israel’s parents are:
1.
Solomon Spainhower & Maria Catherine Conrad
2.
Johannes Spainhour & Elizabeth Stoltz
3.
John Henry Spainhour & Louisa Elizabeth Dietz
4.
Johannes Spainhower & Elizabeth Helsabeck
5.
David Spainhower & Maria Catherine Helsabeck
6.
Michael Spainhour, Jr. & Sally Stallings
Our research for the parents of both Israel and Elizabeth will continue.
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Family Updates and Photos
Introductions:
Lindsay Spainhour Baker and Leith Allan
Baker of Nairobi, Kenya announce the birth of a
son, Ash Allan, born on May 13, 2014. He
weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces. He has two older
brothers Kaiden Leith Baker and Boone Fletcher
Baker. Ash is the grandson of Randolph and
Sally Spainhour of Burgaw, North Carolina and
Weston and Penelope Baker of Auburn,
Maine. The grandmother, Sally Spainhour (called
Amma), enjoyed a visit to Kenya to help with the
three boys over the summer.
Ash’s family line is as follows: Ash Allan Baker, Lindsay Spainhour Baker, Randolph Fletcher Spainhour, Jack Bryan Spainhour, Joseph Spainhour, Thomas Spainhour, Noah Spainhour, Peter Spainhour, Werner Spaenhauer.
Ava Laurel Cove was born on May 16, 2014 in Melbourne,
Australia. Ava is the daughter of Phillip Cove and Melanie
Pugh Cove.
The grandparents are Richard Cove and Tracy Speight Cove of
Melbourne, Australia. The great grandparents are Dale Speight
and Patricia Russell Speight of Trinity, North Carolina.
Adela Bertoldi was married on December 10,
2011 to Joseph A. Bertoldi III in Chicago, Illinois. She is the daughter of Harry Lucchesi and
Gina Spainhour, granddaughter of Richard Spainhour and Margaret Sharpe. Her maiden name is
Adela Lucchesi. In January 2012, they moved to
Northern Virginia. On August 12, 2013, they welcomed their first child, a daughter, named Jillian
Bertoldi. She was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
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In Memory Of Family And Friends
GIBSON WINSTON-SALEM Doris Anita Spainhour
Gibson Feb. 11, 1919 - Aug. 11, 2014 Proverbs 31:2526. Strength and honor are her c lothing and she shall
rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with
wisdom; and her tongue is the law of kindness. Doris
Anita Spainhour Gibson was born on February 11,
1919, in Tobaccoville, NC to Charles Wickom and Beulah Long Spainhour. She grew up learning the farming
life from her father, hoeing corn and tying tobacco,
and learning from her mother to cook and keep house.
She was an independent, inquisitive child, by her account and she lived her entire life with self-reliance,
strength, love of God and family. She was an only child
until she was 7 when Becky was born fo llowed by another sister, Bonnie, several years later. Doris was always learning and graduated at the age of 16 as valedictorian in the Old Richmond school c lass of 1935.
She graduated from Women's College, now UNC-G,
with a B. A. in English and French. She taught at Odell
School in Concord, NC and met her future husband,
Mike, in 1939, when he worked a summer job at
Shore's Store in Tobaccoville. Her sister Becky told her
"there's a cute boy working at Shore's store" and Doris
said "Let's go see". She returned to her teaching job
and he, to Lenoir Rhyne College that fall. Mike soon
proposed and they were married in 1942 as he was to
be deployed after the start of WW II. She lived and
worked in Norfo lk during Mike's deployment, unusual
for her time, as many wives returned to their families
to await their husband's return. Their last duty station
was in Maine and they smiled telling stories of those
years, especially how they enjoyed the harness racing
tracks. Doris and Mike returned to the Children's Home
in Winston-Salem where he worked and they raised
their family. The children at the Home fondly called her
"Coach Gibson's wife" and were eager to see her each
year at Homecoming. In 1963, after earning her Masters in Library Science, Doris began her career as the
librarian at Forest Park Elementary until her retirement
in 1980. She was a member of numerous professional
organizations as well as Faculty Wives' Club locally.
Doris and Mike travelled extensively and volunteered
with Senior Services, Arbor Acres, Baptist Hospital and
other organizations in town. Each year, Mike raised a
large garden and they canned vegetables everyone
enjoyed during holiday gatherings. Doris was very active in United Methodist Women at Centenary and at
Arbor Acres. After Mike's death in 2007, Doris continued her volunteer and social activities at Arbor Acres.
She maintained and nurtured friendships with high
school and co llege friends throughout the years. She
was an independent, caring woman her entire life, and
loved by many. She continued her lifelong learning as
she discovered email and online shopping at age 90.
She was actively reading two books at the time of her
death. Doris is survived by her daughter, Linda G.
Davis and son-in-law Larry of Winston-Salem, her
granddaughter Anna Erwin and two great granddaughters of Wilmington NC, her son Steve Gibson and wife
Lynn of Snellv ille, Ga, her grandson Josh Gibson, his
wife Marc ie and three great grandchildren of Douglasville Ga and granddaughter Lauren Threadgill, her husband Matthew and five great grandchildren of Augusta,
Georgia, her sisters Rebecca Tuttle and Bonnie Vogler
of Winston-Salem and several nieces and nephews.
SPAINHOUER, FREDDIE DALLAS, TEXAS Mr.
Spainhouer enlisted in the US Navy two weeks after
Pearl Harbor was bombed. His first duty station after
San Diego boot camp, was on a net tender in the San
Francisco Bay. His first tour to the South Pacific found
him serv ing in the same PT Boat Squadron as Navy LT
John F. Kennedy, albeit on a different boat. He served
in support operations at Guadalcanal, the Tulagi, the
Soloman Island and Fiji. During the campaign, Mr.
Spainhouer engaged in combat operations as a gunner
and gun captain on several US Navy vessels. Towards
the end of the war, Mr. Spainhouer was sent to the US
Navy photo intelligence school and then he was assigned to the Japanese Occupation forces and War
Crimes trials, where he documented the final outcomes
of the trials.
Following a brief lapse in service to pursue some college, Mr. Spainhouer returned to military serv ice in
1947 and he served on the USS Bon Homme Richard
(CV-31) and the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and several
other command vessels. In 1957, Mr. Spainhouer was
assigned to the command staff of Admiral Richard
Byrd, who was planning an expeditionary trip to Antarctica to establish the very first permanent base of
operations at the South Pole. Mr. Spainhouer was hand
-selected by Admiral Byrd to photo document the expedition and help oversee the first photo studio and
lab at the South Pole. In December 1957, while taking
supplies from the ice shelf to the first station at
McMurdo Sound, the airplane Mr. Spainhouer was riding in, crashed, shortly after take-off, seriously injury
all on board, While more seriously injured where airevacuated out, Mr. Spainhouer was not, and he stayed
the long winter night, with a serious debilitating back
injury- until he could be flown out in the Spring of
1958.
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In Memory Of Family And Friends
In 1961, Master Chief Spainhouer was assigned to
Navy Heavy Photo Squadron 62 in Jacksonville, Florida,
which oversaw the aerial reconnaissance flight of
Cuba. As the Chief Squadron Photographer, and Intelligence NCO, Master Chief Spainhouer was one of the
very first naval personnel to identify what looked like
missile silos being built on Cuba. Subsequent flights
confirmed the information, which was relayed directly
to President John F. Kennedy through secure lines,
between the naval base in Florida and the White
House.
In 1962, Master Chief Spainhouer was on the shakedown cruise for the Navy's first nuc lear powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise(CV-65), marking the
first time and only time any US sailor had served on
three different Navy vessels, all bearing the same
name. Unfortunately, because of his previous back injury, Navy physicians determined Chief Spainhouer
was no long sea worthy and recommended an honorable discharge, ending a storied carrier in serv ice to
the Country.
Master Chief Spainhouer was provided full military honors at his funeral in Dallas, Texas, by members of the
United States Navy Reserve. Freddie Spainhouer also
served twenty years in c ivil serv ice with the c ity of Dallas, first as a crime scene photographer with the Dallas
Police, and then as a firefighter-photographer with the
Dallas Fire Department. He was eulogized by the Fire
Department Chaplin with the c ity of Dallas.
Freddie is survived by his wife of 56 years, Anna Klein
Spainhouer of Dallas, his o ldest son, Fredd Steven
Spainhouer and his wife, Maritza Spainhouer from
McKinney, Texas and grandson Freddie Jesus “Chuy”
Spainhouer and daughter Chana Gail Spainhouer Willis
and her husband, David “Tex” Willis of Winnsboro,
Texas and grandchildren, Audrey Willis o f Austin,
Texas, and Bobby S. Willis of Winnsboro, Texas and
Dalton Willis o f Denison, Texas. He is also survived by
his sister Go lda Spainhouer Young of Dallas and sisterin-law Lo is Allen Spainhour of Greenville, Texas.
MORGANTON Martha Eugenia Patton Waters, 84, of
Morganton, passed away peacefully at her home on
Wednesday, July 2, 2014. A lifelong resident of Burke
County, she was the daughter of the late Robert Logan
(R.L.) Patton Sr. and Bess Evelyn Hallyburton Patton.
When at the age of 3 Martha's mother Bess died, she
was raised by her second mother, the late Margaret
Spainhour Patton. Also preceding her in death was her
loving husband of 60 years, Thomas Gross Waters Jr.;
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2014
siblings, Ruth Patton Grady, Betty Patton Cave Hyland,
Margaret Patton Messina, Robert Logan Patton (R.L.)
Jr., Joseph Fletcher Patton and Rosemary Patton
Carter; and grand-daughter, Ashley Iona McCurry.
Martha was a devoted member of The Dorcas Class of
The First Baptist Church of Morganton and for many
years kept the nursery and preschoolers during service. This was never idle time for the children but was
spent in song and prayer with Martha ever sowing
seeds to cultivate from them valuable lessons. Always
an advocate for education most certainly influenced by
her Patton heritage, she, along with numerous family
members and members o f the community petitioned
tirelessly to have a Burke County School named for the
R.L. Patton's. Patton High School recently held its first
commencement ceremony with a direct Patton descendant, Martha's granddaughter, Savannah Waters. Martha attended Carson-Newman Co llege, Jefferson C ity,
Tenn.; Franklin School of Science and Art, Philadelphia,
Pa.; Grace Hospital School of X-Ray Technology; and
continuing education courses through Western Piedmont Community College where there is a scholarship
in her family name. At the age of 18, Martha began
working at Grace Hospital. This began a career in
health-care spanning almost 50 years. 30 of those
years were as a Radio logic Technologist (R.T.), and
that led to her advancement as Chief of the X-Ray Department for many of those years. Even though there
were many families that passed through the X-Ray Department at Grace without knowing her name, Martha
touched countless people with her kindness and will be
remembered, even by total strangers, as the lovely
lady who showed warmth, compassion and empathy to
all of her patients often ho lding their hand to comfort
them when no one else was around. She was so gifted
to be able to do her job extraordinarily well while simultaneously attending to the more personal needs of
patient and family. Left to celebrate her life are her
three children, Thomas Gross (Tommy) Waters III and
wife, Marylin, Ruth Elizabeth Waters and Joseph David
(Joe) and wife, Kirsten, all of Morganton. She is also
survived by 11 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren: Tabitha Byers, husband, Sport and their
daughters, Logan and Caroline, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
David Propst, wife, Amy and their sons, Landon and
Brendon, of Charlotte Hall, Md., Dr. Matthew (Matt)
Waters and wife, Katie, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; Mandi
Waters Palmer and husband, Caleb; Megan Waters
Fredrickson, husband, Chad and daughter, "baby
Fred" (Peggy Bob), due 7/27; Nicholas (Bubba) Evitt,
all of Morganton, and Sarah Michaela (Baby) Evitt, of
Marion, Savannah Waters, Joey Waters, Abby Waters
and Henry Waters, all of Morganton; and sisters, Billie
Patton Harvey, of Dallas, Texas and Virginia (Ginny)
Patton Wagner, of Kure Beach. The family would like
to give a special thank you to the hearts that gave
their love and time for Martha. Hospice of Valdese: Dr.
Goudas, Lynn, Amber and the rest of the staff; Handicare of Drexel: Pa, Cathy, Robin, Deloris, and Suzanne;
Dr. Gould and Gia for their home visits and talks on the
bed as well as the entire staff of Burke Primary Care of
Morganton
CHARLES Nancie Alderman Cope Charles, 78, of
Portsmouth, VA passed away quietly at her home, on
Tuesday, August 26, 2014.
She is survived by one son, John Cope (Sandy), of Virginia Beach, VA and their children, Jonathan Cope, and
Skyler Cope (Chelsea New), one daughter, Jennifer
Cope of the home; a step-daughter, Debbianne Shelton, of Rock Hill, SC and her children; a stepson, John
Charles III (Dawn), of Portsmouth, VA and their children, Laura Frantz (Josiah), of Chesapeake, VA, John
IV, Amy, and Carey; and a step-daughter, Susan
Moore (Ricky), of Portsmouth, and their children, Jessica George (Brian), Jennifer Williams (Jerry), and
Jillian. Also surviv ing are several nieces, nephews and
cousins.
In special recognition, she is survived by one greatgranddaughter, Zoey Amelia Cope, the brightest star in
her world.
The youngest of 13 children, she grew up on a small
farm in Forsyth County, NC. She is preceded in death
by two husbands and twelve brothers and sisters. She
was known best by her family and friends as a devout
Christian. She prayed every night for each person that
she knew needed it. She attended church whenever
she was physically able to do so. She loved birds,
whether they were outside her window or a part of her
diverse co llection. One o f her greatest passions was
tending to her flower beds. She shared her love of nature by taking pictures of sunsets, snowfalls, flowers,
and rainbows. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
SPAINHOUR WINSTON-SALEM Joyce Long Spainhour August 9, 2014 Ms. Joyce Long Spainhour, 89, of
Winston-Salem passed away on Saturday, August 9,
2014 at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home. She was
member of Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church. Ms.
Spainhour is survived by a son, Tony Spainhour of
King; two daughters, D iane S. Wall of Kernersville, and
Debra S. D illard of Winston-Salem; six grandchildren;
and nine great-grandchildren
Gifts, Honorariums And
Memorials
Gina SpainhourShields
In Memory of her
mother, Margaret
Sharpe Spainhour and in Honor of
her father, Richard J. Spainhour,
Sr.
Barbara J. Laughon
In Honor of Ralph H. & Hattie Wills
Spainhour Family of Burke County,
NC.
Al Spainhour
In Memory of Rufus A. Spainhour
Joanne Kiser Caldwell
In Memory of Solomon Spainhour
Family
Richard E. Spainhour
In Memory of his father John R.
Spainhour
Claude Spainhour
David Spainhour
Charlie Spainhour
T. Wayne Marshall
Page 15
Fall
2014
Non-Profit
U. S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 16
Ki ng, NC
27021
MUTTENZ DESCENDANTS, INC.
PO Box 1537 King, NC 27021
ADDRESS S ERVICE REQUES TED
A not-for-profit tax-exempt corporation
portraying and honoring the frontier heritage
of Muttenz descendants and their neighbors .
John Martin Spainhour, 1932-2014
John Martin Spainhour, Jr. 81 of Ripley, passed away on
October 9, 2014. We will have a special article on John
in our next newsletter. He loved his family
and Spainhour heritage. He worked so hard to relocate
and restore the Spainhour Log Cabin. He was well loved
and he will be missed by all.
Visitors to the Spainhour Log Cabin
We have had many new visitors this year with all those "first time" attenders to Heritage
Day. Some who came earlier were Joann Oehman, daughter of H. Bruce Oehman and
granddaughter of Addie Spainhour Oehman along with Thomas Canter, son of Catherine
Oehman Canter and grandson of Addie Spainhour Oehman visited the Spainhour Log
Cabin. Coming back to family roots and enjoying our Swiss Heritage.