Jesse Clay Hornick - 12-003

     Jesse Clay Hornick is the son of Squire Bosworth and Melvina (Myers) Hornick of Randolph County, West Virginia. He is also the husband of Willah (White) Hornick, the daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Summerfield) White of Randolph County, West Virginia. See the previous post for Willah.

     Jesse's death came almost six years after Willah's and under just as sad of circumstances. His final days were apparently spent without finances. Jesse is buried at the Walnut Crest Cemetery (originally called the Preston County, Poor Farm) in Kingwood, West Virginia. Poor farms were government run facilities, many time operating farms, where those with no job or means of support could live and work.

     The property is is now owned by the Preston County School District. Preston High School and Central Preston Middle School have been built on the property. The complete complex is along Preston Drive off of Route 26, in Kingwood, West Virginia. Just after you turn onto Preston Drive, a monument to those buried there is on the left along the road. The burial ground is located just behind the monument. Flat concrete markers designate many of the graves there and the markers have a number stamped into the concrete or are marked with an aluminum plate stamped "Unknown". The stamped numbers are listed with the name on the monument plaque. Other names listed without numbers are known to be buried there but the exact grave is unknown. Jesse Clay is in one of those "Unknown" graves.

Monument

Name Plaque

Burial field looking from the left toward the right.

Burial field looking from the right toward the left.

 Numbered concrete marker. This one belongs to an Arthur Mitchell
according to the plaque.

"Unknown" concrete marker.

Jesse Clay Death Certificate
Preston County
Kingwood District
Howesville, West Virginia
Birth: Mar. 30, 1885
Death: Dec. 8, 1941
Burial: Walnut Crest Lodge on Dec. 11, 1941

     Howesville, WV is located a couple miles south of the Walnut Crest Cemetery location on Route 26. It is unknown if he lived in Howesville and was buried at Walnut Crest or if he lived on the farm at the time of his death. The death certificate does not specifically say.
     One final interesting note on both Jesse and Willah's death certificate, is that the time of death on both is at 7:30 AM on the date of their death.

Willah E. (White) Hornick - 12-002

     Willah E. (White) Hornick is the daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Summerfield) White of Randolph County, West Virginia. She is also the wife of Jesse Clay Hornick, son of Squire Bosworth and Melvina (Myers) Hornick of Randolph County, West Virginia.

     It seems that the bad economical conditions of the depression era took their tole on Jesse and Willah. While searching for their burial sites, the sad reality of their life was found.

     Willah is buried at the East Oak Grove Cemetery in Morgantown, West Virginia. As seen in the records below, Willah's grave has no marker. The record further states that her burial was a "Charity", meaning there was no money and the government picked up the tab. Further, she was buried in a simple wooden box.

     A section of the cemetery was dedicated for these "Charity" burials that were not marked.

     Further details of the burial are included with the below photos.

     See Jesse Clay Hornick in the next post.

East Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance
1291 Dorsey Avenue
Morgantown, West Virginia 26501

This mausoleum seen here sits at the top of the hill in the center of the cemetery. This view is from the back side of the hill, looking up. The "Potters Field" of burials is above and to the right of the three closest stones.

The area is above and to the right of this large three forked tree.

This is a partial view of the burial area. The exact spot of her burial is unknown.

The burial record was found in "Burial Book 1929-1939"

Page 138, February 1936. Record #4.

Blow-up of record. It reads as follows:

Feb. 19 Mrs. Wiliah Hornick age 43

East end of Row H, old singles, Box, Charity

Grave #1   Davidson Bros.

Willah Hornick Death Certificate

Monongalia, County, West Virginia

Birth: May 12, 1892

Death: February 17, 1936

Age: 43 years, 9 months, 5 days

Burial: February 19, 1936 at E.O. Grove