BESSIE LEE TORIAN, was born 29 July 1884,
Bristol, Washington County, Virginia, to Robert Albert Torian and Nannie Cecelia
Mantz. According to social security records, Bessie died in October 1968 in
Missouri. The marriage license shows Bessie Lee Torian of West Plains married
Carl Frederick Palenske, of McFarland, County of Wabaunsee, State of Kansas, 30
December 1914 in West Plains. Carl was age 35 and Bessie was age 30. Carl was
known as Charles and was a dentist.

Wedding news story:
Many New Year
Weddings
Of the numerous “Outlanders” who have invaded our city no one has
captured a more charming prize than Dr. Carl Frederick Palenske of McFarland,
Kansas, who last Wednesday evening led to the alter Miss Bessie Lee Torian the
accomplished daughter of Mrs. Nannie Torian of 614 Webster Avenue in this city.
The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Fr. R. J. Belt at the All Saints
Episcopalian Church, of which Miss Torian is a member and a large number of
friends witnessed the impressive ring ceremony. The church was tastily decorated
in trailing vines and white wedding bells. Immediately preceding the wedding
march which Mrs. Wm Marsh of Thayer, an aunt of the bride played… The bride was
on the arm of her uncle W. W. Mantz… Miss Agnes Torian, as sister, was maid of
honor and little Miss Mabel Mantz a cousin made an ideal flower girl. … An
informal reception was held at the Torian home for the bridal party and a few
friends and relatives. The bride is unusually accomplished and very popular,
while the groom is a prominent dentist and a young man of fine appearance. After
a short visit in Kansas City they will make their home in McFarland, Kansas
where the groom has an established business. Everybody in town congratulates Dr.
Palenske and joins the Journal in wishing them much happiness.

They did not
have any children. Bessie was a teacher in West Plains and an ardent
genealogist. She was one of the earliest genealogists researching the Torian
family.

In 1920 the family was living in Willow Springs, Howell County,
Missouri and they were listed as Carl F. Palenske, head, age 38, born Kansas,
dentist; and Bessie, wife, age 32, born Virginia.

In 1930 they were living
in Willow Springs, Howell County and were listed as C. G. Palenske, head, owned
home valued at $5000, age 49, age 34 at marriage, born Kansas, worked as a
dentist; Bess, wife, age 42, age 24 [sic]at marriage, born Virginia, and worked
as art teacher.

The following is an excerpt from a letter Bess wrote in
January 1959 to her cousin Bob A. Torian, son of Robert Andrew Torian.

My
mother had my father so short a time before she moved us west and took over the
rearing of her children. All my mother knew was the family had lived at
Leasburg, North Carolina and that they had a large tobacco plantation and lots
of Negroes. Your father told me himself that he could remember the faces of 30
Negroes. They brought two with them to Bristol, but they soon ran away. My
mother said my father had a canvas bag which he told her was one of those they
used to bring the money home from Danville where they used to market their
tobacco. My mother never knew my grandfather, he had died before she knew the
family. I think my father was the oldest tho’ there were 2 sons who died early.
Your father told me he could remember that my father had nothing to do on the
plantation but ride fine horses and beau the girls around. He was sent to
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. to school but whether to Yale or to business college or
whether it was before or after the move to Bristol, I do not know.

Robert
Andrew seems to have been education minded because he endeavored to provide for
the education of his younger children. The story goes that he gave a large sum
of money to Virginia Interment when it was being organized, to a man named
Wester who absconded with the money. He had stipulated that his children should
be educated there. So the children were not educated. At Leasburg there was a
college for young ladies—Solomon Lea’s Female Academy. All of Nathaniel’s
daughters were educated there. A good college for men was there also. Robert
Andrew had better stayed in Leasburg; he would have had at least that.

My
mother met my father when she visited her uncle who lived near the Torians when
they lived at the little place with the grist mill and sawmill near Bristol. My
impression has been that they owned the place near the school house on the
Virginia side, but perhaps they just rented until they got the place with the
mill. After I came home I wrote to Abingdon and there are no deeds there of any
kind. I had thought that my father traded the place with the mill for a steam
sawmill at Big Stone Gap. If there had been any money left at all it went then.
This was during my childhood. I can remember his coming home to visit us. He
lived in a shack out there and perhaps it was then he contracted the
tuberculosis which killed him when he was burned in the fire at the mill in
Bristol. My most vivid impression of him was that he always brought us books
when he came home.

Our childhood was pitifully poor tho my mother dressed us
up as best she could and saw that we went with the best. But for the energy and
resourcefulness of my mother we would have suffered. She took in sewing and
bought butter and eggs for us. When we came to Missouri she studied nursing
while her people cared for us and then for long years she was the most
successful and well known nurse in all the surrounding counties. This isn’t to
say that my father didn’t try. It was a life he had not been reared to compete
with. He was most kind. I can never remember being scolded by him or punished in
any way and the last money he ever made he bought my mother an organ—she always
played. Nannie was the pride and joy of his life.

I was sent to school and
became a teacher. It was then I began to question my mother about my father’s
family. She knew so little. I wrote to Leasburg and the Clerk of the Court was
my father’s first cousin. Through letters and a subsequent visit about 30 years
later I learned something of the family. My marriage interfered with my going
sooner, but now I wish I had gone right on then because soon the older ones who
knew began to leave us forever.

When I did go I saw the remains of what had
been the Andrew Torian farm and even the traces of the slave cabins. I saw also
the Nathaniel Torian place which was in better shape. I was told that Nathaniel
once owned 3000 acres in Person County and I know he inherited land South of the
Dan River on the Virginia side. This house was large, but not pretentious. They
said he used to entertain 200 people there at once. I saw the room where the
slaves kept the babies of the guests. Some of the homes of Nathaniel’s daughter
built on part of his land were far more pretentious. His great granddaughter
Corinne Gas lives on the place of Martha Brooks. A beautiful old house near
Roxboro.

I have an old list of creditors of Andrew Torian, money owing him
when he left Leasburg, one for $500 which was not a small amount in those days.
And at the farm they had two fine horses who got out one night and raided a
neighbors field and got shot. Seemed like bad luck followed them.

I feel sure
that Robert Andrew once had money and land; then war with its repercussions
ruined him. No doubt he went to his grave an impoverished and embittered old
man, sorrowful too because his wife and children were so ill prepared to live
any other life than the idle one of the plantation. Even my Grandmother Mantz
disliked the thought of the old man because she believed that he had money and
he didn’t. And who would blame her?

When I wrote to Abingdon I found only the
appraisal of Grandmother Adeline’s estate which was pitiful in its meagerness.
Less than $500 for her household furniture and a pair of mules and a wagon and a
cow. Even this small amount was turned over by your father and mine to a man
named Owen. Whether they owed him money or sold it to him for money to buy the
mill at Big Stone I don’t know. Your father lived with us.

From what I
learned in Virginia all the old Torian families were rich, proud and eccentric.
Yes, we inherited a once fine old name, but we also inherited the repercussions
of the idle life of the South. You yourself know what it is to have a
resourceful mother and to help yourself; which after all is a most worthwhile
heritage.

My mother saw you once and said you looked exactly like my father
did when she married him. He must have looked very good indeed. I enclose two
books for Harry which I intended to send long ago. And do let me hear from you
or Doris. I have had no word since I breezed in and out of your house last
October.

Sincerely Your cousin
Bess Torian Palenske

Bess Torian Palenske
wrote a book called the Charm String and it is filled with stories about her childhood but was meant to be a social studies reader for intermediate grades.