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 1871 - 1948 (76 years)
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| Name |
Cassa Elizabeth Duncan Harrah [1] |
| Birth |
8 Oct 1871 |
West Virginia  [1, 2, 3] |
| Gender |
Female |
| Death |
1 Apr 1948 |
West Virginia [3] |
- Speech given by Mary Zella Simms at the 2nd annual Sims / Simms Reunion at Sewell Valley Baptist Church on Saturday, June 23, 2001
Since this is the Sims reunion I think we should show some special attention to Aunt Betty.
She had two children, Cecil and Mary to her former husband Mr. Harrah. After his death, she married uncle Wilson whom he and his wife, Lucy Osborne Simms had twelve. Then he and Aunt Betty had six. Can you imagine cooking and washing on the board for that many?
Aunt Betty and my mother, Octavia were very close friends. They visited real often.
Aunt Betty was a beautiful lady. She dressed nice, always wore her beads, and kept her hair done up.
She had a beautiful black saddle horse. I would be outside playing with my dog, Rowdy, and my cat grandma had given me, named Candy. I'd run in the house and say, "Mommy, I hear a horse coming; must be Aunt Betty." Well it would be her. Dad had cut a big round tall stump from a tree they called their style block, which was placed at the front gate for horse riders to step on when they came visiting.
Aunt Betty would slip off her sidesaddle onto the big block; throw the reins over the gatepost. Then she and mom would really enjoy talking and eating apple pie and sweet cakes, which my mother kept made.
Some years later, Aunt Betty had a bad sick spell. Her daughter Mary worked at the Pioneer Hotel. She asked me to go out there and help with the work and make a kettle of apple butter. Rosa Cox came and helped me. I liked her very much. The girls had gotten married and left Woodrow, who would come in from the fields for his dinner. I worked all summer. Mary paid me $2 a week. I was around 14 or 15 years old. I worked all summer. I'd walk home late in the evening; run part of the way because it was getting dark.
I can picture in my mind just where the furniture sat. Don't ever forget Aunt Betty.
Also Cuma and Bertha Sims were very special friends.
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| Burial |
4 Apr 1948 |
Clintonville, Greenbrier County, WV [3] |
| Person ID |
I749 |
Crane Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
2 Feb 2020 |
| Father |
Nathan Alderson Duncan, b. 1 Jan 1837, Greenbrier County, VA d. 26 Mar 1906, Grassy Meadows, Greenbrier County, WV (Age 69 years) |
| Mother |
Mary Margaret Patterson, b. 14 Feb 1834, Virginia d. 14 Jul 1917, Grassy Meadows, Greenbrier County, WV (Age 83 years) |
| Marriage |
14 Jun 1866 |
Greenbrier County, WV |
| Family ID |
F2929 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 1 |
Wilson Hannah Fox Sims, b. 17 Oct 1856, Sims Mountain, Greenbrier County, WV d. 16 Jan 1941, Rainelle, Greenbrier County, WV (Age 84 years) |
| Marriage |
6 Apr 1904 [4] |
MARRIAGE CONTRACT
This Contract made and entered into on this 2nd day of April 1904 between W. H. Sims of the county of Greenbrier and State of West Virginia of the first part and Mrs. Bettie Harrah of county and State aforesaid of the second part. Witnesseth that the aforesaid parties contemplating matrimony do make this contract before entering into the marriage bonds, which is as follows:
First the party of the first part agrees to mary [sic] the party of the second part and provide a support for her as long as the party of the second part is his wife or widow provided she remains at his home, and agrees to support and keep her two children that she now has, and school them until they are of lawful age provided they remain with him and are reasonably respectful to him, that he is [to] furnish the same support and same advantages of school that he furnishes his own children, and on same terms party of second part is to remove what personal property she now owns to the home of the party of the first part there to be used as the property of both parties.
Second, it is expressly agreed to and understood, by and between the parties that the party of second part is to have no part in the division of the real or personal estate of the party of the second part such as the laws of the State of West Virginia give to a wife in case of the death of her husband, but the herein before mentioned support is all she is to get and that only on the conditions hereinbefore mentioned and it is further expressly understood and agreed to by the parties that party of the first part is not responsible for any debts now owing or due to any person from party of second part, nor responsible for any debts contracted by party of second part after marriage with the party of first part, except as may be here after agreed to, by the parties, and it is further understood that any money derived from the sale of any real estate now owned by
party of second part is to remain her sole and separate property to do so as she pleases with.
In witness whereof the parties have signed their names and affixed their seals.
W. H. Sims. {SEAL}
Bettie Harrah {SEAL}
State of West Virginia; County of Greenbrier S.S. I, Z. A. Sandige, a Notary Public in and for the county and State aforesaid do verify that W. H. Sims and Bettie Harrah whose names are signed to the writing above bearing date on the 2nd day of April 1904 have this day acknowledged the same before me in my said county.
Given under my hand this 2nd day of April 1904.
{signed} Z. A. Sandige N. P.
Greenbrier County Court Clerks Office April 18, 1904. This contract was on this day presented in this office and thereupon together with the certificate thereto annexed admitted to record. Testi A. B. Buster, Clerk
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| Children |
| | 1. Myrtle Gertrude Sims, b. 9 Jun 1905, Rainelle, Greenbrier County, WV d. 4 Jun 1986, Beckley, Raleigh County, WV (Age 80 years) |
| | 2. Margaret Pearl Sims, b. 27 Nov 1907, Greenbrier County, WV d. 15 Jan 1990 (Age 82 years) |
| | 3. Alma Jean Sims, b. 17 Nov 1908, Greenbrier County, WV |
| | 4. West Virginia Sims, b. 10 May 1909, Rainelle, Greenbrier County, WV d. 20 Dec 1985, Mary Washington Hospital (Age 76 years) |
| | 5. Easta Elma Sims, b. Cal 1910, West Virginia |
| | 6. Nathan A. Sims, b. 4 Nov 1912, Sims Mountain, Greenbrier County, WV d. 8 Nov 1912 (Age 0 years) |
| | 7. Woodrow Wilson Sims, b. 27 Oct 1913, West Virginia d. 7 Nov 1984 (Age 71 years) |
| | 8. Baby Boy Sims |
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| Family ID |
F206 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
21 Nov 2019 |
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| Sources |
- [S773] David Theron Yates, Duncan Family Group Record, (Private Corresspondence), 11 Jun 2006 (Reliability: 2).
- [S182] 1920 U.S. Census, Greenbrier County, 3.
- [S158] Warren Hunter, Kay Hunter, Troy Hunter, Et. Al., Greenbrier County Cemeteries - Meadow Bluff District, (© 22 Dec 1998), 5014.
- [S113] A. Simms to D. Benelli, 17 Aug 1999, 38.
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