Dick Fortner, son of John and Nancy (Stewart) Fortner, is probably the one listed in the Bible Record as born in 1858. Joyce Fortner Murphy is a granddaughter and has his name as Westate "Dick" Fortner and his dates as 22 Feb. 1857 - 14 July 1926. He married Nancy Adelaid "Addie" Wilson and is buried in the Greenhill Cemetery, Waynesville, NC.
The following family is from the 1880 census of Bakersville, Mitchell Co., NC
Wist. T. Fortner 22, farmer
Adelaide 18, wife
Mary M. 1, daughter
His family is listed in the 1900 census of Waynesville Township, Haywood County, NC, as:40
Wiss T[?]. Fortner b. Feb. 1857, age 43
Nancy D[?]. b. Feb. 1864, age 36
Idar dau, b. Sept. 1881, age 8
George W. son, b. Feb. 1888, age _2
Bessie M. Dau, b. Aug. 1890
Charley son, b. July, 1892
John A. son, b. Feb. 1895, age 5
Roberta dau., b. Feb. 1898
On 1902, a W. P. Fortner, age 45, of Waynesville, NC, registered his right to vote and listed
John Fortner as the ancestor who was eligible to vote on 1 Jan. 1867.
Children of Westate "Dick" and Nancy (Wilson) Fortner
i. Mary Elizabeth Fortner. Mary Elizabeth Fortner Neil (b. 1881, d. 22 Oct. 1921)
ii. Ida Fortner. Ida Fortner Neal, b. 1883, d. 1975. M. (1) her sisters husband and (2)
William Vaughn.
iii. Blanche Fortner, later of Franklin, NC. Blanche Fortner Burleson, b. 8 May 1880,
d. May 19880. The Social Security Death Index confirms these dates for Blanche Burleson of Franklin, NC.
iv. Charles Smith Fortner, b. 13 July 1893, d. Dec. 1985
v. John Arnold Fortner, moved to VA in 1930s with brother Charles and their mother. He is the father of Joyce Fortner Murphy and was born 7 Feb. 1896 and d. 18 Oct. 1967
vi. Roberta "Bertie" Fortner. Roberta Fortner Penland/Pendleton, b. 1899, d.unknown but lived in Murphy, NC
vii. Betsy Fortner. Betsy Fortner Tenanbaum/Tenenbane (b. 1899, d. 1930, Portland,OR, in an accident.
viii. George W. Fortner, later of Birmingham, AL, where he died during brain tumor surgery.
ix. Edward Fortner, the last child, d. at age 8 while playing outside a mine