Local Author Pens Ancestors’ True Crime Story

Pittsford professor weaves her grandmother’s Depression-era tale in “Manipulation, Moonshine and Murder”

By Melody Burri

Life can take a dramatic turn with just one click.

So it was for Valarie Veanes Upson, a 68-year-old entrepreneur, college professor and Pittsford resident, when in 2020 she stumbled upon an online message addressed to her.

First written in 2015, it had languished in cyberspace for five years — unnoticed and unopened.

The sender was a stranger, but Upson clicked, read and quickly responded to its author, a Diane Jones from Missouri — just like Upson.

Jones’ reply was instant.

“I have something important to say to you but I don’t want to upset you and don’t want to write it here,” Jones wrote.

When the two met face to face, Jones finally unburdened the truth she’d been carrying.

“My grandfather and your grandmother were involved in a murder,” she said.

It was at the height of the Great Depression when Upson’s grandmother, Bethel Veanes, and Jones’ grandfather, Claude Jones, had murdered a man. They were caught, tried and convicted. Bethel and Claude were sentenced and served prison terms.

Upson recognized the undeniable resonance between Jones’ shocking claim and the timeline, location and specifics Upson already knew about her family.

The story sounded plausible, even quite possible.

So began Upson’s fervent quest in search of facts, details and documentation to support, refute or fill in the blanks of Jones’ story.

For two full years she scoured court records, old newspapers, online ancestry platforms and other public documents. She dug deep into the common practices, laws and social mores of the Great Depression.

Then Upson spent another two years distilling it all into narrative form, writing mostly at night from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“It’s like the universe was telling me, ‘you have to do something with this information. You have to tell this story,’” said Upson.

Accidental author

Upson never intended or wanted to become an author. Her focus is business, entrepreneurship and empowerment.

“I don’t read for pleasure, I read for educational purposes,” said Upson. “It was so overwhelming with that amount of research. And this was really well out of my wheelhouse — I knew nothing about writing dialogue.”

One of Upson’s students who’d done a considerable amount of writing helped her develop that skill.

“I put myself in these people’s minds,” she said. “How would I have felt if I had a child to take care of?”

Special attention was given to the rhythm, cadence and historical accuracy of the account.

“My grandmother smoked about five packs a day and I had to put a cigarette in her hand throughout the book,” said Upson. “If you read it, you will feel like you are there.

“And even though my grandmother committed a crime, I wanted readers to feel sympathetic because she, like so many women in that time, was manipulated to do things she didn’t want to do,” she said. “They didn’t have any other choices.”

Stars aligned

Tragically, one month after that life-changing conversation, Diane Jones passed away as a result of cancer. Her revelation would have died with her, had Upson not randomly stumbled upon the message when she did and taken a leap of faith.

Four years of research, writing and editing later, Upson self-published the book — “Manipulation, Moonshine and Murder.”

“It’s been an arduous four years, but now that it’s done and I’m getting rave reviews,” she said. “It’s been quite the journey, quite the experience.”

More than 300 copies have been sold, and Upson has been contacted about someone making it into a docuseries.

“They want me to write more so they can do five episodes,” said Upson.

About Bethel

There would be no book without the life and example of Upson’s grandmother, Bethel Veanes. Her tragic upbringing and disturbing manipulation at the hand of a family member were compounded by the brutality of the Great Depression.

She became pregnant at 16 and was sentenced to an insane asylum at 17, where she endured horrific abuse and forced sterilization.

She had five different husbands — one was her stepson, a panhandler, who was murdered in a bar room fight.

“My dad was eight weeks old when my grandmother was incarcerated,” said Upson. “I knew she went away, but didn’t know where it was. Later my research pointed to an insane asylum.”

During incarceration, Bethel gave away her son, Upson’s father, for three years.

Eventually Bethel went to live in a Missouri “Hooverville,” one of the largest of its kind in the nation. There residents lived in squalor, in buildings built of cardboard, scrap metal and packing boxes.

But people were so kind to each other in Hooverville, Upson said.

“They had a mayor, post office, community center, musicians that would busk,” she said. “They had communities that supported each other with compassion.”

Bethel ultimately died at age 78.

“I knew she always carried around a revolver in her bra, but didn’t know why,” said Upson. “But now I know why she was the way she was.”

Jones’ grandfather, Claude Jones, spent 20 years in Missouri state penitentiary.

Crossing the finish line

It was a monumental moment when Upson put the final period on the final draft of her book.

“It was an unbelievable feeling — I can’t believe I did it,” said Upson. “I didn’t know if it was any good, but I told my grandmother’s story. And I told the story of women and how they were treated during the Great Depression.”

Upson said she’s extremely proud of her grandmother’s will and strength.

“She survived through a terrible, tumultuous time,” she said. “She survived sterilization, probably shock therapy and water treatment.

“I told the story of what a teenage young lady went through during the Great Depression. Many women who went through the court system, who were poor, who were of color — were sterilized.

“We still are not where we should be as women — we’ve come a long way, but we still need to fight for equality.”

A word to the storytellers

Upson’s charge to her students at RIT Saunders College of Business and Hobart and William Smith Colleges is this:

“You’re blessed to be here, to have encouragement to pursue higher education. You need to empower everyone you possibly can — especially the underserved. Any time we have the ability to empower other people, it’s actually empowering ourselves. The more we give, the more the universe gives.”

Her message to would-be writers is much the same.

“If you have a story to tell and you feel it could be of benefit to other people, you need to do what you have to do to get the word out.”

“There were three times I was going to hang it up,” she said. “It was just too much. But I’m the kind of person who never likes to say ‘I can’t.’ I like to say ‘I can and I will.’

“I never thought in a million years that I’d write a book. But I’ve gotten so many accolades and it’s filled my heart with joy. And more importantly, I told my grandma Bethel’s story.”

The book is available at amazon.com, other websites and local bookstores.

 

About Valarie Veanes Upson

The 68-year-old Pittsford resident is a life-long woman entrepreneur, artist, adjunct professor of business at RIT Saunders College of Business and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, active community volunteer and tireless seeker of truth.

She lives in Western New York with her husband, has two grown children and has welcomed an amazing granddaughter, who she adores.