CLICK HERE TO SEE FERRELL FAMILY TREE
Ferrell Family Tree Background
Updated as of 7/7/11
A Work-in-Progress & Prepared for the Heirs of Warren Mckenzie Ferrell
By Valerie T. Ferrell Campbell
Source records include LDS Family Search, 1870 & 1880 Census, Rootsweb – Kentucky and Tennessee, Montgomery County, Kansas records and family documents, letters and memories.
The surname Ferrell is variant of Farrell which is the Irish, reduced, Anglecized form of the Gaelic:
O’Fearghail which means descendent of Fearghail which is a personal name composed of fear and gal
and these Gaelic words mean man and valor respectively or “man of valor”.
Throughout my research I have found that our family members/ancestors loved and cared for each other. It is evident in the many letters they wrote and stories I have been told, the time they spent with each other and in the naming of their children. They formed strong bonds whether they were half or step brothers and sisters or in-laws; they were all family. Their spare time was spent visiting with family and friends.
The numeral next to each person’s name listed in this Ferrell Family Background corresponds to the number
on the Ferrell Family Tree diagram.
New Findings and Potential Ancestors
Research on Ancestry .com and RootsWeb have revealed the following information however, it is only a
possibility that these people are our ancestors as there has been no direct link to Riddon G. Ferrell
(our great great grandfather. ) Additionally, information conflicts with other data that was found in prior
years. However, family names are definitely present that cause me to consider them likely ancestors.
Entries I found say that a Roger Ferrell born about 1782 in England came to North Carolina and then moved
to Claiborne County, Tennessee in 1802. Parts of Claiborne County became Campbell County in 1806. His
father is said to be Joseph Ferrell.
Roger married Rachel Marcey who was born in Ireland. I have found that they had for children in the early
1800’s. They are:
* Sarah (Sally Ann) Ferrell born 12/15/1801 in Claiborne County, Tenn. She died 4/24/1877. She and her
husband William Isaac Sharp married in 1818 and they had 11 children.
- Joseph Ferrell born between 1800 and 1815 had 2 chidren John and Roger. Could these be the twin boys that died as infants? The information also says that he moved to Pulaski County, Kentucky.
- Ruth Ferrell born in 1808 in Claiborne County and died about 1860. She married William Owens.
- Darcus Ferrell no birth dates but died in 1851. She married Rice Schooler and they had 3 children –
Elizabeth, Trula Ann and Sally Emily born 3/29/1847 in Claiborne County.
NOTE: Riddon is not listed but then he was born in 1815 a number of years later than the other children.
Riddon did have a brother named Joseph who lived in Pulaski Count, Kentucky and several of
Riddon’s children are named for the potential family members listed above.
The Kentucky Connection
- Riddon G. Ferrell
Depending on the various translations from paper documents to computer file, our great great grandfather was Riddon G. (R.G. or Ridden and sometimes Boden and even Rodney) Ferrell (sometimes Ferrill). He was born in 1815 in either Claiborne or Campbell County, Tennessee. New information says he died in 1882 at age 67 in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. Rockcastle County is adjacent and northeast of Pulaski County. His 4th marriage record shows that his father was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky and that his mother was born in Claiborne County, Tennessee. An 1880 census record says he was born in Virginia.
Note: Campbell County is located in east Tennessee on the Kentucky-Tennessee border and was formed in 1806 from parts of Anderson and Claiborne Counties.
Riddon had four wives. His 1st wife was Nancy Willis (born in 1820) whom he married in 1839 in Tennessee. He was 24 at the time. They had several children. The 1850 Pulaski County Census lists R. G. “Ferrel”, age 35, as a Constable making $500 (presumably a year.) His age ties with his 1815 birth date. He has a wife, Nancy (Willis), age 30 and this age ties with her birth year of 1820. According to the census, they have 5 children: William age 10, Sarah age 8, Susan age 6, Emily age 4 (this age does not tie to the death record we have for Emely unless her age should have been recorded as 6 rather than 3 at the time of her death.) They also had a child named Mary age 6 months. The Kentucky online records show the death of Emely Ferrell as 12/1/1852 and that she was 3 years old and died of “fits” in Pulaski County (PC), Kentucky (Ky). Emely would have been born in 1849 if she were 3 years old. Due to the difference between the records her exact year and date of birth are not known.
Nancy Willis Ferrell died a month before her daughter, Emely in 11/1852 at the age of 32 in Tennessee.
Only her father H. Willis is listed with the death record. The records do not let us know why she was not with Riddon in Kentucky or he with her at the time of her death. She may have been in the care of her parents while Riddon farmed and worked and cared for the children.
2. Nancy F. George
Riddon's 2nd wife and our great great grandmother was Nancy F. George. Per a record found on the LDS Family Search website She was born in Garrard County, Ky in 1832 (exact date of birth and death not found yet but she died before 1864.) Several records say she was born in Tennessee and also in Pulaski County, Ky. Her father was James George born in 1790 in Virginia and he died about 1857 in Pulaski County, Ky. He married Nancy Rutherford on July 29, 1811 in Garrard County, Ky. Nancy Rutherford was born in 1794 in Virginia. We do not know when she died.
Nancy and Riddon married 2/2/1853. Riddon would have been 38 and Nancy would have been 20. Riddon and Nancy George Ferrell had 3 children John Paul (our great grandfather), James P. and Joseph Perrie born at Clifty Creek, PC, Ky. John Paul was born 6/4/1854. James was born 4/11/1856 Joseph was born 1/30/1859 but he died four months later on 5/29/1859 in PC, Ky. of “croup.” Note: it was less than 3 months after Riddon’s first wife Nancy Willis died that he married Nancy George. It appears that he needed someone young and strong to raise his children and did not wish to have a long period of mourning.
An 1860, Pulaski County Census listed Ridden G. Ferrell age 41 as a farmer making about $1800 a year. He would have been 45 years old. His wife is listed as Nancy G. age 27 and this age ties with her birth year of 1832. Their children are listed as William age 17, Sarah A. age 14, Susan age 13, Mary age 11, John T. age 6 (should be John P. and this age ties to his birth year of 1854) and James K. age 4 (should be James P. and this age ties to his birth year.)
Riddon’s oldest son William was born in Tennessee in 1843. His marriage record states that he is William M. Ferrell and he married Mary George on 12/10/1863. He is listed as 21 years old and Mary is listed as 22 years old (born 9/1841 in Pulaski County, Ky.) She was residing with Elizabeth George at the time of her marriage. She may be Nancy and Elizabeth’s sister. Mary George’s parents are listed as James and Nancy George.
I believe that Riddon’s 3rd marriage was to Margaret (Peggy) Nichols (one record said her last name was Clonch.) Records show an R.G. Ferrell marrying Margaret on 2/5/1864 in Rockcastle, Kentucky. Margaret was born in 1815 and died about 1881.
I found another entry of a 4th marriage for an R. G. Ferrell on 8/10/1882. This R. G. Ferrell married Anna Bedow (also Beadow and Beddow). Riddon G. Ferrell would have been 67 years old by then if this is in fact him. Anna Crow Bedow was born 8/14/1833, the daughter of John Crow and Peggy Starnes. Per the 1880 census taken in PC, Ky she is a widow and is 44 years old. At the time of her marriage to R. G. Ferrell in 1882 she is said to be 47 years old. The marriage record shows this to be his 4th marriage and her 2nd. The record also shows that his father was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky and his mother was born in Claiborne County, Tenn. They were married at the home of Moses Crow (probably Anna’s brother) Anna died 4/19/1921 and is buried at Pinehill Cemetery in Pulaski County, Kentucky.
Census records for Kentucky and Tennessee still need to be reviewed to determine more Ferrell family history. Some Tennessee census records for the time period in the early 1800’s have been destroyed.
Pulaski County, Ky. was formed in 1799 from Green and Lincoln counties and is located in the southeast portion of the state not far from the Kentucky-Tennessee border and Campbell/Claiborne County, Tennessee.
Riddon had a brother named Joseph Ferrell (Ferrill) who was born in the early 1800’s and died about 1861. He married Elizabeth George (born 1829 and died in 1861) on 9/17/1850. She was from Garrad, Kentucky They had at least one child – a girl named Nancy Jane (Nanz). Ferrell (Ferrill) born 4/29/1854. Nancy married James Williams 1/3/1871. Another record indicated that Joseph and Elizabeth had twin boys that died at or very close to birth on 9/22/1852. As stated above, Elizabeth may be Nancy George’s sister but this still needs to be confirmed.
Descendants Of Capt. Wm. Levi Bobbitt b.1744 d. 1817
Capt. Levi fought indians in a county militia and fought in
Revolutionary War. He was Justice of Peace many years.
1. Capt. Wm.Levi Bobbitt
+ Nancy Ann McKenzie b.1753 d. 1807
2. James Levi Bobbitt b.1772 Montgomery, VA d.1853 Pulaski Co. KY
+ Rebecca Day married 1796 in VA
3. Susanna Bobbitt b. 1800 in Montgomery VA d. 1880 Pulaski Co. Ky
+ John Mc Kenzie b. 1795 in Pulaski Co. KY d. 1852
4. James McKenzie b.1820 in Pulaski Co. KY d.1870 in Flat Lick, Pulaski Co.
KY
2nd wife of the above James McKenzie is Sarah Ann Sutton b. 1824 Pulaski Co. KY d. 1858 in Pulaski Co. KY
5. Susannah A. McKenzie (daughter of John and Sarah Ann) b.1852 in Ky d. In Montgomery Co KS 1898 (she is Grandpa's mother)
John Paul Ferrell b.1854 married the above Susannah A. McKenzie , our great Grandmother.
Let me know if you have more questions. Karen (Freeman) Waylan (daughter of Elizabeth (Ferrell) Freeman)
Wayne-
I was looking at your web site and I do know more than you have written down. Go to the "Bobbitt Family History". That site will give you lots of info on John A. McKenzie and family. It is where I learned of Capt. Wm Levi Bobbitt who is our 5xgreat grandfather. Going down from that line is: James Levi Bobbitt b. 1772, then John McKenzie b. 1795, then James A. McKenzie b. 1820, then John Paul Ferrell b.1854.
Hope this helps you find more. I would join Ancestory.com if I knew how to use it. So for when I have gone there, they want me to fill in all the blanks instead of giving me information!
Keep in touch,
Karen (Freeman) Waylan
The information I sent you was given to Kay and me by a friend of Kay's who is a pro at doing ancestry. She just did it as a favor and there is no web site. She tried very hard to find out what happened to John Paul Ferrell but had no luck. The only thing we can find is that he was born to R.G. Ferrell and Nancy George in Pulaski KY. in 1854., and married Susan (Susannah A.) McKenzie. in 1876. R.G. Ferrel (and we are not sure those are the correct letters for his name) was very hard to trace because he seemed to use different names, and looks like he married several times. When he was with Nancy George, it appears his name was Boden, or possibly Roden. The lady doing the research said he must have been good looking and quite a ladies man. All the mystery may be because people back then could not spell or write very well. Valery found him as Ridden G.( Boden) Ferrill (yes, with an i) born in Campbell TN in 1838. Tracing the Ferrells beyond Boden has been so impossible that sadly, I have given up trying to discover what happened to John Paul or where the Ferrels came from. I am quite impressed with the McKenzie/ Bobbitt line and their story. Go online and google "Bobbitt Family History. You will find it very interesting. They are great ancestors to have!
Karen (Freeman) Waylan
Susanna Bobbitt married John McKenzie in 1818. She was 18 then. John was 5 years older than her. James McKenzie was their son. He was born in 1820. He is the one who married Sarah Ann Sutton. Records do show that James' first wife died in 1918 but we are of course not related to her. But we are blood related to all of the McKenzies and all the Bobbitts mentioned above.
Captain Wm. Levi Bobbitt is our 5X great Grandfather.
Karen (Freeman) Waylan
Dear Familia,
Also, on my mom's side of the family, we are related to the famous William Penn through my grandmother's family, Garrett. See our web page of Garret family. Phyllis Garrett, (daughter of David Garrett, one of Elsie's older brothers). Phyllis, please see our updates of your high school pictures, among other pictures.
We are said to also be related to JP Morgan through my Mom, Margaret Elaine Manning/Ferrell's mom, Elsie Jenelia Garrett/Manning's mother Sarah Hightower, who were also said to be present during the burning of Atlanta, fleeing to Texas, according to mom's mom, Elsie. As I grew up, she lived nearby. She died in 1974 of pancreatic cancer. I knew Grandma very well. She gave me my first car when I was 15, in 1972, which was her 1962 Studebaker Lark, 2 door, 6 cylinder.
Please note that mom, (Margaret Elaine Manning), was born in Dallas Texas. Her father, Phillip Kirkman Manning, born near the shore in Maryland, was 51, when Elsie was 19. He pursued her for a couple of years. Her parents even moved out of state to Colorado to avoid this older man. But, he would not be denied married her. Mom was born on 8/6/22 and was named Phyllis Katherine (Kate) Manning at first, then when her youngest sister, Phyllis Kirkman Manning was born, her mom changed her name to Margaret Elaine Manning. I have mom's original birth certificate, confirming this. I even re-asked mom today, why, and she has no idea why. When mom was a baby, her father was a coach builder, bicycle and car builder. and he sold cars. Because he hired black people, in Dallas, the KKK harassed him, trying to get him to move away. At some point, the KKK, went so far as to attempt a kidnapping of my mom, which failed. Elsie then bought a gun for protection, which I have. They then moved to Philadelphia, just before the Great Depression.
3. John Paul Ferrell
John Paul, our great grandfather, was born 6/4/1854 in PC, Ky. The 1880 census states that he is 26 and is from PC, the “Woodstock Division” and he is a farmer. He must have died after the 1880 census taking but before 9/1882 when his wife, Susan remarried. We do not know for sure that he died in PC, Ky but we assume so. They lived close to the town of Somerset, which is the county seat.
John Paul married Susan A. (Susannah) McKenzie, our great grandmother, on 2/3/1876. John Paul was 21 and Susan would have been 23 just 4 months shy of her 24th birthday. They were married in the home of John Watson. In the 1870 census, Susan would have been 18 and was living in the home of “James” Watson and his wife Eleander. Susan’s mother died young which could explain why she wasn’t living at home. Eleander was Susan’s older sister.
John Paul and Susan had 2 children. The oldest child was Sarah E. Ferrell born 12/31/1876 in PC, Ky. Next came our grandfather, William Harrison Ferrell, born 10/15/1878 also in PC, Ky. There has been mention of a third child that died very young but this has not been confirmed. In 7/11 I found a record for a Nancy E. Ferrell born in 1881 to John Paul and Susan. She died in Pulaski County, Kentucky.
4. James P. Ferrell
Born 4/11/1856 and he died in 1936 and is buried in Eden Cemetery in PC, Ky. The 1880 census shows “James P.” as part of John Paul’s household. He is listed as single and his profession is farming. He married Mary Ann “Polly” Estes on 12/1/1884 in Somerset, PC, Ky. James would have been 28 and Mary Ann would have been 18. Mary Ann was born 1/1/1866 in Crab Orchard, Rockcastle, Kentucky and died
in PC, Ky in 1952. We now know they had 4 children. Alva Victor Ferrell was actually born in Montgomery County, Kansas on 4/14/1886. At some point, they must have moved to Kansas and then
returned to Kentucky. Alva died 12/6/1981 in Clayton, Indiana. Like his parents, he is also buried at Eden Cemetery in PC, Ky. There is also Albert born about 1890, Ilsa born about 1894 and Una born about 1895. They are all buried at Eden Cemetery but their death dates were not entered in the LDS Family Search database.
The Pulaski County Historical Society volunteers performed some research for me but were unable to determine the dates of death and burial location for Riddon G. Ferrell and John P. Ferrell. I asked them to specifically check the Eden Cemetery records since James P. Ferrell is buried there. I will continue to search for this information.
West to Kansas
In 1869 Independence was in the part of Kansas that was technically the Diminished Reserve of the Osage Indians. The settlers started crossing over into the area as “squatters” because they knew the land was about to be opened up for settlement. The Verdigris River was the dividing line --- settlement had taken place on the east side of the river but settlement was not allowed on the west side of the river which included what is today Independence, Kansas. However, knowing that the government was about to open up the land for settlement and push the Osage into Oklahoma, the first few settlers spent the winter of 1869 in makeshift houses made from prairie grasses. Because of this, it was even nicknamed “Haytown”. This information was provided by Robert (Bob) Pittman who grew up in Independence. His father and grandfather were family friends of William Harrison Ferrell and Mack Ferrell.
Part of the Gastineau family settled in Kansas in 1869 and more followed in the early 1880’s.
5 William Anderson Gastineau
William Anderson Gastineau was born 8/25/1842 in PC, Ky. Wm. A. Gastineau died at the age of 70 on 1/13/1913 in Montgomery County, Ks. He is buried with both of his wives at Quaker Cemetery. (See Exhibit1A, page1 for his obituary.) He was one of the first settlers of the White Post district.
William’s parents were Isaac Gastineau (B: 5/6/1818, D: 2/12/1880, age 61) and Mary (Polly) Todd Gastineau (B: 3/10/1820, D: 11/27/1904, age 84.) They married 1/20/1838 in PC, Ky. and came to Kansas in 1869 with the “Indiana Colony”. They are buried next to William A.Gastineau and his wives at Quaker Cemetery. We obtained their birth and death dates from the tombstones. Isaac and Polly had thirteen children and several lived in Kansas. The Gastineaus built the third house erected in Independence on Laurel and Fifth Streets. They later moved to a farm 4 miles west of Independence.
Wm. A. Gastineau’s first wife Mary Ann Garner was born 2/5/1846 and she died 3/5/1881 at the age of 35 in Montgomery County, Kansas. Mary’s father was Vincent Garner who died 7/27/1898 in Montgomery County, Ks. Vincent Garner is buried at Quaker Cemetery. We traced his birth and death dates from the tombstone as follows: B: 1/16/1819, D: 8/28/1893 so there is some variance among the death records.
Note: Quaker Cemetery is 7 miles west of Independence and is located in an area that was originally known as the “Rutland” Township.
Mary Ann’s mother was Nancy H. McKenzie. Nancy H. was James A. McKenzie’s and Joseph D. McKenzie’s sister. Their parents were John McKenzie and Susannah Bobbit. James A. McKenzie is Susan A. McKenzie’s father. So Mary Ann Garner and Susan A. McKenzie were first cousins. This background information tells us that Mary Ann and William A. Gastineau knew John Paul and Susan Ferrell well. They lived close to them in Kentucky until they later moved out to Kansas. The 1880 census shows a William Gastineau age 28 (he would have been 38) living in District 92, Woodstock, Pulaski County, Ky. They must have left Kentucky just after the census was taken as Mary died 3/1881 in Kansas.
Wm. A. Gastineau and Mary A. Garner were married 8/7/1862 in PC, Ky. She was 16 and he was 20.
They had five children:
G-A. Isaac Vinson Gastineau, was their first child born in July 1863 or 1864 (per two different entries in the LDS Family Search site) in PC, Ky. From the marriage certificate it appears he was born in 1864 and he died 1/30/1943 at age 79. He was our grandfather’s (William Harrison Ferrell) stepbrother and would have been about 14 years older than William. He married Charlene Branson (B: 7/23/1868 near Muncie, Indiana, D: 10/5/1962.) on July 15th 1890. He was 26 and she was 21 per the marriage certificate. Her half brothers and sister were Swearingens. William Harrison Ferrell’s children called her Aunt Toll. They farmed and lived near Sedan in Chautauqua County, Kansas. They are both buried in Sedan, Kansas at Greenwood Cemetery. They did not have any children. See exhibit 1A, page 2 for Isaac’s obit. and a news article about Aunt Toll. Their wedding and anniversary pictures are included in Volume 2 of the Ferrell Family Tree.
G-B. Elizabeth Susan Gastineau was born 10/10/1865 and she died about 1 ½ months later on 11/26/1865. She is buried at Flatlick Cemetery, Somerset, PC, Ky.
G-C. James Thomas Gastineau was born 2/1867 but died five months later 7/1867 and is also buried at Flatlick Cemetery. He was named after one of Wm. Anderson Gastineau’s brother.
G-D. Alfred D. Gastineau was their fourth child. He was born 8/27/1874 in Somerset, PC, Ky. Alfred is four years older than our Grandfather. Alfred was also our Grandpa’s stepbrother. Grandpa’s children knew him as Uncle Alfred and William (Bill) Alfred Ferrell (hereafter referred to as Bill Ferrell) is named for him. Alfred Gastineau had a farm in the White Post Community. Alfred married Roselee Parks 5/22/1915. She was 20 and Alfred was 40. Roselee died in 1918 during the flu epidemic. Uncle Alfred frequently visited his family at the west Maple Road farm and would stay over a few nights. When Uncle Alfred became ill, Aunt Mary (G-E.) took care of him at her home on 219 North Fifth Street. He died from complications due to the flu on 1/23/1936 at her home and he is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery. He was 61 years old. See Exhibit 1A, page 3 for his obituary.
G-E. Their fifth child was Mary Ann Gastineau born in 1879 in PC, Ky. Mary is Grandpa’s stepsister.
Mary Ann Gastineau married Thomas S. Edwards on 12/12/1901. He was known as Uncle Tom to all of William Harrison Ferrell’s children. Mary was a homemaker. They had 2 daughters, May and Edith. Edith died in her late twenties and May married a man by the name of Hi Heiser. Tom Edwards got hurt at work and couldn’t work anymore due to the injuries to his left shoulder. So, Mary ran a boarding house for gentlemen out of their home and fed the boarders as well. One of the boarding houses was on Pennsylvania Avenue. But, the Edwards moved several times. In the mid 1930’s they lived at 219 North Fifth Street close to downtown Independence. Uncle Tom could help out at the house. They would have Pinochle card games and William Harrison Ferrell’s family would go visit them and play cards. Mary and Tom are buried at Mt. Hope. We do not know their exact birth and death dates as yet. Per the marriage certificate, in 1901 Thomas was 33 so he would have been born in 1868.
5. Susan A. McKenzie Ferrell (See relation to Bobbitt Family)
Susan A. McKenzie’s father was James A. Mckenzie and her mother was Sarah (Sally Ann) Sutton. Sarah died at age 34. Susan was born 6/15/1852 in PC, Ky. She died in Montgomery County, Ks on 11/25/1898 at the age of 46 due to pneumonia and is buried at Quaker Cemetery outside of Independence. Susan is buried with her second husband, William Anderson Gastineau. His first wife Mary Ann Garner is also buried there. Mary Ann Garner was Susan’s cousin. See Exhibit 1A, page 1 for a brief obituary.
Between the 1880 Census and 9/1882 we assume John Paul Ferrell died. He would have been 25-28 years old. Susan A. McKenzie Ferrell and her two children then traveled to Kansas. On 9/13/1882 she married William Anderson Gastineau in Independence, Kansas. He was 40 and she was 30 at the time of their marriage. They continued to live in the White Post settlement.
William Anderson Gastineau brought three children to the marriage Alfred - 8yrs old, Mary - 3 yrs old and Isaac about 18 years old. Susan brought two children to the marriage with Sarah E. almost 6 yrs old and William Harrison age 4. Together William and Susan had 4 daughters. They were all half sisters to Sarah and our grandfather. The four “Gastineau” daughters were all born in Independence. They are:
G1. Blanche Gastineau – born 8/16/1884 and died 6/17/1973 at age 88 and is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Independence (Mt. Hope.) She was a homemaker and a seamstress at Halsey’s Department store in Independence. She married Albert (Bert) Royce Russell (B: about 1887; buried 3/30/1939 at Mt. Hope.) on 10/4/1908. He was 21 and Blanche was 24. The Russell’s had two daughters – Dorothy and Louise and a son, Darrell Russell (refer to his obituary for more detail- see Exhibit 1B.) [Relative] remembered Darrell as a jolly person. He had two wives Leona and then Louise.
G2. Elizabeth Jane (Janey) Gastineau – born 11/20/1886 (named for her father’s sister who died that same year) and died 3/27/1974 in Olathe, Kansas at age 87. She is buried at the Caney Cemetery. Janey married Robert (Bob) Iverson Sells on 8/8/1905. They lived near Caney, Kansas and had a ranch – part in Kansas and part in Oklahoma. Janey was proud that her half-brother William Harrison (our Grandfather) married their minister’s daughter. Janey and Bob had 4 children: Gordon Sells born 10/17/1906; Alice Sells Webber born 10/17/1908 (a teacher and in school administration); Mabel Sells Click who also became a teacher; and Woodrow Wilson Sells who died at age 30 on 5/18/1943 in Kingman, Arizona from injuries received when he was hit by a train.
Alice Sells Weber, remembers that her mother, Janey, was hard working, cooked, canned, baked bread, kept a clean house, washed and ironed, helped her children with schoolwork, memorized and recited poems to her children, played the pump organ, grew vegetables in their garden and visited with family. Janey studied for her teacher’s exam at home and took the exam at the courthouse in Sedan. The family drove into town to see if she passed the exam. She came out of the courthouse smiling and carrying her teacher’s certificate. She taught in the El Cado district in Chautauqua County. She also taught her children Gordon and Alice.
Alice and her brother Gordon went to Caney High School. The also went to 58th District School with Helen Virginia Ferrell. Fannie Bates Heckert was their teacher! Alice later taught at Wayside School, Lehunt and Four Corners. Wayside is between Caney, Ks. and Independence. Alice married Dr. John Peter Weber and they moved to Boise, Idaho. They had 2 sons and one daughter, Elsie that only lived 5 days. Thomas (Tom) Lee Weber lives with her in Kearns, Utah (a suburb of Salt Lake City.) He is an attorney. John Peter (Pete) lives in ________ and has 8 or 9 children; he is a dentist. Alice was 95 years old on 11/20/2003.
G3. Lura Gastineau - born 2/8/1889 and died 5/5/1971. She is buried at Mt. Hope. Lura married Harry Ferrell (no relation; he is buried in the Olathe Cemetery) on 6/20/1916. She was 27 and he was 26. He worked for Union Gas in Independence. They did not have any children. Lura was also a teacher and taught at the Washington School. [Relative] remembers that she was pleasant and friendly and that she liked “Lays Potato Chips”. Valerie T. Ferrell Campbell remembers staying at her house on Sycamore Street when they went for Grandpa’s birthday and reunion. Bill and Kevin Ferrell helped Aunt Lura catch mice in the kitchen one night!
G4. Dolly May Gastineau – was born 11/20/1890 and died 6/16/1967 at age 74 of stomach cancer. Her tombstone at Mt. Hope reads 1891 to 1966. Dolly married Harvey (Ross) Russell, Albert’s brother on 9/25/1910. He was 21 and she was 18. Harvey died 5/1938 (at about age 49) and was interred at Mt. Hope on 5/17/1938. They had one daughter Pauline Russell (7/12/1911 to 4/7/1976) who married Roy F. Marx (12/31/1907 to 12/25/1950). Pauline and Roy had a son named Richard. They are buried at Mt. Hope. Alice Weber, Janey Gastineau’s daughter remembers that Dolly was hard working, agreeable and loving. They owned milking goats for a time and sold the milk in Independence. She was a dressmaker and owned the “Girls Shop” which she and Pauline operated for 11 years.
6. Sarah Elizabeth Ferrell
Sarah was born in 12/31/1876 in PC, Ky. She died of a stroke on 10/22/1954 at the age of 77 and is buried at Mt. Hope. She married William (Bill) H. Combs (B: 9/1/1871, D: 6/23/1961) on 12/27/1899. He was from Hazard (or possibly Harvard), Kentucky. His parents were John Wesley and Elizabeth Bagley Combs. John Taylor Bays, who is Oma V. Bays Ferrell’s father, married Sarah and Bill Combs in Independence on 12/27/1899. The witnesses at the wedding were Eliza Jane Bays and Oma V. Bays. See Exhibit 2 for their marriage certificate. William was a farmer and is remembered to be a good man. [Relative] remembered that she was shocked to see that he poured molasses all over his meat at dinnertime. They lived at 401 North 18th Street at the time of their deaths.
Sarah and Bill had 4 children (but no grandchildren): William Julius Combs born 10/13/1900. He died 4/2/1977. He married Audrey ________ . She died at age 95 in 1997. They are buried at Mt. Hope. They are remembered as very pleasant and kind people. They loved music. Julius worked at the Independence Daily Reporter and the Wichita Beacon. Audrey was a nurse.
Jessie Combs came next. She worked in Independence and then later moved to St. Louis to work for the Buss Fuse Company. She married John H. La Rowe later in life. Jessie is buried in St. Louis.
Vernon J. Combs was a chemist with Standard Oil in Aruba. He came back to Independence and ran a tavern for a while before moving to Seattle. He then returned to Independence again when he retired. Nellie ____________ was Vernon’s wife. Vernon died 6/1979 and was buried at Mt Hope on 6/29/1979. Nellie returned to Georgia to be with family after Vernon died.
Lawrence Combs worked in Wichita for Cessna and BeachCraft. He then moved to St. Louis to work for Douglas aircraft. He never married. He died in St. Louis and is buried there.
7. William (Buddy) Harrison Ferrell
Was born 10/15/1878 in PC, Ky. He died 6/26/1977 in Independence, Ks. and is buried at Mt. Hope. See Exhibit 3 for obituary. William H. (our grandfather) was a farmer and a county tax assessor. He was an Odd Fellow and a member of the National Grange for over 50 years. He married Oma V. Bays on 4/16/1902. See Exhibit 4 for their marriage certificate. Oma’s uncle, Pleasant Berry Bays married the couple and Sarah E. Ferrell Combs was one of the witnesses. William was 23 and Oma was almost 20. She was the daughter of the family’s minister, John Taylor Bays. Together they had three children. John Paul Ferrell was born 1/27/1906, Helen Virginia Ferrell born 11/10/1909 and an infant son (12/24/1903 to 12/29/1903) is buried at Quaker Cemetery.
Oma was diagnosed with tuberculosis and Grandpa moved the family to Colorado Springs, Colorado to help her recover (they were there 6/1913 per a postcard.) He later moved them to Albuquerque, N.M. in late March or early April of 1914 (again per a postcard.) William H. worked for the railroad while he was in New Mexico. We have several of the lanterns that he used for signaling. Oma was born 5/26/1882 most likely in Fleming County, Kentucky. She was the oldest of 7 children. Oma died of TB on 6/9/1914 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is buried at Mt. Hope. Oma was 32 years old.
8. Oma Virginia ( possibly Viola) Bays
See the Bays Family Background for more details about Oma and her family.
9. John Paul (Paul) Ferrell
Paul Ferrell the son of Oma V. and William H. Ferrell was born 1/27/1906 in Independence and was named for his grandfather. He died 3/16/1989 at age 83 and is buried at Mt. Hope. Paul married Nina Ila Bounds on 10/171933 and they had two sons – Jerry Lee Ferrell (adopted) and John Thomas (Tommy) Ferrell. Tommy lives in Independence, Missouri and married Marion Harra Redford 6/24/1972 in Independence, Mo. Nina had 2 brothers; one was named Oran. Nina was born 6/10/1911 and she died 8/13/1988 at age 77 and is buried at Mt. Hope. Paul worked for the William Brothers Pipeline in Independence for 37 years until he retired in 1964. They lived at 417 South 10th street in a white, two-story house. Robert Heckert, Paul’s stepbrother was born 10/15/1906. They both went to Independence Junior College in 1926 and played on the same basketball team per a 1926 addition of the “Ink and Quill”. Paul was a member if IJC’s first graduating class.
10. Helen Virginia Ferrell
The daughter of Oma V. and William H. Ferrell was born 11/10/1909 in Independence. She died 4/7/1997 at the age of 87. She is buried at Havana Cemetery. She married Guy Mantooth. They did not have any children. Guy was born 10/20/1908 and died 5/29/1983. He is also buried at the Havana Cemetery. Guy was a farmer. Aunt Helen was a teacher. She went to Independence Junior College and in the summers to Pittsburg Teachers College. Helen taught at Wayside School and Havana. We have her school register beginning in 1925 (She would have been 16?!) The name of the school is not provided in the register. Per the Montgomery County School directory and yearbooks we know she taught 5th and 6th grades at the Wayside School from at least 1948 to 1967 if not before. In 1969 she was at Havana/Tyro Elementary. Helen liked to have a garden each year. She enjoyed a good cherry coke! Helen and Mack were very close and we have several pictures of him as a young boy with Helen. She was 14 years older than Mack so I imagine Helen became his surrogate mother after Fannie died. Refer to Helen’s obituary in Exhibit 6.
11. Francis (Fannie) G. Bates (Also Refer to the Bates Family Tree)
Fannie (our grandmother) is the second wife of William H. Ferrell (our grandfather). Fannie was born 9/24/1881 in McCune, Kansas. She also had a husband and children before she married William H. Ferrell. Her parents were Curtis Henry Bates (B: 11/19/1839 in Pennsylvania D: 7/11/1907 at age 68 of “Bright’s Disease” – a degenerative kidney disease) and Emma A. Wright Bates (B: 1844 in Essex, NY D: 1/26/1925 at age 81). They moved from St. Cloud, Minnesota to the White Post Community where they farmed. They later moved to 800 North Tenth Street in Independence when they retired.
Emma’s father was Loyal C. Wright. Per the 1840 census he had 3 girls and 3 boys. One boy was employed in manufacturing and trade and two boys were employed in the navigation of canals, lakes and rivers. Emma often mentioned being reared by a brother on a canal boat. He worked on the Erie Canal. Emma had a brother S. (Simon or Silas) N. Wright of Sauk Rapids, Mn. He was in Real Estate and Insurance in the 1880’s to early 1900’s per several letters we have. Emma also had two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth also lived in Sauk Rapids per a letter we have.
Curtis and Emma had four children – Sopha, Frances (Fannie.), Roy and Mary E. Bates Shadley.
Sopha Bates was born 1871 in Dixon, Missouri and was also a schoolteacher in Independence. She taught at 88 School, the Baker School (See Exhibit 11) and also at Riley Elementary School and was still teaching 4th grade when she died. Donald Heckert remembers that Sopha taught third grade. They erected a plaque in her honor at the Riley school. We have a picture of her with one of her classes. We found a number of her textbooks at the farm. We also have a memory book from 1897 to 1900 which students and friends would sign when they were moving or when she was moving to another school. From this book we know she taught in Dearing and in Jefferson. John Heckert and Fannie Heckert signed this book. Sopha never married but I believe she had many children based on all the letters and postcards she received from her former students. She was a favorite aunt of all of William H.’s children.
Sopha would sometimes take all the kids to church. They went to Epiphany Church (Episcopal) in Independence (See picture in Volume 2.) We have a very aged bible from that church. It was found in Uncle Mack’s house but there are no names or dates on it. After Fannie died in 1926 at the age of 44, the Heckert boys sometimes lived with their Aunt Sopha and as well as out at the Ferrell farm. They all would have been in their early 20’s at the time of their mother’s death. Per Rosemarie Heckert McKinney all the Heckert and Ferrell boys lived at their Aunt Sopha’s home at one time or another. Uncle Mack went to the Riley school where Aunt Sopha taught.
During WWII, Lt. Commander Robert B. Heckert sent his Aunt Sopha letters and postcards from Britain. Sopha also received many letters from William A. Ferrell while he was stationed in England and letters from Henry and Marjorie Heckert. See Volume 4 for Family Letters. Sopha lived at 1114 N. 9th Street in Independence. The house is still there and we have 2 pictures of it (Refer to Volume 2.) Sopha died of a stroke on 1/4/1946 at the age of 74. About 6/1946, Bill and [Relative] bought her house for $5000. Charles W. and Elaine Ferrell came to stay with them for about a week after they first got married. [Relative] remembers that Sopha sent a package to her in England. She sent a blouse, a gold cross and some stockings. Unfortunately, [Relative] never met Sopha in person as Sopha died before [Relative] arrived in the United States.
Fannie Bates was a schoolteacher and she married John Brandon Heckert from Dearing, Kansas (about 10 miles from Independence) in 1900. She was 19 and he was 22. See Exhibit 7 for their marriage certificate. Per a WWI Civilian Draft Registration, John was born in Minidoka, Idaho on 9/16/1878. They lived in a home at 1119 North Pennsylvania Avenue not far from Sopha’s house on 1114 North 9th street and the Mt. Hope Cemetery. The house on Pennsylvania is still there today but our Grandfather sold the property on 8/27/1949. Fannie and John had three boys – Thornton John Heckert born 8/20/1901, Henry C. Heckert born 7/3/1903 and Robert B. Heckert born 10/5/1906. Per Rosemarie Heckert McKinney, John Brandon Heckert abandoned Fannie in 1906 or 1907 and moved to Boise City, Idaho. John was not a good husband. He claimed that Robert was not his son. But, nobody doubted that Robert was indeed his son. Pictures of Robert clearly reflect that he looked like his father. Fannie filed for divorce in 1915. Refer to Exhibit 8. We have copies of Fannie and John’s wedding portrait (See Volume 2). They are both very good-looking people.
John had very little contactwith his family after he left. It is believed that he remarried and died in about the 1950’s. Family Search has revealed that John B. Heckert of Boise Idaho married Nellie Travis of Ogden, Utah on 4/7/1921 at Canyon, Idaho. A 1930 census record reveals a John B Heckert living in Boise (Ada County) who was born in Kansas about 1880. Another reference indicated a John Heckert who died in California in 1961 but there are no details to help confirm it is him. John’s sister Elmira sought clear title to their mother’s property in 1969 since John B. had a partial claim to it. This allowed her and eventually her estate sole ownership. See exhibit 9.
Fannies sons by John Brandon Heckert:
H1. Thornton John Heckert born 8/20/1901 married Erma H. Clubine. She died 10/31/1979. They had a son Donald L. Heckert and a daughter Elizabeth Ann Garrison (now deceased; she died of cancer) of Pittsburg, Kansas. She was named after Elizabeth Ann Ferrell Freeman. Donald and Wilma Heckert currently (as of 1/2005) live in a retirement center at 9722 West 81st Terrace, Overland Park, Kansas 66204-1169. Telephone 913-381-2553. Donald is 80 years old and was born in 1924.
I talked with Donald on 1/28/05 to see if he could provide any Bates or Heckert family history, but unfortunately he didn’t have any ancestral information. He did have some Independence history about his family. His father, Thornton, worked for Independence Prairie & Gas (St. Claire Oil). Then during the depression he was laid off and they lived with Donald’s grandmother, Mary Clubine, until his dad got another job. Thornton worked for the Atlas Cement Plant (Universal Atlas owned by U.S. Steel) in Independence until he retired. Thornton died 10/5/1982 and is buried at Mt. Hope. (See obituary attached for Thornton in Exhibit 12) Donald said when he was young he would sometimes go on the train to visit his Uncle Robert. Donald said he went to Washington Elementary in Independence but it is no longer there.
Donald worked for Boeing and then Yellow Freight in Kansas City. He has a daughter Terri, son-in-law Jeff Shaw and grandson Michael.
Don remembers that Aunt Sopha would host the Christmas Eve celebration every year and he would go over to help her get ready. The four youngest Ferrell children would be there and Aunt Helen Ferrell Mantooth would dress up as Santa Claus. Don remembers that his dad, Thornton, mentioned that they lived in Fannie Bates Heckert’s house on 1119 N. Pennsylvania for a short time. They later lived at 305 E. Sycamore. Donald remembers that Elizabeth Ferrell Freeman had an old cat that didn’t want to move when her family was moving so Donald ended up taking care of the cat since they lived close by. [Relative] remembers that Donald once bought [Relative] a pair of stockings (hose) during the time when rationing was still in place and he signed for the hose as Donna Heckert!
H2. Henry C. Heckert born 7/3/1903. He went to KU and was there in 1922. He was a good basketball player and was the center for the team. (See Exhibit 12.) Henry also played football. Henry went out to Long Beach, California and played basketball for a club and had a job in engineering before he married. He married Marjorie I. Navarre (see news article in Exhibit 13 about her teaching career.) They had a son Henry C. Heckert Jr. (deceased) and a daughter Rosemarie Heckert McKinney. Henry Jr. also known as “Sonny” would go to stay with his great Aunt Sopha in the summer. Rosemarie went too when she was old enough. Henry Sr. died 12/28/1959 and is buried at Mt. Hope. Marjorie died in late 11/1981 and was interred at Mt. Hope 12/2/1981. Rosemarie lives at 1030 Forest, Carthage, Mo. 64836 with her son David McKinney.
Rosemarie remembers that Bill Ferrell was at Camp Crowder near Carthage for training during WWII. Bill would come to Carthage to visit and would buy Rosemarie ice cream. This is interesting because he always used to buy his daughters Valerie and Lisa ice cream when they were young. Rosemarie also remembers that they took in soldiers and had a USO in Carthage during the war.
H3. Robert B. Heckert - born 10/5/1906. Records found on the Internet show he died12/1985 in Escondido, San Diego, Ca. Robert started college at Independence Junior College and then went to KU and received a degree as an electrical engineer. He worked for Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, Ok. before going into the U.S. Navy during WWII. He was a Lieutenant Commander. Donald Heckert remembers that Robert was head of communications for Phillips which in those days meant overseeing the switchboard operators, phone systems and etc. [Relative] has a picture of Robert greeting King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Lady Bowes Lyon) at a Northern Ireland naval base in Londonderry, Ireland in the 1940’s (see news article related to this event in Exhibit 14.) He later lived in San Diego, California with his wife Claire. Claire was a teacher when they lived in Kansas.
Fannie must have continued teaching to support her family because in the 1910’s she was teaching at 58th School. Helen Virginia Ferrell and Alice Sells (Weber) were her students. Helen would have been 5 ½ years old when her mother died in 1914. She said that her dad tried to take care of Paul and herself. He would take them to school at 58th and Fanny Bates Heckert was her teacher. Helen’s hair was curly and tangled and her Dad (our grandfather) couldn’t do much with it. Fanny would comb Helen’s hair when she got to school. That is how Fanny met our grandfather. Refer to Volume 2 for a picture of 58th school as it is today. We also have 2 other pictures of Fannie with her students. In 1905 to 1906 Fanny also taught at Sunny Side School. See Volume 2 for pictures of the school and see Exhibit 10 for a brief history of the Sunny Side School and a teacher listing.
Fannie and William H. Ferrell married 4/9/1916. See Exhibit 15 for their marriage certificate. Grandpa bought the farm on Maple Road after he married Fannie. In addition to the 5 children they had between them, they had 4 more – Elizabeth Ann Ferrell, twins Charles Wayne Ferrell (30 minutes older) and William Alfred (Bill) Ferrell and Warren McKenzie (Mack) Ferrell. Elizabeth, Charles and Bill went to Willard Elementary School on Maple and Mack went to Riley Elementary. Fannie died at Aunt Sopha’s home on 3/9/1926. It is believed she died of kidney failure. Her obituary says she died from paralysis and its complications. She was 44. She is buried at Mt. Hope next to her sisters, Mary and Sopha, and her parents.
Roy Bates lived with his wife Effie in Noel, Mo. He was a farmer and Effie was a quilter. They did not have any children. We have several documents and letters that tell us a few things about Roy. He was a musician because he played for the Independence Concert Band in the summer of 1903 and was paid 25 cents per concert! In 1907 he worked as a clerk for DeBar’s dry goods store in Independence. Also it appears that he was partners in a dry goods store for a time as he wrote a note to his mother on a store receipt entitled “Bates and Ransom”, Moline, Ks. He also read Colliers Weekly as we have the receipts showing his payments for the subscription. Roy was born 12/25/1884 and died 1/12/1952. Effie was born 2/9/1884 and died 4/23/1961. They are both buried at Mt. Hope.
Mary E. Bates Shadley We have no background information about Mary (B: 1888, D: 10/15/1919 at 31 years old). She is buried with her parents and sisters at Mt. Hope. Her home was at 320 West Sycamore Street and she was married to William Shadley.
- Elizabeth Ann Ferrell
Elizabeth was born 2/14/1917 and died in Wichita 6/27/1987 at the age of 70. She is buried with her husband at Harrisonville Cemetery in Wayside, Kansas. She became a schoolteacher and she married the very handsome James (Jim) Marion Freeman (B: 7/8/1915 D: 4/23/1967). Jim was an electrician and the manager of a small electric cooperative in Sedan, Kansas. Elizabeth taught at the high school in Sedan. They had two daughters Elizabeth Kay (B: 7/17/1941) and Karen Sue (B: 2/21/1943). In the mid 1940’s they lived in Fannie’s home at 1119 North Pennsylvania Ave. until they moved to Sedan. Jim was a favorite Uncle of Bill Ferrell’s children and he had a great sense of humor. He loved to tease [Relative] about her British ways. Jim died of cancer of the esophagus caused by smoking. His death from cancer caused Charles and Elaine Ferrell to quit smoking. Kay now lives in Wichita, Kansas and Karen in Vienna, Virginia. Kay was also a teacher. Refer to Family Tree diagram #12 for spouses and children.
13. Charles (Charley) Wayne Ferrell (Buddy) per his friends at his funeral
Born 8/9/1918 in Independence, Ks. and is the older twin of William Alfred Ferrell.
Charles told his family that he and Bill ran liquer from Oklahoma to Kansas in the 1930’s because Kansas was a dry state. The money he made helped him buy a 1938 Straight 8 Buick. The twins also worked for Citi Service Oil (now Citgo) digging ditches for the pipelines.
Charles was in the Navy during WWII and flew TVF Grumman Avengers from aircraft carriers in the Pacific. He was in the Battle of Midway. He trained pilots on Grumman Avengers, Corsairs, and several other planes. He was also in the Korean War. He retired from the navy after 17 years as a Captain. He then became a Squadron Commander in the Naval Reserves in Florida. He is especially noted for having led the Fort Lauderdale based search efforts regarding the infamous Bermuda Triangle disappearance of Naval Flight 19 in November 1945. Several of his close friends were on that flight. Several search teams flew out of the Jacksonville Naval Air station as well as from an aircraft carrier further out in the Atlantic. Charles flew from the carrier.
Just like his brother, Charles did not like talking about the war because of the ships he sank with his torpedos and the people he killed. Additionally, Charles had a friend from Texas who was a state senator that had a problem taking off from the carrier. His plane hit the water and floated for a time but he could not get out of the cockpit – it was stuck. The ship had orders to proceed to another important location so they did not stop to try and rescue him. Charles had to watch his friend die. .Charles and Elaine both commented that although the atom bombs were a terrible weapon, they had an overall good result as they saved many lives because their use brought the war to an immediate halt. After the war Charles would often have nightmares.
Per Bill Ferrell, Charles’ training during WWII went something like this:
In late 1941 or early 1942 Charles had 3 months of Primary training at Grand Prairie, Texas Naval Base. He trained on bi-planes there. Then in 1942 he had 3 month of Basic training at Corpus Christi, Texas. Finally, he had 3 more months of advanced training at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He flew torpedo bombers (TBF’s built by Grumman). Then he was sent to the South Pacific. Then in 1945 back to Fort Lauderdale to train new pilots. That base is now Ft Luderdale International Airport. There is a naval air museum there. Charles donated many uniforms to this museum.
Charles and his family lived in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He also worked for the U.S. Post Office. Charles married Margaret Elaine Manning of Bryn Mawr, Pa. in 1947. Elaine was born 8/6/22 in Dallas, Texas. For many years Elaine worked in banking and still works part time today. They have four children –Stephanie Elaine, Dana Lynn, Charles Wayne, II and Ann Louise.
Elaine is the daughter of Elsie Janilla Garrett born 8/29/1903 (the youngest of 11) in Georgianna, Alabama and Phillip Kirkman Manning born 11/6/1870 in Hurlock, Maryland. Elaine had/has one sister Phyllis Kirkman Manning born 11/9/1925. Both Elaine and Phyllis were born in Dallas, Texas.
Charles died of prostate cancer at the age of 74 on 4/13/1993. He is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Independence, Kansas next to his father William Harrison and brother Warren McKenzie (Mack.)
See Exhibit 15 for a letter to Charles from his dad, William Harrison Ferrell. See Exhibit 16A for Charles’ Naval Aviator Certificate and Exhibit 16B for an article about WWII carrier pilots. And see Exhibit 17 for Charles’ obituaries. Also refer to the Family Tree, Diagram #13 for more detail.
- William (Bill) Alfred Ferrell
Born 8/9/1918 in Independence, Ks. and is the younger twin brother of Charles Wayne Ferrell. He died 6/6/2008 in Little Rock, Arkansas at the age of 89; per his wishes he was cremated. Bill worked for Sunoco Oil for over 30 years and is also retired Air Force due to active duty during WWII and 32 years in the reserves. He was promoted to Major while in the reserves. Bill volunteered for service on 4/15/1942. Both Bill and Charles wanted to fly and they took advantage of the Civilian Pilot Training program administered by the military. The program was created in prewar years to ensure a ready supply of pilots. If war was declared, they preferred to fight in the air rather than on the ground. Their primary training was in Independence where they learned to fly the Piper Cub.
Bill Ferrell was a B-17 Pilot during WWII and achieved the rank of Captain. His buddies called him “Rick” after Rick Farrell the baseball player. He flew 20 missions (25 was the maximum) 16 during daylight and 4 at night. In England he was stationed at 1) Alconbury, 2) Peterborough and 3) Honington. His unit was the 450th Squadron made up of 18 crews. He was a member of three groups within that Squadron – 401st (no missions), 351st and 482nd. See Exhibit 22A for a partial list of his missions and 22B for a map of the Airfields in Great Britain during WWII. Bill’s airfields are highlighted.
After VE Day (May 9, 1945) he piloted a B-17 back to Bradley Field in Connecticut in June of 1945. He carried 20 personnel and they flew from England to Wales to Iceland to Greenland and then to Connecticut. He was sent to Hobbs, New Mexico to train on B29’s and then he would be sent to the Pacific theatre but, the war ended and he was discharged in December of 1945. While in the reserves Bill “flew some but not much”. In Coffeeville, Kansas he flew AT6’s and later in Kansas City he flew C47”s which are now DC3’s.
Bill met his wife at an Anglo/American dance in London. They married on May 20th, 1945 and have four children – Eldest Son, Eldest Daughter, Second Daughter, Yougest Daughter. Their story is told in a family book entitled Everyday Heroes – The Story of Bill and [Relative]. In 2004 they moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. Refer to Family Tree Diagram #14 for spouses and children. See Exhibit 23 for Bill’s obituary and memorial card.
15. Warren McKenzie (Mack) Ferrell
Born 9/14/1923 in Independence, Kansas he was the youngest of 9 children. He was only three years old when his mother, Fannie, died. Mack, it seems, took to farming as he was responsible for raising all the fowl on the farm when he was in his teens. He never left the farm and he and Grandpa lived together. He was also very close to his sister Helen and we have several pictures of them together. They wrote each other weekly as well as talked on the phone. While Mack and Grandpa were farming they raised cattle, pigs and chickens. Uncle Mack also liked to grow strawberries. In addition, for many years Uncle Mack worked for MOPAC as an Engine Watchman in Independence. He liked trains and kept many news articles about historic trains. There is definitely no denying his love of country music and he especially loved Bob Wills.
He always bought American. When Bill bought a Lexus, Uncle Mack’s only comment was “That’s a Japanese car.” Mack died on 2/16/2003 at the age of 79. He is buried at Mt. Hope next to his brother Charles Wayne and his father, William Harrison Ferrell. See Exhibit 21 for his will and sale of the farm.
William H. Ferrell Family Farm Life
Per Bill Ferrell, our grandfather sold bottled milk by the quart to McDaniel’s Grocery on Laurel Street. They sold cream to the creamery – Sanitary Ice Cream Company (we have a receipt). Sanitary was later sold to Glencliff Creamery. The creamery made buttermilk, butter, ice cream, confections etc. Uncle Bert Russell and Uncle Ross Russell worked at the creamery. Paul Ferrell also worked there when he was a teenager. Glencliff is now a Bed and Breakfast just north of town. Charles, Bill and Mack hand-milked the dairy cows. Grandpa also milked. They had 8 to 12 dairy cows but the cow barn would only hold 8 cows at a time. They also raised beef cattle, grew corn, wheat, oats, barley and rye and had 40 acres of natural prairie hay. They sometimes planted alfalfa hay to supplement the prairie hay. They also grew kaffir corn to feed the cattle. They used horses and mules for farm work and they had a quarter horse for riding. Mack raised chickens and turkeys when he was young. He also had ducks and geese on the pond that is west and south of the house. They liked to have goose or duck for their Christmas dinner. They also planted a vegetable garden and a potato garden. Grandpa and Mack used the smokehouse for smoking hams. The ham came from pigs raised on the farm.
The farm consisted of 160 acres (on Rural Route 3, West Maple Rd.) and another 80 acres west of town (out by the lake and Quaker Cemetery). Uncle Bill Combs (Sarah E. Ferrell’s husband) lived out there but Grandpa owned it. The state or federal govt. built a lake that took half of the 80-acre farm. The 80-acre farm was the first one Grandpa owned while he was married to Oma V. Bays. Additionally, they had about another 40 acres east and south of the 160-acre Maple Road farm known as the Pugh Field (named after the original owners.) At Uncle Mack’s death only the 160-acre farm on Maple Rd remained in his ownership.
School Days
Elizabeth, Charles and Bill went to Willard Elementary School on Maple. Mack went to Riley Elementary were Aunt Sopha taught. We have a very fragile picture of all the students at Willard Elementary taken 10/9/1924. I have located Helen, Charles and Bill in the picture. We believe we have also identified Elizabeth. A 1934 IHS Yearbook shows that Elizabeth is a Junior (p.39) and Charles is a Sophomore (p.47). Bill was ½ a year behind Charles in school due to a left broken leg when he was about 12 – 14 years old. A horse fell on Bill’s legs. Elizabeth, Charles and Bill also spent 2 years at the Independence Junior College. As far as William A. Ferrell can remember Mack completed high school but didn’t go on any further in his education. See Exhibit 19 for two budding actors!
We know of 12 teachers in our family. To recap, they are: Elizabeth Jane Gastineau Sells, Alice Sells Weber, Mabel Sells Click, Lura Gastineau Ferrell, Frances Gillon Clubine, Helen Virginia Ferrell Mantooth, Francis G. Bates Heckert Ferrell, Sopha Bates, Marjorie I. Navarre Heckert, Claire Heckert, Elizabeth Ann Ferrell Freeman and Kay Freeman Gough.
Ferrell Family Friends
Sopha kept a list of the boys from Independence that died in WWII. She probably taught many of them. Bill Ferrell knew many of the young men listed in the news article. Refer to Exhibit 20 for this list.
Memorials were found in Uncle Mack’s house for the following persons. Per Bill and [Relative], they were all friends or neighbors of the Ferrell family and this explains why Uncle Mack kept the memorials.
The Bank’s, neighbors who lived about ¾ mile east of the Ferrell farm had 60 jersey cows. They had milking machines and a very nice dairy. Lloyd T. and Maude V. Banks owned the dairy and they had five children in total – Frank, Bill, Robert, [Relative] and Betty. The memorial for Maude shows she was born 10/7/1890 and died 11/1/1975. Frank Wesley Banks was a friend of Bill, Charles and Mack Ferrell. The memorial card notes that Frank was born 2/27/1921 and died 6/13/1974. His brother William (Bill) Banks died in 1983. Bill’s wife was Margaret Posey.
Nellie Pearl Coda (B: 1/112/1900, D: 6/30/1960) lived across the road from the Ferrell farm – where the Wal-Mart is now.
Lucile H. (B:11/8/1902, D: 11/22/1998) and Fred Newmaster (1902 – 1982) had a farm near the Ferrell’s. They had a son also named Fred and he attended Uncle Mack’s funeral.
Ralph Clendon Pittman, a farmer friend of William H. Ferrell. The family knew him well. He was born in 1900 and died in 1964. His farm was about 1 ½ miles south of the Ferrell farm.
Garfield and Eva Swearingen (she died in 1963) were both farmer friends of William H. Ferrell.
Richard Holloway (died in 1962) was a friend of the family.
Roy Alfred Pitts (died in 1963) was a family friend.
Henry Walter Bredenhoft (B: 7/11/1917, D: 5/11/1974) family friend and farmer.
James Chester Turpin was a family friend and farmer. We have a picture of him with his friend Jake Wilson. See Volume 2 for picture.
Nola Wilson (farmer) died in early 1983. She lived with her brother Jake Wilson. She never married. She also had a sister Pern Wilson. [Relative] remembers that Nola invited her over to her farm and gave her strawberries. [Relative] told Nola they were the first strawberries she had in years due to the rationing and food shortages in England during the war.
Charles A. Carr (B: 8/1/1920 and D: 1/11/2000 buried at Mt Hope cemetery) was a friend of Charles and Bill Ferrell. He was in the US Navy. We have a picture of him in the 1940’s in his uniform. See Volume 2. Charles and his brother Carl D. Carr worked for the railroad in Independence. Like Uncle Mack, they were also Engine Watchmen. Charles made a decorative box with rosewood inlay for Uncle Mack and now Bill Ferrell has the box.
Guy Tull was a friend of all 3 brothers, especially Uncle Mack in the later years. Guy called Uncle Mack “Mister Man” and other friends called him “Max”. Guy passed away several years ago.
Notes of interest for research purposes: Some of the cemeteries in the Somerset area are: Eden Cemetery, Bethlehem Church Cemetery on Clifty Road north of Somerset, Dollins Family Cemetery north of Somerset, Sinking Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Somerset City Cemetery, and Somerset (West) Cemetery. Many of the Kentucky records spell “Ferrell” – as Ferrill, Ferril or Ferrel. Many Ferrell families originally came from County Longford in Ireland.
The questions below have been researched in the LDS Family Search Data Base and in the Kentucky and Tennessee Rootsweb databases with NO success. Other sources still need to be searched .
Questions that still need to be answered:
Who were Riddon G. Ferrell’s parents? How far can we trace our family?
Specific birth and death date for Riddon
Specific birth date of Emely Ferrell – 1849
Specific birth date of Nancy F. George.
Death date of Nancy F. George and where. after 1859 but before 2/1864.
Confirm that Elizabeth George and Nancy F. George are sisters.
Specific death date and place for John Paul Ferrell.
Birth and death of Mary Gastineau Edwards and Thomas S. Edwards.
Birth and death dates of the Combs children.
Find birth and death date of Grace Bays
Death and place of John B. Heckert
Work on Bates family tree.
Find contacts in Pulaski County, Kentucky – go to Somerset, Kentucky
Review Ferrell and Bates Family genealogy books at Dallas Public library.