Ironically, this adventure began with the author knowing little about Donna Lenora, and virtually nothing about Bill Vernon. At this writing, the author knows considerably more about his father than he ever will know about Donna Lenora.

The legend of Vernon began upon historical pinnacles of rock in medieval France and was further ennobled in Norman England by the regal adventures of no less than William the Conqueror. Strengthened by the persecution of its Quaker heritage, the Vernon heritage followed the migration into the American heartland. This author is the product of his father, James William Vernon, himself the fourth of six children of his father, James Robert Vernon.

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James Robert was born in Harrison County, West Virginia. According to his gravestone, and members of his immediate family, he was born on 19 June, 1873. According to his birth certificate, he was born on 12 May , 1873.

Many of his family mined coal in West Virginia, and James Robert might have been introduced to the pick and trolley in his native state. However, the family migrated to southern Ohio, around Perry and Hocking Counties, where new mines were opening. This line of Vernons was a coal mining family.

Eventually James Robert wound up in Noble County were he met and married Effie Drucilla Dudley on 24 May, 1897. James Robert and Effie's father and brothers worked the Glenwood #48 shaft mine in Buffalo Township, until the mine started closing down around 1901. In March of that year James Robert moved on to the Trail Run mines near Byesville a few miles away in Guernsey County.

Some in the family say he leased a slope mine from one Mr. Amos over in Summerfield, in Marion Township. Spent summers in a shanty by the coal seam, working the mine. Somewhere around 1929. Mined it for several years.

Some say for a while he and Effie had a diner on the outskirts of Cambridge, just over the railroad tracks from Byesville. They certainly managed to have a full-laid table for the kin during the hard times.

While some of their adult children migrated to the rubber factories in Akron, James Robert and Effie stayed in southern Ohio through the Depression years. Some of the Dudley children were born in Guernsey County, some just over the county border in Noble County, where the Dudley family home was in Glenwood. The youngest was born in Murray City, Perry County, where some of the Vernon clan had set roots, and the mines were rolling out coal.

James Robert finally retired from coal mining, and in the late Thirties, he and Effie came north to live with their children. It was while living with eldest son Clarence's family at 1899 Oakes Drive that Effie succumbed to a stroke on a hot October 17th in 1940 at age 62. She was out in the family's backyard garden patch, picking berries.

Responsibility for James Robert's comfort and living accommodations was shared by his children. He was staying with youngest son Orrin who had a home at 150 West Crosier Street -- a house that his illegitimate grandson Dallie passed every school day for four years -- when James, in his nineties, returned to Cambridge to live at the Heskit Nursing Home. On 16 April, 1963 James Robert passed away. He was buried near Effie at Lakewood Cemetery in Akron.

Effie Drucilla Dudley was born on 16 February, 1878, third of fourteen children, in Glenwood, Buffalo Township, Noble County. Hers was a tight-knit family of seven sisters and seven brothers. Most everyone worked in the mines or married into them. Effie and James Robert had six children:

1F#4.1 Clarence Earl Vernon- b 11 May, 1898, d 27 July, 1979, interred at Lakewood Cemetery with his wife Violet and son David, m 12 November, 1921 to Violet Minerva Stott- b 21 December, 1905, dau of William R. Stott and Emma R. Snyder; parents of three children: 1F#4.1.1 Robert Duane Vernon- b 13 November, 1922, m 17 January, 1942 to Evalee Arlena Jones of Parsons, Tucker County, West Virginia; parents of two children: 1F#4.1.1.1 Diane Marie Vernon- b 31 July, 1942, m 30 January, 1954 to Keith G. Frazer; 1F#4.1.1.2 Duane Vernon; 1F#4.1.2 David Paul Vernon- b 16 July, 1929, d 21 July, 1929, interred Lakewood Cemetery; 1F#4.1.3 Gloria June Vernon- b 12 June 1955, m to Tony "Karloff" Stancich; one child: 1F#4.1.3.1 Christopher- b 2 March, 1958; 1F#4.2 Eva Pearl Vernon- b 5 October, 1900, d 27 June, 1961, interred Greenlawn Cemetery, Akron, Ohio, m 15 October, 1919 to Holly John Lansberry- b 15 October, 1900 in Patton, Pa., son of Harvey T. Lansberry and Henrietta Pell-Motz; four children: 1F#4.2.1 Elmer Vernon Lansberry- b 28 May, 1920, d in 1988, m 21 April, 1942 to Roberta Unsworth- b 30 July, 1925, dau of Robert Unsworth and Mary Edithe Williams; five children: 1F#4.2.1.1 Carol Anne Lansberry- b 15 January, 1944, m in 1965 to Christopher Robin Cargill; four children: 1F#4.2.1.1.1 Christopher Robin Cargill, b 21 December, 1964, m 24 November, 1986 to Sarah; 1F#4.2.1.1.2 Teresa Ann Cargill- b 11 June, 1966, m 20 December, 1985 to Thomas Hineman- b 16 May, 1962; 1F#4.2.1.1.3 Michelle Cargill- b 20 March, 1969, m 3 October, 1989 to David Van Oss; two children: 1F#4.1.1.3.1 Davis Van Oss, Jr.- b 3 October, 1989; 1F#4.2.1.1.3.2 Stephen Christopher Van Oss- b in March or April of 1991; 1F#4.2.1.2 Linda Lee Lansberry- b 26 February, 1945, m 5 December, 1964 to Lester Leroy Baker; two children: 1F#4.2.1.2.1 Barbara Ellen Baker- b 18 November, 1965, m in 1985 to Cabot John Densmore; three children: 1F#4.2.1.2.1.1 Christy Lynn Baker- b 12 January, 1983; 1F#4.2.1.2.1.2 Jessica Densmore- b 19 March, 1986; 1F#4.2.1.2.1.3 John Anthony Densmore- b 25 June, 1991; 1F#4.2.1.2.2 Lester Leroy Baker, Jr.- b 4 November, 1967; 1F#4.2.1.3 Judith "Judi" Lynn Lansberry- b 6 November, 1948, m 1.) 19 March, 1966 to James Chester Pinney- b 27 June, 1944, son of Paul C. Pinney and Wanda May Boylan. Judi and James had issue: 1F#4.2.1.3.1 Jonathon Michael Pinney- b 21 June, 1966. James Pinney brought to this bloodline his older son and Jonathon's half-brother: 1F#4.2.1.3(1.1) James Edward Pinney, son of James' previous wife, Mrs. Betty Lou Pinney; m 2.) 30 March, 1978 to Forrest C. Funk, Jr., m 3.) 23 May, 1986 to Richard T. Trowbridge- b 30 January, 1941; 1F#4.2.1.4 Richard Elmer Lansberry- b 3 October, 1951, m in 1972 to Mary Ellen Stutler; son: 1F#4.2.1.4.1 Richard Allen Lansberry- b 29 October, 1972, m in October of 1990, has dau born in 1991; 1F#4.2.1.5 Donald Ralph Lansberry- b 8 March, 1954, m 1.) 9 August, 1975 to Melody Lynn Stott, m 2.) 30 August, 1980 to Gayle Lynn Gant- b 11 August, 1954, dau of Charles Milton Gant and Jane Estelle Dresser; two children: 1F#4.2.1.5.1 Shayna Lynn Lansberry- b 7 January, 1983; 1F#4.2.1.5.2 Casey Dawn Lansberry- b 16 October, 1985; 1F#4.2.2 Bernadine Lansberry- b 5 January, 1925, m 1.) October 1941 to William Yarbrough, m 2.) 20 September, 1947to Samuel Stepanich- b 25 February, 1920; no issue; 1F#4.2.3 James Robert Lansberry- b 19 June, 1931, m 2 May, 1955 to Eleanor L. Durbin-Linebaugh- b 6 March, 1932; two children: 1F#4.2.3(1.1) Judith Ann Linebaugh- b 6 May, 1949, m 21 December, 1970 to Mark A. Smith; 1F#4.2.3(1.2) Diana Lee Linebaugh; 1F#4.2.4 Barbara Ann Lansberry- b 31 January, 1935, m 1.) 8 August, 1953 to Elden Lee Edward Park- b 10 August, 1934, son of George L. Park and Ann Mary E. Baith, d September of 1986, interred in Greenlawn Cemetery, Akron; four non-lineal children: Sandra Jeanne Park- b 10 November, 1965, m 13 May, 1989 to Gerald Lee Palmer; Kristopher Park- b 15 July, 1968; Julie Park- b 7 September, 1969; Scott Park- b 12 January, 1971; m 2.) 2 February, 1991 to Larry Harrison.

1F#4.3 Carl Harold Vernon- b 6 October, 1904, d 28 December, 1961, interred space #1, lot #390, Section #24 at Rosehill Cemetery, Akron, m 1.) 14 October, 1925 to Tressia Deweese, 2.) 6 May, 1950 to Jeanne Eleanor McPherson-Morgan; no issue.

1F#4.4 James William Vernon- b 30 August, 1907, d 24 March, 1957, interred in lot #8, block #94, southeast corner of Greenwood Cemetery, Panama City, Bay County, Florida, father of Donna Lenora Davis's second son, #1F#1 Dallie Arnold Vernon, Sr., who was born three months before James' marriage of 4 June, 1938 to Helen M. Randall-Bruns- b 6 June, 1899 of Prophetstown, Illinois, dau of Frank P. Randall and Ella Aylesworth, d 4 December, 1985 in Rockfalls, Illinois, interred at Riverside Cemetery, Prophetstown, Illinois. Helen had one dau, Vera Bruns, by first husband Bruns. Helen was m 3.) to the late Donald Ward. So far as this author has knowledge at this writing, there was no issue of James William and Helen.

1F#4.5 Orrin Cecil Vernon- b 16 March, 1911, d 3 March, 1968, interred in Guernsey Memorial Gardens, Cambridge, Ohio, m 1.) 23 June, 1945 to Gladys Beulah Blake in Summit County, Ohio; m 2.) 31 December, 1954 to Ruth L. Leeper- b 19 December, 1915 in Belmont County, Ohio, dau of Upton Leeper and Essie Bond, d 7 May, 1978, interred in Guernsey Memorial Gardens; one son: 1F#4.5.1 Orrin Lee Vernon.

1F#4.6 Vera Katherine Vernon- b 16 August, 1916 in Murray City, Ohio, d 8 June, 1992 in Akron, Ohio, interred in grave #2, lot #279, Section 25 at Hillside Memorial Park on Canton Road in Akron, m 14 February, 1934 in Wheeling, West Virginia to Earl Jacob Luthie- b 22 December, 1910, son of Ernest Luthie and Mary Decker; two children: 1F#4.6.1 Shirley Lee Luthie- b 26 January, 1935, m 1.) 8 May, 1954 to Timothy Anthony Magistro- b 19 May, 1935, son of Vincent Magistro and Anna Moretti; daughter: 1F#4.6.1.1 Cathy Lee Magistro- b 30 August, 1955, m to David Buckey; m 2.) to Leon Justham- d 1987; son: 1F#4.6.1.2 Randy Paul Justham- b 19 May, 1966; 1F#4.6.2 David Earl Luthie- b 6 August, 1938, m 1.) 7 June, 1957 to Joan Fave Justham- b 16 August, 1939, dau of Simon Justham and Florence Gressley; two children: 1F#4.6.2.1 Tonya K. Luthie- b 19 August, 1958, m to Tim Robinson; four children: 1F#4.6.2.1.1 Nicholas Robinson; 1F#4.6.2.1.2 Erica Robinson; 1F#4.6.2.1.3 Phillip Robinson; 1F#4.6.2.1.4 Tyler Robinson; 1F#4.6.2.2 Tammy J. Luthie- b 9 July, 1960, m to William Casline; m 2.) to Diane Ball; two children: 1F#4.6.2.3 Darlene Michele "Mikki" Luthie- b 1963, m to Larry Atkins; 1F#4.6.2.4 Denise Renee Luthie- b 1968.

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It was on 1F#4.6 Vera Katherine Vernon-Luthie's doorstep on a bright wintry Sunday morning in the spring of 1987 that 1F#1 Dallie Vernon, Sr. found himself, in his search for his father, "Bill Vernon."

It was his Aunt Katherine, whose name he had found on the funeral home registry record slip when he'd gone to inquire after the death of his suspected-uncle Clarence Vernon. It was Katherine, the only surviving sibling of his father, who literally opened the door to the Vernon side of his family.

It was she who gave Dallie his first glimpse of his dad and grandparents in family photos. This stranger who knocked on her door claiming kinship. Bringing to an end a lifetime of wondering.

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