In 1988, The Centennial History of Hurricane, WV was published to commemorate the town’s 100th anniversary. Since the Centennial History is now out of print, the Breeze is reprinting articles from the book as space allows. This week’s selection will be the 234th installment of the Centennial History.
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WILSON BRYAN THOMPSON FAMILY
Submitted by Bryan Thompson
William Morris came from England in 1732, married Elizabeth Stips and settled in Orange County, Virginia. They moved and were one of Kanawha County’s first settlers. Their home was used as a fort for General Lewis’s soldiers during the Revolutionary War on the march to Point Pleasant.
Joshua, son of William Morris, married Francis Sims and settled in Teays Valley. They were the parents of nine children. Thomas, his son, married and had nine children. Juliana, a daughter, married Robert Napoleon Boneparte Thompson (buried in cemetery behind Hurricane Baptist Church). Joseph Patterson was their fourth child. He married Mary Magdeline McCallister. To this union were born Franklin, Ella, Grace, Fannie, Charles, Calvin, William, Stella and Grover.
Grover Cleveland Thompson, born December 30, 1884, married Maude Chloe Pierce (daughter of Frank and Viloa (Phelps) Pierce. They traveled by horse and buggy to Ironton, Ohio to be married. They were the parents of twelve children, Helen, Virginia, Margaret, Stella, Grover Jr., Janet, Charley, Bryan, Thomas, Donald, Jean, and Patricia. Grover and Maude lived on a small farm one mile west of Hurricane, where all of the children were raised, and have fond memories of harvesting and canning the large amounts of food that the small farm produced. Grover and Maude lived to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. Grover at the time of his death was the oldest member of the First Baptist Church of Hurricane. He was also a foreman for the State Road. In 1963, Maude was named as one of the West Virginia mothers of the year. She lived to be ninety-two and loved her many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Wilson Bryan, the eighth child of Grover and Maude Thompson, went to schools in Hurricane, where he played football and went to the Army in his last year of school. He served two years in Italy in World War II. After the War he served three years in the 150th Inf. West Virginia National Guard and six years with the U.S. Navy (CBs).
Bryan met Charlotte Miller (daughter of Ralph L. and Ora Miller) of Huntington. They were married April 3, 1948, at Ironton, Ohio. She graduated from Huntington East High School in 1948. Bryan went to work for Union Carbide in 1947. He worked until 1974 as an insulator, when he had to take early retirement because of asbestosis.
Bryan and Charlotte are the parents of four children. Ronald, unmarried, is Regional Director of Midland Life Ins. for Northern FL. David, married to Sheila Tate, is Regional Director of Midland Life Ins. of West Virginia. Rebecca was married to Dwight Williamson. They are parents of Tracy, Crystal and Natalie. Tara was married to Dennis Dillon. They have one child, Melody Starr.
In 1962, he helped start The Evangelical Free Church of Hurricane. He is now a member of the Peoples Baptist Church of Teays Valley. He was taught to be honest, truthful and anything worth having was worth working for. He believed everyone should have a purpose in life and it should involve God. He stands on God’s Word for his salvation, John 3:16, and present your body unto the Lord, Romans 12:1, 8.
In 1968, they bought the home place which was built in the early 1900’s, which they have remodeled and live at this time.
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A digital copy of the Centennial History can be obtained from the Hurricane City Hall for a small donation. For more information, call the City of Hurricane at (304) 562-5896.
