Harley "Lee" Forbes

Harley "Lee" Forbes was the son of William McKinley and Leanor Marie Winters Forbes (Daddy and Mama Forbes) and was my great uncle. He was born April 11, 1926 and he enlisted in the United States Army on June 28, 1944. He was barely old enough to enlist and wanted to because his older brothers, Paul and Blaine, were already serving. Here is a picture of Lee in his full Army uniform...



During World War II, Lee served in the European area and was in Glider Flights and was a Combat Infantryman. April of 1945 was a busy and deadly time in the war. On April 9th the German fortress at Königsberg falls to the Soviets and 300 were killed in a separate incident when a bomb laden Liberty ship exploded in the harbor near Bari, Italy. At the same time, a band of American soldiers were transporting prisoners across the Rhine River in a boat en route to the German POW prison when the boat capsized. Lee Forbes was on that boat delivering the German prisoners and on April 9, 1945, he drowned in the Rhine River. He was two days shy of his 19th birthday and had been in the United States Army for less than a year.

He was certified Missing in Action at that time and the Secretary of War certified his death on June 15, 1945 and the military notified his mother. He was buried in Margarten Holland on April 28, 1945. The War officially ended on December 31, 1946.

A letter I have from the Secretary of War, written to Mama Forbes, states:

March 13, 1947

Dear Mrs. Forbes:

The War Department is most desirous that you be furnished information regarding the burial location of your son, the late Private Harley Forbes, A.S.N. 34 997 646.

The records of this office disclose that his remains are interred in the U.S. Military Cemetery Margarten, Holland, plot GG, row 6, grave 144. You may be assured that the identification and interment have been accomplished with fitting dignity and solemnity.

This cemetery is located ten miles west of Achen, Germany, and is under the constant care and supervision of United States military personnel.

The War Department has now been authorized to comply, at Government expense, with the feasible wishes of the next of kin regarding final interment, here or abroad, of the remains of your loved one. At a later date, this office will, without any action on your part, provide all legal next of kin with full information and solicit their detailed desires.

Please accept my sincere sympathy in your great loss.

Sincerely Yours,
T.B. Larkin
Major General
The Quartermaster General

My grandfather wrote a letter to his local hometown paper, The Tri-County News...



In part, he wrote, "I would like to hear from anyone who would like to write to me. I would also like to hear from my brothers, Blaine and Harley, who are overseas somewhere in Germany." I'm not sure of the date of his writing and wonder if Harley was alive or had already been killed in action at that point.

At some point, my grandfather, Paul Forbes, was stationed near Achen, Germany and he was allowed to go visit the grave of his brother. This is a color picture he brought back of the United States Military Cemetery in Margarten, Holland...



This is a photo of Lee's grave in Holland...


There was a bush growing near the grave that he took as a place marker...


This is a picture of my grandfather standing over Lee's grave. Papa would have been about 25 years old...


Mama Forbes desired that her son be buried in the United States and she notified the United States Army of her desires on December 9, 1947 and the military began that process. On October 13, 1948, Lee's body was exhumed from Margarten Cemetery. His paperwork states that he was in his OD uniform which I assume is an Off Duty dress uniform. Condition of remains was listed as "advanced decompisition" and "fractured maxilla" and there was a note that "ID tag fond on remains while processing which reads: - Harley Forbes ASN 34997646." Upon questioning others, I discovered that when a soldier was killed in action, one of his two dog tags was removed and placed inside his jaw, clamped between his teeth. I believe the force of closing his mouth on the dog tag could have been what broke his jaw.

On January 10, 1949, his body was prepared for transport to Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA. The paperwork for that date, states that the shipping case was "unsatisfactory" and the "case scratched - one clamp off". The casket was in "satisfactory" condition. His case was routed through the repair shop where the shipping case was repaired. His body arrived in Atlanta, Georgia and departed, via train, on Janary 21, 1949 at 1:00am. His escort was Sgt. William H. Nona. I would love to find out if he is still alive today. He is extended much gratitude for bringing my great grandmother's boy home.

Lee's body arrived at the Spruce Pine, North Carolin train station on the evening of January 21, 1949 and picked up by a representative from Webb Funeral Home. His body was finally put to rest at the Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery... almost four years after his death. He had been through a war and had been a world away from his home of Spruce Pine, North Carolina and yet, in the end, his final resting place was within a few miles of the place he had spent most of his 19 years on this earth. This picture is of Mama and Daddy Forbes at the Liberty Hill Cemetery on the day they laid their boy to rest...


In this picture, Mama Forbes is leaning over his grave, his older sister, Euna Mae is kneeling at his grave with other family members standing around...


This is some of the family on the day he was buried...


Many years later, I took these photos at Lee's grave at Liberty Hill...




There were many years between his death and my birth; however, his story is important to me. I remember being a little girl when my grandfather sat down and told me Lee's story and showed me these pictures. He told me of his death... he told me of his trip to Margarten... and as a young child, I can remember this sense of importance that it held for Papa; therefore, it had to be important to me too. At some point, I was with Mama Forbes and she showed me the flag that draped his coffin. She opened up the flag and showed me some coins, a picture and dog tags... things that had been on his body when he died. She told me about him... that she was upset when he enlisted because he had lied about his age to get to enlist. Those memories, that I do have, are important and special to me. Lee never married... he never had a child... and there is a sense of urgency that his story did not die with him... that someone in the current generation remembers... tells his story... assures that he did not die forgotten or in vain. I will be his surrogate grandaughter and I will research and tell his story to other family members.

My goals regarding his story are:

1. To take a photo of Lee's flag and dog tag and see if the items from his pockets are still there so I can take pictures of those to put with my collection.

2. To get to my cousin's to get a copy of the letter that Mama Forbes had (Doug or Dean has this)

3. To find more pictures of troops during that time when he died and see if he is in them. With the new WWII memorial, I am sure pictures have surfaces that soldiers took

4. To see if the soldier who escorted his body "home" is still alive. I would love to thank him for that act of service.

Back in the Day

On a recent trip to the mountains of North Carolina, my dad took me on a trip down memory lane as we went "back in the day" to his childhood and the place he called home. At one point in time, my great grandfather, William McKinley Forbes, owned much of the land that we traveled on. Many said that, at one time or another, he owned the whole mountain. Now, scattered houses dot the landscape.

McKinley's father, Charles Forbes, had owned much of the land and at one time there was even a train stop named FORBES STOP. There was no station... just a stop on the route. There was a church... Crabtree Freewill Baptist Church down that road. The congregation outgrew the church and there was need to expand the building; however, rock was in the way of expansion so some of the men who were in the mining business, decided to use dynamite and break up the rock.... one small problem.... the dynamite that blasted the rock also blasted the church! The church is gone but the rock stands firm!!!



During my life time, William McKinley and Leanor Marie Forbes (Daddy and Mama Forbes) lived in this trailor. I don't remember Daddy Forbes but absolutely loved visiting Mama Forbes as a little girl. She was so jolly and easy going! If you wanted to eat, you ate... if you weren't hungry, you didn't! She tried to teach me to weave a basket and to crochet.



Before my birth... when my dad was a child, this is where Mama and Daddy Forbes lived. It was a modest house with a small store in front of it that they ran. Beside the store was a large building...



Dad said that his Uncle Herb brought some Army cots with him when he visited from the base and the children would sleep in this building on old Army cots. I can imagine, for little boys who were cousins, it might have been quite an adventure! And a little scary!



This house is where McKinley's sister, Arizonia and her family lived...



Here were some plants growing by the road...

... and while the whole mountain is no longer owned by the Forbes family, at least one little corner of it is still represented...

This old tree is where Blaine and Dee Forbes lived in the early 1960's. They had a trailer that sat here...

... and this is a pond up the road

This plot of land sits across the road from where Blaine and Dee lived. My grandparents, Paul and Elsie had a house that sat on the top of this ridge. Daddy said that the house was old, drafty and that sometimes he would wake up in the morning to have plaster on his bed that had fallen from the ceiling during the night. It is at this spot that his sister Shirley Faye died and he recounted the horrors of waking that morning to his dad crying that she was dead as he carried her little body. With the laughter and joys of childhood, there were also traumatic times and hard times.

Papa Paul built a house on this spot many years ago and they lived here for a while...

This is the home of one of William McKinleys other brothers...

Modest by all means but not bad considering there were no contractors... no real jobs to be had in the mountains... and that most homes were built by the owners who were farmers and homemakers...

Family Tree... a work in progress

This tree begins with me and includes to my great great grandparents

William McKinley Forbes (Daddy Forbes)

Daddy Forbes and me (Melanie Annette Forbes) at the little trailor on Hoot Owl Road in Estatoe, NC. Probably about 1973-74.



Daddy Forbes at Christmas. The children of Paul and Elsie Forbes used to gather every year at my mom and dad's house (Gary and Joan Forbes) at 151 Pendley Road - Spruce Pine, NC. What a blessing it was that we had those times and that a few of the great-grandchildren remember Daddy and Mama Forbes.



Me with Daddy and Mama Forbes at their Estatoe trailor.



Daddy Forbes with a fish that he had caught.



Daddy and Mama Forbes at home in Estatoe. She was always so jolly and I absolutely loved being with her. The memories of the things we did and the stories she told... while very few... are treasures I hold in my heart.

Charles W. and Mary Louise Rominger Forbes

Register for Charles W. Forbes


First Generation

1. Charles W. Forbes was born on 14 Jul 1862 in , Yancey, North Carolina, USA. He died on 6 Sep 1956 in Spruce Pine, Grass Creek, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from Betty Maskewitz's list. This agrees with him being 8
years old in the 1870 census. ( His death certificate says his date of birth was
July 4, 1885 and that he was 101 years old!) His tombstone gives July 4, 1855 as his birth date.
Death date is from his death certificate and his tombstone. Marriage date is approximate. In the 1900 census they said they had been married 21 years. But in the 1880 census Charles is still living at home.

Charles married Mary Louise Rominger in 1881 in ,North Carolina, USA. Mary was born on 6 Jan 1861. She died on 23 Jun 1945. She was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death from her tombstone. The 1900 census said she was born in N.C. It said she was the mother of 9 children 8 living, but she could have had more after the 1900 census was taken. I could not find them in the 1910 census.

Charles and Mary had the following children:

2 F i. Ellen Forbes was born in Jan 1883 in North Carolina, USA. She died on 26 Oct 1959 in Winston-Salem Hospital, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Memorial Cemetery, Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from the 1900 census of Carter County. She is married and living with Henry
Roberts. But to confuse things she is also listed as single and living at home with her
parents in the 1900 census of Mitchell. Death from Ancestry.com from an unkown
contact! The tombstone listing has 1883-1959.


Ellen married J. Henry Roberts . J. Henry Roberts was born in Jun 1879 in ,Tennessee, USA. He died in 1971. He was buried in Memorial Cemetery, Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from the 1900 census of Carter Count;y, Tennessee. Death from tombstone
listing.

3 M ii. Joseph Forbes was born in Mar 1886 in North Carolina, USA. He died on 16 Dec 1964 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from 1900 cenus of Mitchell County, N.C.


Joseph married Lockey Buchanan on 20 Mar 1904 in Herrell, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. Lockey was born on 16 Apr 1886. She died on 8 Mar 1948 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Big Crabtree Baptist Church Cemetery, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death dates from tombstone listing.

4 M iii. Simon Forbes was born in Jan 1887 in , , North Carolina, USA.

Birth from 1900 census of Mitchell County, N.C.

5 M iv. Franklin D. Forbes was born in Jan 1889 in North Carolina, USA. He died
on 25 Sep 1962 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried in Big Crabtree Baptist Church,Cemetery, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from 1900 census of Mitchell County, N. C. Death from his tombstone. Birth on
tombstone is 4 July 1880.


Franklin married (1) Mary Taylor on 9 Jun 1908 in Herrell, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. Mary was born in 1890.

Marriage from Mitchell County, N.C.

Franklin married (2) Jennie Roberts .

6 F v. Arizona Forbes was born on 11 Mar 1893 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She died on 25 Jun 1983. She was buried in Crabtree Chapel Church Cemetery, Yancey, North Caroliona, USA.

Birth from her delayed certificate of birth. Death from her tombstone. Her birth date on
the tombstone is 11 Mar 1895. It is strange that she is not listed in the 1900 census
with the rest of the family.


Arizona married (1) Lorenzo E "Renzo" Frye on 1 Apr 1916 in Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. Lorenzo was born in 1894. He died on 24 Dec 1945 in ,Avery, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from the 1930 census,Marriage from Mitchell County, N.C. It says L E Fry age 21
and Agina? Forbes age 23. Death from the North Carolina death index.

Arizona married (2) Richard McKinney . Richard was born on 4 Aug 1903. He died on 10 Jan 1992. He was buried in ,Crabtree Chapel Church Cemetery, Yancey, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death from his tombstone.

7 F vi. Biddie Forbes was born in Mar 1894 in North Carolina, USA. She died on 4 Feb 1973 in Burnsville, Yancey, North Carolina, USA. She was buried on 6 Feb 1973 in Crabtree Chapel, Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from 1900 census of N. C. Death from her death cetificate. Her death certificate
says her birth was 4 Oct 1889. Marriage from Mitchell County marriage records. Her
tombstone has her birth has 1889.


Biddie married William Garland on 28 Sep 1908 in Magnetic City, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. William was born in 1887. He died in 1977. He was buried in ,Crabtree Chapel Church Cemetery, Yancey, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from his marriage record. He said he was 21 years old. The birth date on his
tombstone is 1879.

8 M vii. Dock Forbes was born in Aug 1895 in ,North Carolina, USA. He died on 19 Apr 1985 in Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried on 21 Apr 1985 in ,Crabtree Chapel Church Cemetery, Yancey, North Carolina, USA.

Birth is from 1900 census, and death from his death certificate. The 1900 census says
he was born in North Carolina but his death certificate says he was born in Carter
County, Tennessee on 14 Mar 1896. I used the date from the census as it fit the births
of the other children.


Dock married Hattie Roland daughter of Bob Roland and Emma Houston

Roland on 21 Jul 1919 in ,Yancey, North Carolina, USA. Hattie was born on 12 Sep 1902. She died on 22 Jun 1995. She was buried in ,Crabtree Chapel Church Cemetery, Yancey, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death from her tombstone listing. Also her parents names.

9 M viii. William Mckinley Forbes was born on 11 Jun 1896 in North Carolina, USA. He died on 11 Jul 1976 in Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried in Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and Death from the Social Security Death Index. Also from the North Carolina
death collection. Birth on tombstone listing says 1 Nov 1897. His list of children
comes from Melanie Forbes Cook.


William married Lenora or Leanor "Lena" Marie Winters on 19 Jun 1915 in Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. Lenora was born on 7 Apr 1900 in Elk Park, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She died on 25 Mar 1980 in Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death from cemetery listing. Marriage from Mitchell County, N. C. marriage
records.

10 F ix. Hattie Forbes was born on 4 Aug 1900 in , Unicoi, Tennessee, USA. She died on 18 Nov 1992 in Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Liberty Hill Cemetery, Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death from her death certificate.


Hattie married Thomas Miller . Thomas was born in 1897. He died in 1962. He was buried in Liberty Hill Cemetery, Spruce Pine, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Name from Betty Maskewitz. Birth and death dates from tombstone listing.

11 F x. Ethel Mae Forbes was born on 1 May 1906. She died on 8 Aug 1950 in ,Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death dates from tombstone listing. Her death date and place is also in
Ancestry's North Carolina Death Collection.

Ethel married Matt Nanney . Matt was born on 9 Aug 1901 in ,Yancey, North Carolina, USA. He died on 29 May 1973 in ,Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried in Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death from his tombstone listing. Also from the the Social Security death
index.

Joseph Forbes

Register for Joseph FORBES

First Generation

1. Joseph FORBES was born on 14 Feb 1820 in , Mitchell, North Carolina. He died on 18 Jun 1897 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried in Family plot, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death date from his tombstone in a small cemetery 2.3 mi NE of
Buladean, North Carolina. Birth place from 1850 Census of Yancy, N. C. It gives his age
as 35. His age was given as 44 in Yancey County 1860 census. They lived in Yancey County in the area which became Mitchell County.

Joseph married Sarah "Sallie" GARLAND daughter of Guthridge "Fishtrap Gutch" GARLAND and Frances MCKINNEY about 1845 in , Mitchell, North Carolina. Sarah was born on 8 Oct 1826 in ,, North Carolina, USA. She died on 4 Jan 1887 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Family cemetery, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and Death dates from her tombstone in family cemetery, 2.3 miles NE of
Buladean, N.C. The 1860 Yancey, N.C. census gives her age as 37.


Joseph and Sarah had the following children:

2 F i. Frances J. "Fannie" FORBES was born on 2 Jan 1849 in ,, North Carolina, USA. She died on 10 Jun 1942 in Buladean, Harrell Township, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and Death dates are from her death certificate except I changed the
birth date year from 1844 to 1849 since the 1850 Census gave her age as 1. The
1850 census gave her name as Frances J. but both her tombstone and death
certificate give her name as Fannie. She is buried in the Forbes Cemetery on
a hilltop above Big Rock creek in Mitchell County, N.C. near the swinging
bridge and the old Forbes homeplace.

Frances married Unknown .

3 M ii. Clarissa Margaret FORBES was born in 1851 in North Carolina. He died after 1860.

Birth date from the 1860 Yancey County, N.C. census. She was listed as 9
years old and her name was listed as Clarissa M. Betty Forbes Maskewitz's
parents' list called her Margaret.

4 M iii. Gutridge M "Gutch" FORBES was born on 6 Oct 1856 in , Yancey, North Carolina, USA. He died on 2 Oct 1945 in Fall Branch, Washington, Tennessee, USA. He was buried on 4 Oct 1945 in Kingsport City Cemetery, Kingsport,, Tennessee, USA.

Birth information from the 1860 Yancey County Census. The month and day of birth
from Betty Maskewitz. Marriage date from 1900 census. It said they had been married 24 years. Death information from Debra Bortner.

Gutridge married Rebecca Ann JARRET daughter of Eli JARRET and Catherine YELTON in 1876. Rebecca was born in Jun 1857 in North Carolina. She died on 15 Jul 1928 in Kingsport , Sullivan, Tennessee, USA.

Birth from 1860 and 1880 censuses. She is 2 years old in the 1860 and 22 in the 1880
census. Death from Deb Bortner. Parents names and cause of death from Deb Bortner.
Cause of death was Pulmonary tuberculosis.

5 M iv. David FORBES was born on 11 Nov 1859 in , Yancey, North Carolina, USA. He died on 19 Sep 1930 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth date is from tombstone, but the year is from the census. In the 1860
census he was one year old and in the 1870 census he was 11. The tombstone
gave his birth year as 1853. The 1900 census gives his birth as Nov 1853

Death date is from his tombstone in the Forbes Cemetery in Red Hill, Mitchell
County, North Carolina near the swinging bridge.

David married Jane CHAMBERS daughter of John CHAMBERS and Mary WHITEHEAD on 2 Aug 1877 in Carter, Tennessee, USA. Jane was born in 1843 in ,,, Tennessee, USA. She died on 18 Jan 1929 in , Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

6 M v. Charles W. FORBES was born on 14 Jul 1862 in , Yancey, North Carolina, USA. He died on 6 Sep 1956 in Spruce Pine, Grass Creek, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth from Betty Maskewitz's list. This agrees with him being 8
years old in the 1870 census. ( His death certificate says his date of birth was
July 4, 1885 and that he was 101 years old!) His tombstone gives July 4, 1855 as his
birth date. Death date is from his death certificate and his tombstone.

Charles married Mary Louise ROMINGER . Mary was born on 6 Jan 1861. She died on 23 Jun 1945. She was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Red Hill, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

7 M vi. Simon Fannings FORBES was born on 9 Aug 1867 in , Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He died on 10 Jan 1962 in Kingsport,, Tennessee. He was buried in Oak HillCemetery, Kingsport, Tennessee, USA.

Birth and death dates and places from daughter, Betty Maskewitz. The birth
year is consistent with the 1870 census that gives his age as 3.


Simon married (1) Martha "Tish" MOFFITT daughter of Fields Brantley MOFFITT and Cynthia GARDNER on 20 Sep 1888 in Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. Martha was born on 14 Feb 1870 in ,,, North Carolina, USA. She died on 18 Sep 1898 in , Herrell, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. She was buried in Forbes Cemetery, Herrell, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA.

Birth and death information from her tombstone in the small Forbes Cemetery
2.3 miles from Buladean. Her name was spelled "Martishey" on the tombstone. She
was 12 in the 1880 census of Mitchell County.

Simon married (2) Aualiza "Eliza" CROWDER on 28 Nov 1898 in Carter, Tennessee, USA. Aualiza was born in Oct 1867 in ,,, North Carolina, USA.

Marriage from Carter County, Tennessee marriage records.

Simon married (3) Margaret "Maggie" Ellen MORGAN . Margaret was born on 8 Jul 1886 in , Carter, Tennessee, USA.

8 M vii. William Henry Harrison FORBES was born in Apr 1873 in ,, Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. He died on 24 Feb 1920. He was buried in Pyle Cemetery, Kingsport, Tennessee, USA.

Birth and death information from Betty Maskewitz. Also death from death records in
Sullivan County, Tennessee.

William married Josephine GREER daughter of James GREER on 24 Jan 1896 in , Herrell Twp., Mitchell, North Carolina, USA. Josephine was born on 20 May 1880 in , Carter, Tennessee, USA. She died on 3 Jun 1949. She was buried in Pyle Cemetery, Kingsport,, Tennessee, USA.

It All Began With William

The Forbes family hails from Scotland where a castle and the Forbes name stand strong, even today. There is a Forbes crest, tartan and coat of arms.

The clan motto is "Grace Me Guide"



The earliest Forbes that I have a record of is William Forbes. He is my ggggg-grandfather. We are trying to research him but have run into lots of dead ends. We believe that he was the first immigrant to cross the big pond from Scotland to the United States but we have yet to uncover the mystery of when he came, which ship he arrived on, where his ship docked and who his parents in Scotland were. What I do know is that he had a son named David, my gggg-grandfather, who was born in Virginia in 1772. He married Margaret Sellers (b. 1773) in 1794 in Rutherford County, NC and he died in 1852. David and Margaret had the following children: Elizabeth "Betsy", William, John, James, Anna, David, Rebecca, Lorenzo, Simon and Joseph.

Joseph (my ggg-grandfather) was born Feb 14, 1820 in Burke County, NC and died June 18, 1897 in Mitchell County, NC. He married Sarah "Sally" Garland and together, they had Charles W. Forbes, my great-great grandfather. In addition to Charles, Joseph and Sallie had Francis J "Fannie", Clarissa Margaret, Gutridge M. "Gutch", David, Simon Fannings, and William Henry Harrison.

Charles "Charlie" was born on July 14, 1862 in Yancey County, NC and married Mary Louise Rominger and they had my great grandfather, William McKinley Forbes.








Charles Forbes in his later years


















Charles and Mary Rominger Forbes





Charlie died September 6, 1956 in Spruce Pine, NC. His wife, Mary Louise Rominger Forbes, was born January 6, 1861 and died June 23, 1945. They are both buried in the Forbes Family Cemetary near Red Hill and Buladean in the mountains of North Carolina.

This is a view of the cemetary at the top of the mountain...



This is the grave of Mary Louise...



And this is the grave of Charlie Forbes...


There are two dates for Charlie. The census records all indicate that he was born in 1862; however, his tombstone indicates 1855. By the census records, he would have been 94 years old. By the tombstone record, he was 101. I tend to believe the census records as they all match and believe that he probably lost track of how old he was as he got older. Still.... 94 years is quite a life!!!




Mary Louise Rominger Forbes traces her ancestry to Winterlingen, Wurttemberg and was of the Moravian religion. Moravians are know in the Winston Salem area of North Carolina and Old Salem sits in the heart of what used to be known as "Wachovia". Moravians were staunch in religious belief and held very high standards. They were a very ritualistic religion and special services are still very structured. At some point, Charlie Forbes donated land in the Estatoe Community of "Forbes Holler" to The Church of God and an old wooden church was built on the side of the mountain. I find it amusing to hear stories of this church with its' charismatic services, speaking in tongues and being "filled with the Spirit" as I wonder what my staunch Moravian raised great-great grandmother must have thought of this! The church and its' services are immortalized in the book CABIN IN THE LAURELS. http://books.google.com/books?id=akyWMjaOgSsC&pg=PA121&lpg=PA121&dq=cabin+in+the+laurels&source=bl&ots=NvFzdwXE1X&sig=Z0oOytsydvXIgV4Z-B2nVd_grKU&hl=en&ei=UFaUSv7sJN7ktgeZxLBM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=cabin%20in%20the%20laurels&f=false
This is a picture of The Church of God that sat on the mountain land near Forbes holler...



This is a picture, from the book, of the inside of the church...



And this is one of Charlie and Mary's children, Biddie, sitting on the steps of the church with her daughter, Mary...