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Richard Allen “Dick” Grass

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Birth	:	12 Mar 1911 Griffithsville, Lincoln County, West Virginia, USA
Death	:	23 Dec 1970 Griffithsville, Lincoln County, West Virginia, USA
Burial	:	May Cemetery, Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.2366660, -81.9999140
Description	:	s/o Benjamin Roy Grass and Emma Zetta 'Zett' Miles Siblings: Paul Edgar Grass and Robert Lee 'Bob' Grass Spouse; Dorothy Beatrice 'Bea' Adkins Grass RICHARD ALLEN GRASS, 59, of Griffithsville, WV died Wednesday at his home following an apparent heart attack. Born March 12, 1911, at Griffithsville, WV, he was a son of Roy Grass of Griffithsville, WV and the late Emma Miles Grass, a veteran of World War II, he was an employee of the Food Machinery Corp. at South Charleston, WV for 30 years. Survivors include the widow, Mrs. Bea Adkins Grass; a son, Wayne Grass of Yawkey; three daughters,... Read More	s/o Benjamin Roy Grass and Emma Zetta 'Zett' Miles Siblings: Paul Edgar Grass and Robert Lee 'Bob' Grass Spouse; Dorothy Beatrice 'Bea' Adkins Grass RICHARD ALLEN GRASS, 59, of Griffithsville, WV died Wednesday at his home following an apparent heart attack. Born March 12, 1911, at Griffithsville, WV, he was a son of Roy Grass of Griffithsville, WV and the late Emma Miles Grass, a veteran of World War II, he was an employee of the Food Machinery Corp. at South Charleston, WV for 30 years. Survivors include the widow, Mrs. Bea Adkins Grass; a son, Wayne Grass of Yawkey; three daughters, Mrs. Jane Hart and Mrs. Sue Parsons of West Hamlin, and Mrs. Linda Smith of Griffithsville, WV; a brother, Robert L. Grass of Charleston, WV co-owner of the Stevens & Grass Funeral Home at Malden, WV and six grandchildren. Friends may call at the Stevens & Grass Funeral Home after 2 p. m. today. The body will be transferred later to the Koontz Funeral Home at Hamlin, WV. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RICHARD ALLEN GRASS By Virginia Sue Grass Parsons Richard Allen Grass, better known as Dick, was born March 12, 1911, the oldest son of Benjamin Roy and Emma Zetta Miles Grass. He was the grandson of Thomas Jefferson and Stella Frances Wigginton Grass, and Major K. and Fanny Sansom Miles. He had two brothers, Paul Edgar who died in 1970, in Parkersburg, WV and Robert Lee who died in 17 Sep 2008, in Charleston, WV. When Stella Frances Wigginton Grass, Dick's grandmother, was eight years old, she came to West Virginia in a covered wagon with her step-father and mother, William P. Goode and Malinda Jane Oxley Wigginton Goode, from Franklin County, Virginia. This was in 1868 just after the Civil War. Stella's father, Peyton Richard Wigginton, died earlier from a leg wound he received while fighting in a battle near Richmond, VA. Stella and her parents moved in with their relatives, the John Allen King family, on Sugar Tree in the Griffithsville, WV area. Stella later met and married Thomas Jefferson Grass, the son of Peter and Malinda J. Spurlock Grass from Davis Trace Creek in the Sweetland, WV area. Tom was a farmer, teacher, and first cashier (1908) of the Oil Field National Bank in Griffithsville, WV. Dick's grandmother on his mother's side, Fanny Sansom Miles was the daughter of James and Mary Lucy Miles Sansom, from Logan County, WV. She married Major K. Miles when she was twelve years old and died at the age of thirty-nine. Major K. was the son of John G and Mary A. McGhee Miles. He never remarried and lived with Dick's parents for years until his death in 1958 at the age of 96. Dick grew up in Griffithsville, part of the area, where one of the largest oil strikes east of the Mississippi River was discovered and developed. During his youth the oil field, operated by the South Penn Oil Company, was in full production. This was a busy little place within a ten mile radius of the oil pool there were 800-900 wells. 500-600 men were employed in the operation of drilling and maintaining the field. Huge derricks, oil pumping rigs, and paraphernalia were dotted all around the hills and hollows pumping day and night. Around 1923, a large pumping station and gasoline storage plant was built at Yawkey, WV. From here caseing head gas was sent to refineries throughout the country. This is where Dick's father, Roy, worked for many years until his retirement. The men in the families had gone from farming to working in the oil field for cash. They had money to buy cars and other luxuries. Dick even dropped out of high school one year to work in the oil field. Roads were built and paved, connecting the small towns to the outside world. There were stores, churches, lodge halls, barber shops, doctors, dentists, movie theater, bank, post office, grade school, high school with a dormitory (there were no school buses), a privately owned tennis court (made available to the community), and even an organized baseball team in those days. Dick graduated in 1931 from Duval District High School, built in 1915. He was involved in all church and school activities, especially sports. The ball teams traveled to places like Chesapeake, OH, Charleston, and Gilbert, WV to play games. Duval was a full-fledged member of the West Virginia Athletic Association. His parents and extended family were great supporters of the community. The men furnished free labor, material, and transportation, while the women supplied food for banquets and other gatherings. Roy, Dick's father, played on the organized baseball team and his mother, Zet, once performed in a high school minstrel, as a black women. He had an exciting childhood, even riding to Florida in a car with his parents to visit Roy's sister, Aunt Bert. They slept in pine needles under the trees for there were no motels. Dick was a handsome guy with charisma, about 5'8" tall and 160 pounds with big brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was always a neat dresser and loved to wear suits, white shirts, ties, and hats. He was a terrific dancer and loved the Big Band Orchestras, especially The Wayne King Orchestra. Later when his only son was born, he named him Wayne. When Dick was in his teens, he caught barber itch, a common scalp disease in those days. He was given a tonic to get rid of the itch, and he applied it full strength thinking this would cure it faster. The tonic killed the roots of his hair, leaving him bald for the rest of his life. He was very self-conscious of being bald, so he always wore a hat when he went outside. This event perhaps created somewhat of a personality change, along with acquiring a taste for the spirits, and caused his family much concern and grief, throughout his life. But the sun did shine in Dick's life again, for one day while sitting on a girl friend's front porch in Hamlin, WV, he noticed the stylish Dorothy Beatrice Adkins walking down the street. He remarked, "I'm going to get a date with that gal", and sure enough it was love at first sight. They were married in Catlettsburg, KY, on August 15, 1939. Dick and Bea first lived in South Charleston, WV, in an upstairs apartment in the home of his Uncle, Elmer Miles. This was close to Union Carbide where he worked. In about a year, they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Rita Jane, on December 19, 1940. Her severe episodes of colic forced the couple to look for a new residence. So back to his old home town of Griffithsville, Dick found the perfect house. It was up the hollow from the old Oil Field National Bank (now used as the Post Office) nestled between two hills. Here their second daughter, Virginia Sue joined the family on Sept. 28, 1942. World War II was beginning to escalate so Dick joined the US Navy in 1943. While service his country his only son, Wayne Allen was born on July 26, 1944. He came home to see his new baby, without leave, and found himself in big trouble upon his return. After being honorably discharge from the Navy, Dick found employment again in South Charleston, WV, working for the Food Machinery Corp (FMC) as a meter mechanic. On September 1, 1946, "The Dick Grass Family" was complete, when a beautiful little blonde hair, blue eyed baby girl, Linda Lee was born. Now having a family of six to provide for, Dick spent much of his remaining life going to work, five days a week, very seldom missing a day. He spent his spare time gardening and working around the house. Dick was very versatile when it came to repairs. He could plumb, wire, paint, sand floors, and complete just about any job with perfection. He was a private person, seldom expressing verbally his affections or concerns for others; however, his actions spoke louder than words. Once when Linda and Charles were first married their heating system didn't work properly. Dick bought a huge heater, took it to their home, and installed it. Another time when Sue and Nello's sons were babies, the house they lived in had a floor furnace. Dick, never expressing his fears for his grandsons, made a furnace guard and just appeared with it one day. At the funeral home, after Dick passed away, Kitty Erskine gave Bea a letter. In the letter, she told about when she was young and struggling financially to keep a home for herself and her son, Dick had been instrumental in getting her a better job. Until that time, she never knew of his thoughts or concerns about her plight. In 1964, Dick and Bea built the only house he had even owned. It was located between his parents and grandparents houses, across the creek from the old Spurlock grocery store, on the property his grandmother Stella bought in 1907. He had returned home, to the place of his childhood. Dick died here on December 23, 1970 at the age of 59 of an apparent heart attack.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Richard Allen “Dick” Grass's memorial?
Richard Allen “Dick” Grass's memorial is located at: May Cemetery, Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA.
When did Richard Allen “Dick” Grass death?
Richard Allen “Dick” Grass death on 23 Dec 1970 in Griffithsville, Lincoln County, West Virginia, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Richard Allen “Dick” Grass's memorial?
Latitude: 38.2366660
Longitude: -81.9999140

Family Members:

Parent

Benjamin Roy Grass

(1884 - 1974)

Emma Zetta 'Zett' Miles Grass

(1891 - 1970)

Spouse

Dorothy Beatrice 'Bea' Adkins Grass

(1912 - 2009)

Siblings

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. May Cemetery
Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2366660, -81.9999140

2. Barrett Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2392006, -82.0108032

3. Wilkerson Christmas Tree Farm Cemetery
Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2398084, -81.9838146

4. Goode Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2439003, -82.0158005

5. Black Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2352982, -81.9681015

6. Griffith Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2182999, -81.9685974

7. Sand Fork Cemetery
Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2066689, -81.9863586

8. Luke Adkins Cemetery
Hager, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2143600, -82.0439200

9. Bays Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2430992, -81.9431000

10. Bell Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2210999, -81.9396973

11. Egnor Cemetery
Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1906013, -81.9708023

12. Alamander Elkins Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1805992, -82.0113983

13. Ashworth-Billups Cemetery
Eggleton, Putnam County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2935000, -82.0153000

14. Big Creek Cemetery
Putnam County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2932500, -82.0182600

15. Walker Adkins Cemetery
Hager, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2087700, -82.0660700

16. Stowers Family Cemetery
Hager, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1959800, -82.0587000

17. Burns Cemetery
Nye, Putnam County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2925800, -82.0341400

18. Cooper-Carper Cemetery
Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1815498, -82.0362950

19. Alford Cemetery
Hurricane, Putnam County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2989900, -81.9908800

20. Burnside Cemetery
Hurricane, Putnam County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2956230, -81.9697790

21. McDowell's Cemetery
Garretts Bend, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2776600, -81.9370600

22. Adams Family Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2708282, -82.0722198

23. Linville Cemetery
Griffithsville, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1702995, -81.9955978

24. Linville Cemetery
Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1707993, -81.9871979