Newsletter - Cosmopolitan
GAINERSARE LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!!!
Introduction
I have been attemptingto locate and tie into ourfamily tree Gainers whereverthey may be.I have hadmany very pleasantconversations, these pastfour years or so, with Gainersfrom across our great country.I might add I have not hadany unpleasant contacts atall.My research has beenboth enjoyable andinformative.The contactshave emanated from a varietyof sources, including leafingthrough the phone books inwhatever town I find myselfin.I have also received manyphone calls from Gainers, ordescendants of Gainers, allwith an interest in ourancestors.I have attemptedto share information withthem, and more often thannot, received more than Igave.The exchange ofinformation in search of yourroots is beyond value!Hopefully this newsletter willserve to facilitate anexchange mechanism that willhelp many of you who have asimilar interest in our familytree.Later in this newsletter Iwill share a few of mymeetings with Gainer kinfolkover the past few years andsome of the interesting tidbitsthat I have picked up.
Family Tree researchis much more than gatheringnumerical data on dates ofbirth, death, marriage, andother occurrences.It is alsoabout the personalaccomplishments, amusinganecdotes, and otherinformation that makes ourancestors more than a nameand a date of birth.Information about theirpersonalities,accomplishments, and howthey made a difference totheir children and theircommunities adds muchtounderstanding our family'spast.After all, we Gainershave been a moving force, inthis great State of WestVirginia, as well as in manyother states for more than twohundred years!So I ask eachand every one of you to takethe time to call, write, orotherwise convey to mestories and information aboutour Gainer ancestors anddescendants.I will try myvery best to put them in anewsletter and share themwith all.The address to sendthem to appears at the end ofthis newsletter.In additionwe can have a monthlysection of those searching forinformation on variousancestors and for those withinformation to contact you.Iam open to all suggestionsconcerning the content of thisnewsletter. Without furtherado let me share with yousome of people I have met inmy search and some of whatthey have told me:
Mr. Dee Bee Gainer
Nashville, Tennessee
12/8/1899 -2/21/1997
In 1992 I was inNashville attending a seminaron Outlaw Gangs, (If you'rewondering, I am a DeputyU.S. Marshal, I'll tell you alittle about myself later) mymind however, was thinkingof checking the phone bookto see if any Gainers mightlive in Nashville.Once backat the hotel a quick check ofthe telephone book did reveala few Gainers.The first one Isaw that caught my eye was"DEE B. GAINER" who waslocated in the local area at asmall town close to Nashvillenamed Madison, Tennessee.A call to Dee Bee's numberwas answered very quickly.Iadvised Dee Bee who I wasand where I was from.I toldDee Bee that I was searchingfor Gainers in an effort tocompile a comprehensivefamily tree to determine if weall had a common ancestor.Dee Bee sounded veryinterested in Gainer Familyhistory.In fact Dee Beequickly informed me he andhis family were originally fromMontrose, West Virginia, nearthe town of Elkins.It becameapparent that Dee Bee wasvery interested in talking withme further.I asked Dee Beeif I could come over to seehim or if he would like tocome over to my hotel room.Dee Bee checked with hisson, Tyrus "Ty", and advisedme that Ty would bring himover to my room for a visit.
Dee Bee was a veryvigorous and sturdy manapproximately 6 feet tall.Hewas well built and walkedwell.In fact, Dee Beeadvised he walked four or fivemiles each and every day!Not bad for a man of 92!When I asked Dee Bee whatwas the secret to his long lifeand good health, he repliedthat he ate oats and had abanana for breakfast eachmorning, drank eight glassesof water a day, and walkedfour or five miles each day.
Dellas "Del" Gainer
11/10/1886- 1/29/1947
As Dee Bee and Italked about his earlier yearsand work in the RandolphCounty, West Virginia area Iwas amazed at his memoryand his mental alertness!Noone would have guessed DeeBee to be 92 years old.Hecould easily have passed for75 or so. Dee talked about his15 or 16 years as a DeputySheriff in Randolph Countyand also mentioned that hehad a brother, "Del", DellasClinton Gainer, who hadplayed baseball in the MajorLeagues.Dee went on torelate that Del had played onthe Detroit Tigers and BostonRed Sox teams with the likesof relatively unknowns suchas Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb!A Gainer in professionalbaseball who had played withBabe Ruth and Ty Cobb!?Iwas really excited to hearmore.Dee went on to explainthat Del had played in theMajors for about 10 years.Delfinished his career withSt. Louis in 1922.Del wasthe 2nd oldest of eightchildren and was 13 yearsolder than the baby of thefamily, Dee Bee.I could tellthat Dee Bee was very proudof his big brother Del.Iremember being amazed thatsuch an important andinteresting Gainer had neverbeen known to me.
When Del finished hismajor league baseball career,he returned to West Virginia.In need of a job, his brotherDee told him of an openingfor a Deputy U.S. Marshalsjob in Judge Bakers court inWheeling.Dee had actuallybeen offered the job, buthaving a good job inRandolph County as a deputysheriff, and not wanting tomove, he recommended hisbrother Del.Del served as aDeputy U.S. Marshal inWheeling from 1935 to 1947.Del not only found a job inWheeling with Judge Baker,he also married PaulineAlberta Edwards, JudgeBaker's secretary.Del andPauline had one daughter,Barbara Ellen "Bobbi" Gainer.Bobbi Gainer Lindquistresides in Fort Collins,Colorado.
I'm very proud to saythat Dee and Del were myfourth cousins.
Look for more on thesetwo very interesting Gainersin future issues.
DEE & Del LINEAGE
Bryan K. Gainer, Sr.
Bryan K. Gainer, Jr.
George Washington Gainer
Daniel S. Gainer
Matthew Luther Gainer
Dee Bee and Dellas "Del"Clinton
In Search of:
Youtha Jean MaxwellDunlap, of Houston, Texas istrying to locate information onJohn Davidson born circa1837 and married to NancyHenrietta Robinson, 1834 -Apr. 18, 1911.John andNancy had two children,Elzara Jane and Sarah.Elzara was mine and Jean'sGrandmother.NancyHenrietta Robinson latermarried Francis C. Gainer onAugust 15, 1869.Francis andNancy had two children, Lloydand Myrtle.But Jean doesnot know what happened toJohn Davidson.Jean wouldlike to know how, when andwhere he died.
Anyone with information canwrite or call Jean.Hertelephone number is 281-876-0927.Jean's address is13110 Kuykendahl #503,Houston, Texas 77090.
Gainer Reunion
Starting at9:00 a.m.
Saturday, August 16, 1997
at "THE BARN" located at theBarbour County Fairgroundsbetween Belington andPhilippi, WVA
I, along with ClarenceFrederick "Fred'" Gainer, hadthe pleasure of attending thisreunion last year on the samedate and at the samelocation.Folks, it was great!!There was probably close to200 Gainer relatives anddescendants in attendancelast year!The reunion wasextremely well organized withgames, cake walks, raffles,etc.The food upheld the besttraditions of the GainerFamily!Fred and I were mosthonored to have been able toattend and meet lots of newGainer relatives.I wouldstrongly encourage thoseable to work it into theirschedule to mark "August 16,1997" on their calendar!Please bring a covered dishand any crafts you would liketo donate for the raffles orprizes.For more informationyou can contact RaenelGainer Forsythe at 757-934-2957 or Rena Gainer BoothFekete at 412-221-6318.
John DavidGainer
I would like to tell you alittle about myself.I was bornon October 5, 1950 inGlenville, West Virginia, theson of Francis Ivan "Frank"Gainer and Della PaughGainer.I graduated fromGlenville High School in 1968and briefly attended GlenvilleState College in the fall of1968.I joined the U.S. Navyin 1970 and spent six years inthe Navy.Upon mydischarge in 1976 I became adeputy sheriff in WoodCounty, WVA.In 1977 Ijoined the WVA State Policeand was a State Trooper until1983 when I became a deputyU.S. marshal.I am divorced andhave three daughters;Julianna "Julie" age 16,Melissa "Missy" age 14, andHeather age 10.I work and live inCharleston, WVA.
You may contact me atthe following telephonenumbers and address: 138Candlewyck Drive, Hurricane,WVA 25526-8811.My worknumber is 304-347-5136 andmy home number is 304-757-1380.For those of you withcomputers andInternetaccess my E-mail address is Marshaljon@aol.com.
If there are enoughinterested people who havecomputers and are online, wemay be able to start a GainerHomepage on the Internet.This would be one of theeasiest ways to shareinformation and keepeveryone updated onreunions and other familynews.If you have E-mailaddresses please let meknow and we will have asection in each newsletter forthem.
Again, write or call andlet me know of importantdates.If you're interested inreceiving this newsletter sendme your name and address.Eventually there will be anominal charge to help defraythe cost of paper andpostage.I will try and keepthe cost as low as possible asI am not interested in turninga profit.Feel free to copy thisnewsletter and distribute it toanyone interested.
Please send yourarticles, suggestions, andquestions.
HAPPY EASTER TO YOUALL
JohnD. Gainer