Members of the Nace family often married members of the Noffsinger—also spelled Nofsinger and Noftsinger—family. For instance, my great-grandfather, John Christian Nace (1828-1928) married Mary Ann Noffsinger (1828-1898), the daughter of Abraham Noffsinger (1797-1887). Abraham Noffsinger was the son of Samuel Noffsinger (1870-1839). Another son of Samuel Noffsinger was Isaac Nofsinger (1799-1880).
Isaac Nofsinger (my 3rd-great-granduncle) married Elizabeth M. "Betsy" Nace (1805-1881), daughter of my 4th great-grandfather, John Christian Nace (1760-1855), and thus my 3rd-great-grandaunt. [Pictures of their gravestones from Findagrave.]
Isaac and Betsy Nofsinger had the following children: George Lewis (1828-1901); Mary C. (1830-1884); Edwin M. (1833-1906); William James (1834-1895), a private in the Botetourt Light Artillery; Robert Clifton (1837-1906), who served in Botetourt Virginia Light Artillery, Artillery Battalion, Dept. of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee, C.S.A.; Margaret Hester (1839-1936); and John Samuel (1846-1856).
Things did not go well for some of Isaac and Betsy’s children. Their youngest son, John Samuel, died when he was only ten. Two sons went to war, and—while both returned—one suffered the ill effects for decades. Meanwhile, in 1864, General Hunter’s raid burned much of Buchanan, including Mount Joy plantation, where William Nace had been overseer of the iron mill there. (William Nace died the summer before the raid, and his son John Christian Nace settled the estate during late summer of 1863.) I do not know how close the fires came to Isaac and Betsy, but surely they were affected by the number of Union Troops in the area.
Here is the Roanoke Times obituary for Robert Clifton Noftsinger as posted on his Findagrave site: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15872165/robert-clifton-noftsinger:
Mr. R.C. Noftsinger, a well-known citizen of this county, who was living with his son-in-law, Mr. W.R. Styne, near Buchanan, shot himself last Tuesday morning about 6 o'clock, inflicting a wound from the effects of which he died in a few moments.
He was sixty-nine years of age, and was a Confederate soldier in the War Between the States in 1861-1865.
While in service, he received a wound that seriously affected his spine from which he never fully recovered. His mind becoming also involved, he was sent to the Western Lunatic Asylum for treatment, where he remained until thought to be sufficiently recovered to allow him to return home. But within six or seven years he had to be sent back, when after being under treatment for awhile he was again released, and has not been at home for seventeen years. Instead of improving he gradually grew worse, until the trouble finally culminated in the act which ended his life.
The deceased was a son of the late Isaac Noftsinger, and a brother of Mrs. J.W. Morgan of this place; was well known in the county, and universally held in high esteem. No reason can be assigned for the rash act, except that of insanity, and a general giving way of health, from long and constant suffering, in both body and mind.
His wife had already gone before him, and he leaves behind an only daughter, Mrs. Styne, and a sister, Mrs. Morgan, to mourn his unfortunate death.
He was buried on Wednesday, the 7th, 8 p.m. at the home cemetery, in the presence of many friends and neighbors. —Roanoke Times November 6, 1906.
While neither Isaac nor Betsy was alive when their son committed suicide, they lived through many months of his confinement in Western Lunatic Asylum.
They also lived through decades of another son’s confinement at home. Edwin M. (Eddie/Edward), age 17, was listed on the 1850 Federal Census for Botetourt District 8, as a farmer by occupation and as “ idiotic” by condition. In the 1860 census, he was still in his parents’ home and was listed as idiotic and unable to read. In 1870, he was the only child in the home of his 71- and 65-year old parents, but there was a 48-year-old woman (Nancie Goode) and an 11-year-old in the household. In the 1880 census for Buchanan, 80-year-old Isaac—now a retired farmer— and 75-year-old Elizabeth had three servants—Nancy Good (55), George Russel (20), and Edward Mickey (12).
Isaac died on July 18, 1880, after the census had been taken. Elizabeth died six months later on January 9, 1881. After his parents’ deaths, Edwin was likely looked after by family.
By the time of the 1900 census, Edwin (age 67) was living with his widowed sister Margaret “Hester Morgan” (61) in the Fincastle district of Botetourt. Hester’s husband, J. W. Morgan had died in 1899. The census indicated Edwin was disabled and insane. Also in the household were Hester’s daughter Lillie (20), Hester’s daughter Ella S. Hannah (23), Ella’s husband Samuel C. Hannah (30), and a servant George Shanks (35).
Edwin died on May 10, 1906—six months before his brother’s suicide. He is buried in the Godwin Cemetery in Fincastle, VA, where his sister Margaret Hester Morgan is also buried. Isaac and Betsy are buried in the Nofsinger-Styne-Pico Cemetery near Buchanan where many Naces are also buried.~
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