Nettie CHRISTIAN

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Nettie Christian
Age: 9
Birth Year: abt 1911
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1920: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Cousin [step daughter to Issac Mounts]
Marital Status: Single
Father's Birthplace: West Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia

1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Nettie Blankenship
Gender: Female
Birth Year: abt 1910
Birthplace: West Virginia
Race: White
Home in 1930: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Daughter-in-law
Spouse's Name: Lee Blankenship
Father's Birthplace: United States
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia
Household Members:
Jane Blankenship 59
Lee Blankenship 20
Julia Blankenship 6 months
Nettie Blankenship 20

1940 United States Federal Census
Name: Nettie Blankenship
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1912
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: West Virginia
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Home in 1940: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Street: US Route 13 Gilbert Creek
House Number: 179
Farm: No
Inferred Residence in 1935: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Residence in 1935: Same House
Resident on farm in 1935: Yes
Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 4th grade
Household Members:
Lee Blankenship 31
Nettie Blankenship 28
Julia Blankenship 9
Gary Donald Blankenship 7
Perry Blankenship 6
Shelby Jean Blankenship 3

Died:
Social Security Death Index
Name: Nettie Blankenship
SSN: 232-70-3001
Last Residence: 25608 Baisden, Mingo, West Virginia
Born: 16 Jul 1910
Died: Nov 1986
State (Year) SSN issued: North Carolina or West Virginia (1960-1961)

Nettie married Lee Blankenship. Lee was born 1909, West Virginia. [Group Sheet]

1. Julia Blankenship was born ca 1931, Mingo Co. WV.
2. Gary Donald Blankenship was born ca 1933, Mingo Co. WV.
3. Perry Blankenship was born ca 1934, Mingo Co. WV.
4. Shelby Jean Blankenship was born ca 1937, Mingo Co. WV.

Hiram married Eva Cline 06 Mar 1909, Mingo Co. WV. Eva was born 19 Feb 1893, West Virginia; died 22 Jan 1958, Mingo Co. WV. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Eva Cline
Age: 6
Birth Date: Nov 1893
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1900: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: James Cline
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Name: Amanda Cline
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Eva Cline
Age in 1910: 17
Birth Year: abt 1893
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1910: Gilbert, Mingo, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: James Cline
Father's Birthplace: West Virginia
Mother's Name: Amanda Cline
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Eva Mounts
Age: 26
Birth Year: abt 1894
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1920: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Isaac Mounts
Father's Birthplace: West Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Household Members:
Isaac Mounts 34
Eva Mounts 26
Wiley Mounts 5
Sylvia Mounts 3 years 4 months
Eda Mounts 10 months
Nettie Christian 9

1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Eva Mounts
Gender: Female
Birth Year: abt 1892
Birthplace: West Virginia
Race: White
Home in 1930: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Spouse's Name: Isaac Mounts
Father's Birthplace: West Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia
Household Members:
Isaac Mounts 47
Eva Mounts 38
Wiley Mounts 15
Sylvia Mounts 13
Edna Mounts 12
Jala Mounts 10
Clifton Mounts 7
Zella Mounts 4 years 10 months
Clarebell Mounts 2 years 10 months
Calsie Mounts 10 months

1940 United States Federal Census
Name: Eva Mounts
Respondent: Yes
Age: 43
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1897
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: West Virginia
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Home in 1940: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Street: US Route 13 Gilbert Creek
House Number: 184
Farm: Yes
Inferred Residence in 1935: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Residence in 1935: Same House
Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 6th grade
Household Members:
Isacc Mounts 53
Eva Mounts 43
Wylie Mounts 24
Jala Mounts 18
Cliffton Mounts 16
Zella Mounts 14
Arvid Mounts 10
Earnest Mounts 6
Everett Mounts 3


Died:
West Virginia Vital Records
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=1323371&Type=Death

Notes:

Married:
West Virginia Vital Records
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=10331799&Type=Marriage

Notes:

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Nathan R. Christen [Nathaniel R. Christian]
Age: 34
Birth Year: abt 1846
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1880: Peters Creek, Pike, Kentucky
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Comfort Christen
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Occupation: Farmer
Household Members:
Nathan R. Christen 34
Comfort Christen 30
Daniel Christen 13
Luvicey Christen 11
Richard Christen 9
Margaret Christen 7
Mary Christen 5
Charley Christen 4
Hiram Christen 2
Moses Christen 6 months

May have been murdered by his son Richard

Source: http://genforum.genealogy.com/daniels/messages/1352.html
"Apparently, Nathaniel Robert Christian was murdered by his oldest son who hit him in the head with an ax while he was sleeping. He [Richard] went to prison."

Nathaniel married Comfort Daniels 25 Jul 1867, Pike Co. KY. Comfort was born ca 1848, Pike Co. KY; died Aft 21 Jun 1940, West Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Comfort Daniels
Age: 2
Birth Year: abt 1848
Birthplace: Kentucky
Home in 1850: Pike, Kentucky
Gender: Female in household of Rachel Daniels.
Family Number: 555
Household Members:
Rachel Daniels 27
Lewis Daniels 7
Floyd Daniels 5
Richard Daniels 4
Comfort Daniels 2
Margaret Daniels 1
Elizabeth Daniels less than year
Elizabeth Daniels 60 [probably her mother]

1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Comfort Daniels
Age in 1860: 12
Birth Year: abt 1848
Birthplace: Kentucky
Home in 1860: District 1, Pike, Kentucky
Gender: Female
Household Members:
Rachal Daniels 32
Lewis Daniels 16
Floyed Daniels 14
Richard Daniels 13
Comfort Daniels 12
Margret Daniels 11
Elizabeth Daniels 9
Nancy Daniels 8
Lydia Daniels 7
Peter Daniels 6
Patty Daniels 5
Charles Daniels 3
Henry Daniels 2
Elizabeth Daniels 69

[Note: Speculation on who was the father or fathers of Rachel Daniel's children.

Source: http://genforum.genealogy.com/daniels/messages/1640.html
I was recently told by another researcher that a Charles Mounts was listed as the father of at least one child. It was probably Comfort as half of my family remembers her as Comfort Mounts and the other half as Comfort Daniels.

The WV death certificate of her daughter, Nannie Christian Jenkins, has her name as Comfort Mounts.

http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=2627819&Type=Death

So Comfort's father is undetermined. She used the last name of Daniels for her marriage record.

Source: http://genforum.genealogy.com/daniels/messages/1366.html
It's always a possibility that Rachel married another Daniels, but I haven't found anything to show that. One researcher told me she found Gestus Murphey as the father of several of Rachel's children (records found in Frankfort, KY), but I've not been able to confirm that...

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Comfort Christen [Christian]
Age: 30
Birth Year: abt 1850
Birthplace: Kentucky
Home in 1880: Peters Creek, Pike, Kentucky
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Nathan R. Christian
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Occupation: Works On Farm
Household Members:
Nathan R. Christen 34
Comfort Christen 30
Daniel Christen 13
Luvicey Christen 11
Richard Christen 9
Margaret Christen 7
Mary Christen 5
Charley Christen 4
Hiram Christen 2
Moses Christen 6 months

1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Comfort Christian
Age: 46
Birth Date: 1854
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1900: North Fork, McDowell, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Widowed
Marriage Year: 1869
Years Married: 31
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia
Mother: number of living children: 11
Mother: How many children: 16
Household Members:
Comfort Christian 46
Moses Christian 19
Lizzia Christian 16
Noah Christian 14
Thos Christian 11
Willis Christian 9

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Camfort Christain [Comfort Christian]
Age in 1910: 65
Birth Year: abt 1845
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1910: Stafford, Mingo, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Birthplace: West Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia
Household Members:
Name Age
Comfort Christain 65
Thomas Christain 20
Willis Christain 18
Maud Christain 5 [possibly a granddaughter]

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Comfort Christian
Age: 80
Birth Year: abt 1840
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1920: Sandy River, McDowell, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Mother
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Birthplace: West Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: West Virginia
Able to Read: No
Able to Write: No
Household Members:
Noah Christian 34 [31]
Martha Christian 26
Russel Christian 10
Mary Christian 8
Herbert Christian 6
Andrew Christian 3
Ethel Christian 9 months
Comfort Christian 80

1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Comfort Christian
Age: 90
Birth year: 1840
Birth place: Kentucky
Home in 1930: Sandy River, McDowell, West Virginia
Gender: Female
Race: White
Marital status: Widowed
Relationship to head of household: Head
Father's birthplace: Virginia
Mother's birthplace: Kentucky

1940 United States Federal Census
Name: Comfort Christian
Temporarily Absent: Yes
Age: 112
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Kentucky
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: Sandy River, McDowell, West Virginia
Farm: Yes
Inferred Residence in 1935: Sandy River, McDowell, West Virginia
Residence in 1935: Same House
Household Members:
Comfort Christian
Note: Other census information includes she is renting her home, she never attended school, she didn't work, and had no income. Her son Noah Christian lived next door to her. As to her age, she was at least 100 years old. We don't know who gave the information to the census taker since she was absent. But who ever provided the information, regarded her as ancient.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

McDowell Woman, 109, Given Pension By West Virginia.

Oldest Person to Receive State Aid

Mrs. Christian left home last November to Vote for Roosevelt.

Charleston, W.Va., June 4 (AP)-Comfort Daniels Christian, 109 year old mountain woman who left her native fastnesses but once in the past forty years has a new claim to fame.

She is the oldest person in West Virginia receiving a grant from the Public Assistance Department, it was disclosed today.

Mrs. Christian, the mother of 16 children, first came into the public eye in 1932, when she left her little McDowell county cabin to vote for President Roosevelt.

The records of the Public Assistance Department show she was born in Mingo county in 1828, before Andrew Jackson assumed the presidency and more than 20 years before the fist California gold rush.

She lives one mile west of Panther, W.Va., on Panther Creek.
The aged woman, her hair a snowy white and her face deeply furrowed was discovered by a party of Welch Kiwanis Club members who distributed Christmas baskets of food to residents of her section several years ago.

Mrs. Christian has 84 grandchildren, 66 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

--------

Welch Daily

By Brenda West


When the WDN Coal Edition was published March 30, one section featured an unidentified photo captioned "Way Back When" We printed the picture hoping someone in our circulation are could provide some information.

By the following Monday morning the photo mystery was solved. Mrs. Ethel Christian Manes, 71 of Coon Branch near Ieager, said excitedly "That's my grandmother, Comfort Mounts Christian and the child on her lap is a granddaughter, Louis Christian Chafin of Matewan. I was just thrilled to see that in the paper after all these years!

"The photograph was made when Granny went to vote for Roosevelt. I don't recall which election it was, but because of her age it was the first and last time she ever went to the polls. She wanted to voter for Roosevelt because he had been responsible for her receiving a pension check.

Originally Published in 1936

---------------

The old photo was used in connection with a news item pertaining to the reelection of President Franklin Roosevelt when he sought a second term in office. Roosevelt won by a sweeping victory. Publication date was Nov. 4 1936 and it reads as follows:

Mrs. Comfort Christian, 109, went two miles to a voting booth at Panther election day, to cast her first vote. When she got there she was told that she had not been registered. Mrs. Christian remarked to precinct workers: 'I'll come back tomorrow.'

The aged woman said she had always been registered a Republican, but that her husband , who had been dead 40 years, was a Democrat and she knew how he would have voted had he been alive. 'He would have voted for President Roosevelt,' she remarked. 'Because he is a good man and has helped me.'

Mrs. Christian lives alone. Despite her age she works her small garden each year and looks after her house. She was taken to the voting place to cast her ballot by her son, Mose, who lives on Huff Creek.

Mose said his mother had asked that she be taken to the voting place to cast her ballot. She said the reason she had never voted before was that she was registered a Republican and 'didn't want to vote opposite my husband.'"

When Comfort's story appeared in the newspaper, she lived at Panther near the old Lathor Coal Co. tipple. Prior to that she was among the early homesteaders of Christian Ridge on the Wilmore side.

During our phone conversation, Ethel revealed that all the family knew Comfort as "Granny." Stories of the bristly mountain woman's colorful lifestyle had persisted since her death nearly 50 years ago.

Subsequently, Ethel invited me to her home to hear more. Cathy Patton, also a history buff, graciously accompanied me.

Present that afternoon were Ethel's cousins, Pearl Moore of Matewan; Lucy Bailey, 74, of Hanover; her daughters, Deloise Morgan of Garden Gap and Janet Toler of Hanover.

The latter two had scant knowledge of their family tree, and were eager to hear the tales unfold.

After introduction, conversation began in earnest.

"Granny was tiny but tough," said Lucy. "She had to be to raise a bunch of kids (12 of her own, and four grandchildren). She couldn't have been more than four and a half feet tall, but she was full of spunk.

"Yeah," chimed in Ethel, "if you did something she didn't like, she took that cane you see in the picture and whacked you across the hand or on top of the head. Once when I climbed the fence to pick her gooseberries she took the cane to me. I never bothered the berries again," she added ruefully.

"Hey do you recall how she would shake the grate in the stove and grab a live coal out of the bottom to light her pipe" queried Ethel.

"Sure," answered her cousins. "Not only that, she would put the glowing ember back and never get burned."

Ethel continued, "In the winter, Granny used to take flat irons,heat them the stove, and wrap them in wool to keep her feet warm at night. She always had a remedy for everything. Like when she wanted us kids to go home if we overstayed our welcome. She would tell us all kinds of scary things. Then we'd race for home, our feet barely touching the ground."

"I loved how Granny used to spin the yarn about the near in the tree," reminisced Pearl. "One day she'd been out gathering chestnuts, her apron almost full. She was lost in thought, when all of a sudden she noticed the limbs in top of the tree just above her were shaking real hard. Granny said 'I looked up in that tree and there was the biggest bear I ever did see. I had woke him up. I was so scared, I forgot all about the chestnuts. I dropped everyone of 'em and got out of there quick as I could."

"Granny wasn't scared of anything," Ethel emphasized. "She had a rough life, caring for such a large family, and under trying conditions. I've heard her talk about how she even crawled into a panther's cave to collect fur the animal had shed.

"Old folks learned the habits of panthers, so they knew when the dens were empty. Granny would sneak in, grab the fur and scoot out. She wove the fur on a loom to make socks and other things. She also pieced a lot of quilts and raised all of her food."

According to her descendants, Granny was as rugged as the land that sustained her. She endured bitter sorrow: tragically widowed while pregnant with twins; their subsequent still births; a son murdered while lodged in jail; another lost in a coal mining accident; her family's involvement in a clash similar to that of the Hatfield-McCoy feud.

On two separate occasions Comfort suffered personal injury when struck by a shifter (slow moving coal engine). She had been picking up coal along the tracks where she lived. After her injuries healed, the feisty woman was forced to slow down, relying on a cane for mobility.

Ethel laughed, "I used to watch fascinated when Granny marched out into her garden slinging weeds with a hoe in one hand and a cane in the other. She never let anything defeat her."


Died:
Have been unable to locate her death certificate in West Virginia Vital Records on line doing a search for all counties 1935 to 1945. Undocumented sources across the web put her death as 1941 in Ben Creek, Mingo Co. WV. At this point we know it was after 21 Jun 1940 when the census was taken, most likely in WV. But she could have died in KY in the household of one of her children.

Notes:

Married:
"Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979"; LDS Web Site.
Nathaniel R. Christian; age 23; married Comfort Daniels; age 20 on 25 Jul 1857 in Pike Co, KY.

Other Events:

• _UID: 6027A1C5F72B4665B0C14A02C7FD6AE98E2B

Notes:

Record of divorce in 14 May 1851 between Mastin Christian and Jane Christian. In 1850 census he was living with Maria, age 40. Sally Christian, age 20 was living in the home as well in 1850.

McDowell County in West Virginia and American History by Jean Battlo, page 478. "In 1880s Mastin Christian taught the Sandlick School in Adkins (later named Gary), a log house at the mouth of Sandlick Creek, near the old company store."

CENSUS RECORDS

1830 United States Federal Census
Name: Masters Christian [Mastin Christian]
Home in 1830 (City, County, State): Tazewell, Virginia
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 2
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 4
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 4

1840 United States Federal Census
Name: Martin Christian [Mastin Christian]
Home in 1840 (City, County, State): Tazewell, Virginia
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: 1
Persons Employed in Agriculture: 2
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 5
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 7
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 7

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Mastin Christian
Age: 50
Birth Year: abt 1800
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1850: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
Gender: Male
Family Number: 770
Household Members:
Mastin Christian 50
Maria Christian 40
Daniel Christian 26
Hiram Christian 15
Thos Christian 13
Moses Christian 7
Withers Christian 5
Weston Christian 2
Noah Burchfield 24 [son-in-law]
Nancy Burchfield 18 [daughter]
Sally Christian 20 [daughter-in-law, Sarah Mounts, new wife of Daniel as of August 20. The census is dated August 25. Apparently the newlyweds had not yet found their own place.]

Land Grants
Maston Christian - 30 Sept 1842
Tazewell County
50 a. On the head of Jonathan's branch waters of the Dry fork of Sandy River
Grants No. 93, p. 342

Maston Christian - 30 Sept 1842
Tazewell County
23 a. On the Long fork of Harmans branch waters of the Dry fork of Sandy River
Grants No. 93, p. 343

Maston Christian - 30 Sept 1842
Tazewell County
36 a. On the Dry fork of Sandy River and not far from mouth of said river
Grants No. 93, p. 414

Maston Christian - 31 Jan 1844
Tazewell County
60 a. At the mouth of Harmans branch waters of the Tug fork of Sandy River
Grants No. 95, p. 111



Birth:
Indian Creek on the Clinch River in what is now Tazewell Co., VA

Mastin married Margaret Maria (Peggy) Robinette 31 Aug 1831, Tazewell Co. VA. Margaret was born 1809, Wythe Co. VA; died Aft 1880, Tazewell Co. VA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Maria Christian
Age: 40
Birth Year: abt 1810
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1850: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
Gender: Female [in household of her husband Mathias Harman Christian]
Family Number: 770

1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Margaret Christian
Age in 1860: 48
Birth Year: abt 1812
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1860: District 13, McDowell, Virginia
Gender: Female
Post Office: Peeryville
Household Members:
Margaret Christian 48
Nathan Christian 13
Mastin Christian 10
Louisa Christian 8
Moses Christian 18
Isaac D Simpson 21