My great-grandfather on my mother’s side, Alvis Goins was born in Patrick County, Virginia on March 26th, 1909, and sadly met a tragic end at only 37 years old.
Early Life
The third son of Albert “Dock” Goins (a farmer) and Lillian Brown, he grew up in a crowded house of eight children.
In November of 1933, then-24 year old Alvis married Lillian Eller Nunn, also residing in Patrick County. The couple would have six children altogether, including my own grandfather Harvey Glen Goins.
Looking For Work
Alvis’ father died in 1938, and the 1940 Census shows Alvis residing on his own farm in Patrick County. It may possibly have been land inherited from his father, but that remains unconfirmed. In any event, it doesn’t seem that Alvis was cut out for farming. The same census records also show an income of $0 from the farm, and that Alvis worked other odd jobs to generate income for his family.
In October of 1940, a World War II registration card has Alvis listing his employer as “WPA”, which stood for the “Works Progress Administration”. This federal program was part of President Eisenhower’s “New Deal”, targeting unskilled laborers who were struggling to find gainful employment, and putting them to work on public projects like roads, bridges, and schools. Alvis likely contributed to infrastructure in Patrick County that is still standing today.
Unfortunately, after the US entered World War II, the WPA program suddenly faced a severe shortage of able-bodied men. By the end of 1942, the program had been shuttered entirely, so that funding could be diverted to the war effort.
In search of new work, Alvis relocated the family to Sophia, West Virginia in 1943. Located approximately 130 miles north of Patrick County, Sophia was a small coal mining town, with a population of approximately 1,160 people at the time. Alvis then started working at a coal mine in nearby Helen, WV, owned and operated by Koppers Coal Company.
Death
On Wednesday, September 11th, 1946, Alvis reported to work at the Helen mine. At approximately 9:45 am, he was instantly killed by a slate fall. It’s unclear exactly what caused the collapse, but can likely be attributed to the hazardous working conditions of that time. He was only 37.
Alvis left behind his 33 year old wife, and six children between the ages of 4 months and 11 years. After a funeral in Sophia, his body was returned to Patrick County and buried at Unity Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
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