New Information on Greeley L. Runyon

[Ira A. Runyan]

Page 49 of "RUNYON GENEALOGY" by Robert and Amos Runyon, 1955 says that Greeley Runyon and Melda Lawson had a son named "... Joseph, who is known as Joseph Beckett, having taken the name of his mother's second husband after the death of his father.". That statement is Incomplete and needs expanded in that Joseph's original name was Greeley L. Runyon see below....


Descendants of Greeley L. Runyon


Generation No. 1

1. GREELEY L.9 RUNYON (JOSEPH ADRON8, JOHN COMPTON7, ADRON6, JOHN5, ISAAC4, JOSEPH3 RUNYAN, THOMAS2, VINCENT1 RONGNION)1 was born September 04, 1893 in McVeigh, Kentucky1, and died October 28, 1921 in England Hill Voting Precinct, Boyd County, KY. He married (1) MELDA LAWSON February 08, 1913. He married (2) JOSIE CHAMBERS Bef. 1918, daughter of WADE CHAMBERS and MARTHA MCGLOTHIN. She died June 09, 1980.

Notes for GREELEY L. RUNYON:
Greeley Runyon died on 28 October, 1921, KY Boyd Co, England Hill Voting
Precinct, "outside of city limits", KY Death Certificate #23315, Registered
No 66, Informant was Joseph Runyon, Cattlesburg, KY, and
his father is listed as Joseph Runyon, born Elliott Co, KY, and mother
Columbia Hatfield, birthplace, Pike Co, KY. Miller Funeral Home, and burial
on 30 October 1921, in Runyon Cemetery. Cause of death is listed as gunshot wound- Fraticide.



More About GREELEY L. RUNYON:
Burial: October 30, 1921, Runyon Cemetery
Cause of Death: gunshot wound

More About GREELEY RUNYON and MELDA LAWSON:
Marriage: February 08, 1913

Notes for JOSIE CHAMBERS:
Josie Runyon married on 5 October 1922, to Frank Edward Shumann, in
Catlettsburg, KY, he was age 35, divorced, and she was age 24, widowed. Her parents are given as
Wade Chambers and Martha McGlothin.
Source: Boyd Co, KY Marriage Book 50, page No 43.

Guardian Bond, Kentucky, Book 4, page 179, Josephine Runyon Schumann, was
made Guardian to Ermel, 12 yrs, Garnett Charlene, William Thomas, age 5
years, bond of $1000, signed 22 March 1926. signed Josephine Runyon
Schumann.

Josephine later married Clarence Stanley. Josephine died as Mrs. Clarence
Stanley. Her will is recorded in Boyd Co, KY Courthouse in Will Book 24,
page 587, dated 2 October 1973, and she leaves her property to husband
Clarence Stanley. Husband appointed executor. In the event of both of
their deaths, she leaves all estate to "our" daughter Lillian Ernestine S.
Osburn in fee simple.
Recorded on 20 June, 1980, stating that Josephine Stanley died 9 June 1980,
a resident of this county, by Ray L. Slone, Clerk, recorded in Vol 24, page
588.


More About GREELEY RUNYON and JOSIE CHAMBERS:
Marriage: Bef. 1918

Children of GREELEY RUNYON and MELDA LAWSON are:
i. ERMAL10 RUNYON.
ii. GREELEY L. RUNYON, b. June 14, 1915, Mingo County , West Virginia.

Notes for GREELEY L. RUNYON:
Greeley L. Runyan adopted the name of Joseph Lawrence Beckett, 21 years after the death of his natural father Greeley L. Runyon.

Source: Boyd County Court (KY), Court Order Book 20, page 43, Special Term
5th day of February, 1942, in RE: Motion, Ex Parte Petition & Order - Name
of Greeley Lawrence Runyon changed to Joseph Lawrence Beckett. "This day,
Greeley Lawrence Runyon, having filed his verified petition and motion
herein and asking that his name be changed to Joseph Lawrence Beckett, and
this matter having been heard by the Court, it is not ordered and adjudged
by the Court that the original name of said adult, Greenley (sp) Lawrence
Runyon, born on the 14th day of June 1915, in Mingo County West Virginia be
and the same is hereby changed to Joseph Lawrence Beckett, he is hereby
authorized to use the name of and be know as Joseph Lawrence Beckett.


Children of GREELEY RUNYON and JOSIE CHAMBERS are:
2. iii. GARNET CHARLENE10 RUNYON, b. May 05, 1918.
3. iv. WILLIAM T. RUNYON, b. November 06, 1920.


Generation No. 2

2. GARNET CHARLENE10 RUNYON (GREELEY L.9, JOSEPH ADRON8, JOHN COMPTON7, ADRON6, JOHN5, ISAAC4, JOSEPH3 RUNYAN, THOMAS2, VINCENT1 RONGNION) was born May 05, 1918. She married FRANCIS MARION VINCENT. He was born April 09, 1910.

Child of GARNET RUNYON and FRANCIS VINCENT is:
4. i. LAWRENCE FRANK11 VINCENT, b. January 18, 1939.

3. WILLIAM T.10 RUNYON (GREELEY L.9, JOSEPH ADRON8, JOHN COMPTON7, ADRON6, JOHN5, ISAAC4, JOSEPH3 RUNYAN, THOMAS2, VINCENT1 RONGNION) was born November 06, 1920. He married BETTY JANE SALYERS May 20, 1942 in Ashland, Kentucky.

More About WILLIAM RUNYON and BETTY SALYERS:
Marriage: May 20, 1942, Ashland, Kentucky

Children of WILLIAM RUNYON and BETTY SALYERS are:
i. JONELLA RAY11 RUNYON, b. August 20, 1943.
ii. WILLIAN T. RUNYON, JR., b. July 29, 1944.
iii. CHARLES EDWARD RUNYON, b. August 20, 1945.


Generation No. 3

4. LAWRENCE FRANK11 VINCENT (GARNET CHARLENE10 RUNYON, GREELEY L.9, JOSEPH ADRON8, JOHN COMPTON7, ADRON6, JOHN5, ISAAC4, JOSEPH3 RUNYAN, THOMAS2, VINCENT1 RONGNION) was born January 18, 1939.

Child of LAWRENCE FRANK VINCENT is:
i. TONI12 VINCENT, b. Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky.


Endnotes

1. Robert and Amos Runyon, Runyon Genealogy, (Privately printed 1955), page 49.

[Ira A. Runyan]

On the Death Certificate for Greeley L. Runyon dated 10/28/1921 the Cause of death is listed as gunshot wound- Fraticide.

That would indicate that a brother had shot him by accident or on purpose. There is no other supporting documentation at this time that a brother in fact shot Greeley.

As can be seen below, at that time Greeley Runyon only had 3 brothers still alive. Ira Runyon, Amos Runyon, and my grandfather John Ransom Runyon.

My father Ira W. Runyan son of John Ransom Runyon never talked to me about the cause of death for Greeley, however the incident happened 6 months after the birth of my father.

Descendants of Joseph Adron Runyon


Generation No. 1

1. JOSEPH ADRON8 RUNYON (JOHN COMPTON7, ADRON6, JOHN5, ISAAC4, JOSEPH3 RUNYAN, THOMAS2, VINCENT1 RONGNION)1 was born May 05, 1857, and died May 22, 1922. He married COLUMBIA HATFIELD September 04, 1872 in Pike County, Kentucky, daughter of RANSOM HATFIELD and TABITHA TAYLOR. She was born April 16, 1858, and died July 23, 1948.

Notes for COLUMBIA HATFIELD:
Ransom Hatfield and Tabitha "Vicy" Taylor were Columbia's parents. They lived in Pike County, Kentucky for many years, then purchased farm land on the Big Sandy River near Catlettsburg where they lived and died. They were buried in the Ransom Hatfield Cemetery near the Homestead. After their deaths, Columbia inherited the homestead.

The Ransom Hatfield farm and homestead was located next to the homestead property owned by Thomas P. Martin Runyon.

Ashland Oil purchased the property many years later and moved the Ransom Hatfield Cemetery and the nearby Asa H. Runyon burial ground to a new location between Catlettsburg and Ashland, Kentucky.

Columbia's mother was a sister of Margaret Taylor, wife of Mitchell Runyon, who was the eldest son of Adron and Jane Maynard.

More About JOSEPH RUNYON and COLUMBIA HATFIELD:
Marriage: September 04, 1872, Pike County, Kentucky

Children of JOSEPH RUNYON and COLUMBIA HATFIELD are:
2. i. IRA RUNYON, b. September 06, 1874; d. September 18, 1935.
3. ii. CORA ANGELINE RUNYON, b. September 24, 1876; d. May 07, 1917, Pike County, Kentucky.
4. iii. AMOS RUNYON, b. May 29, 1881, McVeigh, Pike County, Kentucky; d. September 1962, Kentucky.
5. iv. WILLIAM THOMAS RUNYON, b. January 28, 1884; d. August 10, 1917.
6. v. JOHN RANSOM RUNYON, b. June 24, 1887, McVeigh, Pike County, Kentucky; d. November 22, 1961, Ironton, Ohio.
7. vi. GREELEY L. RUNYON, b. September 04, 1893, McVeigh, Kentucky; d. October 28, 1921, England Hill Voting Precinct, Boyd County, KY.

My Source for the Death Certificate information on Greeley L. Runyon is Julia Mitchel [e-mail] who had obtained a copy of the document.

[Ira A. Runyan]

Here is a photo copy of the Death Certificate for Greeley L. Runyon. It's hard to read, but Julia Mitchel has made some notations in pencil to the side of the document.

[Ira A. Runyan]

The mystery surrounding the death of Greeley Runyon has been solved by researcher Julia O. Mitchel [e-mail] who found the following newspaper article about the incident.

The Ransom Runyon in this story is in fact my Grandfather John Ransom Runyon. My Father talked much about my Grandfather and mentioned Greeley on many occasions, but he never spoke of how Greeley died. At the time of this incident, my Father would have been only seven (7) months old. I just wonder if my Father was ever told this story.

Research from Julia O Mitchel, Lexington, KY
Big Sandy News [Louisa, Lawrence co KY], 4 November, 1921

BROTHER KILLS BROTHER IN BOYD

Greeley Runyon, a farmer of Hatfield Station, near Catlettsburg, was shot and almost instantly killed at 11 a.m., today by his brother, Ransom Runyon, following a quarrel which resulted from Greeley's pushing an automobile over Ransom while the latter was doing work on it.
Ransom was said to be repairing an automobile near Greeley Runyon's home when Greeley pushed the car over Ransom. When Ransom resented the act, which was attributed to the report that Greeley had been drinking, Ransom struck Greeley with a sled standard. After a tussle, Ransom departed for his home, telling Greeley not to follow him.

Greeley insisted, however, on following and when the latter insisted on entering Ransom's home against the protests of both Ransom and his wife, Ransom went inside and obtained a .38 calibre revolver and shot him through the head. He died on the front porch of the home.
Ransom then remained at his home while others notified the authorities in Catlettsburg. Ransom did not resist arrest but peaceably with the others to the jail.
The Runyons are members of a well-known and respected family in the section of Hatfield Station, just outside the city limits of Catlettsburg and on the Big Sandy division of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway. Joe Runyon, a farmer, is the father of the two young men.
Greeley Runyon was married but had no children [sic]. Ransom is married and has two children.- Ashland Independent
Ransom Runyon was tried before count judge Watson Monday afternoon and was acquitted of the charge. A case of self-defense was clearly proven by the parents of the dead man and of the defendent [sic] who returned home with his parents.
{Note that that Greeley had children, and a family story suggests that Ransom may have provided for them after the incidents described above.][/color]

[Tina]

Hi Ira,

Thank you for the opportunity to find out about Greeley's
death. I'm not a Runyon researcher, I'm actually a Lawson researcher.

I was interested in the death because it was a time frame when one of my Lawson's was accused of a murder. My great aunt said, "it may have been her dad or an uncle". She is very old and her information can sometimes be fragmented. This also happened probably in Mingo or Logan county WV., but it's possible it could have happened just across the river in Ky.

Do you know more information on Melda's family. She is a sister to my GGrandfather Tilden. their father's name was Jake or jacob. I can't find them before the 1910 census.

I've remember hearing my grandfather speaking of Boyd, Floyd and Greenup counties.


In the 1880 Martin County, Ky. census there is a Jacob but have not been able to confirm if he is the Jacob i'm looking for. It is possible as my grandfather was born in Martin County.

Thanks again,
Tina

[Ira A. Runyan]

Tina said:

Hi Ira,

Do you know more information on Melda's family. She is a sister to my GGrandfather Tilden. their father's name was Jake or jacob. I can't find them before the 1910 census.

Sorry, Tina, But my files don't contain any additional information on Melda or her family.