Genevieve (Tallman) Arbogast

Genevieve was born on Jan. 19, 1936, the daughter of the late William Jennings Tallman of Barbour County, West Virginia, who was a proud descendant of the Pioneer families of Boone and Lincoln; her parents were Geo. Boone Tallman and Hannah (Weigle) Tallman (dau. of German immigrants).

Her mother, also of Barbour County, was the former Helen Lenora (Wright) Tallman, daughter of David Hickman Wright and Ella (Hunt) Wright. At the age of seven, Helen’s life was struck by tragedy when her mother succumbed to the devastation of the Great Influenza Pandemic. In the wake of her mother’s passing, Helen and three other siblings, namely, Harry, Margaret and Baby Lucile, were left to be reared by their father and close relatives.

Needless to say, Genevieve paid great homage to her parents, who, through their love, strength, and encouragement, gave her the moral values and sense of purpose that marked her character throughout her lifetime.

Genevieve married the love of her life on June 11, 1955, the late Norman R. Arbogast, Electrical Engineer-Cost Estimator, born March 31, 1935, died July 31, 2016, at their retirement home in Belington, West Virginia.

Norman was the son of Geo. W. Arbogast and Opal Virginia (Bennett) Arbogast, Junior, West Virginia.

Graduating with the Belington High School Class of 1954, Genevieve went on to work in several positions, Payroll Clerk for Colshire Mfg. Co., Morgantown, West Virginia, (during Husband’s Coll. Years); Executive Secretary to V.P. and Tariff Expert (Pittsburgh area); and Credit Manager for Wilson Sporting Goods, River Grove, Illinois. In the late 50s, true to her interest in the arts, she studied modeling at the Patricia Steven’s School of Modeling, Cincinnati, Ohio, preparing her for her position-as an instructor at the Barbi-zon School-and Modeling Agency, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under administrator Ginger Carlson, mannequin and former Miss Pennsylvania, Miss America Pageant.

Inspired by that experience, years later, with her husband’s assignment to oversee the electrical installation of a major hospital complex in Miami, Florida, she saw a latent opportunity to enter college. In 1975 she graduated with Honors from the nationally accredited Miami-Dade College, Miami, Florida, with an AS Degree in Interior Design, claiming membership in the National Scholastic Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa. After working through an apprenticeship and testing with the National Council for Interior Design Qualification, she emerged with credentials promising a career as a Certified Professional Architectural Interior Designer. With that recognition, she was invited and inducted into the nationally coveted design society, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

Relocating to Denver, Colorado, she joined Colorado’s largest Savings and Loan Association, Western Federal Savings and Loan, which, after undergoing a conversion, established itself as a banking facility as well, changing its name to Bank Western. Genevieve remained with that organization for thirteen years, rising to head-up their Design Department. In the capacity of Architectural Interior Designer and Corporate Space Planner (systems furniture), she interfaced with architects and contractors in numerous renovations (45 branches) as well as designing the interiors of new high-rise bank-tenant buildings for what had become a growing conglomerate. In LaJunta, Colorado, she renovated an old Western Town by changing main street with one of her exterior renovation designs, hailed as one of the largest brick jobs undertaken in the Arkansas Valley. The LaJunta Tribune featured her proposed perspective drawing on its front page, along with the story.

Where an architect’s license was not an issue, she developed in-house design projects, providing drawings and specifications to the Bank’s Construction Group, used to facilitate new and/or renovative construction.

Further insight is revealed about her career by a recommendation written by a Master Architect, Matt Slater, just prior to Genevieve’s relocation to the Seattle area, where she founded Ambience

Northwest, licensed in Olympia, Washington.

The Recommendation reads as follows:

Denver, CO, July 26, 1989,

ARCHITECTS, SLATER-PAULL AND

ASSOCIATES

To Whom It May Concern: I (Matt Slater, AJA) worked with Genevieve Arbogast for approximately six years as an Architect hired by Bank Western and she as the Bank’s In-house Interior Designer. We worked very closely during that time on many renovations and new free-standing branch banks for Bank Western. Genevieve’s sensitivity to the banks requirements and the image of the space to the public is evident in the many successful projects she accomplished. Her easy going and professional attitude made my job much easier. She involved me in the selection of finish materials in spaces we had designed rather than imposing her design on mine. Her designs of furniture and teller lines have become corporate standards, used in all of Bank Western’s forty-five branches. She was very willing to help me work out design problems, and was a trusted sounding board, critic and resource. Feel free to call me for an additional recommendation. Genevieve would be a welcome addition to any design practice. Very truly yours, SLATER-PAULL & ASSOCATES, Matt Slater, A. I. A. (American Institute of Architecture).

In 1981, Genevieve was assigned to assist an architect in the development of a state of the art, four-floor, 66,000 sq. ft. Corporate Office Building, in Aurora, CO, called Shelter America. It was this endeavor that won for her the honor of being featured in BARON’S Who’s Who in Interior Design, the International Edition, 1994-95. The Certificate reads:

BARON’S WHO’S WHO certifies that Genevieve Arbogast, ASID, is a subject of biographical record in WHO’S WHO IN INTERIOR DESIGN, 1994-1995 International Edition, in which inclusion is limited to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, superior leadership and exceptional service in the field of Interior Design.

Reminiscing, Genevieve once said, “Perhaps one of the most enjoyable projects was serving as one of the several talents who undertook the challenging renovation of the Barbour County Courtroom Restoration, circa 2000, under the auspice of Judge Alan Moats, a prime of a man.”

As a devout student of the Tallman geneology, Genevieve leaves as her legacy to descendants 1,000 pages of a historically based-trilogy., GOD –BLEW AND THEY WERE SCATTERED, by Genevieve Tallman Arbogast, published by XLIBRIS, sold by Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Borders. com, and others. Initially, this trilogy was undertaken to prove the bloodlines of the Tallman-Lincoln- Boone Alliance. Successfully proven, and as a matter of record, was the fact that Abraham Lincoln’s Great-aunt, Anne Lincoln (sister of Virginia John, great-grandfather of Abe) became the wife of William Tallman. The son of Anne and William, Benjamin Tallman, Revolutionary War Patriot, married Dinah Boone, the daughter of Benjamin Boone (brother of Squire Boone, the father of Daniel Boone). Of these admirable people, Genevieve was thrilled to learn that she was a direct descendant of Ben’s and Dinah’s fourth son, James Boone Tallman and a namesake called “Boone” Tallman, who purchased WV land when it was still a territory of Virginia — the homeplace where she was born.

Further research revealed ancestors traced back to the 1500s. Born 1520, in Ghent, East Flanders, Michiel Taelman (Tallman) had been a subject of Spain’s King Phillip, in what was then called the Spanish Netherlands (today’s Belgium). As Genevieve became intrigued by her discoveries, the trilogy was born, which followed the journey of the Tallman Family from Europe to Colonial America, to finally reach Virginia, and beyond. Proud of the ancestors that she had found and inspired by their significant accomplishments and contributions, she hoped that future generations might read the pages of the trilogy and feel an urgency to follow in their example.

Siblings surviving Genevieve are, Herman Tallman, and twin brothers, Gary Charles and Larry Ray Tallman.

Deceased are brothers Marvin Gerald Tallman, formerly married to Geraldine (Jeri) Carr, Denver Eugene Tallman and wife, the former Rita Wiseman; sister, Janet (Tallman) Russell and husband, James Russell; and sisters-in-law, Mary Stracola, Bridgette (Howell) Tallman and Shirley Kesling.

Also, surviving nieces and nephews, too numerous to mention, who were the pride and joy of Genevieve’s existence; and, to them she willed her everlasting love and a passion to continue the genealogy. Special mention is made of Foster Brother, Robert Coburn, a resident of Venice, Florida.

Honoring Genevieve’s wishes, there will be no funeral.

A private graveside service will be held at Fraternal Cemetery, Belington, West Virginia, date and time to be determined.

Following the service, Genevieve Tallman Arbogast’s ashes, co-mingled with those of her beloved husband, the late Norman R. Arbogast, shall be interred as one, symbolic of the lives that they had shared together.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made on her behalf to Mountain Hospice 1002 Crim Ave. Belington, WV 26250.

Condolences can be made to the family at www.talbottfuneralhome.com.

The Talbott Funeral Home in Belington in charge of the arrangements for Genevieve Louise (Tallman) Arbogast, ASID.