Generations Past

There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors and no slave who has not had a king among his.
 ----Helen Keller

Arthur Francis Thompson

Click for a photo album of Frank and Nancy Thompson and their family.

Frank, as he was known, was born 25 October 1897 in Goodwin Ferry, Giles County, Virginia.  His father was Robert Harvey  Thompson.  His mother was Emma T. Vaught of Giles County, Virginia.  

Frank was raised in Giles County, Virginia.  He was living and working in Newport, Giles County, VA in 1918 when he signed up for the draft in World War I.    Sometime after that he moved to Mingo County, West Virginia.  There he met and married 18 little girl reading a bookyear  old Nancy Alice Varney.  Nancy tragically died of pneumonia on 22 January 1934.  She died days after the birth of her sixth child, at the age of 27.  Frank was left with five small daughters under ten and a new born baby.  The baby, Carl Ray Thompson, was raised by Nancy's brother, Henry Varney and his wife, Maggie.  Frank married Letia Estep who had a son, Aubrey, from a previous marriage. She became a mother to the five little girls.  Frank died on 2 April 1971 and was buried with Nancy at the Varney Cemetery in Ragland, Mingo County, West Virginia.

Nancy Alice Varney

 was born 28 September 1907 in the old home place in Ragland, Mingo County, West Virginia. Her children were born in the same house.  She lived there all her life. She was the youngest of the twelve children of Lewis and Elizabeth Farley Varney.  Nancy and Frank had six children:

  1. Helen Marie Thompson (1924-2003) married Marian Hysell
  2. Francis Lee Thompson married Richard Cramer
  3. Eva Faye Thompson (1927-2002) married Warren Rogers
  4. Betty Jane Thompson married Charles Wellman
  5. Emma Lou Thompson (1931-1978) married Darrell Ervin
  6. Carl Ray Thompson (1934-2008)

Frank and his family are found on the following censuses.


For more information on Frank's family or other Thompsons please go to
Thompson Directory.  You will find more information and many more names.

I am interested in sharing any family history information and in correcting any misinformation. Please send corrections or additions to my email box.