Story written by Wilma (Charles) Steele
Copyright 2000- all rights reserved

This Steele Site is truly beautiful! I have loved history, antiques, family pictures, and family stories, all my life. There is a feeling that is from sharing that is difficult to describe. This home page is full of that feeling. It's filled with love & spirit. I am Wilma (Charles)Steele. My husband Terry Steele and I have lived in Mingo - Logan area most of our lives. We have searched together to find our families' history.

When I was a girl, our family delivered the newspaper bundles to the individual carriers along Matewan, Red Jacket, Mates creek, and Beech creek. I remember the old cabins and barns along this road. We dropped off one bundle at Meador, to Lillis Steele and I thought, "what an odd name." Later the name changed to Terry Steele and I thought, "I love that name." I told my mom that when I grew up I was going to have two kids: a boy named Terry and a girl named Angie. Mom wrote this down in the Bible, the way she did lots of things. I never saw either one of these Steeles; my thoughts were based on the names and how much I liked them. My favorite people [that] I met on this route were Sally Steele and Allen Hatfield. Both were older people and we would take the paper to their homes. Years later I forgot most of this, but later found that Allen Hatfield was a descendant of Wall and Devil Anse Hatfield, our ancestors' friends.

I didn't remember about the name or the paper route, until I saw this written in mom's Bible. It was the same Terry, and Sally Steele was his Grandmother.

When I was a teenager and going to school, my best friend Rosalee talked about a boy named Terry Steele, who would be coming to Matewan in 10th. grade. I went to school with Terry for 2 yrs. He wasn't my type, so I didn't notice him much.

Just before Christmas 1969, Terry and I sat on the bus and talked together. I couldn't believe how easily we talked. We had our first date at Christmas time and it was love from the first date. We went out on dates in a 64 red Mustang, the one he saved all his paper route money to buy - his dad Alfred, paid half - Terry had saved every cent.We Married Aug. 21, 1970, the summer after graduation.

Terry told me of a dream he had of a dark haired girl: in the dream he loved her but she had no face. He said, "It was You!" I always believed in free will and choice. I still do, but now I believe that there is a plan, a goal, and people we are to meet. I'm not sure how this works - I know so much less now that I am older. Our favorite song was "Brown Eyed Girl" - Today our favorite song is "The Real Me" by Rosanna Cash.

We have a son we named Terry, our only child. When he grew up, he married a girl named Angie, the names I had chosen as a young girl for the children I hoped to have. Angie died tradgically in a car crash a few years ago. Thus, Terry and I are raising our grandson, the child of our son Terry and his wife Angie.

Now again, we are going to ball pratice and helping with homework. When we get home from work, we put our time where our heart is, and mine is often in many directions, but this website and preserving our true history are very important to me.

Terry and I have found that our families have been friends and enemies through the past. We have great grand parents listed in the same store ledgers. We had six relatives that went to jail together with Wall Hatfield, during the Hatfield McCoy Feud. Our families were connected but not direct kin.

Terry's family descends through John and Patsy (Mounts) Steele. Ralph and Levicy were his g-g-g-grandparents. Terry's Mother, Grace was a Bryant from Harts Creek, Logan County West Virginia. (For Terry's Bryant ancestors, visit Logan County Ancestors web site- link on front page of Families of Steele)

Terry and I have been married almost thirty years now. Our life has not been easy. You don't get married that young without having many painful lessons. We have been each other's teacher and friend. I am ending this with a dream I had, a few years ago.

I dreamed that I was taking my family to a park - we had always heard about this place. Everyone said it was "the place to be." When we got there it was as beautiful as everyone had said, but there was something wrong. I felt it was a facade - it wasn't real.

I got in the truck and left. I felt as if my family was with me but yet, I made the journey alone. I climbed a steep hill and when I got to the top of the mountain, I fell down exhasted. Then I sat up and looked around; I saw beautiful things and ugly; the vista was natural. I loved the beautiful things in nature, but the ugly things were hard to look upon.

As I sat there I realized that the whole picture was perfect! I could not improve it - it was already complete. I felt the most peace I had ever experienced. Today when things are rough I try to remember that it's okay - it's a part of life - and with all the mistakes it is still perfect.

There is a story, that many of the Steele relatives tell . I have tried to put it together and have searched records to see if there is any truth to stories. The Civil war records seem to back up story. I hoped other relatives had details to help sort the truth from fiction.

The story: Ralph and Levicy had four sons that were in the Civil War: John, George, William, and Lorenzo D. Steele. They fought for the confederacy. They say that all four were enrolled together all were in same unit - but one fought in a different Company. All four brothers were alive at end of the war. They were in Virginia when the war ended. They say three started the trip home and John wanted to see the signing of the peace treaty at Appomattox. He was to join his brothers on the road. They never saw him again. Some of the family believes he died on trip home, some believe he started a new family elsewhere. That is the mystery.

I checked the Muster rolls and others, there are many John, George, and Williams listed. There is only one Lorenzo D. Steele Listed. He was on the Muster rolls, listed as Unit 20 Batt'n Virginia, Unit B. There is a John and William listed in same unit and Co. There is a George listed in same unit different Co. I hope someone knows their birthdates and can check to see if these men have dates that match - sometimes they lied about age to go with other family members, and I really want to know if this was was the last time John was accounted for? I do know that his wife, Patsy is buried with some of her children, but John is not there.