Karl Dewey Myers (1899 - 1951)

Born 12 Feb 1899 in Moore, Tucker, West Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Died 4 Dec 1951 at age 52 in Randolph, West Virginia, United States

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Biography

Karl Myers is Notable.

Karl Dewey Myers (1899–1951) was an American poet known during his lifetime for his portrayal of rural Appalachia.

He was born in Tucker County with a twisted body and legs so severely deformed that he wasn’t expected to survive. Because of this he was never able to walk and never weighed more than 60 pounds. Due to his disabilities the local school denied him entrance so he taught himself thru persistent study.

His writing, beginning at the age of 16, was inspired by Elizabethan writers and Edgar Allen Poe but his early work suffered from rejection. Karl was eventually published, among other magazines and newspapers, in the West Virginia Review where he would later serve as assistant editor.

Governor Howard Mason Gore appointed him West Virginia’s first poet laureate in 1927, a position he held until 1937 when he was succeeded by Roy Lee Harmon.

In his later years Karl was in and out of nursing homes and died in 1951 from complications of alcoholism.

His works of poetry were compiled in two collections, The Quick Years in 1927 and Cross and Crown in 1951.

Research Notes

• All sources state birth date of 12 Feb 1899 except one: Draft Documentation (the image is not available).

Sources

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9Z6-C2Y : accessed 14 May 2023), Dewey Myres in household of Dock Mryes, Black Fork district (Hendricks & Parsons towns), Tucker, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 134, sheet 2B, family 439, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,773.

• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN2H-VBZ : 4 February 2021), Dewey Myers in entry for Benjamin F Myers, 1920.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMC4-ZV1 : accessed 14 May 2023), Dewey Myers in household of B F Myers, Hendricks, Tucker, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2, sheet 2A, line 38, family 33, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2555; FHL microfilm 2,342,289.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K78M-SXS : 8 January 2021), Carl D Myers in household of Hersel Myers, Black Fork Magisterial District, Tucker, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 47-2, sheet 1A, line 12, family 3, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4448.

• "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:6FQW-JLQX : Sun Jan 29 12:52:16 UTC 2023), Entry for Robert J Smith and Grace M Smith, 8 April 1950.

See Also:

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8QW-YKL : 24 December 2021), Karl Dewey Myers, 1917-1918.

• "West Virginia, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2CY-V2S3 : 3 March 2020), Karl Dewey Myers, 16 Feb 1942; from records extracted by FamilySearch and images digitized by Ancestry citing Parsons, Tucker, West Virginia, United States, "Draft Registration Cards for West Virginia, 10/16/1940 – 3/31/1947, "NAID 2658141. Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975, RG 147. National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.

• "West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9QM-HMJ : 11 February 2018), Karl Dewey Myers, 1951; citing Randolph, County Records, , county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 808,242.

• "West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NMHX-9MZ : 10 March 2018), Karl Dewey Myers, 04 Dec 1951; citing Randolph, West Virginia, County Records, 16319, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 1,984,249.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82079464/karl-dewey-myers: accessed 14 May 2023), memorial page for Karl Dewey Myers (2 Feb 1899–4 Dec 1951), Find a Grave Memorial ID 82079464, citing Elkins Memorial Gardens, Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia, USA

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Dewey_Myers

• Wikidata: Item Q117756464, en:Wikipedia

• https://www.register-herald.com/news/life/west-virginia-week-in-review---feb-6-12/article_c0e2a9b2-fbeb-59a0-a0af-8ecb63bff849.html

• https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1545

• https://www.fayettetribune.com/news/local_news/finding-dewey-the-search-for-west-virginia-s-first-poet-laureate/article_d33f7831-44b0-514c-9653-fd4385a91b6f.html