WHEN KIN TURN DEADLY: Tracing a family beyond the headline through records and the lives that followed

What would drive a man to murder his father-in-law?

What happened next?

What became of his wife? Did their marriage survive such a terrible act?

And what about the children — did the family stay together and somehow remain close, or did this unthinkable deed tear them apart?

Join me on this genealogy journey as we dig into the records to discover what really happened — and how one terrible act shaped the lives of this family.

Before we dive in, a quick note about names.

In the records for this family, the same people sometimes appear with their names spelled in different ways. For example, you’ll see Phebe, Phoebe, and even Phoebea, as well as Loyd and Lloyd. Spelling wasn’t always consistent in older records, and clerks often wrote names the way they heard them.

To keep things clear in this blog post, I’ll be using the spellings Phoebe and Lloyd throughout, even if a specific record uses one of the other versions.

Privacy Note:

In this blog, living individuals who are part of the family studied are identified by initials only to protect their privacy. Historical figures and individuals who are deceased, including Lloyd O. Barker — the subject of this research — are shown by full names, as their identities are already part of the public record. This approach allows readers to follow the family connections and understand the research while safeguarding the privacy of those still living.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

MAIN LINE TO SARAH

S.B.M. [living]

└── Parents

    ├── Mother: W.M.P. [living]

    └── Father: M.B.B. (deceased)

        └── Maternal Line (through W.M.P.)

            └── Maternal Grandparents

                ├── J.H.P. (deceased)

                └── M.E.C.B. (deceased)

                    └── Maternal Great-Grandparents

                        ├── Elisha Blevins

                        └── Lura Cardilia Johnson

                            └── Maternal 2nd Great-Grandparents

                                ├── Wiley Pinkney Johnson

                                └── Margaret Victoria Rose

                                    └── Maternal 3rd Great-Grandfather

                                        └── John A. Johnson

COLLATERAL LINE – STAMPER / BARKER BRANCH

Starting from: John A. Johnson (same 3rd great-grandfather of S.B.M.)

John A. Johnson

├── 1st wife: Phoebe Lyon

│   └── Daughter: Mary M. L. Johnson

│       └── Husband: Wiley Everett Stamper

│           └── Daughter: Phoebe Mae Stamper

│               └── Husband: Lloyd O. Barker

│                   (subject of this research)

└── 2nd wife: Melvina Farmer

    └── Son: Wiley Pinkney Johnson

        └── Wife: Margaret Victoria Rose

            └── (ancestor couple in S.B.M.’s direct line; see MAIN LINE)

Note: This family tree shows the direct maternal line from John A. Johnson down to S.B.M., as well as a collateral branch that connects to Lloyd O. Barker, the subject of this research. Lloyd was married to Phoebe Mae Stamper, the daughter of Mary M. L. Johnson—John A. Johnson’s daughter by his first wife, Phoebe Lyon. In simpler terms, Lloyd O. Barker was S.B.M.’s half first cousin, three times removed by marriage on her maternal side. Although the relationship is distant, this branch holds the key to the story and the family drama we are about to uncover, and separating the direct line to S.B.M. from the collateral STAMPER/BARKER branch makes it easier to see how Lloyd fits into the family.

As a genealogy researcher, I always follow the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS) and FAN (Family/Friends, Associates, and Neighbors) research — the gold standards of our field. Skipping them risks both the accuracy of your research and the conclusions you draw.

While tracing a line in my daughter-in-law’s family, I came across a 1927 newspaper article in the Watauga Democrat titled “Man Killed by Son-in-Law in Ashe County.¹” The title grabbed me instantly. Reading further, I recognized names I had already encountered in my research. I saved the article, but at first, I set it aside — I like to stay focused and methodical.

Once my main research was complete, I returned to that article, determined to dig deeper into the story of the son-in-law, his wife, and their family. What drove a man to murder his father-in-law? What happened next? And how did it affect the family?

LLOYD O. BARKER BEFORE THE HEADLINES

Date of Birth: 29 February 1884²

Place of Birth: Crumpler, Ashe County, North Carolina

Parents: Levi Newton BARKER and Mary Emeline BARKER

Lloyd’s parents were Levi Newton Barker and Mary Emeline (Barker) Barker. Yes, you’re reading that correctly — Mary’s maiden name was also Barker. Naturally, that raises the question of whether Levi and Mary were related before they married.

Mary’s father was Alfred James Barker, and it’s possible that Alfred was related in some way to Levi’s Barker line — perhaps as a cousin. However, at this point, we do not know who Levi’s father was, so any specific connection between the two Barker families remains unproven.

Because this is a collateral branch of the family—and not the main focus of this blog — I have not (yet) expanded the research to determine whether Levi and Mary were cousins or simply shared a common surname with no close relationship. For now, it’s enough to note that they were both Barkers by birth, and that any deeper connection remains a hypothesis, not a conclusion.

PHOEBE MAE STAMPER: BEFORE THE STORY TURNED DARK

Date of Birth: 2 June 1898³

Place of Birth: Ashe County, North Carolina

Parents: Wiley Everett STAMPER and Mary M L JOHNSON

UNITED TO LLOYD IN MARRIAGE

Date: 3 October 1913⁴

Place: Horse Creek Township, Ashe, North Carolina

LLOYD AND PHOEBE’S CHILDREN: GROWING UP AFTER THE HEADLINES

While the newspaper focused on Lloyd O. Barker and the terrible act that made his name newsworthy, there were others whose lives were quietly reshaped in the background — Lloyd and Phoebe’s children. They didn’t choose the circumstances they were born into, yet they had to live with the consequences of their father’s actions. In the records, they first appear as any other children do: births recorded, names listed in a household, small entries on census pages. But when we place those ordinary facts against the timeline of the crime and its aftermath, we begin to see how each child’s life unfolded in the long shadow cast by a single violent act.

Lloyd and Phoebe had six children, each born in small towns across Ashe County, North Carolina, and just over the border in Virginia. Their first, Everett L. Barker, arrived on 11 October 1914 in Ashe County.⁵ Four years later, Elmer Lee Barker was born on 8 September 1918 in Jefferson, Ashe County.⁶ Mary Opal Barker followed on 26 August 1919 in Whitetop, Grayson, Virginia⁷, but tragically passed away on 6 June 1923 in Ashe County.⁸ James Garfield Barker was born on 13 August 1920 in Jefferson, Ashe County⁹, after a tragic fire. Adaree Virsia Barker entered the world on 15 July 1924 in Bina, Ashe County.¹⁰ Their youngest, Carl Gaither Barker, was born on 26 October 1926 in Jefferson, Ashe County.¹¹ Each child grew up against the backdrop of the family story — ordinary births shadowed by extraordinary circumstances — yet their individual lives and experiences add depth to understanding the ripple effects of one single violent act. 

GRIEF IN THE BACKGROUND, VIOLENCE IN THE FOREGROUND

In the middle of Lloyd and Phoebe’s growing family, tragedy struck. Their daughter Mary Opal, born 26 August 1919 in Whitetop, Grayson County, Virginia, died 6 June 1923 in Ashe County, North Carolina. Her death certificate records a heartbreaking cause: she was “burned by fire,” her clothes catching from an open flame. The stated cause of death is “shock.”

We don’t have letters, diaries, or family stories to tell us how Lloyd and Phoebe coped with losing Mary Opal. The records are silent on their grief. But it doesn’t take much imagination — or any special training — to understand that losing a child, and in such a horrific way, would leave deep emotional scars. Human nature is both resilient and fragile; parents somehow keep going, yet parts of them are never quite the same.

By 1926, the Barkers had already lived through more than their share of heartache. The loss of their young daughter, Mary Opal, lingered in the background — a quiet wound the records don’t describe but that surely shaped the household. In keeping with the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS), I searched online newspaper databases for any mention of Mary Opal’s death but found no references to the fire or her passing. That doesn’t mean none exist — only that, so far, they haven’t surfaced in the digital collections available to me. When time permits, it is my intent to visit brick-and-mortar repositories, including the State Library of North Carolina and the State Archives of North Carolina in Raleigh, to search their historical newspaper collections for any coverage of the event. If an article does exist, it may add another layer of context to this family’s story — and to the grief already in the background before the violence that would later make headlines.

Against that backdrop of unresolved grief and everyday struggle, events unfolded that would push Lloyd O. Barker out of the private world of family and into the public glare of a murder headline.

THE DAY WILEY EVERETT STAMPER WAS KILLED
A Family Dispute Turned Deadly

On the evening of 23 February 1927, what began as an ordinary day in rural Ashe County turned suddenly and irrevocably violent. According to multiple newspaper reports (see source citations below), Lloyd O. Barker shot and killed his father-in-law, Wiley Everett Stamper—though the articles referred to the victim by several different names, including “Buck Price,” “Buck Stamper,” and “Wiley E. Stamper.” His legal name was Wiley Everett Stamper, but like many men of the time, he appears to have been known locally by the nickname “Buck.” The appearance of the surname Price in the newspaper accounts is less clear. Because these articles were published in 1927, and Phoebe’s later marriage to Willie Price did not occur until 1947, that marriage cannot explain the use of the Price surname in the reporting of Wiley’s death. At present, the records do not definitively show why the name Price was used, and its origin remains an open question. Resolving this discrepancy will require additional research following the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS), and it is an area the researcher intends to explore further.

The shooting occurred on 23 February; newspaper coverage followed several days later, with reports appearing in early March.

On 3 March 1927, the quiet life of Ashe County, North Carolina, was shattered. According to a contemporary newspaper article in the Watauga Democrat, Lloyd O. Barker killed his father-in-law, Wiley Everett Stamper. The headline itself — “Man Killed by Son-in-Law in Ashe County” — announced the tragedy to the community, but the brief report revealed little about the family, the circumstances, or the tensions that had been simmering beneath the surface. For genealogists, these records are more than sensational headlines — they are clues, pieces of a puzzle that, when combined with court documents, census records, and family notes, allow us to reconstruct both the event and the lives it affected. As we examine what happened, it is important to remember that the facts are drawn from contemporary sources, but the human story — the grief, the fear, the shock — must be inferred carefully, with respect for those who lived it. 

Genealogical Note: Questions About Wiley Everett Stamper’s Parentage

Wiley Everett Stamper’s parentage remains an open research question. Although his wife, Mary M. L. (née Johnson), named his parents on his death certificate as James Stamper and Sarah (née Price),¹² existing records complicate that conclusion. Wiley’s reported birth year of 1878 predates James Booker Stamper’s documented marriages¹³ ¹⁴ by several years, and no record has yet been found directly connecting Wiley to James and Sarah as their son. Additional Price family records, including those relating to Maude (née Price) Taylor, suggest potential family connections that require further study. Until additional evidence is located, Wiley’s parentage must be regarded as unproven, and a deeper investigation is planned.

Questions about Wiley’s early life remain, but what unfolded on that February evening is firmly documented. The location, too, suffered from journalistic distortion. Every article placed the killing in “Harrigan Township,” Ashe County. No such township existed then or now. The families lived, worked, and appear throughout the records in Hurricane Township, a community whose name could easily have been misspelled or misheard by out-of-county reporters. For purposes of accuracy and in keeping with the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS), Hurricane Township should be regarded as the correct location.

The newspapers described the killing as the result of a family quarrel over a dinner bucket — Wiley accused Lloyd of hiding it, and Lloyd denied it. The reports agree that Wiley advanced toward Lloyd with an axe in hand. What they do not clarify is how he was holding it or what the two men had been doing in the moments before the confrontation. Both lived in a rural community where axes were everyday tools, not weapons, used for everything from cutting stove wood to clearing brush. The 1920 census¹⁵ lists Wiley as a farmer, and it would not have been unusual for him to be working, chopping wood, or carrying tools as part of his daily routine. Did he approach Lloyd with the axe raised, intending harm? Or was he holding it at his side, blade down, while continuing an argument that escalated more quickly than either man expected? We cannot know. The articles offer no witness statements, no distances, no timing — just a single phrase that leaves far more questions than answers. And yet, in the context of a heated quarrel and earlier tensions between them, even a neutral gesture could have been perceived by Lloyd as a threat. Likewise, fear, anger, or misinterpretation could have played a role. Without additional records, we are left to navigate the space between the lines, aware that approaching anyone during an argument while holding an axe — whatever the intention — is never wise, and that one impulsive moment can alter the course of multiple lives. 

What happened next lasted only moments: Lloyd fired a shot, and Wiley fell dead. No article suggests that alcohol was involved, despite the highly charged Prohibition climate of the era¹⁶. Yet the stories do agree on one important detail: this was not the first tension between the two men. Several papers hint at “previous hard feelings,” though none specify their nature.

Within hours of the shooting, Lloyd voluntarily surrendered to Sheriff Colvard¹⁷. He offered no comment on the killing, no justification, no explanation. The responsibility of reconstructing motive would fall to the newspapers and, much later, to researchers like us. Some articles described Lloyd as having “a wife and five children and stepchildren,” but there is no evidence that either Lloyd or Phoebe had been previously married. All known children were born to them together. The reference to stepchildren appears to be simply a mistake repeated across publications — a reminder that newspapers must be treated as clues, not unquestioned sources.

By the time Lloyd stood before Judge W. F. Harding in the April 1927 term of court, the case had already taken on symbolic weight in the community. Harding was a staunch defender of the Prohibition laws, often using the bench to call for moral fortitude and community discipline. In a widely printed address to the grand jury, Harding referenced the homicide cases before him — including Lloyd’s — to underscore his belief that law and order were essential to maintaining the social fabric. Though Lloyd’s case had nothing to do with alcohol, it unfolded in a climate where judges felt compelled to make examples of those who disturbed the peace, regardless of the reason. 

Faced with the evidence against him and perhaps the moral gravity impressed upon the courtroom, Lloyd submitted to murder in the second degree. The court accepted the plea, and Judge Harding sentenced him to 30 years in the North Carolina State Prison¹⁸ (the institution historically known by several names, including the North Carolina State Prison Farm, the Caledonia State Prison Farm, the Caledonia Correctional Institution, and today the Roanoke River Correctional Institution). The sentence was exceptionally heavy by the standards of the 1920s and reflected both the seriousness of the killing and the legal climate in which Lloyd was tried.

History often preserves the headlines and the sentence but not the human cost. Lloyd’s imprisonment left Phoebe a young mother with several children to raise alone. Wiley’s death left a void in the Stamper family that no court record can fully convey. And as with many tragedies in small communities, the true story lives in the spaces between the lines — in the grief that came before, the violence that exploded in a moment, and the long consequences that stretched far beyond the courtroom doors.

WHEN THE HEADLINE FADED: WHAT CAME NEXT

When the courtroom emptied and the newspapers shifted their attention to other stories, life did not simply return to normal for the families involved. Lloyd began serving what had been announced as a thirty-year sentence in the North Carolina State Prison. Yet the records reveal that he served far less than the full term; by 1935,¹⁹ less than a decade after the killing, Lloyd was back in Ashe County. Meanwhile, Phoebe and the children had already been navigating the difficult years in his absence — years shaped not only by the loss of Wiley and Lloyd’s imprisonment, but also by the economic and emotional realities of life in the mountains during the late 1920s and early 1930s.

By 1930, Phoebe was no longer living in Ashe County, but her exact whereabouts during that year remain uncertain. Neither she nor her children appear in the 1930 census for Ashe County, Davie County, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or nearby Grayson County, Virginia — all places where the family had lived previously or where close relatives resided. The first documentation that places her anywhere in 1930 comes later that year, on 25 October, when she applied for a marriage license in Davie County, North Carolina.²⁰ On that record she used her maiden name, Stamper, and listed her residence as Advance, while her intended husband, William M. Waller, listed his home as Mocksville. The couple married the same day, Officiated by Rev. W. M. Rathburn.

The marriage license presents several anomalies — and a few reassuring similarities — that are worth noting for genealogical clarity:

Anomalies

1. Parental Information: Phoebe's parents were recorded as "Jim and Sallie Barker." This is incorrect. Phoebe's parents, as noted earlier, were Wiley Everett Stamper and Mary M. L. (née Johnson). "Barker" was her surname from her first marriage to Lloyd.

2. Year of birth: The license lists her birth year as 1895, which conflicts with multiple records:

• The North Carolina Birth Index suggests 1898
• Her 1913 marriage to Lloyd records her as age 16, suggesting 1897
• A later Virginia marriage record places her at age 48, implying 1899
• Her Social Security application (Form SS-5) states 2 June 1904

Taken together, these discrepancies highlight a common challenge in genealogy: date fluidity, especially among women who remarried, relocated or faced social pressure to adjust their age.

3. Missing signatures: The license does not contain signatures for the bride or groom, but in this case that is not an error of omission. The form used by Davie County in 1930 did not require the couple to sign at all; only the officiant, the Register of Deeds and the witnesses were expected to do so. The absence of Phoebe’s and William’s signatures simply reflects the standards of that particular marriage record.

Similarities

1. Her name appears correctly: Phoebe Stamper
2. Her father is listed as deceased, which was true
3. Her mother is noted as living in Jefferson, Ashe County,
        which matches known records
4. The appearance of the surname Barker suggests that the clerk was
        aware of her prior marriage and perhaps conflated the information

Phoebe’s second marriage would be short-lived. William M. Waller died on 11 August 1937 in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County²¹ — leaving Phoebe widowed before the age of forty (depending on which birth year is correct).

At the time of their grandfather Wiley’s murder in 1927, the Barker children ranged in age from one to thirteen. When Phoebe married William Waller in 1930, their ages ranged from four to sixteen years old. These ages become important as we look closely at what happened to the children after the killing, during Lloyd’s imprisonment, and throughout Phoebe’s attempts to rebuild a life in the decade that followed.

When reviewing the North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, Phoebe appears in 1938 petitioning the court for a Year’s Support²²—eight months and four days after the death of her second husband, William Monroe Waller. 

This record provides one of the clearest windows into Phoebe’s circumstances after Lloyd’s imprisonment.

According to the record, Phoebe formally applied to the county court for a Year’s Support, a court-ordered provision under North Carolina law that set aside a portion of a deceased person’s estate to support a surviving spouse and minor children for one year. By 1938, the statutes allowed a combined value of up to $1,000 for the widow and minor children. A Year’s Support was neither a will nor an inheritance and did not depend on being named in a will; it was a statutory right that could be claimed even if the deceased’s will stated otherwise. 

Phoebe filed her petition in Forsyth County, North Carolina, on 14 April 1938, formally asserting her legal right as the widow of William Monroe Waller. Two commissioners—W. E. Dalton and A. C. Borender—were appointed to assess the estate. Their report found no tangible personal property on hand at the time of assessment. Although the number of dependents under the age of fifteen was not specified, the commissioners assessed a monetary deficiency of $500, to be paid by the personal representatives of William M. Waller’s estate. Under North Carolina law, the widow was entitled to $300 from the estate’s crops, stock, and provisions, with an additional $100 per minor child under the age of fifteen. The fact that Phoebe received the maximum amount allowable under the statute—$300 for herself and an additional $200—supports the conclusion that she still had two minor children in her care at the time, namely Adaree Barker and Carl Gaither Barker.

This document therefore establishes several important facts. It confirms that Phoebe (née Stamper) Waller, formerly Phoebe (née Stamper) Barker, was alive and residing in Forsyth County in April 1938, that William M. Waller had died prior to that date, and that at least two of Phoebe’s children were still legally dependent upon her at that time.

Phoebe and Lloyd Barker had six children, five of whom were living in 1938. Two of them—Adaree Barker (born 1924) and Carl Gaither Barker (born 1926)—would have been fourteen and twelve years old, respectively, at the time Phoebe petitioned for Year’s Support. Records indicate that Phoebe lived in Forsyth County throughout her marriage to William Waller (1930–1937) and remained there afterward. This is further supported by information she provided on her Social Security Application for Account Number (Form SS-5)²³, which places her in Forsyth County in 1940.  

Despite this, Phoebe and her children remain conspicuously absent from the 1930 U.S. Federal Census. A careful, manual review was conducted of census records for all locations where Phoebe, Lloyd, the children, or close family members were known to have lived: twenty-four enumeration districts in Ashe County, North Carolina; fourteen in Grayson County, Virginia; twelve in Davie County, North Carolina; and sixty-six in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Searches were conducted under Phoebe’s maiden name (Stamper), her married surname from her first marriage (Barker), and her second married surname (Waller). None produced a match.

Additional searches were conducted in available Winston-Salem City Directories on Ancestry.com under the same surnames, again without result. It should be noted that Advance, Davie County, North Carolina, and Whitetop, Grayson County, Virginia—both places associated with Phoebe and her children—are not included in the available city directory collections. As of now, Phoebe and her minor children remain unlocated in the 1930 census, an absence that underscores both the challenges of genealogical research and the importance of acknowledging gaps in the record.

Missing census entries are a common challenge in genealogical research, particularly during times of family disruption or transition, and they underscore the importance of using multiple record types to reconstruct lives that do not always fit neatly into official enumerations. This research will continue across additional records and repositories—both online and in physical archives—with the goal of finally placing Phoebe and her children, somewhere on the ground, in 1930.

The children of Lloyd and Phoebe grew up in the shadow cast by the events of 1927. What follows reflects what can be documented about each child based on available records — birth registrations, census data, vital records, and related documents. As with genealogical work, the record is uneven, revealing some moments clearly while leaving others obscured. These brief sketches are not meant to define their lives, but rather to place each child within the historical and family context shaped by loss, upheaval and resilience.

Everett L Barker (1914 – 1997)

Everett was born on 11 October 1914 in Ashe County, North Carolina. According to the North Carolina U.S. Birth Index²⁴, the township associated with his birth was Whitetop, Virginia Rural Free Delivery (R.F.D.). The available records indicate that Everett spent his early years, from 1914 to 1923, living between Horse Creek, Ashe County, North Carolina, and Whitetop, Grayson County, Virginia. At the time of his grandfather’s death in 1927, Everett was twelve years old, and the years that followed were shaped by changes within the family.

By 1930, Everett appears in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census as an inmate of the Stonewall Jackson Training School²⁵, located in Township 11, Cabarrus County, North Carolina. (Today, this institution is known as the Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center.) Records from this period are limited, and the census provides no explanation for Everett’s placement at the school or the circumstances under which he was removed from his mother’s care. The available records are likewise silent on what Everett may have experienced personally or how he processed the profound losses and upheaval of his childhood, including the death of his sister Mary Opal in 1923, the killing of his grandfather in 1927, and his father’s subsequent imprisonment. At present, the reason for Everett’s confinement at the training school remains unknown.

While the records are silent on Everett’s intervening years following his placement at the Stonewall Jackson Training School, later documents provide a clearer picture of his adult life. His World War II draft registration card²⁶, dated 16 October 1940, and his obituary, published 18 January 1997²⁷, supply much of what is known. Everett married Gladys L. Paxton on 29 September 1937 in Bel Air, Maryland. When he registered with Local Board No. 1 in Harford County, Maryland, he gave his full name as Everett Louis Barker, reported his residence as Forest Hill, Harford County, and listed his employer as Edgewood Arsenal in Edgewood, Maryland. The physical description recorded on the reverse of the draft card describes him as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 159 pounds, with blue eyes, light complexion, blond hair, and a scar on his right forefinger.

Everett’s obituary confirms these details and adds further insight into the life he built. He died on 16 January 1997 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the age of 82. The notice confirms his birth on 11 October 1914, names his parents as Lloyd and Phoebe (née Stamper) Barker, and reiterates his marriage to Gladys in 1937. Everett worked for many years as a carpenter for Colorado College and previously owned his own carpentry business. He served as a deacon at Security Christian Church and enjoyed woodworking, fishing, and camping. Everett and Gladys had lived in Colorado Springs since 1959.

Taken together, these later records suggest a man who built a stable and meaningful life despite the upheaval and loss of his early years. While the records cannot tell us how Everett experienced those difficult beginnings, they do show that he went on to create a life marked by family, work, faith, and community.

Everett’s appearance in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census as an inmate of the Stonewall Jackson Training School provides a fixed point in time but offers little context. Census schedules did not record the reasons children were placed in such institutions, nor do they explain the duration or circumstances of confinement. At the time of the census, Everett was approximately fifteen years old, an age consistent with placement at the training school, which housed boys for a range of reasons that could include court involvement, family disruption, or lack of suitable guardianship. No records have yet been located that explain why Everett was placed there, how long he remained, or what contact he may have had with his family during that period. As with many institutionalized children in early 20th-century records, the documentation establishes where Everett was at a specific moment but leaves unanswered questions about why and how—questions that may only be resolved through future research in court or institutional archives, if such records still exist.

Elmer Lee Barker (1918 – 1987)

Elmer was born on 8 September 1918 in Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina. This information comes directly from Elmer himself, as recorded on his U.S. Social Security Application for Account Number (Form SS-5). Based on available records—including U.S. census data and the death certificate of his younger sister, Mary Opal—Elmer spent his early years living between Horse Creek, Ashe County, North Carolina, and Whitetop, Grayson County, Virginia. By the time of his grandfather’s death in 1927, Elmer was eight years old and had already experienced the loss of his little sister, who died in 1923 after suffering fatal burns when her clothing caught fire.

By 1930, Elmer does not appear in the U.S. Federal Census, a gap that mirrors the broader absence of Phoebe and her children during that census year. Despite extensive searches across the counties where the family had previously lived or maintained close ties, no record has yet been located that places Elmer in a specific household at that time. The available records are therefore silent on where Elmer was living in 1930 or under whose care he may have been residing. As with his siblings, this absence likely reflects a period of transition and instability for the family following the events of 1927, though the records themselves do not provide further detail.

Elmer’s adult life can be documented through a combination of records, including his U.S. Social Security Application for Account Number (Form SS-5)²⁸, World War II draft registration card²⁹, North Carolina Discharge and Statement of Service Record³⁰, the 1950 U.S. Federal Census³¹, and his 1987 death certificate³² and obituary.³³

On his Form SS-5, signed 13 May 1940, Elmer reported that he was living in Forest Hill, Harford County, Maryland, and that he was employed by Jesse F. Reifanider of Raspeburg, Maryland. His World War II draft registration card, dated 16 October 1940, provides a physical description, listing him as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion, with no distinguishing physical marks noted. The draft card also confirms his date and place of birth as 8 September 1918 in Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina, and names his father as Lloyd Barker.

Elmer served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 22 February 1941 to 20 July 1945. According to his discharge and statement of service record, he participated in several major campaigns, including Algeria–French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), and Central Europe. His military service was recognized with the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with eight bronze service stars and one bronze arrowhead, the Good Conduct Medal, and the American Defense Service Medal.

By 1950, census records place Elmer in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, where he was living with his wife, Delsie D., and their daughter, Shirley A.

Elmer died on 24 August 1987, at the age of 68, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Perry Point, Maryland. His wife, Delsie D., survived him and was reported to be living in Bel Air, Maryland. Elmer’s obituary, dated 27 August 1987, confirms his date and place of birth and names his parents as Lloyd and Phoebe (née Stamper) Barker. It also provides additional details of his life, noting that he worked as a carpenter, was employed for thirty years by J. A. Daiger, Inc., and retired from that position. The obituary further records that Elmer was survived by three sons, two daughters, three brothers—Everett L. Barker, James Barker, and Carl Barker—one sister, Ada Creswell (née Barker), and three grandchildren.

Taken together, the available records suggest that Elmer went on to build a steady and productive life following a childhood marked by loss and disruption. While the records cannot tell us how Elmer experienced or processed those early years, they do show that he went on to establish a life shaped by military service, long-term work, and family.

Mary Opal Barker (1919 – 1923)

Mary Opal was born on 26 August 1919 in Whitetop, Grayson County, Virginia, the third child of Lloyd and Phoebe Barker. The available records place her early life within the same family movements seen with her older brothers, centered between Ashe County, North Carolina, and Grayson County, Virginia. Mary Opal’s life was brief; she died on 6 June 1923 in Ashe County, North Carolina, at the age of three. While her death has already been discussed earlier in this narrative, it bears noting here as part of the children’s section that her loss marked the first profound tragedy experienced by the Barker family and preceded the events that would further reshape their lives in the years that followed.

James Garfield Barker (1920 – 2017)

What can be documented about James’s life comes primarily from a combination of Census, his World War II draft registration, North Carolina Discharge and Statement of Service Record, and his 2017 death certificate and obituary, as published by Pendry Lenoir Funeral Home and later transcribed on Find-a-Grave.

James was born on 13 August 1920 in Ashe County, North Carolina, shortly after the 1920 census was enumerated in Horse Creek Township, where his family was living at the time. The earliest record located for James is his marriage³⁴. On 20 November 1942, he married Bertha Shumate in West Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina.

James registered for the draft³⁵ on 16 February 1942 with Local Draft Board No. 1. At that time, he reported that he was 21 years old, residing in Jefferson, Ashe County, and was not employed. His draft registration describes him as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with blue eyes, blond hair, and a light complexion, with no distinguishing physical marks noted. He confirmed his birth date as 13 August 1920 and his birthplace as Ashe County.

James served in the U.S. Army from 5 December 1942 to 2 January 1946, a period of two years, six months, and fourteen days, and was honorably discharged. His service included participation in the Central Pacific, New Guinea, and Southern Philippines campaigns. He was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with three bronze service stars, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze service star, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Victory Medal.³⁶

By 15 April 1950³⁷, census records place James back in West Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina living on Long Street with his wife Bertha and their two young sons, James G. Jr. and Richard S.

on 9 July 2017 at the age of 96 in Lenoir, Caldwell County, North Carolina³⁸. His obituary³⁹ confirms the details found in earlier records and adds that he worked for many years in Caldwell County’s furniture industry. It also notes his enjoyment of fishing, camping, spending time outdoors, and being with family. James was survived by three children—James Jr., Richard G., and Ann—eight grandchildren, twenty-four great-grandchildren, and twelve great-great-grandchildren.

Taken together, the available records show that James went on to build a long and stable life marked by family, work, and service, despite the uncertainty and disruption that surrounded his early childhood years.

Adaree (Ada) Virsia Barker (1924 – 2013)

What can be documented about Ada’s life comes primarily from a combination of records, including the 1940⁴⁰ and 1950⁴¹ U.S. Federal Census, her Application for Social Security Number (Form SS-5)⁴², Maryland Marriage License⁴³ and the U.S. Headstone Application for Military Veterans (VA Form 40-1330)⁴⁴, which Ada completed to request a headstone for her deceased husband, a World War II Army veteran.

Ada was born, Adaree Virsia Barker, in Bina, Ashe County, North Carolina on 15 July 1924 to Lloyd O. Barker and Phoebe née Stamper. 

By 1930, Adaree likewise does not appear in the U.S. Federal Census, reflecting the same absence seen for her mother and siblings during that census year. Despite careful searches in the counties where the family had previously lived or maintained close connections, no record has yet been identified that places Adaree in a specific household at that time. As a result, the records do not reveal where she was living in 1930 or under whose care she may have been residing. This gap is consistent with the broader disruptions experienced by the family in the years following 1927, though the available records offer no further explanation.

Although she was born Adaree Virsia Barker, later records consistently show that she went by Ada, the name she used throughout her adult life. For clarity and consistency, she will be referred to here as Ada.

In 1940, Ada was living with her father, Lloyd O. Barker, in Walnut Hill Township, Ashe County, North Carolina, making her the only one of Lloyd and Phoebe’s children known to be residing with him at that time. The census enumerator, Lionnel Ballew, noted that Ada herself provided the household information, indicating that she answered the enumerator’s questions directly. Ada and Lloyd were living on Deep Ford Road, and the ages she reported for both herself and her father are consistent with information documented in other records. Lloyd was employed as a laborer with the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

According to the Application for Social Security Number (Form SS-5) that Ada completed on 6 February 1945, she was then residing in Forest Hill, Harford County, Maryland, and reported that she was unemployed at the time.

On 5 May 1947, Ada married Elwood Creswell in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. The marriage license records her residence at that time as Fallston, Harford County. By 1950, census records show Ada and Elwood still living in Harford County, where they were raising their two children, Lewis and Patricia.

Ada’s husband of thirty-two years died on 23 November 1979. The next record located for Ada is the U.S. Headstone Application for Military Veterans, which she completed to request a government-issued headstone for Elwood, a U.S. Army veteran. On that application, Ada reported her residence as Joppa, Harford County, Maryland.

Ada died on 17 November 2013, at the age of 90, at Lorien at Riverside Nursing Home in Belcamp, Harford County, Maryland. Her usual residence at the time of death was recorded as Darlington, Harford County⁴⁵, and her usual occupation was listed as nanny. The informant for her death certificate was her granddaughter, Heather.

Taken together, the available records suggest that Ada went on to build a steady and grounded adult life despite the disruption and loss that marked her early years. Notably, she is the only one of Lloyd and Phoebe’s children who is documented as having lived with her father after the events of 1927, a detail that stands out given the circumstances surrounding his conviction. While the records cannot tell us how Ada understood or experienced that period of her life, they do show that she later established a life centered on family, work, and long-term stability.

Carl Gaither Barker (1926 – 1989)

What can be documented about Carl Gaither Barker comes from a combination of records, including the 1940⁴⁶ and 1950 U.S. Federal Census⁴⁷, his World War II draft registration card⁴⁸, North Carolina Discharge and Statement of Service Record⁴⁹, marriage license⁵⁰ and wedding announcement⁵¹, and his death certificate⁵². These records indicate that Carl was born on 26 October 1926 in West Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina, just three months and twenty-eight days before the killing of his grandfather in early 1927—an event that would thrust the family into profound disruption.

In the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, dated 3 May 1940, Carl is recorded living in Old Fields Township, Ashe County, North Carolina, in the household of Mrs. J. O. Goodman, a widow who was listed as head of household. Two additional lodgers, Howard Council and Kezah Council, were also living in the home. Carl was recorded as a “helper,” though the census does not clarify the nature of that work. As noted earlier, the information for this census entry was provided by the head of household rather than by Carl himself.

Carl reported to Local Draft Board No. 1 in West Jefferson, Ashe County, at which time he personally provided the information recorded on his World War II draft registration card. On that card, Carl was asked to name a “person who will always know your address,” and he listed Mrs. J. O. Goodman, Route 1, West Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina. This is the same Mrs. J. O. Goodman in whose household Carl was living in 1940, where he was recorded as a “helper” in Old Fields Township.

Using the FAN (Family, Friends, Associates, and Neighbors) research methodology, further investigation was conducted to determine whether there was any familial connection between Carl and the Goodman family. Mrs. Goodman was the widow of James O. Goodman, and while their association with Carl appears consistent and significant, no records have been found to suggest that the Goodmans were biologically related to Carl or connected to his parents, Phoebe (née Stamper) or Lloyd Barker, through marriage. Even so, the Goodman family remains noted in the research, and their role will continue to be considered should additional records or evidence emerge that warrant a reassessment.

According to his North Carolina Discharge and Statement of Service Record, Carl entered military service on 24 May 1941 and was honorably discharged on 30 June 1946, having served four years, one month, and seven days. While the form does not list his rank, campaigns, or decorations—those sections are marked “Not Available”—it does state that Carl served overseas or at sea for a total of two years, six months, and fifteen days, though it is not specified whether that service was continuous. His Grade or Rating at Separation was field cook.

On 30 August 1949, Carl and Marian Williams applied for a marriage license, and they were married two days later, on 1 September 1949, at Glen Moore Methodist Church by Rev. J. B. Matlack, Sr. At the time, Carl reported his residence as Embreeville, a small unincorporated community in Newlin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, while Marian was living in Coatesville, Chester County. Carl gave his age as 25 and personally supplied the information recorded on the license.

A later marriage license application⁵³ filed by Marian J. (née Williams) on 17 November 1959 states that her marriage to Carl had been dissolved on 24 March 1958. Carl later married Betty McLean, though a marriage license or announcement for that union has not yet been located. Research into that marriage is ongoing.

By 1950, census records place Carl living with his wife, Marian, in the household of her parents, Harvey M. and Marjorie D. Williams, on Strasburg Road, east of Mortonville, in West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. At that time, Carl was employed as a mechanic in a machine shop, while Marian was working as a librarian at a local hospital.

Carl died on 19 July 1989 at Brandywine Hospital in Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, at the age of 62. His second wife, Betty, served as the informant on his death certificate. Carl’s usual occupation was recorded as machinist in the steel industry, and his residence at the time of death was listed as West Walnut Street, Coatesville, Pennsylvania. An obituary for Carl has not yet been located, and further research is planned to document this later period of his life more fully.

Taken together, the available records suggest that Carl went on to build a stable adult life despite being born into a period of profound family disruption. Born only months before his grandfather’s killing and his father’s imprisonment, Carl’s earliest years unfolded amid uncertainty, yet the records show that he later established himself through work, marriage, and military service. While the records cannot tell us how Carl experienced or understood those early events, they do document a life shaped by steady employment, family connections, and the ordinary rhythms of adulthood that followed an extraordinary beginning.

Returning to Phoebe: Her Final Marriage

Following the death of her second husband, William Monroe Waller, Phoebe married one final time. On 6 November 1947, Phoebe and her intended, Willie Price, applied for a marriage license in Washington County, Virginia, providing the information recorded on the application.⁵⁴

Willie Price, aged 34, stated that he was single and had not been previously married. He reported that he was born in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, and named his parents as Sam Price and Mary (née Lewis). Willie indicated that he was residing in Ashe County, North Carolina, with a mailing address of Whitetop, Grayson County, Virginia. Although the marriage license did not request a date of birth, his reported age suggests a birth date on or about 6 November 1913; however, later records introduce some uncertainty regarding this estimate.

Phoebe, aged 48, reported that she was widowed and born in Ashe County, North Carolina. She named her parents as Wiley Everett Stamper and Mary (née Johnson). Like Willie, Phoebe stated that she resided in Ashe County, with a mailing address in Whitetop, Grayson County, Virginia. The marriage license did not request the bride’s date of birth. Based on Phoebe’s known birth date, she would have been approximately 49 years, 5 months, and 4 days old at the time of the marriage. Such minor discrepancies in age are not unusual in historical records and may reflect approximation, personal choice, or simple error. Importantly, all other details on the license align with what is known about Phoebe.

Phoebe and Willie were married the same day, 6 November 1947, by R. H. Duncan, a minister of the Methodist Church.

By 1950, Phoebe and Willie were living together in Hurricane Township, Ashe County, North Carolina, according to the 1950 U.S. Federal Census.⁵⁵ Willie was recorded as the head of household, aged 39, and employed as a farmer. Phoebe, aged 52, was listed without an occupation, a common omission for married women at the time and typically understood to reflect domestic work rather than unemployment. This census places Phoebe back in the community where much of her life had unfolded, now living quietly with her third husband.

Phoebe died on 4 December 1976⁵⁶. Her husband Willie had predeceased her by thirteen years, having died in 1963. The informant for Phoebe’s death certificate was her sister, Hattie (née Stamper) Blevins.

One final point warrants acknowledgment. In a number of records created later in the lives of Phoebe’s children, their mother is identified not as Phoebe (née Stamper) Barker, but as Phoebe Price. This may reflect a variety of factors rather than a single explanation. In some cases, individuals simply gave the name by which their mother was known at the time the record was created, particularly after Phoebe’s later marriage to Willie Price. In other instances, the choice may have been more personal—an effort to distance themselves from the Barker surname and the violence, disruption, and public scrutiny associated with their father’s actions. The records themselves do not explain the reasoning, and it would be inappropriate to impose one. What can be said is that surnames, especially for women and their children, were often fluid across a lifetime, shaped by marriage, circumstance, and personal choice. These variations do not undermine the evidence, but rather, reflect the human realities that lie beneath the records.

Beyond the Crime: Lloyd After Prison

It is important to recall that in 1927, Lloyd was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to thirty years in prison. Yet less than a decade later, he appears again, in the records. According to the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Lloyd was living in rural Ashe County, North Carolina as early as 1 April 1935, indicating that he had been released well before serving his full sentence.

On 22 June 1939, Lloyd applied for a U.S. Social Security number. On his Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), he reported his mailing address as Bina, Ashe County, North Carolina, stated that he was employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in West Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, and gave his age as 55. In 1940, as previously noted, Lloyd was living with his daughter Ada on Deep Ford Road in Walnut Hill Township, Ashe County, and was again employed as a WPA laborer.

By 1950, Ada had moved on, and Lloyd was living alone on Phoenix Mountain Road, still in Walnut Hill Township, Ashe County⁵⁷. At that time, he was recorded as 67 years old. The census does not list an occupation or industry for Lloyd in that year.

Lloyd died on 18 November 1974 at Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina. His death certificate⁵⁸ records that he was divorced. To date, no records have been found that suggest Lloyd remarried after his separation from Phoebe, though continued research may yet clarify this point. The informant for the death certificate was Tom Barker, whose exact relationship to Lloyd—whether brother, nephew, or another relation—has not yet been established and remains an area for further research.

The questions that opened this story remain powerful: Why did this happen? What came next? How did the family endure? Genealogy cannot fully answer the why, nor can it recover the private thoughts or emotions of those who lived through these events. What it can do is document what happened next and place those lives back into context. Through careful examination of the records, this research shows that while one violent act cast a long shadow, it did not define every life it touched. In the end, genealogy is about context—placing people beyond a single moment and back into the larger framework of family and history.

The lives outlined above represent what can be documented at this point in the research. As with much genealogical work, gaps remain, and further records may add depth, clarity, or correction over time. This is not the final word on these individuals, but rather a snapshot of what is currently known. 

A Note on the Research Journey

One of my biggest frustrations with genealogy programming — shows like Who Do You Think You Are?, Finding Your Roots, or the YouTube Ancestry series such as Every Family Has a Secret — is that these one-hour programs can give beginners the false impression that researching your family history is as simple as plugging in names and instantly discovering ten generations of your ancestors. While that would be amazing if it were true, the reality is far more complex — and far more rewarding.

Genealogy requires patience, planning, and attention to detail. For this project, my initial focused research took about a year to reach a point where I could pause and wait until I could access brick-and-mortar archives and more specialized record collections. Researching the focus of this blog — the story of Lloyd O. Barker and his family — took roughly another year and a half. Hours and hours went into narrowing down the research question: Why? Why would a man murder his father-in-law? The original newspaper article gave the immediate answer — a disagreement over a lunch bucket — but I wanted to understand if there was more beneath the surface.

To do that, I needed to understand the geography of where these people lived, the society in which they lived, the laws governing the courts and sentencing, and the political and social context of the time. Every step required careful study of records, archives, and supporting sources to draw reasonable, logical, and sound conclusions.

This research took a total of about two and a half years to reach this point — and it’s still not finished. New records, like prison and parole files, may add even more to the story. That’s the reality of genealogy: research is never truly complete. Some genealogists spend decades on a single line or individual, and some never see the full results they hope for. The process requires patience, persistence, and a commitment to understanding the lives of real people — not just the names on a page.

Research Approach and Disclaimer

I am not a professional genealogist—nor do I play one. What I do feel strongly about is following the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS), and I strive to apply them in my research. The GPS provides clear guidelines and a solid methodology that help everyone—from the novice family historian to the professional genealogist—ensure that hypotheses, conclusions, family trees, and family stories are accurate and based on sound, logical reasoning. My goal is to avoid climbing the wrong tree and wasting valuable time on inaccurate paths. As noted, it can already take a lifetime (or two) to research and accurately document our families and their branches, and we simply cannot chase after every leaf that isn’t ours.

What Remains to Be Explored as the Research Continues

As thorough as the available records are, they do not answer every question raised by this case. In keeping with the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS), unresolved issues are not ignored but clearly identified, documented, and carried forward as future research objectives. The areas outlined below represent the next lines of inquiry as this research continues.

One critical avenue of further research involves locating and examining all available court records, contemporary newspaper accounts, sheriff’s records, and related legal documentation concerning the killing of Wiley Everett Stamper, the subsequent court proceedings, and the determination of Lloyd O. Barker’s guilt and sentencing. A more complete review of these materials may provide additional context, clarify discrepancies, and deepen our understanding of how the case unfolded within the legal system of the time.

One unresolved question involves the shared Barker surname on both sides of Lloyd O. Barker’s immediate family. Lloyd’s father was Levi Barker, and his mother’s father was Alfred James Barker. At present, it is unclear whether these two men were related — possible cousins — or whether they simply shared a common surname with no familial connection. This potential relationship falls on a collateral line and is not part of the direct ancestral line of my daughter-in-law, but it remains of interest for understanding the broader family network. In addition to traditional documentary research using land, probate, tax, and court records, DNA testing is now a viable option that may help determine whether a genetic relationship exists between the two Barker lines or whether the name overlap is coincidental.

Another area requiring further research concerns the death of Mary Opal Barker in 1923. Despite a thorough search of digitized newspapers, no contemporary accounts of her death have been located online. Given the circumstances recorded on her death certificate, it is possible that coverage exists only in newspapers that have not yet been digitized. A future phase of research will include on-site searches at the State Library of North Carolina and the State Archives of North Carolina in Raleigh, where historical newspaper collections may provide additional context or reporting that is not currently available online.

A third unresolved question involves the parentage of Wiley Everett Stamper. Although his wife, Mary M. L. (née Johnson), identified his parents on his death certificate as James Stamper and Sarah (née Price), other records raise complications that have not yet been resolved. Wiley’s reported birth year of 1878 predates James Booker Stamper’s documented marriages, and no record has yet been found that directly links Wiley to James and Sarah as their son. Additional records connected to the Price family, including those related to Maude (née Price) Taylor, suggest possible family connections that warrant closer examination. Until further evidence is located, Wiley’s parentage must remain an open question and will be the focus of future, more detailed research.

Another important area for future research involves Lloyd O. Barker’s incarceration and release. During a visit to the North Carolina State Archives in July 2024, archivists explained that access to prison records is governed by a 100-year restriction based on an individual’s release date, not the date of sentencing or incarceration. While Lloyd was sentenced to thirty years, census evidence shows that he was living again in rural Ashe County by 1935 — less than ten years after the killing — indicating an early release. To date, no newspaper accounts documenting his release have been located in available digital archives. Establishing the exact date of Lloyd’s release is therefore critical to determining when his prison records will become publicly accessible. Future research will include examining court records associated with Judge W.F. Harding as well as exploring the availability of sheriff’s records, parole board files, and parole hearing transcripts, which may provide further insight into the circumstances surrounding Lloyd’s release.

Similarly, further research is needed to better understand Everett L. Barker’s placement at the Stonewall Jackson Training School. At present, it is unclear where the relevant institutional records are held, what procedures govern access to them, or whether such records still survive. Future research will focus on identifying the appropriate repositories, determining how records requests may be made, and examining any related court records that may explain the circumstances under which Everett was placed at the school. An additional question to be resolved is whether records relating to Everett’s confinement are subject to the same 100-year privacy restrictions that govern access to his father’s prison records, or whether different statutory rules apply.

Another important area for continued research involves determining when and where Phoebe and Lloyd formally divorced. While later records clearly show Phoebe remarrying and Lloyd recorded as divorced at the time of his death, no divorce decree or related court documentation has yet been located. Divorce records for this period can be scattered across jurisdictions and may not always appear where expected, particularly when families were mobile or when proceedings occurred in counties other than those of residence. Identifying a divorce record would help clarify the legal end of their marriage and more precisely define the timeline between Lloyd’s incarceration, Phoebe’s remarriages, and the family’s subsequent separation.

Further research is also needed to establish the identity and relationship of Tom Barker, who served as the informant on Lloyd’s death certificate. At present, it is unclear whether Tom was a brother, nephew, more distant relative, or simply a trusted associate. Applying the FAN (Family, Friends, Associates, and Neighbors) research methodology, future work will focus on placing Tom Barker within the broader Barker network through census records, vital records, land transactions, and other local documentation. Clarifying Tom’s relationship to Lloyd may provide additional insight into Lloyd’s later years and the family connections that remained intact after his release from prison.

Another unresolved issue involves the World War II Draft Registration Card of Carl Gaither Barker. There is no doubt that the card belongs to the correct individual: the name, date and place of birth, residential address, signature, and the identification of Mrs. J. O. Goodman—who was living at the same address and with whom Carl resided in 1940—all align with what is known from other records. However, the reverse side of the card raises questions that remain unanswered. The typed information identifies the registrar as "Local Board No. 1, St. Lucie, Florida," with a typed registration date of 9 July 1945, while a later stamp indicates "Local Board No. 1, Ashe County" with a stamped date of 27 July 1945, along with a West Jefferson, North Carolina marking. Both dates fall after the official end of World War II, and the presence of two different local boards—one in Florida and one in North Carolina—creates uncertainty about where and under what circumstances Carl actually registered. Complicating matters further, Carl's North Carolina Discharge and Statement of Service record lists his residence as Route 1, Box 34, West Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina, and identifies his Selective Service Local board as No. 1, Ashe County, consistent with earlier census records. At present, it is unclear whether the Florida notation reflects a clerical process, a post-service administrative action, or a circumstance not yet understood. Research is ongoing to better understand how draft cards were completed during this late-war period, and Carl's full military service record has been requested in hopes that it will clarify this discrepancy.

An Invitation to Readers

If this story resonates with you, you’re not alone. Many family histories include difficult chapters—violence, loss, incarceration, or events that are hard to confront, yet impossible to ignore. If you’ve encountered similar situations in your own research, you’re welcome to share your experience in the comments.

I’m especially interested in hearing from readers who have researched families in Ashe County or surrounding North Carolina counties, or in Grayson County, Virginia. Likewise, if you have experience researching prison or parole records in North Carolina, or records connected to the Stonewall Jackson Training School, your insights may be helpful—not only to me, but to others reading along.

Genealogy can be a solitary pursuit, but it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from shared knowledge, shared questions, and shared stories.

A Note on Sources

This post blends narrative storytelling with documented research. Source citations are provided as numbered footnotes within the text and are listed in full at the end of the post for readers who wish to explore the records in greater detail. When the evidence is uncertain, conflicting, or incomplete, that uncertainty is addressed directly in the narrative. The absence of a footnote should not be read as an absence of research, but rather as a choice made in the interest of readability.

Sources and Records Consulted

The conclusions in this post are based on a combination of original records, contemporary newspapers, and later documentary sources. Not every source is cited inline, but all were consulted in accordance with the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS).

Source Citations:

¹ “Man Killed by Son-in-Law in Ashe County,” issued 3 March 1927, accessed: 16 February 2025, Lloyd Barker. https://www.newspapers.com/article/watauga-democrat-19270303-man-killed-b/165759516/, Watauga Democrat, Boone, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com)

² Lloyd Oscar Barker, SS no. 245-14-3599, 22 June 1939, Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland

³ “Noth Carolina Birth Indexes,” Database, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com : accessed 4 June 2025), entry for Pheby M Stamper, 1898; citing book D-5, page 586,  Ashe County, North Carolina

⁴ Ashe County, North Carolina, “Marriage Records, 1741-2011,” “Marriage Register (1851-1987), for “Phoebe Stamper,” Marriage to Loyd Barker; Ancestry.com

⁵ Everett L Barker, 82, 18 January 1997, accessed: 9 October 2025, Obituary. Born 11 October 1914 to Loyd and Phoebe (Stamper) Barker, The Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado, online archives (https://genealogybank.com).

^⁶ Elmer Lee Barker, SS no. 216-14-4499, 13 May 1940, Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

⁷1920 U.S. census, Ashe County, North Carolina, population schedule, Horse Creek Township, p. 7-A, enumeration district (ED) 26, sheet 7-A, dwelling 104, family 107, Mary Opal Barker; NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1284.

⁸ Ashe County, North Carolina, Death Certificate no. 57 (1923), Mary Opal Barker; State Board of Health and Vital Statistics, North Carolina.

⁹ North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, death certificate 17 049459 (2017), James Garfield Barker; Office of Vital Records.

¹⁰Adaree Virsia Barker, SS no. 246-36-1897, 6 February 1945, Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

¹¹ “United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940 – 1947,” images, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com//U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 - Ancestry.com : accessed 3 March 2025), card for Carl Gaither Barker, serial no. N337-B, Local Draft Board No. 1

¹² North Carolina State Board of Health, death certificate 31 (1927}, Wiley Everett Stamper; Bureau o Vital Statistics

¹³ Ashe County, North Carolina, “Marriage Register, 1851-1987,” for “J.B. Stamper,” marriage to “Venia R. Beaman;” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com)

¹⁴ Smyth County, Virginia, “Marriage Registers, 1853-1935,” for “Jas. B. Stamper,” marriage to “Sarah C. J. Byars;” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com)

¹⁵1920 U.S. census, Ashe County, North Carolina, population schedule, Horse Creek Township, enumeration district (ED) 26, sheet 6-B, W E Stamper; NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1284.

¹⁶ "Says Dry Law is Here for Keeps," issued 14 April 1927, accessed 5 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270414 - "Says Dry Law is Here for Keeps" - Newspapers.com™, The News and Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

 ¹⁷ "Man is Killed by Son-in-Law" issued 26 February 1927, accessed 4 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270226 - Man Is Killed By Son-in-Law - Newspapers.com™ The Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

¹⁸ "Loyd Barker Given 30 Years in Prison" issued 21 April 1927, accessed 4 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270421 - "Loyd Barker Given 30 Years in Prison" - Newspapers.com™ The Sentinel, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

 ¹⁹Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Walnut Hill, Ashe, North Carolina; Roll: m-t0627-02872; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 5-24.

 ²⁰ “Collections,” database, North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1741-211, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 July 2025), entry for “Phebe Stamper,” marriage license, p. 411

 ²¹ Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1976 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, North Carolina State Archives; Raleigh, North Carolina; North Carolina Death Certificates.

 ²² Winston-Salem, Forsyth, North Carolina, Estate Files, Phoebe Waller, 1202, 14 April 1938; Application for Year's Support, 14 April 1938. The undersigned, widow of the said Wm M Waller, being entitled to a Year's Support for herself and family, respectfully applies to you to have the same allotted to her as presecribed by Act of Assembly; North Carolina State Archive, Raleigh

²³ Phoebe Stamper Waller, SSN: 240-22-0046, filed: 7 October 1940. Present Home Address: 201 S Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC, Unemployed, Father's Full Name: Wiley Everett Stamper, Mother's Full Name Before Marriage: Mary Maggie Johnson, Application for Account Number, Form SS-5.  Social Security Administration.

 ²⁴ Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Birth Indexes, 1800-2000 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, North Carolina State Archives; Raleigh, North Carolina; Register of Deeds; Roll: NCVR_B_C006_68001.

 ²⁵ Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Township 11, Cabarrus, North Carolina; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0022; FHL microfilm: 2341412.

²⁶ Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Maryland, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 22.

 ²⁷ Everett L Barker, 82, 18 January 1997, accessed: 9 October 2025, Obituary. Born 11 October 1914 to Loyd and Phoebe (Stamper) Barker, The Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colorado, online archives (https://genealogybank.com).

 ²⁸ Elmer Lee Barker, 216-14-4499, 13 May 1940. Father's Name: Loyd Barker, Mother's Maiden Name: Pheby Stamper, Application for Account Number, Form SS-5.  Social Security Administration.

 ²⁹Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, National Archives at Atlanta; Atlanta, GA; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For North Carolina, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 18

³⁰North Carolina, Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: FamilySearch, Ancestry.com. North Carolina, US Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2019

³¹Enumeration District: 13-22; Description: Election District 3, Bel Air - That part northwest of U.S. Hwy. 1 and east of State Hwy. 24, outside Bel Air town. National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Bel Air, Harford, Maryland; Roll: 1945; Page 18; Enumeration District 13-22

 ³²Maryland, Death Certificates, Death Certificate, No. 23467, 24 August 1987; Elmer Lee Barker, Sr. Father's Mame: Lloyd Oscar Barker; Mother's Name: Phoebe Stamper; Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

 ³³ Elmer L Barker, Sr., Date Issued: 27 August 1987, Date Accessed: 26 July 2025, Research Focus: Elmer L Barker. Born Jefferson, North Carolina. Son of the late Lloyd and the late Phoebe Barker. Survived by three brothers, Everett Barker of Colorado Springs, Co., James Barker of Lenoir, North Carolina, and Carl Barker of Coatesville, PA and one sister, Ada [Adaree] Barker Creswell of Joppa [Harford], Maryland. https://www.newspapers.com/, The Aegis, Bel Air, Maryland, online archives (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-aegis-elmer-l-barker-sr/177488516/).

³⁴Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com.

 ³⁵ Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, National Archives at Atlanta; Atlanta, GA; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For North Carolina, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 18

 ³⁶ North Carolina, Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: FamilySearch 2019, Ancestry.com. North Carolina, U.S. Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2019

³⁷Ancestry.com, 1950 United States Federal Census (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022), Ancestry.com, National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: West Jefferson, Ashe, North Carolina; Roll: 5335; Page: 12; Enumeration District: 5-34.

³⁸ North Carolina, North Carolina Department of Health, Death Certificates, Death Certificate, No.: 17 049459, 9 July 2017; James Garfield Barker.

 ³⁹ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181224543/james_garfield-barker: accessed January 2, 2026), memorial page for James Garfield Barker (15 Aug 1920–9 Jul 2017), Find a Grave Memorial ID 181224543, citing Blue Ridge Memorial Park, Lenoir, Caldwell County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Lisa T Barber (contributor 46638637).

 ⁴⁰ Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Walnut Hill, Ashe, North Carolina; Roll: m-t0627-02872; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 5-24.

⁴¹Ancestry.com, 1950 United States Federal Census (online publication – Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022. Original data – Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Abingdon, Harford, Maryland; Roll: 1944; Page: 33; Enumeration District: 13-3

 ⁴² Adaree Virsia Barker, 264-36-1897, filed 6 February 1945, Application for Account Number, Form SS-5.  Social Security Administration.

 ⁴³Bel Air, Harford, Maryland, Marriage License, Marriage License No.: 20329, 5 May 1947. Name of Bride: Adaree Barker; Maryland State Archives, 350 Rowe Boulevard Annapolis, MD.

⁴⁴Ancestry.com U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, MO, USA; Applications for Headstones and Markers, 7/1/1970-9/30/1985; NAID: 6016127; Record Group Number: 15; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1173-2007

 ⁴⁵ Maryland, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Death Certificates, Death Certificate No. 39017, 17 November 2013; Adaree V Creswell. Father's name: Lloyd O Barker; Mother's name: Phoebe Price; Maryland State Archives, 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD.

 ⁴⁶ Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Oldfields, Ashe, North Carolina; Roll: m-t0627-02872; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 5-17.

⁴⁷ Ancestry.com, 1950 United States Federal Census (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022), Ancestry.com, National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: West Bradford, Chester, Pennsylvania; Roll: 235; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 15-155.

 ⁴⁸Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, National Archives at Atlanta; Atlanta, GA; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For North Carolina, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 18

⁴⁹ Ancestry.com, North Carolina, U.S., Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WK-659J.

 ⁵⁰Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com.

⁵¹Wedding Bells, 8 September 1949, accessed: 9 October 2025, Focus: Carl Gaither Barker, Brandywine Archive, Oxford, Pennsylvania, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

 ⁵² Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Death Certificates, Death Certificate, No. 11538659, 19 July 1989; Carl G Barker, Sr.

⁵³ "Chester Marriage Records 1957-1961", database, Family Search, (https://www.familysearch.org) 2025, Marriage License, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3SG-74QK-N?view=fullText. First marriage dissolved 24 March 1958. https://www.familysearch.org/.

 ⁵⁴ Ancestry.com, Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, VA, USA; Virginia, Marriages, 1936-2014; Roll: 101169032.

 ⁵⁵ Ancestry.com, 1950 United States Federal Census (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022), Ancestry.com, National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Hurricane, Ashe, North Carolina; Roll: 5335; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 5-14.

 ⁵⁶Ashe, North Carolina, "North Carolina, Deaths, 1931-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9P2-BHQF-F?cc=1584959 : 30 September 2022),  > image 1 of 1; State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh. Death Certificate for Phoebea Mae (née Stamper) Price. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9P2-BHQF-F?i=1901&cc=1584959&lang=en; digital images, Family Search, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org).

 ⁵⁷ Ancestry.com, 1950 United States Federal Census (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022), Ancestry.com, National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Walnut Hill, Ashe, North Carolina; Roll: 5335; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 5-32.

 ⁵⁸ Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1976 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, North Carolina State Archives; Raleigh, North Carolina; North Carolina Death Certificates.

 Other Newspapers Consulted

 "Harding Holds Court in Ashe," issued 13 April 1927, accessed 4 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270413 - "Harding Holds Court in Ashe" - Newspapers.com™, The Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

 "Murder Cases in Ashe Court" issued 18 April 1927, accessed 4 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270418 - "Murder Cases in Ashe Court" - Newspapers.com™ The Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

 "Acquitted of Murder Charge in Ashe County," issued 21 April 1927, accessed 16 February 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270421 - ACQUITTED OF MURDER CHARGE IN ASHE COUNTY - Newspapers.com™, The Watauga Democrat, Boone, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

 "Loyd Barker Given 30 Years in Prison," issued 21 April 1927, accessed 4 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270421 - "Loyd Barker Given 30 Years in Prison" - Newspapers.com™, The Sentinel, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com)

 "What’s the News?," issued 21 April 1927, accessed 4 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270421 - "What's the News?" - Newspapers.com™ The Sentinel, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

 "Loyd Barker Tenders Submission of Murder in Second Degree" issued 21 April 1927, accessed 4 June 2025, Lloyd Barker. 19270421 - "Loyd Barker Tenders Submission of Murder in Second Degree" - Newspapers.com™ The Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

Copyright © 2026 Tracy L Meyers