The Yost Family Descendants:
Virginia, Illinois, and Beyond
Four generations of descendants whose lives
reflect the changing history of America,
from the nineteenth-century frontier
through the Civil War and into the modern era.
Generations Across a Changing America
The seventh through tenth generations of
the Yost family witnessed some of the
most consequential changes in American history.
Their lives spanned westward settlement,
the Civil War, Reconstruction, industrial
growth, and the transformation of rural
communities during the twentieth century.
The family history records ministers,
attorneys, farmers, merchants, educators,
soldiers, and other descendants who
established homes in Virginia, Illinois,
North Carolina, and elsewhere.
Original Research and Acknowledgments
This installment continues the genealogical
research begun by Alfred C. Yost of
St. Louis during the late 1920s and
early 1930s.
His files were inherited by his nephew,
Robert W. Yost. Information about later
generations reflects the work of
Mrs. Marsha Stanley and her cousins.
Additional family-history material
was published by Patrick Daspit.
The Yost Post acknowledges these
researchers for their efforts to
preserve the history of the family.
Historical Note:
This page is an edited presentation of the
family historian’s compilation, not a
verbatim transcription or independently
verified family tree. Some dates,
relationships, and biographical statements
remain uncertain or contradictory.
Generation Seven
Lewis Marshall Yost (1826–1883)
April 26, 1826, Wythe County, Virginia
1883
James Casper and Euphemia Yost
Julia A. Spangler
The Wythe County Family
Lewis Marshall Yost was a descendant
of James Casper Yost and Euphemia
Hughes Bickle. He married Julia A.
Spangler, and their children continued
the family line into the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries.
The original family historian noted
conflicting birth dates for two of
Lewis’s children, Euphemia J. and
Caroline Virginia Yost. Those dates
are retained as reported rather than
reconciled without documentary evidence.
Julia A. (Spangler) Yost
-
Marion Alexander Yost —
born September 21, 1856;
died April 1927. -
Euphemia J. Yost —
born November 24, 1849;
died December 6, 1852. -
Caroline Virginia “Callie” Yost —
born April 22, 1849;
died October 1, 1917. - Joel Spangler Yost.
- Charles Henry Yost.
John Cooper Yost (1809–1891)
January 23, 1809, Wythe County, Virginia
October 29, 1891
Julia Ann Sibley
Equality, Illinois
John Cooper Yost was born in Wythe
County, Virginia, and later became
associated with Equality, Illinois,
where the family historian recorded
his death in 1891.
His marriage to Julia Ann Sibley
established another branch of the
family that carried the Yost surname
westward from Virginia.
Julia Ann (Sibley) Yost
- Casper C. Yost.
- John Yost.
- Elizabeth Yost.
- William Yost.
- Euphemia Yost.
- Enos Sybly Yost.
James Lockhart Yost (1811–1868)
March 7, 1811, Wythe County, Virginia
February 23, 1868
Nancy Ellen Wygal
Attorney and educator
Law, Education, and Community Service
James Lockhart Yost was described
as a distinguished member of the
Wythe County Bar. He also taught
school for approximately three years.
The family historian identified
James as a trustee of the second
Methodist camp meeting ground,
known as Salem Camp Ground,
on June 15, 1843.
He was also recorded as a trustee
of Wytheville Methodist Church.
Chronological Conflict:
The compilation gives James’s death
as 1868 but also attributes public
offices and elections in 1870–1873
to him. These records may concern
another individual or reflect an
error in the reported dates.
The family historian identified
four children in the 1850 census
of Wythe County, Virginia.
Nancy Ellen (Wygal) Yost
- Mary E. Yost.
- James C. Yost.
- Margaret E. Yost.
- William Lockhart Yost.
Margaret Bickle Yost (Born 1813)
June 5, 1813, Wythe County, Virginia
Abraham Hamilton Goodpasture
James Casper and Euphemia Yost
Goodpasture
Margaret Bickle Yost married
Abraham Hamilton Goodpasture.
Through their children, the
descendants of James Casper Yost
continued under the Goodpasture
surname.
The original compilation records
seven children, including twin
daughters Adelia and Elizabeth.
and Abraham Hamilton Goodpasture
- Euphemia A. Goodpasture.
- Adelia G. Goodpasture — twin.
- Elizabeth St. Clair Goodpasture — twin.
- Jane Lockhart Goodpasture.
- John Henry Goodpasture.
- Casper Winston Goodpasture.
- Abraham Hamilton Goodpasture.
Adeline Cooper Yost (1815–1885)
September 5, 1815, Wythe County, Virginia
June 13, 1885
Dr. William Groseclose
Groseclose
Adeline Cooper Yost married
Dr. William Groseclose.
Their family represents another
branch of the descendants of
James Casper and Euphemia Yost.
and Dr. William Groseclose
- Euphemia Groseclose.
- Margaret Groseclose.
- James A. Groseclose.
- Henry C. Groseclose.
- Adam D. Groseclose.
- William L. Groseclose.
- Mary Jane Groseclose.
William Owen Yost (1818–1890)
March 1, 1818, Wytheville, Virginia
May 24, 1890
Elizabeth Jane Whitman
Wythe County, Virginia
William Owen Yost was born
in Wytheville and married
Elizabeth Jane Whitman.
His family remained associated
with southwestern Virginia.
The family compilation also
refers to a saddlery and tannery
operated under the names
W. O. and H. A. Yost,
illustrating the continuation
of trades practiced by earlier
generations of the family.
Elizabeth Jane (Whitman) Yost
- John Casper Yost.
- William Wise Yost.
- Robert Lee Yost.
- George Washington Yost.
- Mary E. Yost.
Fletcher Harris Yost (1821–1874)
January 5, 1821, Wythe County, Virginia
1874
Susan Kanady
Clerk
Fletcher Harris Yost was
identified as a clerk in
the family historian’s account.
The 1850 census reportedly
placed him in Wytheville,
at approximately twenty-eight
years of age, in the household
of Ephriam McGavock.
Fletcher married Susan Kanady,
and the family compilation
identifies three daughters.
and Susan (Kanady) Yost
- Mary E. Yost.
- Ethel Yost.
- Cora Yost.
Henry Adams Yost (1823–1871)
September 23, 1823, Wythe County, Virginia
July 14, 1871
Gillie Ann Shrader
45th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.
A Virginia Family During the Civil War
Henry Adams Yost was a son of
James Casper and Euphemia Yost.
He married Gillie Ann Shrader,
and the family lived in the
Bluestone and Tazewell County
region of Virginia.
The original historian recorded
that Henry was elected captain
of Company K, 45th Virginia
Infantry, Confederate States Army,
in May 1862.
The compilation identifies Henry
Adams Yost as a Confederate captain
and states that he held the position
through the end of the Civil War.
His precise service dates and
assignments should be checked
against military service records.
Trades and Civilian Life
The historian also associated
Henry with the family saddlery
business in Wytheville.
A commercial listing referred
to W. O. and H. A. Yost’s
Main Street saddlery and
W. O. Yost’s tannery.
Henry was also identified
as a deputy appointed during
the May 1851 term of court.
Death and Family
Henry died on July 14, 1871.
The family historian attributed
his death to Pott’s disease
of the spine.
The original compilation acknowledged
that definite information about
his family had not been found.
Eleven children were tentatively
attributed to Henry and Gillie.
and Gillie Ann (Shrader) Yost
- George Yost.
- Sallie Yost.
- Joseph W. Yost.
- David Yost.
- Sheffey Yost.
- Sidney Yost.
- James Yost.
- William Yost.
- Louise Yost.
- Bishop Yost.
- Frank Yost.
Research Note:
The original historian explicitly
described this family register
as uncertain. These eleven names
should be treated as possible
children until supported by
additional records.
Generation Eight
Marion Alexander Yost (1856–1927)
September 21, 1856, Wytheville, Virginia
April 1927
Alice Hoofnagle
College educator
Education and Academic Life
Marion Alexander Yost was
a son of Lewis Marshall
and Julia A. Spangler Yost.
He graduated from Emory
and Henry College and
began a career in education.
The family historian recorded
that Marion taught at a college
in St. Charles, Missouri,
before moving to Weaverville,
North Carolina, to teach
at Weaver College, a
Methodist junior college.
After approximately three
years, he left Weaver College
and later returned to the
community.
A Life in Weaverville
Marion was remembered in
the family compilation as
a respected and well-liked
member of the Weaverville
community.
He was active in the
Methodist church and
reportedly cared for
numerous relatives
over the years.
Marion Alexander Yost’s
career in education and
involvement in his church
continued the family’s
long association with
religious and community
institutions.
and Alice (Hoofnagle) Yost
-
Marion Francis Yost —
born November 3, 1893;
died September 18, 1982. -
William Marshall Yost —
born April 17, 1896;
died January 1996.
Married Mary Reid.
No children were reported. -
Sara Caroline Yost —
born August 6, 1904;
died 1990.
Caroline Virginia “Callie” Yost (1849–1917)
April 22, 1849
October 1, 1917
Benjamin Jacob Huddle
Near Rural Retreat, Virginia
The Huddle Family
Caroline Virginia Yost,
commonly called Callie,
married Benjamin Jacob Huddle.
The family lived near
Rural Retreat, Virginia.
Benjamin was described
as a teacher, farmer,
and Lutheran.
Benjamin Huddle and the Civil War
The family historian identified
Benjamin as one of the early
Wythe County volunteers
in the Confederate Army.
According to the account,
he served throughout the
Civil War and lost an arm
at the Battle of Five Forks.
The Battle of Five Forks,
fought in Virginia on
April 1, 1865, was a
major Union victory during
the final campaign against
the Confederate Army of
Northern Virginia.
Benjamin Huddle’s reported
wound is a family-history
claim that warrants comparison
with surviving military records.
and Benjamin Jacob Huddle
- Rev. Marion D. Huddle.
- Charles W. Huddle.
- Annie Huddle.
- John L. Huddle.
- Cora Myrtle Huddle.
- George B. Huddle.
- Grace Huddle.
- Price J. Huddle.
Generation Nine
Marion Francis Yost (1893–1982)
November 3, 1893
September 18, 1982
Lucile Penland
Rural mail carrier
A Family in the Modern Era
Marion Francis Yost was
a son of Marion Alexander
and Alice Hoofnagle Yost.
He married Lucile Penland.
The family historian
associated Marion with
work as a rural mail carrier.
Rural mail delivery was
an important service in
American communities,
connecting families,
farms, and businesses
to the nation’s growing
postal network.
and Lucile (Penland) Yost
- Thomas Marion Yost.
- William Francis Yost.
- Sara Alice Yost.
Sara Caroline Yost (1904–1990)
August 6, 1904
1990
Walter R. Kester
Music educator
Education and Music
Sara Caroline Yost was
a daughter of Marion
Alexander Yost and
Alice Hoofnagle.
She attended Weaver College
and Converse College in
Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The family historian
recorded that Sara
taught music for several
years at Converse College.
She married Walter R.
Kester, and their family
continued the line
into the tenth generation.
and Walter R. Kester
-
Walter Allen Kester —
born 1942.
Generation Ten
Walter Allen Kester (Born 1942)
1942
Walter R. and Sara Caroline Kester
Self-employed electrical engineer
Kester / Yost
The Family Enters a New Generation
Walter Allen Kester was
born in 1942, the son
of Walter R. Kester
and Sara Caroline Yost.
The original family historian
described Walter as a
self-employed electrical
engineer.
The compilation records
three children but does
not identify their names
or provide details about
Walter’s spouse.
- Child One — name not recorded.
- Child Two — name not recorded.
- Child Three — name not recorded.
Privacy and Research Note:
The original compilation does not
identify Walter Allen Kester’s
spouse or children. No additional
names or personal details have
been supplied or inferred.
From the European origins attributed
to Jacob Joust to the descendants
recorded in the twentieth century,
this family history follows ten
generations across several centuries.
The original researchers preserved
not only names and dates but also
stories of immigration, religious
life, military service, craftsmanship,
migration, education, and family
relationships.
Their work provides a foundation
for further genealogical research.
Unresolved dates, conflicting
records, and undocumented traditions
remain opportunities for future
investigation.
Final Research Note:
This three-part collection is based
on a historical family compilation.
Some entries include uncertain
relationships, conflicting birth
dates, and accounts requiring
verification. The Yost Post
presents these materials as
historical and genealogical
research rather than definitive
proof of every relationship.