One day, I
was watching a program on television, and there was a story about a little
town in Eastern Kentucky. I actually became homesick, because even though
I had never heard of the town, the scenes reminded me so much of the time
that I had spent in West Virginia. Even though I have never lived in West
Virginia, I feel as if I had, because many years ago, I spent many
holidays and summer vacation time visiting with a family there, namely the
Eamon White Family. He was my father-in-law. When I married his son, he
told my mother that he could never take the place of my father, who had
died, but that he would be there for me. And he was. In my presence, he
never visibly showed any difference between me and his own children. And I
believe that was also true when I was not around. He was a happy person,
always glad to see us arrive with our car loaded down, for a long stay, as
it took about 10 hours to make the trip. He would always greet me with a
hug, sometimes standing on a stool so that he could be taller than me.
This was the kind of person he was, always in a good mood, always wanting
to make people feel at home. And he and his wife, Mae, made everyone feel
at home. It was never quiet in that house. If anyone wanted to watch
television or read a book, they better think again. Someone was always
dropping by, many times to share a meal, and the house was always noisy
with happy people, proud to see one another. Sometimes, in a quiet moment,
he would sit on the steps, and I would sit in a rocking chair on the front
porch, and we would solve all the problems of the world. I enjoyed those
conversations, such as those I never had with my own father, who died
before he and I had a chance to be friends. Eamon's son and I divorced,
and I made one trip after the divorce to visit with him in the hospital.
Even in his sickness, he was still concerned about me and asked about my
mother. He died the next month. During the years since his death, I have
made one only more trip to West Virginia, and while I was there I visited
his grave.
From THE LOGAN
BANNER
"Neighbors" written by Dwight Williamson:
"Eamon White is one of those quiet people who goes through life rather
obscurely with most people never knowing the real story which is now
behind him. White has been a resident of Logan for 37 years and has lived
in the city for nearly 64 years. About the only time he has ever been away
from Logan was during the World War when he spent hearly five years in the
Army. He was involved in eight campaigns in Europe, including Algeria,
French Moroco, Tunesia, Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, Rheinland and
Ardennes. It was during one of those battle that he received the Bronze
Star. A newspaper clipping listed the following reasons for his medal
honors: 'Ability, valor, cool-headedness, initiative and a sense of duty
are some of the personality traits which brought honor and glory to Eamon
E. White when he was awarded the Bronze Star of the U. S. Army in the
European theater in a citation dated Feb. 17th. White was honored for
personally saving a valuable ammunition truck while his unit was under an
enemy counter-attack for a 48-hour period. The truck had been abandoned,
but White risked his life to retrieve the vehicle while under enemy fire.
'We had to call in some British spitfire planes to help us out,' White
recalled. 'Our planes were located too far away to get to us in time.'
White, who had to lie to get into the service, said the reason he joined
was simply because 'there was nothing else to do around here.' He said
there was no work, and he really never had much of a life. When he was
only four-years-old, his mother died. At age seven, his father left him a
brother and a sister for 17 years. He and his brother and sister made it
the best they could, but wound up separated for several years. His
brother, did not actually know Eamon until he was about 10-years-old. His
sister of Chapmansville, spent much of her childhood in Ohio. Eamon said
he had to fend for himself for most of his life, and wound up quitting the
sixth grade simply because he couldn't afford it. He said he lived with
Rose Browning in Logan during some of his childhood. Mrs. Browning was a
daughter of the legendary Devil Anse Hatfield. 'I was more like a helping
hand than anything else,' White said, recalling that Mrs. Browning hardly
ever spoke of her feuding father. So when he got old enough, he lied to
the Army when he said he had finished the seventh grade, a requirement for
enlistment during that time. After leaving the Army, Eamon spent
considerable time in a hospital suffering from battle fatigue. But he came
to Logan and about one year later, he married Mae and they have made their
home there ever since. The article went on to state that the Whites were
very happy. He continued to live in the same location until his death.
Obituary
From the Logan
Banner: Eamon E. White, Sr., Logan, died Friday. He was a son of the late
Edmond S. and Birdie White. He was a veteran, having served in World War
II. Survivors include his wife, Mae; two daughters, two sons, one sister,
one brother, and seven grandchildren. Services will be conducted at 2 p.m.
tomorrow at Evans Funeral Home in Chapmanville. Burial will follow in
Forest Lawn Cemetary at Pecks Mill.
Eamon's Ancestors
The first
known White ancestor was John White Sr. His son was John (Jack) White Jr.
Jack's son Maston White b. 1814 married Susan/Susannah Neese b. abt. 1830.
She was his second wife. They had a son Henry White b. Oct. 1860. Henry
married Alice Cynthia Neese who was born November 7, 1860 and died January
30, 1921 in Logan County, West Virginia. They had a son named Edmond Simon
White born January 17, 1892. He married Birdie Mabel Johnson. Birdie was
born March 8, 1887. (I have not proven any of the early lineage through
primary resources. Some of my information came from a family Bible, some
from WFT, and some from Janet Hager and David Turner research.)