Farewell Auld Lang Syne to Wilma Currey Johnson

Wilma Currey Johnson

Wilma Louise Currey Johnson, Class of 1944, passed away Friday, November 2.

Wilma’s ancestors are among legendary immigrants to America, one with a tie to famous Scot poet Robert Burns of “Auld Lang Syne” (New Year’s Eve anthem) fame. Many lived in Monongah.

John Currey, who came to America in 1652, was the first Currey name to show up from Scotland, Ireland or England.

Dr. James Currie (the family name was spelled Currey, Curry or Currie but they were from the same family tree), who came to North Carolina and later moved to Virginia, was the historical editor of Robert Burns, the most famous Scottish poet Wee Bobby Burns, the bard of Ayrshire. In 1788 Burns wrote the “Auld Lang Syne,” played and sung on New Year’s Eve all over the world.

 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne.

 

 

We’ll take a cup of kindness to yee, Wee Bobby. Burns did more than write legendary tales of romance. He had children with women who were not his wife.

There are Curreys, by the various spelling of the family name, in every state in America.

There have been Currey family reunions annually in Harrison County since 1916. Many Curreys lived in Monongah and Marion County, including Clarence and Carol Currey, who owned an entire block that encompassed the Monongah theater, Monongah bank, Monongah hotel and Monongah drug store.

Clarence Currey, born in 1871, was Town Sergeant in Monongah and on the Monongah Town Council. He was president of the First Monongah Bank and secretary-treasurer of the Monongah Drug Company. His brothers were C. Lee Currey, born in 1878, and Carol Currey of Monongah.

C. Lee’s daughter, Gladys Ellen Currey, born in 1906, attend the West Fork Baptist Church in Monongah and was a graduate of Monongah High and Fairmont State. She married Taylor Reed. Their daughter, Mary Lee Reed, was a member of the Methodist Church and was in the West Monongah High band.

Jim McDaniel, Class of 1960, married Mary Curry, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, after they met at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland. Mary’s father was Carol Currey, who owned the hotel, theater and bank in Monongah. Their mom was Mary Curry McDaniel, who with 5 siblings were raised in the hotel owned by their father.

Mary’s sister was was Ava Curry Cogar, born in 1906, married to Fred Cogar and living on Cottage Avenue. Ava and my mother, Lena Futten Olesky, who lived across Camden Avenue (U.S. 19) on Church Street with John W. Olesky, Sr., were best friends and often sat on our back porch and talked of many things.

Jim recalled: "I did know your Mother, Lena, as I visited my aunt Ava Cogar across Rt. 19 from your house and they were good friends." Indeed, they were, Jim. I learned some of my first coarse words from Ava, who was plain-spoken but a quality person. 

 

Jim is an Air Force retiree after 23 years in that branch. 

Ava’s son, Carroll Cogar, married Jackie Bagshaw Cogar.

Arelious Lee Currey, born in 1864, served as Monongah police chief. He moved to California, where he died, and his body was brought back to be buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery.

William Cread Currey, born in 1870, worked in the Monongah mine, saved his money and bought a farm in Arkansas.

If you want to read the most extensive family history I’ve ever seen (123 pages!), the Currey family history, go to http://wvancestry.com/ReferenceMaterial/Files/History_of_the_Currey_Family_of_West_Virginia.pdf

Wilma’s obituary:

Wilma Louise Johnson, 92, of Fairmont, passed away Friday (Nov. 2, 2018). She was born in Monongah on May 29, 1926, daughter of the late Charles Garland Currey and Elsie Mabel Lambert Currey.




Wilma graduated from Monongah High School and retired from the West Virginia Department of Employment, Unemployment Division. She attended the Baptist Temple in Fairmont and was a member of the West Virginia Travelers Club and the Town and Country Garden Club.
Wilma is survived by her children, Myra Hamilton and her husband David of Fairmont, Richard N. Johnson of Fairmont, and Kim Rhoades and her husband Larry of Kellytown; grandchildren, Tara Pendleton and husband Nelson, Thomas Hamilton and wife Candice, Traci Hamilton, Richard Nelson Johnson II, Donald Johnson and wife Mary, Ryan Marshall Johnson and wife Crystal, Erica Besedich and husband Matt, and Jeremy Rhoades and wife Kayla; great-grandchildren, William, Jillian, and Charleigh Pendleton, Caroline and Carson Hamilton, Bailey and Arthur Zain Johnson, Haley, Destiny, Kyleigh, Kendrah, and Jayden Johnson, Angela Ferrell and husband Jess, Tyler Pasquale, Aurora Brown, and Ripley Rhoades; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, Wilma was preceded in death by her husband, Carl N. Johnson; grandchildren, Timothy and Tammy Hamilton; her sister, Edith Haddix; and daughter-in-law, Rebecca Johnson.
The family will receive friends at Domico Funeral Home, 414 Gaston Avenue in Fairmont, on Monday, Nov. 5 from 2-8 p.m. The funeral service will be at the funeral home on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at noon with Pastor Carl Radcliff and Pastor Allan Copenhaver officiating. Interment will follow at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens in Westover. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.domicofh.com.