Family bible's story remains incomplete

As the Wahkiakum County Historical Society (WCHS) volunteers catalog exhibit items into the computer database, there is a comparison of what the written record shows as well as what the current condition of the item is. We also evaluate what connection the item has to past and present residents of Wahkiakum County. Sometimes those searches come too late after the donator has already died.

One such example is a hard-bound leather Bible with two generations of genealogy of the John Solomon and Eliza (Walker) Mosbarger family. The person who donated the Bible was Ray Markovich who died a few years back. We have some of Ray Markovich’s family genealogy and the Mosbarger families don’t seem to connect to Wahkiakum County through Markovich’s. John Solomon Mosbarger was born February 21, 1806 in Giles County, Virginia and married Eliza Walker, who was born 1/5/1826 in Nicholas County, Virginia now West Virginia. Both died in Worth County, Missouri, with John dying on November 13, 1856 and Eliza dying April 6, 1888. Children are Eunice G., Elizabeth C., Joseph, John Solomon Jr., Leah, Eliza Jane, Rosetta, Almira Juritta, Mary Addeline, and John Quincy. Not all the children are listed in the Bible with birthdates.

It appears that Mr. Markovich valued the items he donated and we don’t want to take away from this. Each week the board or curator receives telephone calls from people who want to donate items that do have direct historical significance to our county and most times we have to refuse because we just don’t have the room to display, store the items and funds are always in short supply to properly preserve items as well.

From a genealogist point of view this Bible is valuable but we are still left with the question as to why the WCHS has it, and after a five to six hours genealogy search we still haven’t found an answer. It would seem appropriate for the Bible to be placed with the Worth County Historical Society in Missouri. As a last attempt, we are asking if a Wahkiakum County Eagle reader knows if there is a county connection for the Mosbarger Family Bible? Please call 360-849-4353 if you have an answer.