Josephine Lois Calendine Silman

Josephine Lois Calendine Silman, formerly of Parkersburg, passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 7, 2025, at her home in Floresville, TX.

She was born in Chesterhill (Morgan County), Ohio, Aug. 24, 1934, the third of four children born to Harley W. Calendine and Margaret I. Armstrong Calendine.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband William A. Adams; her second husband, Richard Campbell Silman; sister Frances Pauline Calendine Frank and her husband Warren S. Frank; brother Calvin A. Calendine and his wife Mary Jane (Carpenter) Calendine; brother Richard H. Calendine; son-in-law Larry W. Border; and nephew U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Warren Andrew Frank.

She is survived by twin daughters Amy L. Adams and Anna L. (Border) Sheppard (husband, Roger H.); daughter Margaret E. (Adams) Wilson (husband, Timothy B.); and sister-in-law Georgeann (Allard) Calendine (widow of Richard).

She is also survived by her six grandchildren: Heather Border Mullens (Scott), Rebecca Border Dimit (Brad), Christopher Border (Naddine), Jacob Wilson (Carolina), Kyle Wilson (Korrin), and Philip Wilson (Sara). She was especially proud of her 18 great-grandchildren.

Warren and Frances Pauline Frank were the parents of Rick, Thomas, and Joseph Frank. Mary Jane Calendine and her late husband, Calvin, were the parents of Jane Burke, John Calendine and Connie McKain. Georgeann Calendine and her late husband, Richard, were the parents of Caren Stayer and Michelle Wheeler.

Jo attended McKinley School and Parkersburg Junior and Senior High School (PHS), where she served as office assistant to the Registrar, graduating in 1952. She attended Girls State, and was a member of the A Capella Choir and Entre Nous Book Club and was an office-holder in San Souci sub-deb club. She later attended Mountain State Business College, Marietta College, WVU-Parkersburg and various seminars.

She worked in Employee Relations and Central Personnel for Marbon Chemical, a Division of Borg Warner, and also served as Event Planner. She was a Brownie Scout leader, was active in Community Easter Seals, the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, and was a lifelong member of St. Andrews United Methodist Church in Parkersburg.

Travel, USA history, and Native American history were also meaningful to her and her late husband, Richard C. Silman, Architect. They visited all of the state capitols, and in their trips to Europe, visited Holland, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Greece, Turkey, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France

In August 2022 when her daughter and son-in-law (Mr. & Mrs. Tim Wilson) retired and moved to Floresville, Texas, near San Antonio, Jo also moved to Floresville, and continued her research interest in early history.

As an Arts Advocate for West Virginia Artists and Craftsmen, she served as President of the WV Artists and Craftsmens Guild, President of the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair, and traveled for the WV Dept. of Commerce to judge arts and crafts around the state for promotion. She hosted a WV Public Radio program, “WV Arts in Profile.” From the WV Dept. of Culture and History she hosted a weekly TV program for eight years, interviewing state, national and international guests. In addition, she wrote articles for the WV publication, “Goldenseal,” and also for the WV Extension Service, and participated in workshops for Arts and Crafts.

For eight years, she wrote a food column called “Country Pantry,” published in the weekly “Roane County (WV) Times Record.”

She served as Vice President of the Black Walnut Festival in Spencer, WV. In that capacity, she established a Festival cookbook highlighting prize-winning recipes. The cover featured a photograph of a Spencer native’s beautiful quilt. She was honored to host a visiting arts group from Russia for the Black Walnut Festival.

Among the things she enjoyed was watching the Ohio State University Buckeyes football team on TV.

Among her honors were: Recipient of the “Citizen of the Year” Award from the Public Relations Society of America for her arts and advocacy of WV arts and crafts. She was also a member of the National Society of American Pen Women, Letters.

She held a lifelong interest in family genealogy and worked for years with her brother, Richard, who shared this dedication. Through her years of research and dedication, she had membership in the Social Register of New York and National Gavel Society and the following Colonial Hereditary Societies:

National Society Descendants of Early Quakers (where she served as National Presiding Clerk); National Society Americans of Royal Descent (serving as President General); The Jamestown Society; Hereditary Order of the Descendants of Loyalists and Patriots in the American Revolution; Guild of Colonial Artisans and Tradesmen; National Society of New England Women; National Society of the Dames of the Court of Honor; The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; The Society of the Ark and the Dove; Flagon and Trencher; Order of the Descendants of Colonial Cavaliers; First Families of Georgia; National Society of the Sons and Daughters of Pilgrims; Sons and Daughters of Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565-1861; Descendants of Sheriffs and Constables of Colonial Antebellum America; Order of Colonial Physicians and Chirugeons; First Families of Ohio; The Welcome Society of Pennsylvania; National Society Colonial Dames of America; and the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century.

For the 75th Anniversary of the National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century, she attended a tea hosted by First Lady, Barbara Bush, at the beautiful White House on 12 April 1990. Jo served the WV State Society XVII Century Colonial Dames as President and founded her local Chapter named in honor of her mother’s ancestor, Dr. Robert Ellyson, whose Coat of Arms hangs in Washington DC National NCXVIIC Headquarters.

Also, she was a member of the following European Hereditary Societies:

One Hundred Living Descendants of Royal Blood; St. Louis IX, King of France; Family of Bruce Society in America; Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America; Descendants of Knights of the Garter; Order of the Crown in America; Daughters of the Barons of Runnemede; Magna Carta Dames; Order of Merovingian Society; Order of Armorial Ancestry; Saints and Sinners; Ancient Heraldic and Chivalric Order of Albion 1643; Order of Three Crusades 1096-1192; and Order of the Monarchs of Rheims.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Expressions of sympathy or memories may be shared with the family at jsilman4428@gmail.com.