Penland Historical Society
News
Oct - Dec 2013
Asheville, NC.....Nancy Penland Foxx, 88 of Bald Creek, passed away Sunday, December 8, 2013 at Brookside Rehabilitation & Care. A native of Buncombe County, she was a daughter of the late Herbert and Mary Louise Peeler Penland and the wife of James R. Foxx, who died in 1984. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Mary Louise Currie. Nancy was a retired Yancey County School Teacher and a member of Bald Creek Methodist Church. Surviving are several nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held on the following Tuesday and burial was in the Holcombe Cemetery.
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Moore, Oklahoma ........ Lavaughn Martin, 85 , of Moore, peacefully went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at his home. Lavaughn was born on January 2, 1928 in Tulsa to J.O. & Villa (Melson) Martin. He was a proud Tulsan, only moving to Moore the last two years of his life. He graduated from Tulsa Central High School and the University of Oklahoma with an architectural degree. His college career was interupted with honorable service to his country in the U,S. Army. After college he returned to Tulsa and took up his lifelong career in architecture. While attending First Baptist Church of Tulsa, he met his future bride, Phyllis Penland. They married on February 5, 1965. He loved the Lord, his family, and OU. He was a faithful member of FBC Tulsa; devoted to his family in heart and soul; and veraciously everything OU. He was preceded in death by his parents, J.O. and Villa Martin; brother, O.C. Martin; sister, Mildred Jean Tisher. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis (Penland) Martin; daughter, Valerie Wohlsclegel and husband, Justin of Council Grove, KS; daughter, Melissa Starnes and husband Robert of Frisco, TX; and son Scott Charles Martin and wife Angie of Norman, OK. Lavaughn is also survived by grandchildren, Zak Wohlsclegel, Grace Wohlsclegel, Joshua Starnes, Jacob Starnes, Luke Martin, Blake Martin and Gentry Martin. A memorial service for Lavaughn was held on 21 December 2013.
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DNA UPDATE
A few months ago we were able to DNA test Chad Mitchell Pendlum a great grandson of John Steele Pendlum (John was himself a great grandson of the Alexander Penland who at the age of 29 migrated to Kentucky). John Steele, one of six sons decided to change his last name to Pendlum. He and his wife Della Mae Conley raised at least four sons bearing that name.
You will recall that in DNA testing the 'Y' chromosome is passed from the father to each son and can be tracked from generation to generation by identifying a list of 'markers'. Including Chad's
DNA information in comparison to our earlier tests:
Testee Claimed Ancestor Results of Tests
Philip Penland George 42 of 42
Charles Penland George 42 of 42
Chad Pendlum Alexander 42 of 42
John A. Penland George 40 of 42
Stanley Penland William 40 of 41
Joe L. Penland Robert 40 of 41
The above test results indicate that George and Alexander were in fact, probably brothers, and that William & Robert were also brothers. However it casts some doubt about whether all four were brothers! Since they were of the same generation and our subjects are within a generation of each other it is probably not due to a mutation that the Y chromosome is different (it is possible for a mutation to happen, but most often it happens after many generations). As we learn more we will let you know.
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BRITTANY NICOLE {PENLAND} LASSEIGNE
Graduates with Doctor of Philosophy {PHD} Degree
in
Biotechnology Science and Engineering
On October 1, 2013 Brittany N. Lasseigne
successfully defended her PH.D. dissertation,
"Analysis of DNA Methylation and Copy Number
Variation in Renal Cell Carcinoma". Brittany has
been a graduate student in the Biotechnology Science
and Engineering program at the University of Alabama
at Huntsville, for the past three years. Her
dissertation described her research on finding a
quicker way to identify kidney cancer. In fact, her
research on the subject resulted in a Patent request
being submitted -- for a method she developed which
may benefit many people who contract kidney cancer
in the future. On December 15 Brittany graduated
and received her PHD degree. Her "cheering squad'
as she attained this important academic achievement
included her Husband, Joshua Lasseigne and their
three year old Son, Patrick. Cheering from afar (San
Antonio, Tx.) have been her parents, Patrick & Tawnya
Penland; brothers, Nathan, Connor & Isaiah, and her
grandparents, Michael Newmyer & Charles and Phyllis
Penland. Her parents attended the dissertation
defense in October where a panel of ''experts in the
field' questioned Brittany about her research and
conclusions. This was done in a 'public forum' at the
University. Attending the graduation event were her
parents, Patrick &Tawnya Penland; her brothers,
Connor & Isaiah and her grandfather, Michael
Newmyer. The graduation was shown on a computer
stream, so her grandparents, Charles & Phyllis
Penland were able to watch it at their home in Selma,
Texas.
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