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By WAYNE F. BALDWIN
Rappahannock Non Contributing Writor
It seems that after the maternal or paternal figures in one’s family passes on, the succeeding generations grow further and further apart. Until one day, they’ve lost complete contact with their family members. This was the case with some of our Dwyer relative.
Thomas Burrell Dwyer was bom in Rappahannock County April 26, 1834. He later moved to Ohio then Illinois. He was once of nine children bom to Thomas B. and Mary Martin Dwyer.
In February 1903, Thomas Burrell Dwyer, from Streator, La Salle County, Illinois was here in Virginia visiting his two brothers, Alfred Harrison and Miles Jackson Dwyer. While here Thomas died in Luray, Virginia. His body was prepared by Bradley Funeral Home and sent back via train to Illinois.
We knew from the death notice in the Page News and Courier that his son came and handled arrangements. We did not know the sons name from that source, but in the old family photo album there were photos of two of Thomas’ children. They were identified as “Barret” Dwyer and the oldest daughter, and from his passing that ended the contact with that branch of the’ family.
In March I had been doing some research by way of census records. I had discovered that in 1900 (Streator, Illinois) Thomas B. Dwyer was living with his daughter, Nellie and her husband, James Stoddard, who had an infant daughter, Hazel. I was intent upon finding more information and was in the process of writing a few letters. It may be considered an irony or coincidence perhaps fate, but during that same week I received a phone call from a fellow by the name of Donald Popma who seemed interested in one of my books. I returned his call, finding that he lived in San Martin, California.
Mr. Popma explained that he was looking for information on Thomas Burrell Dwyer who died in Luray, Virginia in 1903. That he was hid great-great-grandsons! He had corresponded with Page County Library and someone had sent him some info, copied from my sketch of the family. Don ran down his family tree, and
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