Earlier this Month (September 1999) Betty Metheny Walls, Richard Metheny, Edward Metheny and Carlton Metheny (all of Preston County, West Virginia) Bob and Connie Metheny (Millboro, VA) and Bob and Mary Metheny (Woodbridge, VA) went on a weekend trip to locate the burial site of Ens James and his son Nathanial Metheny. The first place to search was a 108 acre farm which we believe was purchased by James and had been in the Metheny family until it was sold in 1977. Unfortunately, because the land had gone back to nature only 2 graves of a neighbors family could be located.

On Sunday we spent the day going to 4 different cemeteries in Preston County. The first cemetery we visited (Mt Moriah Church at Valley Point) is not as old as the others. The first Metheny buried here dates from 1894.

We then went looking for an abandoned cemetery in the area the Metheny families lived in the 1700's. Mt Nebo seemed like a likely area since it is in the Pleasant District of Preston County and fit the description in the book "GENEALOGY OF SOME EARLY FAMILIES IN GRANT AND PLEASANT DISTRICTS, PRESTON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA by Edward Thorp King.

We stopped at what was the old school house in Mt Nebo to ask if they (the Miller's live there now) knew where an old cemetery was. At first they directed us to the Cress cemetery on the hill across the road. After a few minutes, Mr miller came out of the house and he told us there was an old cemetery on the hill on his brother's farm. He looked at our car and with a smile asked if we had good clearance. Fortunately, he offered to drive us up in his truck!! The road isn't much better than when my dad lived in Mt Nebo 50 years ago!! It is a dirt road, one lane and filled with pot holes. We could not have made it up there in a car.

When we arrived at the cemetery we knew immediately it was the one that Nathan Metheny and Mary Ann Everly were buried in. Their's were the first ones we found with the old tree growing up between the stones (we had seen a picture taken by someone in 1991). Now, you can see trees have taken over and without being guided by someone, you wouldn't even know it is there.

We then went back down to the main road and went to the Cress and Beech Run cemeteries. The Metheny's that stayed in the area are all in one of those cemeteries.

In the next few weeks the Preston County Metheny's that are still living there are going to get the abandoned cemetery cleaned up and we may still find the site of Ens James burial.

It is was an exciting and successful weekend after all!!

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More Pictures with Explanations.

Grave Stones of Nathan and Mary Ann Everly (Note: the Spelling and dates.)

Isaiah Metheny 1893 Cress Cemetary	Hosea Metheny - Beech Run Cemetery
Mt Nebo school today - 50 years later	Sign at Mt Nebo Baptist Church
Peter Metheny d 1896 Beech Run Cemetery	Savila Metheny, wife of Perry Metheny d 1901

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