Parents: John Henry "Jack" & Marina "Rena" (Osborne) Ramey

Sarah Ann Ramey married Andrew Jackson Addington on Jan. 10, 1867, soon after the civil war. Two years after those harrowing times came this blessed event which means so much to us all. A few months after the wedding they joined a brother, his family and some neighbors and journeyed by covered wagon to Ohio, where they lived for about two years. It was a long journey to Ohio the way they traveled, and two years was a long time for young people of their age to be away from home. Their relatives must have thought somewhat the same as the young people felt, for when they went back, they were persuaded not to return to Ohio, but to settle on his father's farm, which was large and made up of sloping fields, wooded ridges and hills.

Though so young when married, they were self-reliant and went away on their initiative and got along well. If left to themselves no doubt would have returned to Ohio and reared their family. It turned out otherwise and they settled in as healthy a place as could be found.

Albert was six months old on their return making the time about May, 1869. After Albert came sixteen other healthy youngsters, then over seventy-five grandchildren. After twenty-five years, when the last child was two years old, they again took to the covered wagon and landed in the Ohio valley. Five of the boys were now married.

Some of the boys moved on to Michigan and they followed after twelve years. Eight more years and some of the younger children were settled in California. The West called and again they traveled. Across the Sierras where they western breezes blow and mountain streams water the valley of perpetual verdure, their fifty-nine years of married life ended. There her husband dropped his robe of flesh; and in sight of snow-capped mountains and in an old country church yard, his body was laid away. Sarah returned to Michigan and after twelve years she was released and her body was returned to California where it was laid beside her husband to rest their in the Golden West.

(The Robbin Newsletter Jan 1940)

Sarah left the question of going back to Ohio or remaining in Virginia entirely up to Andrew, for she said, "he had to do all the hard work of supporting the family." It was not her indecision that caused her to leave it for him to decide; for she kept her opinions and often expressed them in spite of his choices. It was her philosophy of family life. She had just as freely consented to go to Ohio soon after their marriage.

On Christmas day, 1870, John was born and from that time there were always enough children at home for companionship. Andrew was well and always able to work and Sarah was capable and efficient doing her own work. She had help about the home first using the first six children to advantage. Being boys she had no dresses to make or hair to comb. She just clipped their curly heads smooth and let them take care of each other. The older ones were given authority to keep order. She was not a woman to worry. Good health kept things running smoothly.

(The Robbin Newsletter Feb 1940)