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Also found the Melungeon Roots of Jesse Bunch and Ellen Williams
My name is Elizabeth Bunch Smiddy, and I live in Campbell
County. My great-grandparents, Henry and Maggie Melinda Wilder Harris
Bunch moved to Lone Mtn. about 1905-07, give or take a year or two. My
grandfather, James Carson Bunch and his younger brother Samuel David Bunch were
born there, and I was told that Gr.Grandpa Henry played the organ in a church
there, or was the song leader or something. He could play and musical
instrument he picked up. I wish I knew where they lived there and if the
site is now covered up by the lake.
Henry Bunch's sister was Doshie Cann Bunch Runions, who was Harvey Runions's
wife. I have heard about Uncle Harvey and his son Albert making and
selling cedar chests and furniture all my life, but had never seen a
piece. Thank you so much for posting that picture. If you
ever run onto a piece that is not sentimental to you, would you please let me
know if it happens to be for sale. I would just love to have a
small piece that Uncle Harvey made. I don't have any pictures of
him or their children, but do have a good one of his wife, my Aunt Doshie Bunch
Runions with two of her children. I was told they lived in a settlement
in old Tazewell called the Matt Young settlement, which I don't know where that
was. I would love to know more about them and Lone Mtn. or find some old
pictures with Doshie's brother, and my gr.grandfather, Henry Bunch and his
family in them. I looked at the picture of the old Lone Mtn. school, but
couldn't recognize any of my relatives. Henry Bunch was originally from
Newman's Ridge in Hancock County and moved to Lone Mtn. when they were logging
over there. I believe that my grandfather, James Carson Bunch's two older
siblings, Robert and Ella Mae Bunch were either born in Howard's Quarter,
Newman's Ridge or Snake Hollow. I believe their births were before Henry
and Maggie Bunch moved to Lone Mtn., since my Daddy, Billy A. Bunch (retired
Captain, Tennessee Highway Patrol) told me that only his daddy (James Carson
Bunch) and his Uncle Sam were born in Lone Mtn. They all moved to Darwin,
VA in 1917.
I am still fascinated about Uncle Harvey and Aunt Doshie (most people called
her Cann, which must have been a nickname). Daddy said he remembered visiting
them in Tazewell one time and watching Uncle Harvey make those chests and other
furniture. I wonder if any of their children are still living,
or any of the childrens' children, in the Tazewell area. I would love to
find old pictures of all of them. So you see, I have connections to both
Lone Mtn. and old Tazewell through my Bunch family. I can't find out much
about them, my gramps was very shut mouth for some reason, and I didn't
even know he was born in Lone Mtn. until after he died and my Daddy told me.
I hope I haven't bored you silly, but I have been searching for my Bunch family
for years, with very little luck. I was just thrilled to see a chest
made by Aunt Doshie Bunch Runion's husband and would also like to
know who the Yoakum was. (The Yoakum was the son of William "Bill" Yoakum and Martha Jane Burdine.) I never heard of anyone but Uncle Harvey making
furniture. Please keep a lookout for me for a small piece of his or
any old pictures of the Henry Bunch or Harvey Runions family, or any
descendants you might know of. Thank you so much for your time in
reading this hodge-podge, but I got very excited in seeing the chest.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
(Libby) Bunch Smiddy - ebsmiddy@hotmail.com
Papaw Henry Bunch, who was Doshie or "Cann" Bunch
Runion's brother, and had moved to Darwin, VA years before, used to bring
one of his sons down to fish and visit with Uncle Harvey and Aunt Cann
Runions. Daddy would go up there and see them, but for some reason he
never took us. Maybe we were too young, but I was 9 years old when Papaw
Henry died and Aunt Cann died not long after he did. I told you they were
shut mouthed for some reason.
I don't recall Daddy mentioning Albert's chicken recipe. He just talked about Uncle Harvey and Albert making their cedar furniture. My gr.gr.grandmother, Ellen Williams Bunch lived with Uncle Harvey and Aunt Cann before they moved to Michigan for a while. She was Aunt Cann's mother. Aunt Cann's father was Jesse Bunch, who died of TB sometime before the 1900 census. Ellen Bunch worked as a servant in Harrogate for a Dr. Hamilton, as a servant in Middlesboro for a John Colton Dash and family (whose wife was a Collins), which is interesting, since Ellen Williams Bunch's mother was Trena Collins Williams from Snake Holler. She also is said to have worked for 2 days in a hotel in Middlesboro as a cook, until her brother Sam found out and went and got her. It was a house of ill repute and she did not know it. She said they were very nice to her!!! My cousin Mary Williams, who died last year, said it was the Goodlow Hotel. But I cannot find any mention of that particular hotel anywhere. I hope it was not the Majestic!!!!! LOL. Grandma Ellen Williams Bunch finally came back to Snake Holler and lived with her sons Sam and Lee (See the 1870 Hancock Census below. These may have been younger brothers)and their families until she died of a stroke in about 1928.
I would love to know more about all of Aunt Cann's and Uncle Harvey's
children. They had a whole house full of them. Surely
some of their descendants are still living and would have pictures and so
forth. I have posted on the the Claiborne County site for years, with
only one person answering. She was a daughter of one of Uncle Harvey's
brothers, who was a photographer and lived down around Sweetwater or close by
there somewhere. She remembered coming up to stay with Albert and his wife
and had very fond memories of her visits. She said Alberts's shop burned down
and he gave up making furniture. That must have been after Uncle Harvey
died. She told me she didn't have any pictures and I found that odd,
since her daddy, who was Uncle Harvey's brother, was a
photographer!!!
They said that when Aunt Cann died, Uncle Harvey kept her body in the
house for quite some time, and would just tell everyone that she was sick in
bed. They had been married over 60 years and he couldn't let her
go. They finally got her and buried her, and he lasted about 10 days
after that and died. I am sure he grieved himself to death over
her. They are both buried in the Liberty Cemetery with a couple of
their children who died young.
Daddy gave me my grandmother's recipe box and I will look and see if by chance
she might have gotten Albert's chicken Mix recipe. She was a wonderful
cook, and loved getting new recipes. If she could have talked him out of
it, she would have.
Well, I guess I've given you another "book" to chew on. Please,
let's keep in touch. We might be able to find some info from Lone Mtn. on
Henry and Maggie Bunch while they lived there from about 1907 to 1917, and on
his sister, Cann Bunch Runions too. Harvey and Cann have
got to have gr. or gr.gr. grandchildren still running around Tazewell, with as
many children as they had. Their son Gillus died in Toledo, Ohio in
the 60's. I do know that. He had a moving and storage
business. Apparently, he never came back to TN after they went to
Michigan. I never did know why Uncle Harvey moved all his family up
there, but they didn't stay too long before coming back to Tazewell. Take
care, and I'll look for the chicken mix recipe.
Sincerely,
Libby
I meant to say that the furniture factory was "behind" Bunch Motors
and a little past it, instead of behing!!!! I can't type
worth much apparently. Also my Daddy, Billy A. Bunch passed away on Aug.
6, 2002 and the TN Highway Patrol stood Honor Guard at the head and foot of his
casket for hours. They then had a ceremony the next day at the
cemetery. He is buried in Woodlawn here in LaFollette. I miss him
very much. He was really interested in his old Bunch family, but he
never knew much either. I am beginning to think they were all
serial killers or something!!!! Also, going to
Kingsport, I used to turn left at a little Dairy Queen or something to go over
Clinch Mtn. (that was an adventure, but since I was young I loved the curves!!)
Now they have made that bypass up the road. Was Uncle Harvey and Aunt
Doshie's house located in that area? Could you give me a landmark, even
one on the "old" road before the bypass to let me figure out where
their house was?
Libby
I forgot to
mention that Joyce Gibson Ramsey that is or was the President of the Hist.
Society in Claiborne County is my cousin. Her gr. grandmother,
Rachel Williams Gibson was my gr.gr. grandmother Ellen Williams Bunch's
sister. Rachel married Willie Gibson and Ellen married Jesse Bunch.
Joyce was married to Claude Ramsey, but they got a divorce a few years back.
There is also a Williams boy, or I should say man, that lives in Tazewell
and does construction or plumbing or something. He works a lot for Bill Fannon
on some of his rental houses. He is only in his late forties or early
fifties and his father was a brother to Ellen and Rachel Williams!!!! No
joke. He was the son of Lee and Ethel Eagle Williams. Lee was my
gr.gr.grandmother Ellen Williams Bunch's brother. I forget his name and
Bill was supposed to get him to call me, but I never got any
call. Lee did not get married until his mother, Trena Collins
Williams died and he was 50 years old. (This Sam is for sure the Sam who was 7 years old in the 1870 census and was a brother.) His wife was about 14 or 15, so
that is why they still have living children. Cousin Mary that I
told you about up on Wallen Ridge above Sycamore was his sister and she was
"old", and recently passed away. He also had a brother named
Carl Williams that lived with Mary. Carl's wife also lived there and her name
is Sharon. Carl passed away about 2 years ago of lung cancer.
Cousin Joyce Gibson Ramsey took me to their house and Mary took one look at me
and said "You look just like your gr.gr.grandmother
Ellen." I about fainted. But anyway there is a huge age
difference between those children. They also have a sister named Rose, I
think, who is married to Hubert Buchannon and lives down
Sycamore. I just thought that might help in the
hunt.
Libby
I have found a database
on Rootsweb that lists Wesley Williams and Trina Collins as the father of Ellen
Williams. They list three siblings:
Hillary Williams, Leander “Lee” Williams and Rachel Williams. The 1870 Hancock County Census, District 9, Mulberry Gap, lists this family as Malatto. Then in the 1880 Hancock County Census District 9, the father Wesley has died and the mother Trena Collins Williams is living with six children. Ellen is 22 and has not married. She has two younger brother's, Samuel age 7, and Lee age 6, which you may have mistaken as her sons.
This means that I think I might have found the family of Jesse Bunch who evidently didn't marry Ellen Williams till after 1880.
These two census:
1870 Hancock and 1860 Hawkins have listed a Jesse Bunch that has moved with his mother from Hawkins to Hancock County and although is a year younger than Ellen Williams would make him a likely candidate for Jesse Bunch who married Ellen Williams.
Leander Williams
marriage Ethel Eagle
Children:
Mary Williams
Velba Williams
Ruby Williams
BUNCH Doshie Cann 15 Dec
1886 Jan 1964 Harvey RUNIONS
Doshie Cann Bunch was born Dec. 15, 1886, Hancock Co., TN, the daughter of
Jesse Bunch and Ellen Williams Bunch. She had three brothers, all born in
Sneedville, Hancock County, TN, they were Henry (my gr.grandfather), Wesley and
Clay Bunch. She married Harvey Runions abt. 1900 in Claiborne County, TN.
They lived in the Matt Young Settlement in Tazewell and Harvey manufactured
cedar furniture. They spent a few years in Monroe, Mich., before coming back to
Tazewell, sometime in the 1930's. I know that Gillis stayed in Michigan, I
believe all the other children came back to Tazewell with their parents. All of
the children were born in Claiborne County, except possibly the two youngest. I
am not sure about them, but I don't think Harvey and Doshie stayed too long in
Michigan.
Their children:
1. Gillis Runions b. 9-7-1901 d. Jan. 1969 in Toledo, OH
2. Eva Runions b. 10-23-1904 d. 1-19-1916, buried in
Liberty Cemetery, Claiborne Co., TN
3. Albert Runions b. 12-24-1904
d. 5-25-1991
4. Ellen b. Oct. 1909 d. ? (may have married Neal H.
Fultz b. 11-17-1907 d. 12-29-1953, buried Tazewell
5. Maggie Runions b.1913
6. Evelyn (Ethel) Runions b.1916
7. Delta Runions b.July 1917
8. Grover Runions b. 11-12-1919 d. 12-21-1920, buried
Liberty Cemetery, Claiborne Co., TN.
9. Ruth Runions b. 1922
10. Edith Runions b. 1924
Doshie Cann Bunch Runions died January 2, 1964, in Tazewell, Claiborne Co.,
TN, her husband Harvey Runions died January 18, 1964, also in Tazewell. They
and two of their children, Eva and Grover are all buried in the Liberty
Cemetery, Claiborne County, TN. I would like to find descendants of this
couple, who might have marriage and death information on the children, or pictures
of Uncle Harvey and Aunt Cann and their children. My great-grandfather, Henry
Bunch was Doshie's brother.
Elizabeth Bunch Smiddy
Campbell County, TN
MARY ETTA9 ROSENBALM (JEFFERSON DAVIS8, LOUISA7 HURST, WILLIAM H.6, HIRAM5, THOMAS4, JOHN[ MILLCREEK]3, JOHN2, HENRY1) was born April 01, 1920 in Tazewell, Claiborne, Tennessee. She married ALBERT RUNIONS October 21, 1935 in Middlesboro, Bell, Kentucky. ALBERT RUNIONS was born 24 DEC 1904 in Tazewell, Claiborne, Tennessee..
Child of Mary Rosenbalm and Albert Runions is:
i. ANNA MARIE10 RUNIONS, b. June 30, 1937, Tazewell, Claiborne, Tennessee; m. NORMAN HOTHAM, Abt 1955, Tennessee
1910 Claiborne County Census: (scan of census)
Harvey Runions – age 30
Cann Bunch Runions – age 25
Gillis Runions – age 8
Eva Runions – age 5
Albert Runions – age 4
Ellen Runions - age 6/12
Bunch, Henry – age 29
(scan of census)
(see census page 2).
Bunch, Maggie – age 25
Bunch, Robert – age 8
Bunch, Eva M. – age 5
Bunch, Carson – age 3
If you’re a member of Ancestry.com and need Runion/Runyons information on this line I suggest you contact the member below. He has the Claiborne Runions family information back from Harvey Runions -> Ewin (1855-1939) -> George W. (1812-1906) ->Hezekiah K. (1787-1821) -> John (1765-1848) -> John (1739-1830). A subscription may not be needed, search for Member Name.
Member Name bobritarunyon
Gender Male
Age Group 60+
Education --
Employment Retired
I am unable to locate Jesse, father, Clay or Wesley, brothers, of Henry Bunch, born ca. 1881 in any of the census records.
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