Dear Bruce. My name is Kenneth Edward Bickerstaff Jr. I was born in Mingo Jct Ohio, 2 Nov 1933, in a Coal mine shack on north Mclister ave.

My father was KEB Sr. Born In Mingo 10 Nov 1912

My Mother was Mary Elizabeth Townsend Born in Steubenville 26 Sep 1915. Dad got killed in an Railroad Acc on 17 Mar 1944 in the Mingo Jct Mill, my Mom died in Nov 1993, both are buried in UNION Cemetery, Steubenville, Ohio.

I have 2 brothers, Robert Lee out in Calif and Frederich James in Cleveland.

I'm married to a German Lady, Hannelore (Schwind). We have 2 Daughters, Trude Martha Bickerstaff and Alice Grace Bickerstaff, now Allmon.

A little more of myself, I joined the USAF in 1950 and spent the next 55 years working for US Govt in one capacity or another and finally said the hell with it and retired. When I went in the service I found out that my name wasn't KEB Jr. My birth certificate only indicated Edward. Old Dr. Albaugh was probably drunk that cold and snowy day when I was born.

Some additional Bickerstaff background as I know it. My Bickerstaff Grand Parents were Joseph C Bickerstaff born in 1875 and wife Lottie born in 1870, Grandpa died in 1935 Grandma died in 1918, right after She gave birth to Her tenth child, a little to much for Her I guess. Both are buried in the Mingo Jct, North Hill Cemetery. The 10 kids were 6 girls and 4 boys.

Girls
Alice the oldest, I think married another Bickerstaff near Youngstown, Ohio
Edith, Mingo Jct, married to James Collins, they had 3 boys
Myrtle, Mineral Ridge, married a Starr, they had 1 boy
Thelma, Mingo Jct, married Bill Haslett, they 1 boy and 1girl
Ruth, Mingo Jct, married Kiser Stromeyer, they had 1 girl
Viola (Ollie) My favorite, Mingo Jct married Andrew Kish, they had 7 kids
Virginia (Jenny), Andrew, Paul, John, Joseph, Mike and Bobbie

Boys
James, (Jim)Mingo Jct, had 3 girls
Henry (HEN), Mingo Jct you couldn't keep up with him
Joseph C II, (Joby) Mingo Jct, Wife Helen, they had 1 boy Joseph C III
Kenneth E. (Kenny)Mingo Jct Married Mary and us 3 boys.
They are all dead most are in the Mingo Jct Cemetery

I am the oldest with the name of the Bickerstaff, as far Grandpa/Grandma Bickerstaff's are concerned.

I'm not sure but heard as a little kid that Grandpa was suppose have had 7/8 brothers in the Mingo Jct/Steubenville area and there was suppose to have ties with Bickerstaff's located in and around the Beaver Falls area, but I don't know who or what capacity. Some names are Charles, James, Henry, John, Joseph.

The Steubenville and Mingo Cemetery's are both full of Bickerstaff's.

One more thing Bruce before I waste anymore of your time and paper. When I first went in the USAF, they sent me to RAF Manston, Margate Kent, Kent (lovely place) then to East Kirby, anyway I volunteered to play Soccer which I never heard of before (I was just trying to get out of work) and sent all of us to RAF Burtonwood, needless to say I was the only American there, (although) all USAF guys,they were all Irish, Scottish, Welsh and of course English, and so being the only foreigner there they kept me on the water boy. But I did over the years became a fairly good player, at least by American standards, Ha. But while I was there one off the guys told me about the town of Bickerstaff, just up the road, naturally I went and was treated like a long lost son, I couldn't stay but a few days and we couldn't track down the ties from them to us.

Before I went to England I got stationed at Macdill AFB, Florida, and I heard there was a Bickerstaff working in the Vehicle Motor Pool, so I went looking for him because I had a cousin somewhere in Florida, anyway when I asked around they all were laughing at me, they said he's down in the pits but we don't think he's a relative of yours, so I yelled down to him, his name was John and up came the biggest Black guy I ever seen, scared the living day lights out of me, I told who I was and why I looking for a cousin named John and I never knew there were Black people named Bickerstaff, He laughed and despite all the clowns laughing at us we became friends, he said he was from Georgia, and that were a lot Black Bickerstaff's and over the years I found out how true his words were, even my beloved Mingo Jct had Black Bickerstaff"s. Small World.

Well Bruce, I'll quit for now thanking you for doing so much through you WWW.

Yours truly, Ed Bickerstaff

My nick name is "Skip" You certainly can use any and all of what I have written above. If I can be of any assistance, just YELL.

To contact Ed, write to e_bickerstaff(at)yahoo.com