The Descendants of Isaac Monroe Spiker & Catherine Bradford Spiker

Wayne Stuzik recently sent me this picture of Isaac & Catherine Spiker’s family.  The names are printed on the back.  (Click any of the images below to view them full-size.)

Melanie Fouse immediately recognized it as one she had framed in a scrapbook page a few years ago.  I thought this was a good time to re-share the family photo with visitors to the Spiker Family Gathering Place.

As often happens when looking at old family pictures, the “story-telling” of one person’s history leads to another.  So when Melanie started talking about Catherine, she provided this additional interesting fact.

“Catherine Bradford was the daughter of Jacob Bradford who was killed in the civil war and buried somewhere in the Cloyd’s Mountain area of southwestern Virginia,” Melanie said.  “He was in Company F of the 14th WV Infantry and fought for the side of the Union.  Jacob was captured by the enemies and died of wounds suffered at their hands in the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain, May 1864. 

“It is unknown where his actual body lies at rest but a memorial stone was erected next to Catherine’s grave by Jacob’s great-grandson, Bradford Zinn Spiker.”  (Click here to view a history, maps and photos of the area where the Civil War battle took place.)     

This photo was taken when Melanie, Cathy Gregis and Dean Spiker went “grave hunting” in July 2007.  You can read more about their “adventure” in the previous Gazette article titled “Family Records Tombstone Etchings.”

What other interesting facts will our “story-telling” lead to?

Announcements

• Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley – Many of you do not regularly visit our Message Board so I thought I’d share a recent posting with you here. Edna Snavely wrote: “Thank you Spiker Family. I took my nephews to (the Spiker) bull ride and they loved it. So did I and I brought about 20 friends and family from Ritchie and Tyler County. We all loved it and can’t wait until next year.”

• Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley – Congratulations to Jonelle Spiker-Swiger. She was the Grand Prize winner in WV Living Magazine’s second annual photo contest.

• Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley – Barbara Thrush successfully surprised husband Ryan with a 40th Birthday Bash. Check out this pic of the “old man”.