Michael Boyce was the son of Samuel and Mary (Stines) Boyce and the husband Of Phoebe Ann (Murphy) Boyce. (*)He was the father of nine children, but of these only four lived to become adults, and of these four, three to old age. He was a veteran of the American Civil War, and at one time near the end of the war, was made prisoner. The family story was: he and some others had managed to escape and were hiding out in the forest. They were near starving when one managed to find and catch a chicken. Being desperate, they packed the chicken in mud from a nearby stream; raked the coals back from their fire, and covered the mud packed chicken with the hot coals and kept the fire going. When they could not wait any longer, they raked the chicken from the fire...the story continued that the mud had baked hard, and when cracked open the feathers remained with the baked mud, the entrails had formed a small ball inside, and of course the chicken tasted delicious to the starving men. When his friend, (*)William Hornbeck, discovered the war almost over and that Michael had escaped, he guessed where he most likely was hiding. He slipped through the lines to find him and advise him to return to prison and be properly released when the time was right.
*(Family tradition: burial of the children was at Gnatty Creek, Marion Co., WV). At or near the year 1900, he and his wife went to Nebraska as their two sons had moved west. After his wife's death, he returned to West Virginia - without telling his daughter "Betty" and her husband, Moses Hornbeck, that he was coming. He had left West Virginia before they had relocated to Upshur County, so when he got off the train he asked residents for directions and was told where the farm was located; but that, since it was Sunday, they would in the Hinkleville Church. When he got there, he quietly sat down in the back of the church. When services were over, he was warmly greeted and remained with them the rest of his life.
(*Two children of William Hornbeck and two of Michael Boyce married (see below).
Charles Marshall Boyce 1846–1851
James S Boyce 1847–
Joseph Boyce 1850–1860
Leane Virginia Boyce 1851–1856
William H. Boyce 1853–1876 (h/o Sarah (Hess) Boyce-Shoulders (one daughter)
Mary Boyce 1857–1866
Isaac R Boyce 1858–1924 (h/o Louise Hornbeck)
Phoebe Elizabeth "Betty" (Boyce) Hornbeck 1861–1943
Stephen A Boyce 1867–1941 (h/o Mary E. Shoulders)
*(Family tradition: burial of the children was at Gnatty Creek, Marion Co., WV). At or near the year 1900, he and his wife went to Nebraska as their two sons had moved west. After his wife's death, he returned to West Virginia - without telling his daughter "Betty" and her husband, Moses Hornbeck, that he was coming. He had left West Virginia before they had relocated to Upshur County, so when he got off the train he asked residents for directions and was told where the farm was located; but that, since it was Sunday, they would in the Hinkleville Church. When he got there, he quietly sat down in the back of the church. When services were over, he was warmly greeted and remained with them the rest of his life.
(*Two children of William Hornbeck and two of Michael Boyce married (see below).
Charles Marshall Boyce 1846–1851
James S Boyce 1847–
Joseph Boyce 1850–1860
Leane Virginia Boyce 1851–1856
William H. Boyce 1853–1876 (h/o Sarah (Hess) Boyce-Shoulders (one daughter)
Mary Boyce 1857–1866
Isaac R Boyce 1858–1924 (h/o Louise Hornbeck)
Phoebe Elizabeth "Betty" (Boyce) Hornbeck 1861–1943
Stephen A Boyce 1867–1941 (h/o Mary E. Shoulders)
Michael Boyce was the son of Samuel and Mary (Stines) Boyce and the husband Of Phoebe Ann (Murphy) Boyce. (*)He was the father of nine children, but of these only four lived to become adults, and of these four, three to old age. He was a veteran of the American Civil War, and at one time near the end of the war, was made prisoner. The family story was: he and some others had managed to escape and were hiding out in the forest. They were near starving when one managed to find and catch a chicken. Being desperate, they packed the chicken in mud from a nearby stream; raked the coals back from their fire, and covered the mud packed chicken with the hot coals and kept the fire going. When they could not wait any longer, they raked the chicken from the fire...the story continued that the mud had baked hard, and when cracked open the feathers remained with the baked mud, the entrails had formed a small ball inside, and of course the chicken tasted delicious to the starving men. When his friend, (*)William Hornbeck, discovered the war almost over and that Michael had escaped, he guessed where he most likely was hiding. He slipped through the lines to find him and advise him to return to prison and be properly released when the time was right.
*(Family tradition: burial of the children was at Gnatty Creek, Marion Co., WV). At or near the year 1900, he and his wife went to Nebraska as their two sons had moved west. After his wife's death, he returned to West Virginia - without telling his daughter "Betty" and her husband, Moses Hornbeck, that he was coming. He had left West Virginia before they had relocated to Upshur County, so when he got off the train he asked residents for directions and was told where the farm was located; but that, since it was Sunday, they would in the Hinkleville Church. When he got there, he quietly sat down in the back of the church. When services were over, he was warmly greeted and remained with them the rest of his life.
(*Two children of William Hornbeck and two of Michael Boyce married (see below).
Charles Marshall Boyce 1846–1851
James S Boyce 1847–
Joseph Boyce 1850–1860
Leane Virginia Boyce 1851–1856
William H. Boyce 1853–1876 (h/o Sarah (Hess) Boyce-Shoulders (one daughter)
Mary Boyce 1857–1866
Isaac R Boyce 1858–1924 (h/o Louise Hornbeck)
Phoebe Elizabeth "Betty" (Boyce) Hornbeck 1861–1943
Stephen A Boyce 1867–1941 (h/o Mary E. Shoulders)
*(Family tradition: burial of the children was at Gnatty Creek, Marion Co., WV). At or near the year 1900, he and his wife went to Nebraska as their two sons had moved west. After his wife's death, he returned to West Virginia - without telling his daughter "Betty" and her husband, Moses Hornbeck, that he was coming. He had left West Virginia before they had relocated to Upshur County, so when he got off the train he asked residents for directions and was told where the farm was located; but that, since it was Sunday, they would in the Hinkleville Church. When he got there, he quietly sat down in the back of the church. When services were over, he was warmly greeted and remained with them the rest of his life.
(*Two children of William Hornbeck and two of Michael Boyce married (see below).
Charles Marshall Boyce 1846–1851
James S Boyce 1847–
Joseph Boyce 1850–1860
Leane Virginia Boyce 1851–1856
William H. Boyce 1853–1876 (h/o Sarah (Hess) Boyce-Shoulders (one daughter)
Mary Boyce 1857–1866
Isaac R Boyce 1858–1924 (h/o Louise Hornbeck)
Phoebe Elizabeth "Betty" (Boyce) Hornbeck 1861–1943
Stephen A Boyce 1867–1941 (h/o Mary E. Shoulders)
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