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.)
