The Wayne County Press

Thursday, May 15th, 1952 — Fairfield, Illinois

Mr. and Mrs. Fred H. Dye (click on photo to enlarge)

The Dye Family.
The Dye family has been active in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood and elsewhere in Wayne county for at least three generations. Many descendants still reside in the county. Others have scattered over a half dozen or more states. More than a century ago the first emigrants of the family came from Pennsylvania and Ohio and settled in Lamard township. They took part in shaping the civic social and religious institutions of the community.

Earliest Arrivals.
The record goes back to William “Billie” Dye who came from Ohio after residing in Pennsylvania for a time. He later moved to Logan, Kansas where he is buried. Lindsey Dye, a son of “Billie” came down the Ohio river to Shawneetown in 1851. He spent the first winter in the home of Barnabas McDannel, the father of “Uncle Jimmie” McDannel who will be remembered by many now living. It was in the home of Lindsey that his grandson Warren Crippin was reared after the death of Warren’s mother whose maiden name was Emma Dye. Lindsey married Axayann [sic] Emmons and is buried at Pleasant Grove. His second marriage was to Mary Ann Spriggs. Thomas Dye a son of Lindsey, married Mary Carpenter. Their nine children with their descendants are the ones with whom this sketch is chiefly concerned.

Descendants of Thomas and Mary.
The names of their children are as follows: Fred, Anna, Laura, Jesse, Earl, Silas, Walter, Velma, and Della.

I. Fred married Clara Samford. Their five children are, Glenn, Gladys, Ruth, Loren, and Wilbur. Glenn (deceased) married Pierce McNeely and their children are Clifford and Gaylord. Clifford married Louise Gregory a daughter of Albert Gregory. Their children are Janet and Gregory Britt. Gaylord married Barbara Leathers a daughter of Ralph Leathers. They have no children. Gladys, daughter of Fred and Clara married Atwood Johnson (deceased). Her two children are Isabelle and Leland. Isabelle married Bob Farleigh. Leland married Patty Funk and has three children, Thomas Franklin, Diane and Tenna Kay. Ruth, daughter of Fred and Clara married Richard E. Howey. They have one son Gene who is working on a Master’s degree at the University of Florida. Loren Albert, son of Fred and Clara, married Genevive Suddarth. Their children are Mickey, Katherine and Douglas. Wilbur, son of Fred and Clara, married Eileen Hanks. Their children are Bradley, Pamela, and Gregory.

II. Anna, daughter of Thomas and Mary, married Lute Bing. Their children are, Clara Bernetta and Estil. Clara married Charles Tubbs and their children are Eugene and Elenor. Eugene is married, they have one child. Bernetta married Owen Leak. They have one son and one daughter. Estil is married and their children are, Harold, Emma Dean, Tommy and Russell.

III. Laura Dye (deceased) daughter of Thomas and Mary, married Frank McNeely a son of William and Rachel McNeely. Their one son Otto is deceased.

IV. Jesse Dye, son of Thomas and Mary, married Mabel Miller daughter of David and Sarah Belle Miller. Their children are Elmer, Eva, Fern, Thomas, Alice, Ruth and Donald. Elmer married Betty Bestow, daughter of John and Mabel Bestow. They have one daughter, Sally Jane. Eva married Perry Wilson son of James E. and Mettie Wilson. They have three children. Ellen Jean, Robert and David. Fern married Jack Roberts and has one child Jacalyn Kay. Thomas married Elma Rogers and has two children Nancy and Susan. Alice Ruth and Donald the other two children of Jesse and Mabel are at home.

V. Earl, son of Thomas and Mary, married Ada Warren. Their children are Lucile, Kelly and Mary. Lucile married Millard Long son of Charles and Alma Long. Their children are Charles and Philip. Kelly married Genevieve Richison. Mary married Oaklely Bradham and their children are Carol Ann, James and Gary.

VI. Silas, son of Thomas and Mary married Stella Miller, daughter of D.C. and Louise Miller. Their children are Lee, Reba and Owen. Lee married Lois Jones. They reside in North Carolina and have two children Richard and Pricilla. Reba married Robert Phillips. Their children are Robert Glenn and Judy. Owen is in the Air Corps and stationed in England.

VII. Walter Dye (deceased) son of Thomas and Mary, married Ilma Murphy. Their children are Victor Evelyn and Georgia. Victor married Rose Ellen Gray and has one child Walter Edward. Evelyn married Howard Hallam (deceased). Their children are Donald, Tommy, Marilyn and Elizabeth. Georgia the other daughter of Walter and Ilma married Gilbert Starkman. They have no children.

VIII. Velma, daughter of Thomas and Mary, married Edison Coburn. They have three children, Ethel, Eldon and Harry. Ethel is married and has two children. Eldon is married and has two children.

IX. Della, daughter of Thomas and Mary is not married.

Summary for Thomas and Mary.

Children: 9
Grandchildren: 27
Great-Grandchildren: 46
Great-Great-Grandchildren: 6
Total: 88

As one writes these sketches of Wayne Country Families the following lines from Joaquin’s poem “Westward Ho” come to mind.

“O bearded, stalwart, westmost men,
So towerlike, so Gothic built!
A kingdom won without the guilt
Of studied battle. . .”

To read the whole poem, click here