52 Ancestors Week 1: In the Beginning

From Amy Johnson Crow: This week’s theme is “In the Beginning.”  Who was the first person you wanted to find when you started your genealogy journey? 

My Uncle Drex was the family historian on my mom's side. This was back in the days before computers and Post-it notes. Before he passed away, he gave me the notes he had left—most of them were lost during moves with his last wife—and asked that I carry on the family genealogy. I smile as I remember his deep voice saying those words. He had a rich, resonant voice and sang in the family band.

I completely adored him. 

He had the biggest smile and gave the best hugs whenever he saw you. 

He is also the one that gave me my very secret nickname that only my West Virginia family used:  Sawnee.  A combination of my name Saundra and Niece.  

It makes sense that he was the family historian. His deep sense of place and uncontainable love for West Virginia shaped much of who he was. He graduated high school in Walkersville, West Virginia, and soon after, he joined the U.S. Air Force. 

Uncle Drex was closest in age to my mom, Edie, and together they became their parents' biggest helpers on the farm and with their younger siblings. He was deeply religious and was baptized in the Mighty Elk River in Webster County, West Virginia. Later in life, he answered the call to ministry and became a minister.

After basic training for the US Air Force, he was stationed in Alaska for six years as a radio technician.  Almost as far away from his beloved State as he could get. 

After his time in the Air Force, Uncle Drex became a long-haul truck driver, a career he pursued for decades. He was well-known on the road by his CB call sign, "Wolfman."

One of my most cherished childhood memories is when he let me climb up in his Big Rig and pull the rope to make the truck horn blare, loudly.  Yes, my brothers were so jealous.

When he wasn’t driving across the country for work, he would visit family and cousins throughout West Virginia. These visits were more than genealogical pursuits; they were joyful occasions filled with great conversations, often accompanied by a slice of cake or pie and a cup of coffee. He would ask questions, confirm timelines, and work to solve family mysteries, all in his pursuit of documenting our family history.

Uncle Drex was meticulous in his efforts. He would call relatives and visit them door-to-door, ensuring the accuracy of his genealogy records. Thanks to his diligence and passion, many of the Kings of Braxton, Webster, and Lewis Counties, as well as the Bonners of Webster County, and other relatives who first came to the United States, are now well-documented through Drexell's surviving handwritten notes.

Learn more about his remarkable work and see if you are related or connected to My Uncle Drex by visiting his profile at WikiTree.com.