About Me

This is the only family portrait we went somewhere and had made, Mommy tried many times to get it done and finally got us all to agree to get this one.  This was probably taken in the mid 1980's.  

That is me, front and center, my given name is Bertha Fay Hess, I was named after my Grandmother, on my Mommy's side, Bertha Varney Ward and after my Aunt Fay Ward Slone, Mommy's older sister.  Fay is the name I go by and the name most people know me by.  My Grandma went by Berthie.

I was the first born of Eddie Dean and Stella Ward Hess.  Then eighteen months later my brother, James "Dean" Hess was born, he is the one standing behind Daddy.  Then eight years after I was born my baby brother (next to Dean) was born, Chester Lee Hess.  

I have lived most of my life here on Alice Rd, in Vinton, OH.  My husband, Charles "Eddie" "Ed" Edward Kinner II, says that my roots are dug in deep here and that they probably could never get pried loose!  And he may be right, I've told him I like visiting places, but this is Home!

I married Ed, which I call him, on April 5th, 2008 and I love Him dearly!  Ed and I were both married before and had children from those marriages.  I have a son, Roger Keith Stout II and a daughter, Leah Deanna Stout.  Ed has two sons, Charles "Trey" Edward Kinner III and Taylor Andrew Kinner.

We have one grandson, Colton James Stout and we have two granddaughters, Riley Grace Kinner and Louella Rey Stout.  They all have us both wrapped, I am Grandma and Ed is Pop or Pop Pop.  There is nothing like those grandchildren!

And finally the reason you are here, I love learning especially about my family history.  I feel you are never too old to learn and especially new things, most people don't like change, but I do, and I guess that is the Gemini as well as the adventurous side of me.  Change is going to happen, so instead of fighting it embrace it, it's part of life it is ever changing.  But the one thing we can't change is history, people say you can rewrite history, I think you can only add more facts and insight to it.  But it is sad to know that some history will be lost because no one documented it or passed it on.  I think if I can pass it to my children and their children, the history about their ancestors will keep their memory alive and that is important to me.  I loved my Grandparents, as most of us do, there is nothing like Grandparents like there is nothing like Grandchildren to them, it is a special bond!  I keep them with me in my heart and am comforted in knowing that as a Christian we will be reunited again some sweet day.