Person Page - 8

     Robert Going Lanphier II was born on 30 Dec 1796. He was the son of Robert Going Lanphier I and Elizabeth 'Betsey' Sears. Robert Going Lanphier II died on 25 Aug 1798 at Alexandria, Virginia, at age 1.

     Dan Howell Ruddy was born in 1929. He married Clara Lewis Winslett, daughter of Henry Dillard Winslett and Amanda 'Mandy' Ola Weathers, on 23 Jun 1950 at First Baptist Church, Montevallo, Shelby Co, Alabama. Dan Howell Ruddy and Clara Lewis Winslett were divorced. Dan Howell Ruddy died in 2018.

     Sharon Lynn Ruddy is the daughter of Dan Howell Ruddy and Clara Lewis Winslett. Sharon Lynn Ruddy married Lawrence James Robertson a 1984.

     Trisha Karon Ruddy is the daughter of Dan Howell Ruddy and Clara Lewis Winslett. Trisha Karon Ruddy married Robert O'Neal Davis II a 1980.

     Sarah Ann Southall was born in 1821 at Henrico Co, Virginia. She was the daughter of Turner Southall and Mary 'Polly' Christian. Sarah Ann Southall married Oscar Fitzallen Weisiger I, son of Jacob W. Weisiger and Elizabeth Mills, on 26 Dec 1839 at Henrico Co, Virginia. Sarah Ann Southall died on 1 Apr 1862. She was buried on 3 Apr 1862 at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

      Sarah Southall died with the birth of her eleventh child and is buried with her husband in section M, lot 36 of Hollywood Cemetary.

     Marston D. Shell was born c 1784. He was the son of Stephen Shell and Susan D. (Unknown). Marston D. Shell married Frances "Fanny" (Unknown) c 1806. Marston D. Shell died c 1816 at Charles City Co, Virginia.

      Marston D. Shell of Charles City Co, VA is judged the most likely of the men in his family to be George D. Shell's father. Largely due to the use of the Marston surname in Marston Shell's name, and the proximity of his residence to Stephen Shell's home, it was concluded Marston was the son of Stephen and Susan D. Shell. However, there is no proof Fanny Shell, the woman deemed to be George Shell's mother, and Marston Shell married or lived together because key records were destroyed by Union troops during the Civil War.

Marston's birth year was established as circa 1784 because in 1805 and 1806 he appeared on the Charles City Co personal property tax list, a list on which all men are included once they are age 21. He was not on the personal property tax list in any Virginia county after 1806, indicating that he was away for for employment and military service. In 1807, the same year George was born, Marston served in Christian's 52nd Regiment of the Virginia Militia. In 1810 Fanny Shell moved at least temporarily to New Kent Co, VA with George. Marston was also not accounted for in the 1810 census when he would have been about age 27. However, the New Kent Co personal property tax records for 1800 to 1811 show no Shells listed except Fanny; this means Marston never lived in New Kent Co. Marston also served a short stint of about three months with the 52nd Regiment during the War of 1812, which lasted from 1812 until 1815, and was discharged as a private apparently without seeing action.

Marston died after completing his war service and the probate of his estate was delayed until his widow likely died shortly after. Marston's meager estate was sold 29 May 1816 and was recorded 16 Aug 1816 in Charles City Co; included in the sale were a walnut table, pine table, spinning wheel, five rush bottom chairs, curtained bedstead, two pine chests, two iron pots with hooks, pot rack, tea kettle, pair of sad irons, pair of fire irons, pair of tongs and shovel, mortar and pestle, two candlesticks and snuffers, six soup plates, two teapots, tea cannister, sugar dish, cream pot, set of cups and saucers, bowl, mustard pot, five knives and forks, knife box, lantern, flesh fork (large, long-handled fork), pewter dish, wire sieve, stone jug, old case, two syringes and a musket. Marston's estate included no tools or farming implements, so any such items may have already been taken by his brother William or father Stephen. Clearly a woman was living in the household because of the presence of the two sad irons and the spinning wheel, which as a prized possession would have already been bartered or sold if Fanny or some other woman was not living there. Marston's widow did not purchase anything at the sale and so she was presumed to have died.

Marston's estate was sold to nine buyers from the Shell - Vaiden - Southall neighborhood, including Sally Holdsworth, John M. Gregory, Robert Holdcraft, David Blanks, Mary Blanks, John Edloe, William L. Shell, Jacob Vaiden and Furnea Southall; the particular buyers help pinpoint the location of Marston's home. Furnea Southall's plantation bordered the Vaidens' Poplar Springs plantation. Stephen Shell's property was located further up The Glebe Lane and bordered on the Glebe adjacent another property also owned by the Vaidens.

Another neighboring land owner was William Douglass who owned 5 acres and died in 1827. Marston's mother Susan D. Shell could have been Susan Douglass before she married; thus Marston's name may have been Marston Douglass Shell and his son may have been George Douglass Shell, especially because George used the name Douglass for one of his children's middle names. Marston D. could also have been so named because either his mother or a grandparent were from the Marston family.

     Frances "Fanny" (Unknown) was born c 1784 at Virginia. She married Marston D. Shell, son of Stephen Shell and Susan D. (Unknown), c 1806. Frances "Fanny" (Unknown) died b 1817.

      Frances "Fanny" Shell is postulated to be the mother of George D. Shell because she was the only known Shell with a young son in the Tidewater Virginia counties' census records, and George Shell thought he was born in New Kent Co, VA where Fanny was living in 1810 with a male child of his then age. Where Fanny was from is unknown. Fanny may have been born a Shell or married a Shell. That Fanny was born in New Kent Co or the neighboring Charles City Co is a possibility because she was living in New Kent Do the time of the 1810 census.

That Fanny could have been an indentured servant is also possible.

Fanny Shell was possibly unmarried, especially given that she had no apparent extended family. Fanny appears from no where, which is one of the characteristics of servants who complete their indentureship, although the Civil War contributed to record destruction in that geographical area. It is unlikely she was a pregnant indentured servant because New Kent and Charles City counties considered illegitimate children economic drains and were quick to extend indentureships and fine the mother in court; the bastardy court records are extant and Fanny Shell is not in the records.

Fanny could be the daughter of Stephen and Susan Shell of the adjacent Charles City Co. However, if she were their daughter Fanny would have likely remained living with her parents in Charles City Co if she had a child rather than living on her own in the neighboring New Kent Co. Fanny could also have married into the Shell family as a daughter of a neighbor to the Shells, which included the Douglass, Southall, Vaiden and Timberlakes families; however, again if that were the case and she left the Shell household she wold likely have moved back with her birth family.

Fanny was named as Frances based on a note written by her granddaughter Florence George Shell inside the book Records of New Kent Co, VA, volume one, DAR, Washington DC 1938. Fanny was estimated to have been born about 1794, thus she would have been allowed to marry in about 1805 at age 21 without parental permission. By 1807 her child George was born. Fanny was living in New Kent Co by 1810, although between 1800 and 1809 there were no Shells in New Kent Co personal property tax lists (listing all men age 21 and above) or on the slave lists. Fanny was listed as head of household in the census with one male less than age eleven who could be her son George, one female between age ten to sixteen who could be a daughter or other relative, and herself between age twenty-six and forty-four. Fanny was on the 1811 New Kent Co personal property tax list with one slave. Why Fanny lived alone in New Kent Co is a mystery. Marston Shell of the neighboring county was of the age to be her husband; Marston's absence from any the Tidewater Virginia counties' tax or census lists indicates he was working somewhere else. Among the options of why a woman might have moved to and lived in New Kent Co for at least two years are:
-- she needed work and was possibly referred for employment to the well-to-do New Kent Co Southall and/or Douglass families by her neighbors the Charles City Co Southall and/or Douglass families. Charles Christian's daughters, Mary Southall and Elizabeth [likely] Douglass of New Kent Co, had several young children the same age as Fanny's child noted on the census.
-- life with Marston and/or Stephen Shell was too difficult and she moved away.
-- she moved to New Kent Co to care for the unknown ten to sixteen year old female who was living with her in the 1810 census.

What became of Fanny is unknown but there are several possibilities. If Fanny was the wife of Marston Shell of Charles City Co, most likely by 1816 when Marston Shell's estate sold and Fanny did not purchase anything, she was likely deceased, and her young son George had been taken to Richmond to an orphanage or apprenticeship. This aligns with George Shell's report he arrived in Richmond as a young boy. By the 1820 census when no Shells were listed in New Kent Co, Fanny had either died, married, or already returned to Charles City Co where she could have lived either in Marston's or her father-in-law Stephen Shell's home. Stephen Shell was enumerated on the 1820 census, and the number and general age range in his household could potentially have included everyone living at Fanny's home in New Kent Co in 1810: two women, a youth and a slave. If Fanny was still alive in 1820, she could have remarried and used a different surname, but this also does not explain why her son would not have been living with her.

Of note, in the published 1850 New Kent Co, VA census records, Fanny's granddaughter Florence George Shell marked Ratcliff and Crump families, both being old New Kent Co families who had taverns listed in the census as if those names, families or taverns meant something to her. According to historian Judy Ledbetter, William Ratcliff was a Methodist minister who was mentioned in diaries of itinerant Methodist ministers. He was married several times. Ratcliff's tavern was located to the east of New Kent Courthouse and is shown on some Revolutionary War maps. "Tavern" was used in the census to indicate all the persons listed as a household who were living at the tavern -- so there are some boarders included with the family. Beverly Parke Crump was operating a tavern known as Howle's Tavern and was married to Ann Lewis Howle. Beverly was the son of Benedict Crump and his second wife Susannah Parke. Benedict's children by his first and second wives were: Christian, Lucy, Mary, Havilah, Caty Brown, John Parke, Abner, Beverly, Benedict and Susanna who married George P. Crump. Because Fanny's granddaughter Florence George Shell marked the only two taverns identified in that census, perhaps the information Florence knew about her grandmother related to a tavern and she was trying to find a family connection. Of note, George was a very common name in the Crump family in case George Shell was the son of one of the Crump men.

; also if she were married to a Shell, one of her husband's brothers may have married a New Kent Co woman because of records in that county.
The possibility Fanny was an indentured servant is bolstered by the lack of atDNA matches of this line, which could also be circumstantial evidence given that she was noted on the 1810 census with only two others in the household.

     George D. Shell was born on 15 Aug 1807 at Charles City Co, Virginia. He was the son of Marston D. Shell and Frances "Fanny" (Unknown). George D. Shell married Virginia Mansfield Watkins, daughter of Mansfield Watkins and Mary "Polly" Redd Wills, on 16 Jan 1832 at Richmond, Virginia. George D. Shell married Rebecca Hunt Southall, daughter of Turner Southall and Mary 'Polly' Christian, on 20 Dec 1836 at Richmond, Virginia.⁴ George D. Shell died on 28 Sep 1863 at Richmond, Virginia, at age 56. He was buried at Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

      The early life and lineage of George D. Shell is shrouded in mystery. George is one of three direct line ancestors who appeared to purposefully leave no records of his parents -- hence his parents' names were not included in his bible, but his wife's parents were included. Primary records where the Shells were from in Charles City and New Kent counties in Virginia were destroyed during the Civil War, so there were no birth, marriage or death records available. Conclusions regarding George's parents most likely being Marston and Fanny Shell were reached through exhaustive research and analysis of Shell deeds, estate inventories, and tax and census records by myself and Judith Ledbetter, a Charles City Co, VA historian. The conclusions reached were the best attainable in 2015 with available information.

According to family tradition George was born in New Kent Co, VA and was taken to Richmond, VA when a young boy. George was not likely born in New Kent Co in 1807 because all men age 21 and above were listed on the personal property list and there were no Shells listed on any New Kent Co records until Fanny Shell was included in the 1810 census there. George was most likely born in Charles City Co, VA because that was where a number of Shell families lived.

The man estimated to have been his father died shortly after George was born, so George likely would not have remembered him. His mother was not noted in any records after 1811, and his father's estate was inventoried in 1816, which may have been the time of his mother's death.

The phrasing George "was taken to Richmond" was key in deciding George was likely orphaned or apprenticed as a carpenter, his lifetime trade, in Richmond as a youth. Neither his grandfather or father had carpentry tools in their estate, thus George may have been apprenticed to a carpenter in his youth. Poor orphans had no guardian because they had no estate with which to be concerned and were bound out to learn a trade. Transportation from Charles City Co to Richmond was provided by regular steamboat service along the James River beginning in 1815, but even before then boats plied the river. At the time of the 1850 census, the first census providing greater detail, George was living next door to an orphanage; because he was living in the same Richmond district in 1840, George may have also lived next to the orphanage even earlier and may have lived in the orphanage as a youth.

George did not use his middle name, so it is cloaked in mystery. In his bible and all of his public records -- marriages, censuses and city directories -- George only used th letter D for his middle name. The people believed to have been George's father and grandmother also just used the middle initial D. Although any naming convention was possible, families often used family last names as middle names. George's presumed parents lived by the Douglass family and his grandmother possibly was a Douglass from that family. George's first two children were given the middle name Douglass, although George's wife Rebecca Hunt Southall also likely had Douglasses intermarried into her ancestry two generations before her birth.

Family tradition was George's middle name was Delawarr. His daughter Florence George Shell wrote a short family history document in which she said his name was George De la Warr Shell, a middle name that seems quite elegant for his very poor initial upbringings with his parents and grandparents. His granddaughter Ella Virginia August Perry included Delawarr as a middle name in the two surviving notes she wrote about George, although that may have been copied from her step-mother Florence's document. Delawarr was also added to George's birth entry in his bible in a different hand after all the other entries were completed and Delaware was put on him tombstone. The family of lord and baron De La Warrs, who served as governors and deputy governors of Virginia beginning in 1610, were actually surnamed West and traveled in circles far removed from the Shells, but George's parents could have named him after the political leadership. As yet there were no identified families in Virginia when George was born using Delaware as a surname. In Charles City Co, VA a large percentage of the 1850 census, after George had died, were mulatto and the only person with "Deleware" noted as a given name was a mulatto man born in 1832 who was living in the John Bowman home. The 1926 Felix Delaware Southall death certificate in Shepherds, VA was for a white man born 18 Dec 1844 to Albert Southall and Ms. Thomas. In this researcher's opinion, Douglass or another name is more likely George's middle name than De la Warr.

On 11 Aug 1831 in Henrico Co, VA George D. Shell provided the surety and attested to the ages of both the bride and groom and the residence of the bride when John B. Glazebrook married Mrs. Eliza White. Given that George was only about age 24 and because he knew of the widow Eliza's residence and age, it is possible that Eliza was a relative.

George applied for a marriage bond to marry Virginia Watkins on 16 Jan 1832. He applied for a bond to marry Rebecca Southall on Tuesday, 20 Dec 1836, and George and Rebecca were married by Rev. J. Waller that same day, noted in the account as George D. Shell to Miss Rebecca H. Southall, all of Richmond.

By the time of the detailed 1840 census in Ward 3, Richmond City, George appeared to be doing well because he has seven people in his household engaged in manufacturing or trade. He and his new bride Rebecca were living with eight others: three unknown males age 10 - 29 who are likely apprentices; three male slaves age 10 - 54; and two female slaves age 10 - 54 -- possibly the same two who appear later on the 1850 slave schedule with George.

George worked as a carpenter during 1850, owned 5,000 (dollars?) in real estate and lived next door to an orphanage in Richmond, Henrico County. On the 25 Nov 1850 Slave Schedule for Richmond, Henrico Co, VA he was listed with three female black slaves ages 80, 25 and 10; it is unclear why the slaves did not appear on the 1850 census. On the same Slave Schedule living neaby is an owner listed as "Ellis ana Shell" with two male slaves -- one black age 40 and one mulatto age 19; the owner's "ana" is written lower case and has a circle drawn around the letters as if it could even be "Ellis and Shell." This household could possibly have been Samuel Ellis and his wife Mary Southall; Samuel was the guardian for George's wife Rebecca Southall at the time of her mariage and doubtless Ellis was used as the middle name for one of George and Rebecca's children because of the close relationship.

In 1855 George had a fire insurance policy on property he owned in Richmond, VA and by 1858 he was carrying two such policies on property he owned. By the time of the 1860 census, Kate Brinne age 23 a servant from Ireland and Chas Free age 14 a carpenter's apprentice from Virginia were also living in the home with the Shell family. In 1860 George was still working as a carpenter and the next door orphanage had become the St Paul's Parish School with the orphanage children still living there. A collection of Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms delineates George, so he was apparently assisting the Conferates with supplies or services at his death.

In her diary written as an adult, George's daughter Gertrude recounts her happy childhood growing up with him: "... the dead dear face of my father that always wore a smile, the voice so cheerful, the step so manly, and the noble heart so full of the love of Jesus that everybody felt it who approached him, just like the flowers feel the sunshine and catch new life and beauty from its presence."

George's large portrait done about 1855 is in the possession of William Lewis Benson who also owns George's family bible.

Of interest in regard to our Shell and their intermarried Southall and Christian families of Charles City Co was how George Shell's daughter Florence George Shell (1856-1945) annotated the New Kent Co, VA censuses. New Kent Co and Charles City Co were adjoining. In a hard copy of the 1810 census based on family notes, Florence marked the woman presumed to be her grandmother, Fanny Shell and wrote "Frances" next to the entry; she annotated the census that Frances had an old prayer book.

In a hardcopy of the 1850 census Florence marked two families both old New Kent Co families running taverns in the county in 1850 -- Radcliffe and Crump -- which may have had connections to Fanny, to the Shells, or to Florence's mother's Southall family or Christian family. Florence may even have marked them because of a relationship to the August - Wood family of Richmond because her husband Benjamin August was second cousin twice removed to Hunter Wood Beadles who married Mamie Foster Crump.

In the 1850 census Florence also annotated the Harriet Radcliff family which included Eliz. B. Marston age 64 in residence. Although all family members names in the household were marked on the census, particularly interesting was a Marston because George's mother Frances evidently married Marston Shell as analysis showed Marston Shell was likely George Shell's father. Given that Eliz. Marston was born ~1786 and therefore was contemporary to Frances Shell born ~1784 whose maiden name was unknown, perhaps Frances and this Eliz Marston were sisters or cousins. Eliz Marston would be the right age to be Harriet P. Ratcliffe's or her possibly deceased husband's mother. Further the younger Harriet Ratcliffe was born ~1808 making her contemporary to Florence's father George Shell born ~1807. Geo. T. Ratcliffe may not have been the first-born male because Harriet was young enough that other children could have proceeded Cornelia, but if Geo. T. was the first male, Harriet's husband could have been a George Ratcliffe; perhaps the given name George came from this family and was then used for George Shell. Finally, Ratcliffe's tavern was located to the east of New Kent Courthouse and was shown on some Revolutionary War maps; it would have provided a socialization center in this rural county. For more details on the Radcliffes in the 1850 census see the biography of Charles Christian.

Interestingly Florence did not mark these Marstons and Ratcliffes: Household 204 Dr. Geo Morriss, a doctor with no real estate living with Mary F. Marston, 16, and Wm. W. Marston, 13; Household 242 Wm. Ratcliffe, 62, farmer, $900 and his family Mary A. 52, Lucy A. 20, Martha A. 18, Judith W. 16, Wm. T. 13; and Household 265 Lydia Ratcliff [no e] 52, Adeline 32, Nancy 21.

In a hardcopy of the 1850 New Kent Co, VA census Florence annotated each of the following people in one household where everyone was born in Virginia. The many other Crump households were not marked. Household 524 Tavern: Beverly Crump 39, farming, value of real estate 734; Oliver M. Chandler 29, farming [boarder]; John B. Dandridge, 31, none [boarder]; Ann L. Crump 27; Margaret H. Crump 5; Eliz. P. Crump 2; Matthew J. Harden 21, mail carrier [boarder]. Beverly Crump was born ~1811, contemporary to our George Shell born ~1807. Beverly Crump, Bartholomew Dandridge and Robert and John H. Christian were presiding judges in the 1818 court review for Richard Baker's pension. Beverly Parke Crump apparently operated a tavern known as Howle's Tavern and was married to Ann Lewis Howle. Beverly was the son of Benedict Crump and his second wife Susannah Parke. Benedict's children by first and second wives were: Christian, Lucy, Mary, Havilah, Caty Brown, John Parke, Abner, Beverly, Benedict and Susanna (who married George P. Crump.)

Key is that hand written at the top of this census transcription page is: “ "Marables" - mentioned in old prayer book belonging to Frances Shell.” This indicates Frances Shell was likely Florence's family member for Florence to have direct knowledge of her prayer book. This comment about Marables on the page with the Crump family may link the Crumps to Fanny in some way. Because “Marables” is in quotes in the writing, it may be an estate rather than a family name; no Marable families were in these two New Kent Co censuses. Marable is not a New Kent Co name; more likely it refers to a house or name in Charles City Co. A Charles Marrable of Charles City Co wrote a will in 1776 naming his wife Ann, three daughters (Amy Drinkard, Agnes Collier and Martha Major), a brother (Henry Hartwell Major) and sons (Edward, William, Benjamin, Hartwell, John, George and Abraham.)

Florence also marked another name in the 1850 census perhaps related to the Shells, although this person was living next door to several Christian families who may have been related to Florence. There were eight members in the family of Wm. R. C. Douglas, a farmer whose real estate was valued at 10,000: Wm R. C. Douglas 40; Lucy A. 37; Wm Walter 16; Henry T. 12; Eliz. Joan 10, Mary 8, Lucy A. 5, John B. 1. Florence marked only John B. Douglas age one who, if he survived, would have been seven years older than Florence Shell, ie the closest Douglas in age to Florence in that family in that census. George Shell named two children with Douglass as a middle name, including his daughter Mary Douglass Shell, born two years before the Mary Douglas in this 1850 census. Of note Stephen Shell, likely George's grandfather, in Charles City Co lived next to a Douglas family which likely had connections to other Douglas families in New Kent Co.


Detailed sources:

--"Records of New Kent County Virginia: US Census for 1810; US Census for 1850; and Abstracts of the Application Papers of Revolutionary Pensioners of New Kent Co, VA," Volume One, Collected and Published by the Martha Washington Chapter DAR, Washington DC, 1938; inscribed on the cover "Florence George Shell Auguste, 1938.
--Richmond Courier and Daily Compiler, Richmond, VA, p. 3, c. 1, 24 Dec 1836; Henley Marriage & Obituary Database (Shell-Southall marriage)
--Marriage Bonds of Henrico Co, VA 1782-1853, Glazebrook-White, 11 Aug 1831, http://interactive.ancestry.com/49242/FLHG_MarrHenricoCnty-0070/65627?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return&rc=1390,2698,1494,2722.

     Edmund Memoria Scarburgh was born c 1683. She was the daughter of COL Edmund Scarburgh III and Elizabeth Mitchell.

     Virginia Mansfield Watkins was born on 24 Jul 1807. She was the daughter of Mansfield Watkins and Mary "Polly" Redd Wills.² Virginia Mansfield Watkins married George D. Shell, son of Marston D. Shell and Frances "Fanny" (Unknown), on 16 Jan 1832 at Richmond, Virginia. Virginia Mansfield Watkins died on 5 Oct 1834 at age 27. She was buried at Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

      The 1810 New Kent Co, VA census shows a D. John Watkins with seven people living in his household; it is not known if this family might be related to Virginia Watkins.

     Rebecca Hunt Southall was born on 16 Oct 1817 at Richmond, Virginia. She was the daughter of Turner Southall and Mary 'Polly' Christian. Rebecca Hunt Southall married George D. Shell, son of Marston D. Shell and Frances "Fanny" (Unknown), on 20 Dec 1836 at Richmond, Virginia.⁴ Rebecca Hunt Southall died on 6 Dec 1891 at age 74. She was buried at Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

      Rebecca Hunt Southall was the subject of a remarkable story relayed to her great granddaughter Ella Virginia Auguste. Rebecca's mother Mary "was paying a call on horseback [apparently at Westover] when the horse shied, ran away and threw Rebecca, who was a young baby, into the bushes. Rebecca was apparently dead, and they started to bury her when she came to life."

Because her father had died, Rebecca was the ward of her brother-in-law Samuel Ellis at the time of her marriage. She was noted as the widow of George D. Shell in the Richmond City directories beginning in 1869 and 1870 as boarding at 621 North 8th Street and then from 1881 to 1892 as living at 411 West Main Street. Her daughters Mary and Ella Virginia are also listed at the latter address as being teachers at the Madison School. In 1877 Rebecca H. Shell was listed as the widow of G. D. Shell in the Richmond, VA City Directory and her daughters Mary and Ella Virginia were at the same 411 West Main Street address.

Rebecca's parents Turner Southall and Mary Christian are known based on family records and land deeds.

Rebecca provided her youngest daughter Florence Shell pieces of family history which were written down, apparently by Florence, including information about families with the name of about Barrett, Taylor, Diuguid and Christian:
--Rebecca was named after Hunt Christian (possibily an uncle) who was the father of Dr. Christian.
--Rebecca had a cousin named Polly Barrett who became ill because of "lacing;" Rebecca's great, great grandmother in the Christian family was Edith Barrett and her grandfather may have married Elizabeth Barrett.
--Rebecca Hunt Southall also spoke of a cousin or aunt Betsy Diuguid. [Note: Researching the Diuguid line to find a Betsy Diuguid produced five women so named by birth or marriage. The most likely candidate was Mary Elizabeth Christian, daughter of William who was probably the son of John Christian. She was from near Richmond and married George Diuguid in 1819 moving shortly after to Kentucky and then to Lynchburg, VA where she died in 1852. This woman would be Rebecca's second cousin.]
--President John Tyler spoke of Rebecca's daughter Mary as his cousin, and Rebecca considered President Tyler's wife Letitia Christian her cousin.
--Rebecca had a cousin named Martha Taylor in Surrey Co, VA. [Note: William H. A. Southall appied for a Richmond, VA marriage bond in 1845 to marry Martha A. E. Taylor, ward of George A. W. Taylor; this may be Rebecca Southall's Taylor cousin.]
--Another apparent relation was Rebecca Henry (the intent of this particular family note was unclear.) [Note: A Henry married a Shell in Charles City Co, VA in 1869.]
--There were likely Douglas relatives given that Rebecca and George used Douglass as the middle name for two of their children.

According to the Berry-Hunter research, which corrected the conclusions of John Christian Lamb published in the 1901 William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Hunt, Taylor, Douglas and Diuguid relations all exist among the descendants of John Christian (died 1765), son of Charles Christian (circa 1670-1760) who was the son of the immigrant Thomas (circa 1635-1694). Rebecca's mother was Mary Christian, and this John Christian line provides Rebecca a cousin once removed, Hunt Christian who was the father of Dr. Christian, after whom she could have been named; Taylor and Douglas cousins; and two aunt Diuguids. This link would also explain my great grandmother's close connection to the Christian family home named Cedar Grove in New Kent Co, VA where Letitia Christian was born and married.

Rebecca's four daughters were likely impacted by the marriage squeeze following the Civil War when there were few appropriate eligible men for marriage; two daughters never married and two daughters married the same man -- thirty years apart.

     James Douglass Shell was born on 16 Aug 1838 at Richmond, Virginia. He was the son of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall. James Douglass Shell died on 13 Oct 1839 at age 1.

     Mary 'Molly' Douglass Shell was born on 2 Aug 1840. She was the daughter of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall. Mary 'Molly' Douglass Shell died on 24 May 1897 at Richmond, Virginia, at age 56.

      Mary Douglass Shell was called "little cousin" by President John Tyler, husband of Letitia Christian, when he met her. Mary was a teacher who was listed in the Richmond, VA city directory as late as 1889.

     Ella Virginia Shell was born on 16 Jan 1844. She was the daughter of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall. Ella Virginia Shell died on 29 Mar 1894 at age 50.

      Ella Virginia Shell was a teacher listed as late as 1889 in the Richmond, VA city directory.

     Gertrude Ellis Shell was born on 9 Oct 1846 at Richmond, Virginia. She was the daughter of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall. Gertrude Ellis Shell married Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August, son of MAJ Albert Nicholas August and Virginia E. Wood, on 5 Aug 1869 at Richmond, Virginia.^5,3 Gertrude Ellis Shell died on 18 Apr 1899 at Richmond, Virginia, at age 52. She was buried on 20 Apr 1899 at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

      Gertrude Ellis Shell tried to conceal her middle name, which she disliked; Ellis was her mother's brother-in-law's last name and was a very popular first name in the Shell family among immigrants born at the turn of the 20th century. Gertrude and Benjamin were married by Rev. Bishop Doggett.

When Gertrude's daughter Ella was born in 1870, the Richmond, Henrico Co, VA census that year showed Gertrude's husband as Berry T. August living alone with E. Virginia age 2 months and a black woman Martha White, age 28, likely employed to care for Ella and the household. Where Gertrude was at that time is not known; she may have been with her mother; in some type of rehabilitative care or with her cousins the Oscar Weisiger family, with whom Gertrude, Benjamin and their children were living in 1873.

Gertrude kept a diary from 19 Aug 1873 until 26 Sep 1880 in Richmond, VA for the expressed purpose of keeping "a record of my life, which shall be as a link between me and my children should it please God to take me before they be old enough to know me." She wanted to also leave information for her children that would help them be better people some day. Later, rereading her preface, Gertrude acknowledged she had not recorded events but used the diary "as an outlet for my feelings and yet it is such a comfort to me."

The diary from almost the beginning was a chronicle of Gertrude's continuous struggle with her deeping depression – perhaps postpartum depression or an addiction – that made it very hard to live her life each day. "What is it that thus depresses me? Is it the possibliity of approaching death? The future of my darlings should I be called away [die]? Or is it my load of sin?" Some days she also dealt with anxiety; "I so often find myself, as it were, unconsciously worried and borne down by apprehensions...." As she spiraled downward primarily from depression but also from weakness and illness, perhaps because of pregnancy and/or related to drugs used to treat her, it was a wonder how she cared for her children.

Clearly Gertrude was badly depressed and ill but could she also have been suffering from drug addiction? The post-Civil War population had a large addiction problem. Laudanum, used in the post-war period for menstrual cramps by respectable white women, contained approximately 10% powdered opium. Her seven-year long diary describes deepening depression, anxiety, an inability to function on a daily basis, and a lack of friends. When the 1870 census occurred Gertrude, who had had a baby 2 months earlier, was absent from the household, and she was absent again for 3 months in 1878. Yet there is no evidence to show Gertrude's issues included addiction.

A continuous theme in Gertrude's diary was her faith in God and how unworthly, shameful and sinful she was. There was no indication Gertrude was raised in an excessively religious home, yet many passages sounded like she was repeating sermons rather than a young woman's thoughts. After church one day she reported “I was sitting in the very same place where my dear, dear father sat for so many years and I recalled his face, just as I had seen it so many times while he worchiped God in this sanctuary, so full of joy....”

A distant second theme was her all encompassing love for her treasured children, her anxiety when they were ill and her utter dispair when her 11 month old son died. She mentioned several times she loved her husband Ben, most especially when he was away from home for a few days; “... how little do I feel like myself without him.”

As the diary began Gertrude, her husband and their small children Ella and Thomas were residing for two years with her first cousins, Oscar F. Weisiger junior and his family, which was revealed based on her later account of a Weisiger child's death. As her family grew, Ben and Gertrude moved to “half a house” and by April 1877, they were moving into a single family home. She lived at 210 West Main St, Richmond, VA until her death, but it is unknown if she moved to this location in 1877 or later.

Gertrude reported specific data on the deaths of other family members such as “the great grandfather of my children, Philip August aged 85 years” and his namesake son. She recounted the sudden death of little Russell Weisiger on 10 Feb 1875; “for two years this dear child had lived under the same roof with me, played with my children, mingled with us as one family, and in fact became so dear to me that he was only second to my own children … the aching hearts of his mother and father....” Gertrude reported Ben's youngest sister, Virginia “Birdie” August died young from yellow fever.

As much as she loved her children, increduously Gertrude never mentioned her pregnancies; “Next was the visit of a little stranger, a precious baby boy on the 19th of June 1874 … More work, more responsibility, more cares and trials, and more happiness too because I have more to love.” Although this was her third child, over the summer she obsessed baby Albert would die. “Another precious boy is mine to work for, to be anxious about, and to love; born on the 17th of Sept [1875] and named Malcom Douglas.” There was never mention of any relatives helping her at home; in hindsight she was often likely coping with morning sickness and exhaustion.

On her 27th birthday Gertrude noted how vividly she recalled her happy, sunny childhood and her father who died in 1863; ironically Gertrude never mentioned her mother who was still alive other than to say her daughter Ella was visiting with her mother one time. Her following birthday she said “I wonder if very many women 28 years of age whose outer circumstances are as favorable as mine, have suffered as I have.” Her daughter and older son had scarlet fever in 1874.

As early as Sep 1873 Gertrude reported she was suffering from neuralgia, a stabbing, burning, and often quite severe pain that occurs due to a damaged nerve most commonly located in the face and neck. After that attack, on doctor's orders her sisters took her one-year-old son with them to wean him; ironically that resulted in Gertrude getting pregnant again and ultimately falling into deeper dispair. In Jan 1874 Gertrude reported she was ill. “I sometimes think I will never be any better.” In Mar 1875 she reported “I have lived with great discomfort; crowded and with very poor arrangements for getting on smoothly, and thus and (as is often the case than not) being sick all the time have really made me feel unable to do anything but imperative duties.” She was pregnant at that time.

In the summer of 1876 all her children had whooping cough and her new baby Malcom was thin and weak. She believed she might break down before they got well. Sadly she reported Malcom's death in Aug 1876. After that point her mental state appeared to spiral downward. In Jan 1877 she could not believe she would ever get to heaven; “I am continuoully bowed down under a sense of sin.” “... I am a poor Christian, a poor wife, and a poor mother. … I wonder if the spells of depression that we are told that Martin Luther was subject to were any more fearful than mine. … The struggle that goes on to keep up any degree of cheerfulness is almost continuous. I suspect my health has a good deal to do with it because I am certainly not well and very weak. I sometimes feel everything is growing dark and uncertain about me....”

In Jan 1878 she spent three days listening to an evangelist. On 6 Mar 1878 she attended Moore Memorial Chapel for Ash Wednesday services by Rev Gibson, likely Rev Robert Gibson who served as assistant to Rev. Joshua Peterkin at St. James Episcopal Church in Richmond from 1872 to 1878, although it could have been Robert's father Rev. Churchill J. Gibson, the founder of Grace Protestant Episcopal Church of Petersburg. Later that week on 10 Mar 1877 she attended services at her church, St James Church, where she heard Rev. Gibson again after which she said "I do live under an abiding sense of my constant unworthiness, ay [sic] more of my deep sinfulness."

Finally on 1 May 1878 Gertrude reported she and her children were getting ready to go to the country to Avon Hill. It was the first time she left home since her marriage. "I certainly do need something, and hope that this will do me good. I am not well and I feel that I cannot remain in this state, but will grow worse if I do not improve somewhat." "I shall be delighted if I gain strength enough to enable me to perform my duties more fully and more heartily.” On 17 May she reported “... I have been very much depressed...."

During this period she did not report the birth of a child, although it was likely she had been or was pregnant again because of her childbirth pattern. Possibly she could have had a surviving child during this time either right before she left for Avon Hill or after her arrival there; in 1930 her son Thomas P. August was noted living in New York with his family and John W. August age 51, noted by the census taker as Thomas' brother, although no living decendants in 2019 knew of a son named John.

Gertrude arrived on about 12 Jun 1878 at Mr. Lewis' 1,100 acre Avon Hill plantation in Nelson Co, VA on the Albemarle Co border, a lovely area on the banks of the James River. Avon Hill was built between 1810 and 1816 by the Lewis family, burned down, and was rebuilt on the same site; it remained in the Lewis family until it burned down again in the 1900s. In 1878 Avon Hill was owned by Zachariah Robert Lewis II who was born about 1853 in the county. When Gertrude stayed there Avon Hill was likely funtioning as a bed and breakfast more so than a sanatariam because all Lewis family documents refer to the property as a farm.

After about six weeks in residence Gertrude stated her health was much improved and she was particularly happy because her husband Ben was visiting. On 19 Aug 1878 Gertrude wrote "In two more weeks I shall be in my home again, I trust, and I hope better prepared for the duties of wife and mother by the long rest I have had from the daily cares of housekeeping." The next two weeks included the second anniversary of her baby boy's death. Gertrude stayed another three weeks at Avon Hill, whether because of her health or because she was dependent on transportion for herself and her children being available is unknown, and finally departed on 10 Sep after a three-month stay. "I shall go home refreshed and eager to begin the duties, which when I left, had become a burden."

The following year Gertrude appeared to be feeling and functioning much better. She said she was ill with chronic dispepsia [sic] or indigestion again for two months during the summer on 1879, but that was the only illness she reported, although it may again have been pregnancy related.

On 20 Aug 1879 Gertrude and her children and Gertrude's sister Ella stayed in the country at Mr. R. H. Lyne's "Fairview" in Orange Co, VA. In 2016 Fairview farm was for sale as 68 acres with a two-story, three-chimney antebellum home being restored at 16401 Grasty Lane, Orange, VA.

Her last entry in her diary was a little over a year later on 26 Sep 1880: "Where I thought I would write every day, this [diary] would show one the frailty and uncertainty of human plans did I not know it before." The positive note was she did not again call herself a failure or sinner for not writing more regularly.

Gertrude died almost two decades later perhaps from a stroke.⁶

     Elvira Clifford Shell was born on 8 Feb 1849. She was the daughter of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall. Elvira Clifford Shell died on 15 Mar 1849.

     Florence George 'Soncie' Shell was born on 24 Dec 1856. She was the daughter of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall. Florence George 'Soncie' Shell married Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August, son of MAJ Albert Nicholas August and Virginia E. Wood, on 16 Feb 1901 at Washington, District of Columbia.^1,3 Florence George 'Soncie' Shell died on 20 Nov 1945 at Washington, District of Columbia, at age 88. She was buried at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

      Florence George Shell was born over a decade after the previous child's birth but there is nothing in family lore to indicate Florence was not the daugther of GEorge and Rebecca Shell.

Florence was very interested in family history. Whenever she wrote or copied family historical data, she added the "e" that had been dropped at immigration to the August family name. Therefore, it is difficult to tell which family members used the "e" and which did not. However, it is definite that her brother-in-law who became her husband, Benjamin Tappan August, and his sons did not use it while his daughter did.

Florence lived at 2112 G St NW, Washington DC. She died from Parkinson's disease.

     Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August was born on 18 Dec 1846 at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was the son of MAJ Albert Nicholas August and Virginia E. Wood. Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August married Gertrude Ellis Shell, daughter of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall, on 5 Aug 1869 at Richmond, Virginia.^6,7 Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August married Florence George 'Soncie' Shell, daughter of George D. Shell and Rebecca Hunt Southall, on 16 Feb 1901 at Washington, District of Columbia.^6,7 Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August died on 9 Jan 1918 at Richmond, Virginia, at age 71. He was buried on 10 Jan 1918 at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

      Benjamin Tappan August was brought to Virginia from Vicksburg, Mississippi by his great uncle Col Thomas Pearson August after both of Benjamin's parents died and his siblings became scattered. He was married by Rev Bishop Doggett. Benjamin attended Monumental Church, Richmond, VA which was built as a memorial to the prominent families killed in a theater fire at that site. He took a position as law clerk in the law firm of his great uncle Thomas before becoming assistant to the court clerk, deputy court sergeant, and then messenger to the City Council. In 1877 when President Hayes visited Richmond, Benjamin was serving as the Sergeant-At-Arms, and thus because of his position, he was able to present his daughter Ella to the President and his wife.

In 1872 Bejamin was elected Secretary of Dove Lodge #51, Ancient and Free Accepted Masons, Richmond, VA which was chartered in 1850 with his great uncle, Col Thomas Pearson August as its master. He served as Secretary continuously for forty-six years. His success in that position was equalled by his record as City Clerk. An accurate, neat recorder and a prompt, efficient and courteous officer, he was a model Secretary and Mason.

Benjamin was first elected City Clerk 22 June 1885 and thereafter elected every two years for sixteen terms, serving until the day of his death. He attended every meeting of each Council branch and the joint sessions. No man would have dreamed of running against him nor did any councilman ever vote against him. He was efficient, capable and respected and held a high ambition to fulfill the public trust given him. His memory served as a heritage to government employees.

Benjamin purchased lot 74, section 15 in Hollywood Cemetery on 10 July 1899. At the time of his death he resided at 1802 Park Avenue, Richmond, VA.^1,2

     Thomas "Tom" Pearson August was born on 6 Jul 1872 at Richmond, Virginia. He was the son of Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August and Gertrude Ellis Shell. Thomas "Tom" Pearson August was christened on 4 Mar 1877 at Saint James Church, Richmond, Virginia. He married Helen 'Nelly' Cecilia Bowen, daughter of Ellen O'Brien, on 9 Sep 1901 at Church of the Transfiguration, New York, New York. Thomas "Tom" Pearson August died on 12 Jun 1938 at New York, New York, at age 65.

      Thomas Pearson August was christened by Rev Joshua Pelenkin. He worked for Travelers Insurance Company and lived at 167 East 82nd Street, New York, NY.

Nothing was known of the man living with the Thomas August family noted as Thomas' brother, John W. August, until John was found on the 1930 New York, NY census at age 51 (born circa 1879), single and working as a department store bookkeeper. As did Thomas, John reported he and his parents were born in Virginia. Before and after this census, John August was not found on other census documents. Thomas August's namesake grandson stated in 2017 to this researcher that he did not have a great uncle named John August, and a strong family tradition of the "four brothers" also supports John not being a brother.

If John was Thomas' brother, based on their mother Gertrude Shell August's extensive diary, John would have been born right before or when his mother went to the country for an extended rest in 1878 or during the vacation she took with her sister Ella in 1879. In such case John would have been raised by an unknown family because there was no indication he lived with his sister or brothers before the 1930 census; he was not mentioned in the diary nor was any other child of Gertrude's until after their birth. A number of John Augusts were living in New York, NY and Richmond, VA before and after the 1930s, but all were born well before 1879.

The census taker possibly mistakenly recorded John as the brother of Thomas instead of as the brother of Thomas' wife Helen, however Helen was born in 1879 making it doubtful John also born about 1879 was her brother. Helen was adopted and her Bowen birth and Barry adoptive families have not been successfully traced. Helen stated she was born in New York, adopted by an aunt, and her parents were born in Ireland, unlike where John's roots were from. No John is shown in her adoptive household in the 1900 census. There were a number of John Bowens and many John Barrys born in 1879 residing in New York before and after 1930, many of the latter with families which precluded their being a batchelor in 1930. Concerning the Bowens, a John Bowen age 40 was living with his sister Mary Bowen age 38 in Manhattan, New York, NY in 1920; he reported he and his father were born in New York and his mother in Ireland. Two John Bowens, age 45 were on the 1925 census; one stated he was born in Ireland and had been in the US for 20 years and the other stated he was American. A John Bowen born 12 Aug 1878 in Balieboro, Ireland was noted as age 63 and living in New York, NY with the Lannon family on his 1942 World War II draft registration; there was no indication he was married. The Barrys while more numerous were less promising; a possibly incapacitated John Barry who was single, unemployed, age 41 in 1920, born in New York with his father and his mother born in New York and New Jersey respectively, was the only adult on the census page unable to read and write; he was a boarder in the household of Meta C. Allen, along with married boarders John L. Barry age 40 and Mary C. Barry age 20. He may also be the John Barry, single, 61, born in New York about 1879 who was a patient at Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan, New York, NY in 1940.

     Helen 'Nelly' Cecilia Bowen was born on 1 Jul 1879 at New York, New York. She was the daughter of Ellen O'Brien. Helen 'Nelly' Cecilia Bowen married Thomas "Tom" Pearson August, son of Benjamin "Ben" Tappan August and Gertrude Ellis Shell, on 9 Sep 1901 at Church of the Transfiguration, New York, New York. Helen 'Nelly' Cecilia Bowen died on 26 Sep 1959 at New York, New York, at age 80.

      Helen "Nelly" Cecilia Bowen used the name Helen Barry when growing up because she was adopted by an aunt whose married name was Barry. Although also noted in family records as using the surname Bowen before her marriage, that name might have been a mispronunciation of her mother's surname O'Brien. Helen was married under the name Helen Barry at an Episcopal Church known as The Church Around the Corner; her marriage certificate states she was married at the Church of the Transfiguration. Helen's parents were noted as John Bany (likely John Barry, her apparent step-father) and Ellen O'Brien, possibly a prunciation of Bowen or vice versa on the marriage record. There were many Helen and Ellen and Helen Cecelia Barrys lived in New York, and the closest match in all aspects including time and moving out into her marital home was a Helen who clearly was not this woman.

     Margaret Pearson August was born on 7 Aug 1902 at New York, New York. She was the daughter of Thomas "Tom" Pearson August and Helen 'Nelly' Cecilia Bowen. Margaret Pearson August married Thomas Conway Maginnis, son of Thomas Doane (?) Maginnis and Valentine Conway, on 7 Jul 1930. Margaret Pearson August died on 14 Oct 2000 at New York, New York, at age 98.

     Thomas Tappan August was born on 15 Mar 1906 at New York, New York. He was the son of Thomas "Tom" Pearson August and Helen 'Nelly' Cecilia Bowen. Thomas Tappan August married Mary E. Mulhurn a 1936. Thomas Tappan August died in 1966.

     Nancy Ellin Maginnis is the daughter of Thomas Conway Maginnis and Margaret Pearson August. Nancy Ellin Maginnis married George Edward Davies on 27 Feb 1971 at Rye, New York.

     Thomas Pearson Maginnis is the son of Thomas Conway Maginnis and Margaret Pearson August. Thomas Pearson Maginnis married Sylvia R. Porzio a 1972.

     Thomas Conway Maginnis was born on 26 Oct 1900 at Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of Thomas Doane (?) Maginnis and Valentine Conway. Thomas Conway Maginnis married Margaret Pearson August, daughter of Thomas "Tom" Pearson August and Helen 'Nelly' Cecilia Bowen, on 7 Jul 1930. Thomas Conway Maginnis died on 3 Jan 1985 at New York, New York, at age 84.

     Margaret 'Peggy' Pearson Maginnis was born on 11 Jun 1931 at New York, New York. She was the daughter of Thomas Conway Maginnis and Margaret Pearson August. Margaret 'Peggy' Pearson Maginnis married COL Raymond 'Ray' Philip Singer I, son of Erwin Philip Singer and Helen Breen, on 22 Jul 1950 at Saint Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church, New York, New York. Margaret 'Peggy' Pearson Maginnis died on 15 Apr 2017 at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Fairfax Co, Virginia, at age 85. She was buried on 10 Oct 2017 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington Co, Virginia.

      Margaret "Peggy" Pearson Maginnis graduated from St Lawrence Academy and attended Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart prior to her marriage and move to Austria, where her husband was stationed for three years. Peggy and her husband Ray were more like a close aunt and uncle to Marianne and this researcher than a cousin, reminding us of our gracious mother, and engaging in family visits back and forth in Virginia.

     Thomas Conway Maginnis II is the son of Thomas Pearson Maginnis and Sylvia R. Porzio.

     COL Raymond 'Ray' Philip Singer I was born on 15 Sep 1925 at Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Erwin Philip Singer and Helen Breen. COL Raymond 'Ray' Philip Singer I married Margaret 'Peggy' Pearson Maginnis, daughter of Thomas Conway Maginnis and Margaret Pearson August, on 22 Jul 1950 at Saint Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church, New York, New York. COL Raymond 'Ray' Philip Singer I died on 4 Jun 2013 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, at age 87. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington Co, Virginia.

      Raymond "Ray" Philip Singer enlisted in the Army when he was 17 years old. He attended Michigan Technological University before going to Europe with the 94th Infantry Division where he served until the end of World War II. After the war, Ray entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and graduated in June 1950. Shortly after graduation he married Margaret (Peggy) Pearson Maginnis and was stationed in Salzburg, Austria where they spent their first three years of married life. During the Vietnam War he served as a Battalion Commander with the 101st Airborne Division. Other overseas tours included KMAG, Korea and SHAPE, Belgium. For his service in World War II and Vietnam, Ray was awarded two Combat Infantryman Badges, a Silver Star and three Bronze Stars. His U.S. assignments included Fort Ord, CA where he served as the Assistant Division Commander (Support) for the 7th Infantry Division. While there, they bought their dream home on the Monterey Peninsula.

While in the Army, Ray received his Master’s degree in Operational Analysis from University of Maryland. After his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1979, Ray worked in the Defense Department field for ten years. After retiring for a second time, Ray and Peggy moved to California where Ray served on the board of the World Affairs Council and the Del Monte Forest Property Owners. He loved being a docent at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and also volunteered at the Maritime Museum and the Carmel Mission Basilica. Upon their return to the DC area, Ray enjoyed being a docent at the Library of Congress.

Ray was survived by his wife, Peggy, and four children, Raymond P. Singer, Jr. (Vicki) of Lawton, OK; Richard F. Singer of Arlington, VA; Ann Singer Van Haaren (Cary) of San Diego, CA and Elizabeth Singer McQueston (John) of Portland, OR; seven grandchildren, Damian, Aaron, Jack, Kate, Maggie, Finn and Ellie; and two great-grandchildren, Liam and Nora, and by Ray's sister; Nancy Singer Hoca (Michel) of Maisons-Laffitte, France. He was predeceased by his son Thomas C. Singer and by his brothers John and Paul Singer.

     Raymond Philip Singer II is the son of COL Raymond 'Ray' Philip Singer I and Margaret 'Peggy' Pearson Maginnis. Raymond Philip Singer II married Vicki Jo (Unknown) a 1976.

     Richard Fenton Singer is the son of COL Raymond 'Ray' Philip Singer I and Margaret 'Peggy' Pearson Maginnis.