Job's Children
Maw Maw, where is Paw? "He ran off to Arkansas".
"Maw, Maw! Where Is Paw?"
"He ran off to Arkansas."
The above rhyme is one I have heard from the old folks of Stanly County, and has survived even to this day.
In my research of the old court record of the case of Joyce Ann Fisher, and Wiley Monroe Barringer, I found the story of a love story gone wrong. Of the relationship of a young couple who lived on the border of Stanly and Cabarrus Counties in the reconstruction era of the 19th century and who had a daughter, but the relationship did not end in marriage.
Sadly, the young man married another shortly after his daughter was born and started a large family. He met his legal financial obligations, but apparently never looked back and showed no legal recognition, as often, but not always, happened during those years.
The mother of the child, Joyce Ann Fisher, lived with family, and later, her daughter and son-in-law, for the remainder of her days. She kept herself and her daughter up for awhile, apparently, running a boarding house and renting rooms, while her daughter Ada, found work at a young age in the Cotton Mills of the era.
Wiley Monroe Barringer and his wife BellaZorra or Isabell Zorra Page Barringer went on to have a large family of 11 children, which they raised in Cabarrus County, near Gold Hill, around the Cabarrus/Rowan County line, not far from the northern end of Stanly County.
In this story, I want to focus on one son, who seemed to have disappeared, but not so entirely that he was unable to track down.
For whatever reason, Arkansas was a common destination for many area young men and even families, looking for a greener pasture. A well-known and often told story of "the only man to be hanged in Stanly County", was that of Alex Whitley, a local scoundrel and petty criminal, who headed off to Arkansas with his half-sister (and reputed girlfriend) and several associates, to escape from accusations of crimes here, only to commit a proven murder there, of school teacher and Stanly Count resident, Burt Tucker.
And, for whatever reason, George Wesley Homer Barringer, the fourth child of Wiley and Belle, was another of these Arkansas rangers.
George W Barringer
Home in 1900:
Reed Misenheimers, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Sheet Number:
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation:
Family Number:
Relation to Head of House:
Wiley M Barringer
Father's Birthplace:
Bell Z Barringer
Mother's Birthplace:
Months not employed:
Attended School:
Can Read:
Can Write:
Can Speak English:
Neighbors:
View others on page
Household Members:
Wiley M Barringer 46
Bell Z Barringer 39
Cara L Barringer 19
George W Barringer 17
Paul M Barringer 15
John A Barringer 14
William A Barringer 11
Clarlie L Barringer 9
Clarence R Barringer 7
Lawson R Barringer 0
Born in 1887, Wesley, as we will call him, first shows up as a teenager in his parents home in 1900, in the Misenheimer area, which is on the northernmost edge of Stanly County, but they lived on the Cabarrus side of the line.
Shortly afterward, and oddly, on Christmas Day in 1902 , he married Lucy Roxie Isenhour, daughter of Daniel M F Isenhour and wife Roseann Powles Isenhour of the same area, "Reed Misenheimer's", Cabarrus County. Lucy was a little older than he was, and nearly exactly to the day, nine months later, their first child, Elsie Irene arrived, on September 24, 1903.
Elsie was quickly followed by two younger brothers, Roy Glenn Barringer on April 20, 1905 and Howard Franklin Monroe Barringer in February of 1909.
[Geroge W Barringer]
Age in 1910:
abt 1883
Township 7, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Lucy R Barringer
Native Tongue:
General Farm
Employer, Employee or Other:
Home Owned or Rented:
Farm or House:
Able to Read:
Able to Write:
Years Married:
Lucy R Barringer 28
Elsie I Barringer 6
Roy G Barringer 4
Howard F M Barringer 1
The 1910 census shows a typical young farm family of 5, renting a farm in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, having all three of their children survive, and having been married for 7 years.
But something was restless in Wesley's soul. Something was awry, because in the next decade, his world, and that of his family will have changed.
Fold 3 link to George W. Barringer card
There may have been a military explanation, or behind the action. Or perhaps, another explanation may have been something to do with the railroad.
The 1920 census gives this information on Lucy and her children;
Lucie R Barringer
[Lucie R Bannen]
[abt 1883]
Able to Speak English:
Employment Field:
Own Account
Home Free or Mortgaged:
Lucie R Barringer 39
Elsie I Barringer 16
Roy G Barringer 14
Howard F Barringer 10
She appears to be living in the same house, in the same area. She owns her farm and all three children are listed as farm labour. Many of her neighbors are Isenhours, and possibly, and hopefully, for her benefit, were relatives that could help out. Her marital status is "Married", not widowed, not divorced. Lucy was, obviously, an abandoned woman. Whether she knew the whereabouts of her husband is unknown.
In the Cabarrus land records, a deed exists that can help to explain Lucy's mode of survival.
Book 100 Page 247 March 23, 1923
An Indenture between R. C. Isenhour and Lucy Barringer. For the sum of $1.00, 21.01 acres in Number 7 Township, Cabarrus County. "The conditions of the above declare that at her death the said lands divert to her three children.
R. C. Isenhour referred to her mother, Roseann Camilla Powles Isenhour.
However, this is the family of George Wesley Homer Barringer in 1920.
Wesley Barringer
De Roche, Hot Spring, Arkansas
Ninie Barringer
Grademan
Wage or Salary
Wesley Barringer 37
Ninie Barringer 27
Albert Barringer 8
Upon first glance, it looks like, "Whoa, this is not the right person." He's a grademan for the railroad, but it has him as "Wesley" and not ""George" and it claims his birth place is Tennessee.
And oddly, on his application for Social Security, he also goes by only his middle two names, and lists his birthplace as "Chattanooga, Tennessee", HOWEVER, his parents are listed as Wiley Barringer and Belle Page. But the 1900 census claims his birthplace as North Carolina with the rest of his siblings.
Wesley H Barringer
Chattanoga, Tennessee
Wiley Barringer
Bell Page
Type of Claim:
Original SSN.
Feb 1937: Name listed as WESLEY H BARRINGER
The fact is, there was no other combination of a Wiley Barringer and Bell Page living anywhere in America at this time that could have produced this son, only our Wiley and Bell, and certainly none in Tennessee at the time. Wesley H. Barringer HAD to be George Wiley H. Barringer of Gold Hill Township, Cabarrus County, North Carolina.
His Veteran's Administration Pension Payment Card corroborates the fact that his first name WAS, Actually "George".
As does the Headstone Application for US Veterans, Listing Fayetteville, Arkansas as his residence.
While listing the "H" in his name as Homer in some instances, on his WWI draft registration card, in 1914, his middle name is listed as "Howard" instead. He apparently was ambivalent there for awhile about what his middle, or third name should be.
World War I Draft Card
His WWII Draft Card, part of "The Old Man's Draft" for those aged 45 to 64, gives ambivalence a new oddity, on the same card. Under "name" he is listed as Wesley Homer Barringer, yet he signs it, Wesley Herman Barringer.
Here, he lists his birthplace as Hamilton, Tennessee. But there were no Wesley H. Barringer's born in the 1880's in Hamilton, Tennessee.
So......Where did the Hamilton, Tennessee come from and who was Nina Barringer?
Nina Irma Wagner was born on September 15, 1893 in Danbury, Red Willow County, Nebraska. She was the daughter of George Leroy Wagner and Alverda Emily Wagner. She grew up in Jaspar County, Missouri, and the family is there by the 1900 census. Her father was born in Ohio and her mother in Kentucky, yet the 1920 census also gives her birthplace as Tennesse and the same for both parents. Neither was true.
Nina I Wagner
[Nina I Wayner]
Duval, Jasper, Missouri
Geo L Wagner
Verda E Wagner
Geo L Wagner 52
Verda E Wagner 54
Nina I Wagner 17
Stanley P Wagner 14
Nina and Wesley claim to have married, yet I've not been able to find a marriage license. It could be that Hamilton County, Tennesse is where they met, and thus became "reborn". Wesley may have figured being guilty of fornication was a lot less trouble than being guilty of bigamy, as the former was not prosecuted in the 1920's as it was in the 1880's, but the latter most certainly was.
There is not a marriage license listed for them in Hamilton County, Tennesse or in Arkansas.
Wesley Barringer and Nina Wagoner's first census together was the 1920 one. It gives us a few clues as to how their relationship may have came about.
It tells us that Wesley was working for the Railroad, which gave citizens greater mobility. It claims their place of origin as Tennessee, where no one who could be mistaken for either of them existed.
Their 8 year old son Albert is said to be born in Arkansas, which would place them in Arkansas by 1912. This means that shortly after the 1910 census, George Wesley Barringer obtained a job with the railroad, probably in nearby Salisbury or Spencer, most likely ended up in Tennessee or Missouri, where Nina's family was in 1910. There began their relationship and they somehow chose the popular destination of Arkansas to begin their family.
Map of Home:
Dwelling Number:
Radio Set:
Lives on Farm:
Age at First Marriage:
Able to Read and Write:
Own Farm
Class of Worker:
Working on own account
Nina Barringer 36
Ralph Barringer 9
Eughene Barringer 4
Two more sons have joined the family. They claimed to be married and Wesley gave his age for first marriage as 20 while Nina gave hers as 15. Here, Wesley claims to only be 4 years older than Nina, while in 1920, he was 10 years older than her. Oldest son Albert had already married by 1930 and had established his own household by age 18.
Albert Baringer
[Odbert Baringer]
Rented Farm
Albert Baringer 18
Edna Baringer 17
Wesly Barringer
Estimated birth year:
Map of Home in 1940:
Farm:
Inferred Residence in 1935:
Residence in 1935:
Same Place
Number of Household in Order of Visitation:
House Owned or Rented:
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented:
Attended School or College:
Highest Grade Completed:
Elementary school, 5th grade
Weeks Worked in 1939:
Income Other Sources:
Wesly Barringer 52
Ralph Barringer 19
Eugene Barringer 14
The last census we have to observe this family is that of the 1940. Ralph and Eugene are now in their teens and Wesley and Nina are in the same place, farming.
Albert Barringer
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census:
Albert Barringer 28
Edna Barringer 27
Louise Barringer 4
Albert was also still living in Hot Springs and farming.
Below is the obituary for the middle son of this union, Ralph Barringer.
GENCY FUNERAL HOME MALVERN, ARKANSAS
Ralph "Slim" Barringer
( February 17, 1921 - December 18, 2006 )
Ralph "Slim" Barringer, age 85, of New DeRoche, Arkansas passed away December 18, 2006 at his home. He was born February 17, 1921 at New DeRoche, the son of Wesley and Nina (Wagner) Barringer. He was a WWII Army veteran serving in an Infantry 30th Division "Old Hickory", and was also in the Airborne and Engineers Division. He served in the invasion at Normandy and received a Purple Heart and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. He worked for General Motors, and for Reynolds Metals Company in the holding furnace, and was a farmer. He was also affiliated with Bismarck United Methodist Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents, a daughter, Tonya Barringer, and two brothers, Albert and Eugene Barringer.
Survivors are his wife of forty years, Sandra (Hudgens) Barringer; daughter, Rhonda Barringer and granddaughter, Whitney Barringer, all of New DeRoche; niece, Louise Loy of Natches, Mississippi; great-niece and nephew, Debbie Draper, of New DeRoche, and Steve Loy of Dallas, Texas; and a host of friends.
Visitation will be Tuesday, December 19th from 6:00 to8:00 p.m. at Regency Funeral Home in Malvern.
Graveside Services will be at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 20th at Prairie Bayou Cemetery with full military honors by Thaddeus H. Caraway Post 2278. Reverend Gail Baldwin and Brother Bobby Looper will officiate.
Pallbearers are Arvin Booy, Adolph Hughes, Mark Johnson, Jim Harsh, Gary Burroughs, Bill Hudgens, Tommy Barton, and Wesley Anderson. Honorary pallbearers are Waymon Prince and Darrell Clifton.
Arrangements are by Regency Funeral Home, Malvern, Arkansa
Meanwhile, in North Carolina:
Homemaker?:
Connon Dist road
Elsie J Barringer 26
Lucy is still living on her property with her daughter Elsie and claiming to be married, still waiting on her missing husband, George Wesley Barringer.
By 1940, she has assumed he is dead, and listed herself as a widow. Her daughter Elsie still with her. Elsie did not marry until later.
Lucy Barringer
Respondent:
Same House
Lucy Barringer 58
Elsie Barringer 36
But Wesley was not dead, he was very much alive.
George Wesely Homer (or Howard) Barringer passed away on November 2, 1957 in DeRoche, Hot Springs County, Arkansas.
He was buried next to his second wife Nina Wagoner Barringer.
Lucy Isenhour Barringer died on September 26, 1957, just two months before Wesley. She passed away in Cabarrus County, North Carolina and was buried at Lower Stone Church near Gold Hill, Rowan County, North Carolina.
Her death certificate lists her as a widow and her husband as George Wesley Barringer.
The Complete Lineage of George Wesley H. Barringer is as follows:
Married Lucy Roxie Isenhour (1881-1957) on December 25, 1902
1) Elise Irene Barringer b September 24, 1903 d March 7, 1981
Married Arey Franklin Sides.
2) Roy Glenn Barringer b April 20, 1905 d Jan 9 1980
Married Margie Pauline Barringer.
3) Howard Franklin Monroe Barringer b February 17, 1909 d December 22, 1986
Married Mary Pauline Hatley
With Nina Irma Wagner (1893 Danbury, Red Willow County, Nebraska, grew up in Jaspar, Missouri, met Barringer, possibly in Tennessee in 1910. Died 1986 in Hot Springs, Arkansas.)
4) Albert Wesley Barringer b November 13, 1911 d June 22, 1974 Buried Hot Springs, Arkansas
Married Edna Phillips
5) Perry Ralph "Slim" Barringer b February 17, 1921 d December 18, 2006
Married Sandra Hudgens
6) Eldrid Eugene Barringer b September 12, 1925 d December 13, 1944 in France. WWII. Buried in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Posted by Jobs Children at 6:31 AM
Labels: Arkansas, Barringer, Cabarrus County, Hot Springs, Isenhour, Stanly County North Carolina, two families, Wagner
Love the stories and the research you do. Do you have any Frog Pond Smith's in your tree? I've been Looking for the parents of Joseph Smith 1800-1880 for years.
Jobs Children September 2, 2017 at 4:26 AM
Smiths and Russells are very difficult to research due to the lack of early records and duplication of names. Good luck though!
Kerry Schultz November 18, 2017 at 4:32 AM
Not every love story has to have a happy ending. Some has a sad ending as well. This was a heart breaking story. It is perfectly narrated. Thank you for sharing.
Our Beautiful Little Piece of Eden
Inspired by the memoires of Lillie Bassett Carter Hoffman, who provided us with wonderful journals of her memories of Albemarle and Stanly County, from its inception, I've decided to record memories and images of my own, that really do not fit in with genealogy, but with the history of my own little piece of Eden, Albemarle, North Carolina. http://albehole.blogspot.com/
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