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Adam Stephen Knight (b. 1978) – Genealogical Records Overview

Birth and Early Life

Adam Stephen Knight was born on July 27, 1978, in Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia. His birth would be recorded in West Virginia vital records, but because 1978 births are outside the public index range, an official birth certificate would need to be obtained from the state or county. Nevertheless, public record indexes and directory listings confirm his birth date and residence. For example, a 2023 public records directory lists Adam S. Knight (born 27 Jul 1978) in Martinsburg, WV, indicating that he later lived in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia (Martinsburg area). Early life details such as school records or a birth announcement (if published in a local paper like The Inter-Mountain) would likely require searching Randolph County local archives, since they are not available in online databases.

Parents: Stephen Layne Knight and Beth Ann Johnson

Adam’s father is Stephen Layne “Steve” Knight, and his mother is Beth Ann (Johnson) Knight. Multiple records substantiate these relationships. Stephen Layne Knight’s obituary (Martinsburg, WV, 2024) explicitly states he was married to “his loving wife of 40 years, Beth” (Beth Ann). The same obituary identifies Stephen as “the youngest son of the late Leo ‘Dick’ Knight and Glenna Kinney Knight,” and it lists “his son, Adam Knight” among the survivors [2] (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/martinsburg-wv/stephen-knight-11813736).

Beth Ann Knight’s maiden name Johnson is evidenced by the obituary of her step-mother, Elsie Lee Johnson in 2013. Elsie’s obituary lists “step daughter Beth Ann Knight and husband Stephen, of Martinsburg” and names Adam S. Knight (of Martinsburg) and Megan Loyd (of Clovis, CA) as her grandchildren [3] (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/martinsburg-wv/elsie-johnson-5749608). This shows that Beth Ann’s father was a Johnson (Elsie’s husband, Clark W. Johnson) and that Beth Ann (Johnson) Knight is Adam’s mother. Beth Ann was born in October 1953. A likely marriage record for Stephen L. Knight and Beth Ann Johnson would date around 1983–1984 (since they celebrated 40 years by 2024) and would have been filed in West Virginia.

Paternal Family

Stephen Layne Knight’s obituary and other sources provide leads on Adam’s ancestry. Stephen’s parents were Allen “Leo” “Dick” Knight (1917–1992) and Glenna Elfreda Kinney (1920–1977) [4] (https://peoplelegacy.com/allen_leo_dick_knight-5B1P7I). They resided in Doddridge County, WV (West Union area), and local genealogies document this family in detail. For example, a West Virginia genealogy compilation (Doddridge County Roots) shows Allen “Dick” Knight married Glenna Kinney in 1939 and had several children – Michael, Fred, Robert “Andy,” Pamela, (a living son, presumably Stephen), and Patricia [6] (https://www.doddridgecountyroots.com/tng/familygroup.php?familyID=F6839&tree=dcr).

A cemetery record confirms Allen “Dick” Knight and Glenna “had 6 children: Michael D. Knight, Fred A. Knight, Robert Andrew ‘Andy’ Knight, Pamela Ann Knight Underwood, Vicky Jeanette Knight, Patricia Knight Daugherty” [5] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103025544/patricia_daugherty). Stephen is not listed because he was still living at the time – he was the seventh sibling, the “youngest son.”

Maternal Family

Beth Ann (Johnson) Knight’s family is linked to the Johnsons of the Martinsburg area. As noted, Beth Ann’s father is Clark W. Johnson and her step-mother was Elsie Lee (Horner) Johnson (1922–2013). Elsie’s obituary names Adam and his sister among her grandchildren, and even mentions Adam’s son Stephen as a great-grandchild [3] (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/martinsburg-wv/elsie-johnson-5749608). To delve deeper into the maternal line, one could look for records of Beth’s birth (~1953) and Clark W. Johnson’s family in West Virginia or nearby Maryland.

Descendant: Stephen Edward Knight (Adam’s Son)

Adam Stephen Knight has at least one child, a son named Stephen Edward Knight. Stephen Layne Knight’s obituary refers to “his grandson and namesake, Stephen Knight,” among the survivors [2] (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/martinsburg-wv/stephen-knight-11813736), and Elsie Johnson’s obituary lists “Stephen Knight” as a great-grandchild [3] (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/martinsburg-wv/elsie-johnson-5749608). The middle name “Edward” is not given in the obits but may come from family tradition – notably, Adam’s paternal great-grandfather was Charles Edward Knight (1880–1960) [10] (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L4HJ-5TR/charles-edward-knight-1880-1960).

Additional Records and Sources

Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, Death)

West Virginia’s vital records are partly available online and partly offline. The West Virginia Vital Research Records database provides free access to birth certificates up to 1930, marriage records up to the mid-20th century, and death certificates up to about 1970 for many counties. For example, you can find records like:

  • 1939 marriage of Allen “Dick” Knight and Glenna Kinney (Doddridge County)
  • 1917 birth of Allen Knight (Harrison County)

Records after those cutoff dates (e.g., Adam’s 1978 birth, Stephen Knight’s 2024 death) are not available online and must be requested from the West Virginia Department of Health Vital Registration or county courthouses [8] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/west-virginia).

Census Records

While Adam was born after the last publicly available census (1950), earlier censuses are valuable for tracing his ancestors:

  • 1930 Census: Glenna Kinney, age 9, in Doddridge County
  • 1940 Census: Allen “Dick” Knight and Glenna with children
  • 1950 Census: Allen and Glenna with children (Stephen not yet born)

These are searchable on Ancestry and FamilySearch [12] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/west-virginia).

City Directories & Public Records

Public records indexes (e.g. U.S. Public Records Index) show household addresses and shared residencies. For example, records link Adam, Beth, and Stephen to the same Martinsburg household in the 2000s [13] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/west-virginia). These records are useful for pinpointing counties and addresses for follow-up archival requests.

Obituaries and Cemetery Records

Obituaries provide confirmation of relationships. The obits for Stephen Knight, Elsie Johnson, and Patricia Knight Daugherty contain family connections. These can be found through:

  • U.S. Obituary Collection (1930–present)
  • Local newspaper archives like The Inter-Mountain (Elkins) or The Journal (Martinsburg)
  • Funeral home sites such as Rosedale Funeral Home (mentioned in Stephen’s obituary)

The Kinney Family Cemetery in West Union contains many Knight family burials, including Allen “Dick” Knight and Glenna Kinney Knight [4] (https://www.doddridgecountyroots.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I14344&tree=dcr), [5] (https://peoplelegacy.com/allen_leo_dick_knight-5B1P7I).

Family Trees on Major Genealogy Sites

User-submitted family trees at:

can offer expanded Knight-Johnson pedigrees, often including census and marriage record links [6] (https://www.doddridgecountyroots.com/tng/familygroup.php?familyID=F6839&tree=dcr), [10] (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L4HJ-5TR/charles-edward-knight-1880-1960).

Military and Other Records

No military service was noted for Adam or Stephen. However, Adam’s grandfather Allen “Dick” Knight (b. 1917) may have a WWII draft registration. These can be searched in FamilySearch and Ancestry collections [12] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/west-virginia).

Offline Repositories for Deeper Research

Randolph County Courthouse (Elkins, WV)

  • Holds Adam’s 1978 birth certificate
  • May also have Stephen & Beth’s 1983–84 marriage license
  • Request copies with family ID

West Virginia State Archives (Charleston, WV)

  • Provides microfilm access to The Inter-Mountain, county histories, and genealogy files
  • May conduct document lookups for recent records not publicly indexed

Berkeley County Courthouse (Martinsburg, WV)

  • Possible site for Knight family deeds and probate following Stephen’s 2024 death

Local Libraries & Historical Societies

  • Elkins: Randolph County Historical Society and Public Library
  • Martinsburg: Eastern WV Regional Library and Berkeley County Historical Society
  • Doddridge County: Doddridge County Roots & Historical Society

They may have yearbooks, cemetery listings, and family files on Johnson and Knight relatives [8] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/west-virginia).

Summary

Multiple sources confirm the identity and family connections of Adam Stephen Knight, including:

  • Obituaries (2, 3)
  • Cemetery records (5, 6)
  • Genealogy trees (6, 10)
  • West Virginia record indexes (8)

For post-1970s vital records, contacting the relevant county courthouses or WV Vital Registration is the best next step.

Sources

  1. Matthew Maliner Martinsburg, West Virginia – SimpleContacts.com Profile
  2. Stephen Knight Obituary - Martinsburg, WV
  3. Elsie Lee Johnson Obituary - Martinsburg, WV
  4. Glenna Elfreda KINNEY – Doddridge County Roots
  5. Allen Leo "Dick" Knight Grave – PeopleLegacy
  6. Patricia Knight Daugherty – Find a Grave Memorial
  7. Family Group Sheet – Doddridge County Roots
  8. Genealogy Sites – YourRoots: West Virginia
  9. Charles Edward Knight (1880–1960) – FamilySearch

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