Herman Ould Akers

  General Notes:

The 1910 Federal Census for Melrose Ward, Roanoke, Virginia, District 122, page 162B, dated April 15, 1910 records Herman Akers (6 - VA) living with his parents William E. (42 - VA/VA/VA) and Lina H. (27 - VA/VA/VA) Akers and sister Lucille Akers (3 - VA) living at 711 First Avenue NW. William and Lina have been married for 7 years and have had 2 children. William is a Conductor for the Steam Railway. Also in the household are sisters-in-law Sallie Rutledge (22) and Bernice Rutledge (18).

The 1920 Federal Census for Melrose Ward, Roanoke, Virginia, District 41, page 201B, dated January 6, 1920 records Herman O. Akers (16 - VA) living with his parents William E. (52 - VA/VA/VA) and Lina H. (37 - VA/VA/VA) Akers and sister Lucille L. Akers (12 - VA) living at 625 Loudon Avenue NW. William is a Conductor for the Steam Railroad. Also in the household is a boarder, Collins D. Caldwell (38 - VA/VA/VA). Collins is an Engineer for the Steam Railroad.

The 1930 Federal Census for Highland Ward, Roanoke, Virginia, District 13, page 68A, dated April 7, 1930 records Herman O. Akers (26 - VA) living with his parents William W. (62 - VA/VA/VA) and Charlotte (45 - VA/VA/VA) Akers and sister Lucille Akers (22 - VA) living at 1320 Roanoke and Salem Avenue. William was first married at age 35 while Charlotte at age 19. William is a Conductor for the Steam Railroad and Herman is a Brakeman for the Steam Railroad. Lucille is a Stenographer for the Steam Railroad. William was first married at 35 years of age while Charlotte at 19 years of age.
William dies on June 5, 1934 and Charlotte on Feb 29, 1940, and Herman gets married and moves. Lucille remains in the house at 1320 Salem Avenue as do her aunts Sallie and Bernice come to live there with her ... see general notes on Herman's sister, Lucille Josephine Akers.

The 1940 Federal Census for Raleigh Court, Roanoke, Virginia, District 119-55, page 964B, dated April 17, 1940 records Herman O. Akers (36 - VA) with his wife Evelyn Akers (30 - VA) living at 1603 Greenbriar Ave. Herman has completed 1 year of college and is employed as a Conductor on the Steam Railroad earning $2,228 working 44 weeks during the lat year. Evelyn has completed 2 years of high school and is not working. They own their home valued at $4,500.

Mr. & Mrs. Herman Ould Akers were living at 2903 Oak Crest Avenue, Roanoke, VA in 1971. After Herman died, his wife, Evelyn, continued to live there. She is listed through the 1989 City Directory.

  Research Notes:

Roanoke Times - January 3, 1958
Steam Era Moves Closer to Oblivion!
Bristol-Roanoke Run Dieselized

The steam era of railroading moved a step closer to oblivion last night.
It was a quiet, unspectacular event. Steam locomotive 609, a Class J 4-8-4 engine, the last steam engine to pull a train on the Bristol-Roanoke line, pulled N&W Train No. 10 into the passenger station here at 6:08 p.m. - seven minutes ahead of schedule.
The regularly assigned workmen were there to uncouple the big engine for the last time, as was the stationmaster. A few photographers recorded the arrival, but otherwise there was no interest in the event.
Engineer J. W. Woolwine had nothing to say but "Hello". He took the engine to the Shaffer's Crossing roundhouse, as he always does on that run, and went home.
The decision to dieselize the Roanoke-Bristol line was announced at the end of 1957. It is the latest move in a dieselization plan announced more than a year ago.
Close behind the last of steam for that segment of the railroad came the first four of 30 diesels the Norfolk and Western is leasing from the Pennsylvania Railroad.
They were delivered in Roanoke at 9:40 p.m., from Hagerstown, Md. The N&W said they will be leased for some three to four months until 30 diesel locomotives ordered from manufacturers are delivered.
The diesels are similar to those now operated by the N&W on its Shenandoah, Winston-Salem and Cincinnati divisions as well as the lines from Lynchburg to Durham. They are 1,750 horsepower general purpose engines.
Stationmaster Herman O. Akers said the four Pennsy diesels pulled by an N&W diesel, differed in that they had single controls, operated by the engineer only, rather than the dual controls - a set for the engineer and another for the fireman - that are standard for N&W diesels.
Engine 609 - one of the most powerful steam locomotives ever produced - will probably not fade away in the foreseeable future.
There will be work for the locomotive either on the N&W main line - Norfolk to Columbus, Ohio - or in one of the numerous branch lines from the coal fields or scattered runs throughout the N&W system. These have not yet been dieselized.

Herman married Evelyn Elizabeth Chandler on 22 Dec 1932 in Roanoke, VA. (Evelyn Elizabeth Chandler was born on 30 Apr 1909 in Drakes Branch, Charlotte Co., VA, died on 22 May 1993 in Roanoke City, VA and was buried in Sherwood Memorial Park, Salem, VA.)

  Marriage Notes:

The marriage certificate for Herman Ould Akers and Evelyn Elizabeth Chandler can be found at the Roanoke City, VA Clerk's Office. The parents are listed as Wm E. Akers, husband of Linda Rutledge and James W. Chandler, husband of Mary E. Wood. Herman is a brakeman for the N&W Rail Road and was born in Concord, VA. Evelyn was born in Mt. Laurel, VA. Herman was divorced and Evelyn was single. [Vol 4 Page 165 Line 15]

Herman next married Dorothy Maye Marshall on 31 Dec 1924 in Roanoke, VA. (Dorothy Maye Marshall was born circa 1906 in Roanoke, VA and died after 1930 in Roanoke, VA.)

  Marriage Notes:

The marriage certificate for Herman Ould Akers and Dorothy Maye Marshall can be found at the Roanoke City, VA Clerk's Office. [Vol 3, page 5, Line 6]
Dorothy's parents are listed as E. C. Marshall & Lillian Marshall of 815 Patterson Avenue Sw, Roanoke, VA.
Herman's parents are Willam E. Akers & Lina Rutledge of 1320 Salem, Avenue Sw, Roanoke, VA. He was born in Appomattox Co., VA.