Introduction: Manuel A Gonzalez

[Manuel A Gonzalez]

I just found your website today. My mother and father are from Asturias and came to the USA to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. My father was a steelworker from Bethlehem Steel Corporation. My mother's family was from Naveces (close to the airport in Asturias). My father's family was from Taborneda (in the mountains overlooking Aviles). We visit Asturias just about every year and all of my father's family is still in either Gijon or Aviles.

There was a sizable group of Spaniards who worked at the Bethlehem Steel, but not all were from Asturias.

We also had family in West Virginia in Moundsville. One of my mother's aunts was Nieves Ovies from Moundsville. We still have counsins in Moundsville, but I personally do not know them.

My mother's name is Anita Menedez Lopez and she later took my father's name. My father's name was Manuel Antonio Gonzalez Menedez.

My mother's father was actually born in Lugo, Galicia, Jose Maria Lopez Arbesu and he worked in Arnao were he met my grandmother Carmen Menedez. Grandfather first went to Cuba, then lived all over the US until settling in Bethlehem. My mother was actually born in Ida Mae West Virgina but raised in Spain after my grandmother's death in 1931. My mother came back to the US in 1950 married to my father.

My mother's family's house in Naveces was know as Casa Casilda.

My father's family are the key keepers for the capilla in Taborneda.

My sister and I have continued to have very close contact with our family in Spain. We have little to contact with cousins etc in the USA.

We are also close to other Asturian families that live in Palmerton, PA another Zinc plant. One of the families is also from Naveces.

MANNY

[Barbara Alonso Novellino]

Hi Manny,

My family are from Moundsville, West Virginia.

There was a family there called Ovies...they, many years ago, owned the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company. My Uncle Julio Montes drove a truck for them. My cousin Margaret Montes still lives in Moundsville. You can contact her through the website...she probably can give you some information on the Ovies family.

My family knew them. My Grandmother and Grandfather were Adelino and Adelina Montes...my Grandfather worked in the Zinc Works, until his death in 1942. Then, my Grandmother came to New York to live with us.

I think some of the Ovies moved to Florida...there are some still living in Moundsville. There is a post about them...

Barbara Alonso Novellino

[Barbara Alonso Novellino]

Manny...this is a post I previously wrote...maybe it will help you somewhat...



Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 1:14 pm Post subject: Moundsville, West Virginia

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Hi Rebecca,

A person who could probably answer a lot of your questions about the Ovies family is my cousin Margaret...she posts on this website frequently and she still lives in Moundsville.

My Mother who was born and raised in Moundsville is living with me. She is now 92 years old and its difficult to get any information from her. However, hopefully this is correct. NIck Ovies owned the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company...he had four children...Pat, Carmina, Josefina and Joe. The only one left is Pat and she is living in Florida.

Jose Guordado's wife was a sister to Nick Ovies and they have two children Carmina and Jose who still live in Moundsville.

Thats about all she can remember. Barbara Alonso Novellino

[Manuel A Gonzalez]

Thanks for the information. I spoke to my mother today and she said there were 2 Ovies families in Moundsville and they were neighbors. The Pepsi-Cola family is not related to the other Ovies family. My mother knew they Pepsi-Cola family and we still have a very Old Pepsi Cola cooler that was given to my father by the other Ovies family.

What I am really interested in is fiding where the heck my mother was born. Her birthcertificate says Ada May (handwritten...spelling is hard to decipher) West Virgina. Does anybody know of an Ada May ?? She was born in 1924..could this be near Smelter??? My grandfather was a coal miner, so I imagine it is a coal town.

Manny

[Ken Menendez]

Manuel, welcome to the Forum.

Idamay is located about five miles west of Fairmont, West Virginia, and near Farmington. Idamay was and may still be a coal mining town. I believe it was Consolidation Coal Co. that operated a major operation there. Also, in 1968 there was a major coal mine disaster in the Farmington/Idamay area that resulted in the deaths of over 70 miners, and it was a Consolidation mine. Could be one in the same, not sure.

For any birth information on your mother check out the Marion County Courthouse in Fairmont.

You mentioned Smelter (I assume Spelter) and Idamay is approx. 30 miles north of Spelter, and Spelter is in the next county (Harrison) with its principal city being Clarksburg.


Hopes this helps a little.