Virginia (Chaney) Norris (1885 - 1937)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Virginia Chaney

Virginia Chaney was born May 30, 1885 in Estill County, KY, to Wilson Chaney and Permelia "Mollie" Abney.^[1] She was the oldest daughter among the family's eight children. As of 1910, when she was 24, they lived in Slade, Powell County, Kentucky.^[2]

Virgie's ring

Virginia married Tom Norris Sr. in Frankfort, KY on June 26, 1912. ^[3] The Lexington Herald reported that Virgie "lived with a relative, Mrs. Henry Lawson, in South Paris, and the groom is an engineer in the employ of the Louisville and Nashville railway company, The young couple will reside in Paris."

Virgie gave birth to an unnamed stillborn son in 1913, and had her first living child, son Thomas Norris Jr on Sept 1, 1915.

Virginia enjoyed visiting with her Kentucky family. On 22 Oct 1908, when she was 23, she made the society page of the Winchester News, which noted under the subhead "Mouth of Four Mile" (an area of Winchester), that " Miss Virginia Chaney, of Natural Bridge, is visiting her aunt, Mrs. Will Christopher." Mrs. Christopher^[4], the former Allie or Alley Griggs Abney, was her mother Permelia "Mollie" Abney Chaney's sister.

Virginia and son Thomas Joseph Norris Jr held by his Aunt Lona

On Friday, 29 March 1918 Virginia, now a wife and mother, appeared in the social pages of the Bourbon News, which reported that "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Norris have returned from a visit to Mr. and Mrs. John Elkin in Winchester." ^[5] Mrs. Elkin was her cousin, formerly Emma Lou Christopher, the daughter of her aunt Allie Griggs Abney Christopher. ^{[6] [7]}

Again on 23 April 1918 the Bourbon paper reported that Virginia and her son - presumably 2-year-old Tom Jr - had returned to Paris, KY after visiting Mrs. O. E. Billeter in Winchester, KY. ^{[8] [9]} Mrs. Billiter was Virginia's cousin Harriet Blanton Christopher, sister of Emma Lou Christopher, another daughter of her aunt Allie Griggs Abney Christopher. ^[10]

Virgie's own family grew with the birth of her second son, Edward Lee, on Sept. 1924 in Paris, Bourbon, KY.

Ed, Virgie and Tom Jr in a garden

Virgie, second from left, with family in Nashville

Tom Sr was a railroad engineer with the L&N, so it was likely by rail that the couple and their sons traveled to Nashville, TN in 1931. There they visited Tom Sr's aunt Margaret Norris Powers and family. Photos capture them visiting Centennial Park, home of a replica Parthenon, lakes and gardens.

Virginia died 21 Sep 1937 at the age of 50 at home in Irvine, Estill County, KY. She was buried at Winchester Cemetery, Winchester County, Clark, KY. [12] ^{[11] [12]}

• Fact: Residence (1920) Livingston, Rockcastle, Kentucky, United States
• Fact: Residence (1930) Winchester, Clark, Kentucky, United States
• Fact: Burial (1937) Winchester Cemetery, Winchester, Clark, Kentucky, United States of America

Sources

1. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVT-BNJY : 11 July 2016), Virginia Chaney Norris, 1937; Burial, Winchester, Clark, Kentucky, United States of America, Winchester Cemetery; citing record ID 25035874, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M26R-YZM : accessed 4 November 2019), Vergil Chainey in household of Wilson Chainey, Slade, Powell, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 187, sheet 7B, family 135, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 500; FHL microfilm 1,374,513.
3. ↑ Lexington Herald, Volume 41, Issue 180 Page 2
4. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91S-W9CG-R?i=325
5. ↑ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069873/1918-03-29/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&index=8&rows=20&words=Norris+Virginia&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Kentucky&date2=1963&proxtext=%22virginia+norris%22&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
6. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9SJ-8TXZ?i=493&cc=1804888&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQ2Q6-Y1CZ
7. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1222/KYVR_7020659-0558?pid=710673&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1222%26h%3D710673%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DPcf1223%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Pcf1223&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.18587327.721198698.1564343554-1332235983.1552858053
8. ↑ Bourbon News, April 23, 1918, page 3 image 3, online Chronicling America
9. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91S-W9CZ-1?i=326&cc=1804888&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQ2D4-4717
10. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/LK31-DBY
11. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YK-ZSCP-6?i=843&cc=1417491
12. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #84949795

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 19 August 2019, 01:56), entry for Virginia Chaney(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L62X-785); contributed by various users.