Wednesday, July 30, 2008

George & Mary Maugridge Boone - Coming to America

George Boone was born in 1666 in Stoke Canon, Devonshire, England. He was christened on March 19, 1666. He was the son of George and Sarah Mary Uppy. His father was a blacksmith. His mother, Sarah, lived until she was eighty years old. It was said she "never had an aching bone or decayed tooth."

On August 16, 1689 when George was 23 he married Mary Milton Maugridge, age 20. She was the daughter of John and Mary Milton Maugridge. They had ten children, all of whom were born in Bradeninch, England. John had learned the blacksmith trade of his father before he became a successful weaver. He continued weaving for the rest of his life. Mary and John were members of the Church of England, but dropped out in 1702 to become Quakers. This made them different than most of their neighbors and made their life difficult. .

In 1713 John sent his three oldest children, George age 23, Sarah 22, and Squire 17, to the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania to investigate the conditions there. The children sent positive reports home and George made preparations to move the rest of the family. On August 17, 1717 he and Mary left England for America. They arrived on October 10.

They first settled in Abington, a small village north of Philadelphia. They later moved to Exeter Township where Mary died in 1741 and George in 1744.

Soon after their arrival their son, George born July 24, 1690, married Deborah Howell, the daughter of the Quaker minister, William Howell and his wife Mary.

Sarah, born February 29, 1692, never embraced the Quakers. She married Jacob Stoever. He was born in Germany and immigrated with his family as Luthern ministers. Jacob's brother, John Casper Stoever, was the first ordained German Luthern minister in America. John Casper was my seventh great grandfather coming down to us through Maggie Perdue, Jesse Wright's wife. Sarah died before her father. In his will, he left his estate to his eight children.

Mary who was born in 1696 also died in that year.

Squire Boone was born December 6, 1696. He married Sarah Jarman Morgan. Squire had seven boys and four girls. Not all of them embraced the Quaker religion. Squire was warned on different occassions because some of his children were marrying out of the faith. There were other quarrels and Squire sold his land to a Maugridge cousin and left for North Carolina. As far as we know they did not attend Quaker services there. Many of the family became Baptists.

Mary Boone, born October 4, 1699, was named in honor of the sister who died. She married John Webb. Athough Mary and John lived and died in Pennsylvania, their son James went to North Carolina, too. He served in the North Carolina 10th regiment in the Revolutionar War until May 1779. He moved to Lee County, Virgina before finally settling in Harlan County, Kentucky. He took a land grant in 1819 and settled on Oven Fork in Letcher County. He married Elizabeth Jane "Lettie" Nelson. They were members of the Oven Fork Baptist Church. Two of their children are my direct grandparents.

John Boone, born Januray 14, 1702 never married and had no children. He was a school teacher. He kept the family history and passed on the information to his nephew, James, son of James and Mary.

Joseph Boone born April 4, 1704 married Catherine Warren. He stayed in Pennsylvania when the family moved south.

Benjamin Boone born July 27, 1705 married Ann Farmer and also stayed in Pennsylvania.

James Boone born July 18, 1709 married Mary and stayed in Pennsylvania.

Samuel Boone born in 1711 married Elizabeth Cassell.

Now you know about Daniel Boone. He was Squire's son. But do you know who else is related to the Boone family and you? According to the Boone/Bohun Family of America, where much of this information came from, Boone kinship can be claimed by:


  • General Robert E. Lee
  • Dr. John S. Pemberton, inventer of Coca-Cola
  • Dolly Parton
  • Richard Boone (Have Gun Will Trave, wire Palladin)
  • Sgt. Alvin York, World War II hero
  • Loretta Lynn
  • Lucille Balll
  • Thomas Jefferson
  • James Madison
  • Andrew Jackson
  • John Tyler
  • Zachary Taylor
  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Chester Arthur
  • Grover Cleveland
  • William McKinley
  • Herbert Hoover
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Richard Nixon
  • Jimmy Carter
  • Pat Boone
  • The Hatfield Family
  • Dina Merrill
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Sir Walter Raleigh
  • Charles Robb, Virginia Govenor
  • King Henry VII
  • King Henry VIII
  • Desi Arnez, Jr.
  • Debbie Boone
  • William Christopher (Father Mulcahet if M*A*S*H)
  • Richard Petty
  • Audrey Hepburn
Pretty good company, huh?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

I Met A New Cousin...

I am heading to Letcher county this weekend. I am going to attend two more reunions: one for the Wrights and one for the Potters. The Potters I have attended a couple of times over the years. This Wright group is for the descendants of our oldest known Wright relatives Joel and Susannah Wright. I saw it listed in the Kentucky Explorer and thought I would try to go. Last weekend cousin Lois attended the reunion for Brandy Jack Mullins' descendants. Yesterday she called and is going to come to the Wright reunion.

I had only read about it in the Explorer so I assumed it was just at one of the shelters like the Potters is. I tried to find that magazine and of course, I could not. I started googling and found the notice for last year's announcement. I found two telephone numbers. One was disconnected and boy did I hit paydirt with the second. I wanted to get the details for myself and to pass along to Lois.

I met my cousin Nell. She is Nell Wright Blumel. She and her husband Ben split their time between a home near Canton, Ohio and one in Florida. She asked how I was related to Joel and Susannah. I told her thru their son Joel Ellis down to my grandmother, Cora Wright and thru their daughter Nancy Ann down to my grandfather, James Mullins. I have a double dose of Wrights. She comes down thru Andrew Jackson Wright, then George Washington Wright, then Thomas Benton Wright and her father is Wilburn "Wil" Wright.

We had a great conversation. I learned that she had found the parents of Joel. Now notice i didn't say Joel Martin. Her theory is that he may actually be Joel Ellis. Now I am on the lookout for records and whether they give an actual middle name for Joel.

I want to wait and tell you more of the story I have learned about Joel and his family until after the reunion and and I talk more to Nell, but I did want to share this family in a nutshell.

Joel's parents were William and Margaret Wright. Margaret's last name is possibly Ellis which would be where all the Ellis descendants came from. Joel had a brother named William and a sister named Elizabeth "Betsy".

William's parents were James Wright and Margaret "Peggy" Malcolm. He had three siblings: Margaret, John and Eleanor. James' father was William Wright. Margaret, the mother, was the daughter of John Malcolm and Margaret Webster. Margaret was born in 1698 in Scotland. Her parents were George and Margaret Webster. She had a brother name George Malcolm. John Malcom's parents were James Maalcome and Eleanor "Helen" Gibson. They were born and died in Perth, Scotland in the cities of Culross (James) and Auchterander (Eleanor). James' parents were Jhone Maalcome and Janet Dukisone. Janet was from Culross and Jhone died there, but was born in Kinfauns, Scotland. Jhone's father was William Maakcom.

I always thought the Wrights were English.

In talking to Nell a second time we found that we shared other lines. Her Andrew Jackson Wright was married to Harriet Adams who was the daughter of William Adams and Christina Crace. Christina is the sister of my gggg-grandmother. Their daughter, Elizabeth Crace married Benjamin Bentley.

Nell's George Washington Wright was married to Harriet Elizabeth Addington who was the sister of our great grandmother Malinda Addington who married John Martin Bentley. She told me so many things about the Addingtons and the Kilgores.

Nell's Thomas Benton Wright was married to Sarah Vanover. Sarah Vanover was the sister of Nickotie Vanover who married William Jesse Wright, my great grandfather.

We seem to be connected all over the place. I had a such a good conversation with Nell and learned a lot. I will share more when I have the facts all sorted and my ducks in a row, but she has certainly opened a whole new area for research on the Wrights and the Addingtons.

Here is what Nell told me about the Wright reunion. It started about 12 years ago when she couldn't find a reunion for Joel and Susannah's descendants. People discouraged her saying no one would come, but there were about 70 people at that first reunion. Over the years they have had as many as 120 in attendance. They do register folks because they come from all over the country. They have their meeting in the Lodge at the Breaks Park in Virginia. This year's program will have us registering about 9 and mixing til about 11. They have a program with entertainment. This year Andy Owens, a worldclass bluegrass performer and descendant of Devil John Wright will be there. Also, Bill Owens will be giving us some information about the Children's School in Kentucky. Then there will be a candlelight remembrance for those Wrights who have passed away since the last reunion. A buffet dinner comes next. It has proved easier to pay for the dinner so no one is cooking or trying to come up with a dish when they have traveled so far. The afternoon is a mixer so we can mingle and talk. Sounds like a great day to me. And who cares if it is 90 degrees outside or if it rains.

Nell said the gas prices and economy have hit hard and is affecting a lot of folks who would normally fly or drive in from all over the country for this reunion. Also, there were a lot of deaths and there is a lot of sickness in the people who have attended in the past. The registration number is only about 40 this year. I am so glad I found this reunion.


I get to meet Lois in person who I feel like I have known for years and Nell, my newest cousin. What a great day!!!!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Sallie Pearl Craft Lucas

Well, I tried a fresh start for Sallie. I went to the census records for Sallie Lucas and got a hit.

1920 London, Laurel County, Kentucky

  • Lucas, George, head, 50, Dentist, own office
  • Sallie, wife, 54
  • Craft, Morgan C., 3 step son, bookkeeper, dry goods store
  • Eads, Samantha 24, servant
No, I didn't put the age wrong. That's what the census said for Morgan. I think he was going to go back and fill in the second number and got distracted and didn't. The other single digit ages are written in the center of the square. This one is to the left. But I didn't notice that the first time I read this census.

Another connection to Craft.

I found a second census for Sallie Lucas -- 1930 London, Laurel County, Kentucky.

  • Lucas, Sallie C. 64, widow
  • Craft, Morgan 39, public stenographer
This caused me to go back and look at 1920 again.

I started a search for Sallie Craft. Two hits:

1900 London, Laurel County, Kentucky

  • Craft, Sallie, 35, head, May 1865, widow, had 2 children, 2 living
  • Walter J. 14, son Dec 1886
  • Morgan M, 12, son May 1888
  • Pearl, Willis, 20, brother, Mar 1867, day laborer
The index had Walter listed as Watte and Morgan as just M. The original records were very clear.

1910 London, Laurel County, Kentucky had Sallie Craft 44, widow, had 2 chidren, both living. She was living alone.

I thought since I had her children's names I might be able to find them. I picked Walter first, and struck out. But I did find a Walter who took a ship to England. I couldn't say if this were our Walter or not. Then I went for Morgan.

I found Morgan in Oklahoma. He was teaching history at McAlaster High School when he filled out his draft registration for World War I. He was medium height, medium build, blues eyes and brown hair. He said he was born on May 4th 1889 in London, Kentucky. Three years later he was back in London living with his mother and her new husband, George Lucas, the dentist. He was working as a bookkeeper in a dry goods store. Then in 1930 he was a public stenographer. His mother was a widow again.

Morgan Tennyson Craft died on February 29, 1932 of a stroke. His death certificate lists his parents as Sallie Pearl and Morgan T. Craft. His occupation was listed as lawyer.

Morgan T. Craft was the son of Joseph Craft and Martha Irby Bates. He married Sallie Pearl. He died on December 16 1888 before his son Morgan Jr. was born.

James W. Craft wasn't the father of Sallie Pearl. She was his sister-in-law.

I am not sure why those other researchers had her as his daughter, but obviously, she wasn't. At least it lead me to Sallie and Morgan's children. I might work on Walter a little more someday to see if he were the one who took that voyage to England. Might be interesting to see his passport information since it would include a picture.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

James W. Craft mystery

I was doing a search to see who had today as a birthday and I came across two James W. Craft's who shared today 100 years apart.  I thought it would be interesting to see how the two people who shared the same name lived.  Then I figured out that the second James was an input error and was actually the same person as the first.

I didn't have much on him, but thought I would do a bit more sleuthing to see what I could find.  What I found was a mystery.

James W. Craft was born July 26, 1841 to Joseph B. Craft and Martha Irby Bates.  He was the fourth of twelve children.  Many folks have in their research that James died at birth or in the same year he was born.  I found him in the 1850 census with his parents:

  • Craft, Joseph, 32, Farmer KY
  • Martha 32, VA
  • John H. 15 KY
  • Sarah 14 KY
  • Druscilla 12 KY
  • James W. 9 KY idiotic
  • William R. 6 KY
  • Martha Manerva 4 KY
  • Mary 2 KY
  • Joseph 6 months KY
This would discount those who said James died at birth, but it presents new information saying he was "idiotic".  This is not the mystery.

In 1860 the census went like this:

  • Joseph Craft, 43
  • Martha 43
  • James 18, Idiot
  • William 16
  • Martha 14
  • Mary 12
  • Joseph 10
  • Eliza  7
  • Nancy 4
  • Robert 3 months
  • All born in KY except Martha who was born in Virginia.
So again, James is there and he is marked as an Idiot.

In the 1870 Census Joseph and Martha are listed with Joseph, Elizabeth, Nancy, Robert, and Morgan.  No James.  My first thought was that he had died.  I looked and could not find a death certificate.  I started looking at what others had in their research on ancestry.com.  I found that those who did not show him as dying as a baby had his death listed in Laurel County (London), Kentucky.  I still couldn't find a death certificate.  But here is the mystery -- they have him listed with a daughter, Sarah Pearl Craft.

Sarah was listed with a birth year of 1869 and a death date of September 15, 1947 in London.  She was listed with a husband, George Lucas.

If James died in 1898 I should at least be able to find him in the 1870 and 1880 census records. I tried James, Jim, Craft, Croft, Kraft etc and no one fit in Letcher or Laurel County.

I found a death certificate for Sally Pearl Lucas.  Her birthdate was listed as July 1, 1868 in London.  Her husband was listed as Dr. George Lucas.  Her parents were listed as Granville Pearl and Elizabeth Adams.  Aha! I thought.  Here she is and the researchers have it wrong.  She didn't have anything to do with our James W. Craft.  And then I saw the informant's name on the death certificate:  James W. Craft, Jr.  Sigh.  What was her connection to James W.

Searching for the Pearls, I found Granville and Elizabeth in 1870

  • Pearl, Granville 50
  • Elizabeth 29
  • John 9
  • Helen 8
  • Sallie 5
  • Baker, W. P. Druggist, TN
  • Ann 23
  • Charlie A. 1
  • Kerr, Martha 25, mullato, domestic servant
  • John 2, mullato
  • Barnett, Robert, 15, black, laborer of all work
Then in 1880:

  • Pearl, Granville, 61
  • Elizabeth 39
  • John 19, printer
  • Helen 17
  • Sallie 14
  • Christopher 6
I found a death certificate for Christopher Pitman Pearl.  He died of a stroke.  His parents were listed as Granville Pearl and Martha Elizabeth Adams.  The informant was Martha Adams.  His wife was Mary Catherine Farris.

I found the death certificate for Helen Pearl.  She married E. H. Harbey.  Her parents were listed as Granville Pearl and Elizabeth Adams.

I left out what I read on Sallie's death certificate. She had another disease to do with senility.   She died of arteriosclerosis heart disease after spending seven years, seven months and thirteen days in Anchorage, Jefferson County, Kentucky at the Pleasant Grove Hospital.  Oh no, another mental case, I was thinking.  But so far, all I have found out about the hospital is it is for drug and substance abuse.  She was returned to Laurel county for burial.

Was she hooked on drugs?  A closet drinker? What was her connection to James W. Craft?  Why do people list him as her father?  Why was James W. Craft the informant on her death certificate rather than her husband George Lucas or someone in the Pearl family?

I can't imagine James with a life of his own after being listed as idiotic on the two census records.  However, Margaret Wright was listed that way and the family says it was because she didn't speak English and the census taker marked her that way because he couldn't understand her. 

I wonder about James and Sallie and their relationship.  And where is James in 1870 and 1880?  Where is his death certificate? 





Friday, July 25, 2008

Hollingsworth

My fifth great grandfather was Vincent Hollingsworth.  He was born between 1705 and 1708 in Queen Anne County, Maryland.  He married Mary Herbert.

Their son, Vincent, was also born on July 25, 1740 in Queen Anne County.  He married Mary Beasley.  He died in Ashe County, North Carolina.

Their daughter, Susannah Hollingsworth, born in North Carolina married Benjamin Potter.  They moved to Pike County, Kentucky.

Their daughter, Annie Potter, married John Vint Bentley. 

John Vint and Annie were the parents of John Martin Bentley who married Malinda Addington.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Halls

Our Halls go back to Thomas de la Sale and Edith Sale who were born in 1320 and 1326.

Their son was Thomas de Halle married to  Alice Atford who were born in 1352 & 1360 in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, England.

Their son Thomas de Halle was born about 1396.

His son Nicholas was born in 1420.  He married Margaret Besill.

Their son was Thomas Hall born 1450.  He married Alice Norton.

William Hall was bron 1482.  He married Elizaeth Tropnell.

Thomas Hall born 1505 was married to Elizabeth Mervyn.

John Hall born in 1540 was married to Dorothy Rogers.

John Hall born 1575 was married to Elizabeth Brune.

John Hall born 1607 was married to Elizabeth Layton.  He was born in Bradford as his family had been for hundreds of years.  He died in Newport, Rhode Island about 1665.

Thier son was Henry Hall was born in Washington County, Rhode Island in 1637.  He married Honor Rogers..

Their son was John Hall born in Washington County, Rhode Island  in 1668.  He married Elizabeth Ball.  He died on July 4, 1764 in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Their son, Thomas Hall, was born in 1702 in Jonathan Creek, Virginia.  His wife's name was Martha.  He died on May 10, 1794 when he was killed by Cherokee Indians.

Their son, Jesse Hall, was born about 1746 in Jonathan Creek.  He married Candacia "Dicy" Franklin.  On October 19, 1782 he bought 120 acres in Henry County, Virginia for 57 pounds and 15 shillings.   He was on the Scott County, Virginia tax lists in 1815.  On September 29,  1820 he purchased 30 acres on Cove Creek.  On April 8, 1823 he transferred the deed for the 30 acres to Robert Owens.

Their son, Masias Hall was born about 1768  in Wilkes County, North Carolina.  He was listed in the 1800 census in Ashe County, NC.  He married Unisiah Branham Smith.  Masias moved his family through Green County, Tennessee, toward Harlan County, Kentucky, after 1800. As Masias was moving his family to Kentucky, his horse threw and injured him. The family stayed on the Nolichucky River in Green County, Tennessee for a year before moving on.  He was on the 1815 tax lists along side his father and his brother, Reuben, in Scott County, Virginia.


According to Pearl Hall, a descendant residing in the neighborhood where Masias put down his Kentucky roots, Masias and "Eunice" settled first in Virginia, but then came back to Kentucky to settle on Long Fork of Shelby Creek, in Floyd (later part of Pike) County.

In 1833 he filed for a Revolutionary War pension.  He stated he was 65 years old.

  • The text of the affidavit, as reported by William E. Connelly, is as follows:

    "Kentucky, to wit.

    The statement of Mesias Hall, aged sixty-five years, who upon his oath, states that he is a native of the State of North Carolina, Wilkes County . That he recollects many of the events at the close of the Revolution . That he lived and was raised a near neighbor to Captain Henry Connelly, Sr. That he always understood from all persons that he served in t he North Carolina State troops in that capacity in which he has stated. That he never was doubted by any person. He thinks one of his brothers- in-law served under him in the Revolution, who is long since dead.

    (Signed) Mesias Hall

    [Signed by mark]

    Subscribed and sworn to before John Friend, Justice of the Peace, Floyd County, Kentucky, who certifies that Hall was a credible witness. No date."
Their son, Richard Hall was born in 1808.  He married Sarah Tackett.  They lived on Long Fork of Shelby Creek, Pike County, Kentucky.  They lived next door to Sarah's parents, Elder William "Preacher Billy" Tackett and Amy Johnson.  They had 12 children. 

The sixth child was  Enoch Mahlon "Red" Hall who was born February 28, 1841 in Pike County.  He married Nancy Hampton.  Mahlon married twice more to Nancy Wright and last to Martha Horne.  Pearl Hall, mentioned above, was the daugther of Mahlon and Martha.

Enoch and Nancy's son was Joseph Leonard Hall.  He married six times.  The second time was to Lettie Craft.  Their daughter, Nancy Alice Hall, is my grandmother.


    Saturday, July 19, 2008

    Deputy Sheriff Joel Martin Wright Part 2

    What I learned about the killing of Joel Martin Wright was from the website, Officer Down.  I got an email from cousin Lois today.  In it she wrote notes from a conversation she and her brother, Orville, and cousin Nadina Osborne had at the home of Henry & Nellie Slater Wright.  Dixie Wright dropped by and told the following about the death of her father, Joel Martin Wright.


    "My daddy was Mart Wright. He was a brother to Henry's daddy, "Broad Sam" Wright. We had an uncle named George Wright and John Wright. He used to be a policeman over at Jenkins. My mother was a Killen, daughter of Morgan Killen. I was born 1907 and was eight years when my daddy was killed. My mother had it pretty tough. We lived at No.2 Bottom Mining Camp. Luther Wright, my first cousin worked in the mines and stayed with us and kept us going for awhile. I had one brother, Elmer, and two sisters, Golda and Maggie. I was the oldest girl and brother was two years older than me. All are dead now. My daddy Mart and the KKK and Devil John never liked each other.





    "Charley Hazen, who had a store over at Neon. He's the one my father had a fight with, and my father hit him over the head with a 38 special with a pearl handle. It flew out of his hand and his daughter, Mary Hazen, got it and shot my daddy through the shoulder and it went down and cut his spine in two. He just lived about 17 days after that. They couldn't do anything for him. He was shot by Mary Hazen. The girl was underage, around 12 or 13. I used to play with her and dearly loved her. I didn't play with her after that."


    Thank you again, Lois.

    Friday, July 18, 2008

    Deputy Sheriff Joel Martin Wright 1880-1916

    Joel Martin Wright was the son of George Wright and Mary "Pop" Potter. George was the son of Joel Martin & Susannah Wright.  He was born on August 12, 1880.  He married Mary Alice Killen, the daughter of Morgan Martin Killen and Delaney Elizabeth Bentley, a couple I have written about before.

    Joel and Mary Alice had at least four children:  Dixie, Elmer, Goldie and Maggie.

    He was a deputy sheriff for the Fleming Neon Police Department.

    On Friday, August 4, 1916 he went to a suspect's home to serve a warrant.  When the suspect's young daughter saw Joel holding his pistol, she ran up to him, grabbed his pistol and shot him.  The girl and her father were both arrested after the shooting.

    Deputy Wright succumbed to the gunshot wound 20 days later on the 24th of August 1916.  His death certificate says the wound was to his lung and spinal cord.  I could not find what happened to the charges against the girl or her father.

    Thursday, July 17, 2008

    Booker Van Buren Wright 1889 1932

    Booker Van Buren Wright was the son of Joel Martin Wright and Jane R. Venters.  This poor family.  They had more deaths and problems among their children as I have written on other days.  Joel was the brother to my great grandfather Jesse Wright and to Bad John Wright.



    Booker was the 6th child of Joel and Jane. He was born on November 5, 1889.  He grew up, married and 3 children and served as a Constable for the Fleming-Neon Police Department.



    Booker was shot and killed when he went to a house to arrest a suspect on a warrant for public intoxication.  When he arrived at the home the suspect opened fire.  He was able to return fire.  He was wounded in the right and left thighs and bled to death.  The suspect was arrested and charged with murder, but was found not guilty by reason of self defense.



    I didn't read in the report that Booker drew first.  He died on November 7, 1932 and is buried in Hemphill at his brother, Broaz Wright Cemetery. 



    Wednesday, July 16, 2008

    Movie Star Pictures

    When I was a little girl every once in while Mom would get out a little 5x7 box that was about an inch thick. It had a blue lid. Inside were pictures of movie stars that she had collected as a girl. I don't remember who they all were, but I remember the look. They were black and white.

    Tuesday, July 15, 2008

    Minks for Everyone

    Janice remembered when these pictures were taken at her home on Millstone. She remembered Aunt Stella asking for her mink to wear before the pictures were taken. It actually belonged to Aunt Atha, but there was a lot of laughing and teasing as they were gathering for this picture.

    Sitting are Atha and Laura. Standing: Stella, Willie and Nettie.

    In this picture, taken the same day is Lake, Granny (Nancy Alice Hall Bentley), Laura and standing, Atha, Stella, Nettie, Edna and Willie.

    What wonderful pictures.


    Monday, July 14, 2008

    Georgia Peaches

    Some pictures are a story of their own.

    One of the things we used to beg mom to let us do when we visited Kentucky was to walk down to the forks from Granny's and get something from the store there. We loved picking through the candy. It was a big deal to get a quarter or dime and another big deal to actually get to walk down the road by ourselves.

    At home we never left the yard to play baseball with the neighbors who lived one field away from us without permission. At that, Mom could stand on the front porch and look over and see us unless we were on the far side of their house. Mostly we played baseball in their side yard or our front yard. Getting to walk down to the forks was a big deal.

    Uncle Willie and Aunt Edna owned the store at the forks for a number of years. Their daughter, my first cousin Janice, has been sending me pictures over the past week. One of them was after Uncle Willie had returned from Georgia where he had picked up a load of peaches. (No wonder the food and produce was so good coming from that store.).

    Uncle Willie looks the same in this picture as he does in all of the ones I have seen even as the guys in the truck play a prank on him, but Aunt Edna is cracking up. I thought this picture was a jewel. Janice doesn't know who the men in the truck are, but Edna is on the left of Willie and Dolly Killen is on the right. Dolly was the wife of Edna's first cousin, Arthur Bates.

    Look how pretty Aunt Edna is. Didn't they make a wonderful couple?

    Saturday, July 12, 2008

    The Murder of James Bates Part 2

    I told you what I knew about the killing of James Bates, the brother of Martin Van Buren Bates and Eliza Agnes Bates.  It was actually more about the aftermath of that killing.  I received information from cousin Lois about what she and her brother, Orville, learned when they were researching in the early 80's.

    •  I can see that you did not receive my mail long ago telling you part of the story and the reason for the killings by MVB. I wish I knew what you have learned so I would not repeat it. While MVB was away in the service his brother James "Jim" Bates, who was married to Elizabeth, parents of Nancy Bates, (later married Andy Wright and became parents of my father, Jim Wright). Jim Bates had a bucket of gold and somehow heard there was a gang of men coming to take it from him. He went out alone searched and found a place the gold would be safe. When he got home, Betsy asked him to tell her where it was hidden. He refused because if she knew and they threatened to kill him she would tell to save his life.



      Some say he was cradling oats when they came while my mother told me they were in their home that night when they came. He was taken across the road and up a hill (small mountain) with Betsy following, begging and pleading with them to not kill him. They told her if she followed any more they would kill her. Jim Bates told her, "Go home. Someone has to take care of our children." They took him to the top turned left and went into a hog lot where wild hogs lived. They used every means they could to make him tell where the gold was and he would not. This is from memory and I like to tell what they did to him. Will dig that out later for you. They said you could hear his screams over the entire area for a long time.



      After awhile a man came riding up and was angry that after all that had been done to Jim he had not talked. He waved his hand and told them to kill him and he rode away. They left his body in the hog pen where they found him in daylight partially eaten by the hogs. There is much more to this story and I am not trying to keep you in suspense. I don't feel well enough to get all of the names that were involved that night. Some I remember without looking.
    Lois and Orville talked to so many people who knew about things that happened first hand or had learned the stories from those who knew them first hand.  I will post more details when Lois has a chance to go over the notes she and Orville took.  In a few weeks I will combine these two blogs so that the entire story is together and the details are correct. 

      Thursday, July 10, 2008

      Everage / Etheridge

      Our oldest Everage relatives may acutally have been Etheridge due to spelling errors by Census takers and other public officials.  The oldest known in this line is Thomas Etheridge who was born in 1605 in England. Next in line were Thomas Etheridge, then Marmaduke Etheridge, Solomon Ehteridge, Abner Etheridge wo was born in 1695 in Virginia.  His son, Abner was listed as Etheridge and Everage.  For years I never knew who he had married, but I knew a sad little story about her. 

      Abner left his family in North Carolina to serve in the Revolutionary War.  While he was gone it fell to his wife to care for the farm and care for their four children, Mary Ann, Joseph M., Solomon and Nellie Everage.  Apparentley, it grew too much for her.  One day when the older children were out in the fields, she tied the young ones to the bed and walked away.  She was never seen again and assumed to have fallen over a cliff and died.  I know you could think of her as being weak, but it always touched me as how said it was that she couldn't face the challenges when so many women in the family have been strong mothers.

      The four children ended up coming to Letcher county with other early pioneers.  Mary Ann had two children from an unknown father. 

      These children ended up

      The Murder of James Bates During the Civil War

      John Wallis Bates was elected to sheriff in Russell County (now Wise County), Virginia.  He married twice.  His first wife was Lavina Light.  They had five children.  They divorced, and Levina moved to Missouri.  He married again to Sarah Waldrup and they moved to Letcher county. 

      Sarah was 14 years younger than John.  I always thought that he must have had a bit of a roving eye.  Later, I found divorce records with the right names, but the dates seemed off. In them Lavina was the one who caused the divorce.  John was granted a divorce and able to marry again.  Lavina was divorced but not allowed to marry again.  She never did as far as I could find.  I am not sure that that divorce record was theirs, but it made me think about him a bit differently.

      John and Sarah had 12 children:  John Wallis Jr, Margaret "Peggy", Martha Irby, Elizabeth Agnes (my great great grandmother), Jesse, James, Robert "Robin", Uriah, Sarah, Henderson "Hen", Mary Jane and Martin Van Buren Bates.

      John Wallis Jr. married Elizabeth "Bett:" Hall, the daughter of Gunsmith Billy Hall and Margaret Martha Johnson.  They had 15 children.

      Margaret "Peggy" Bates married William Payne Johnson.  They had 10 chidren.

      Elizabeth, known as Eliza Agnes, married Joel Ellis Wright, son of Joel Martin & Susannah Wright.  They had 7 children, one of whom was William Jesse Wright, my great grandfather.

      Jesse Bates married Ibby Victoria Berry.  They had three children.

      James married Elizabeth "Bessie" Adams.  They had six children.  He served in the Confederate army.

      Robert "Robin" Bates married Elizabeth Catherine Bentley, the great granddaughter of Daniel Benltey and Nancy Jane Lewis.  They had 13 children.

      Uriah Bates married Letty Adams.  They had two children.  Uriah Bates was a private in the Confederate army during the Civil War.  He was in Company F, 5th Kentucky Infantry. He was listed on the sick roll as of April 30, 1862 and in the hospital. He died of measles at Holston. He is buried in one of the 14 graves marked with a memorial marker on a farm at Gate City, Virginia.

      Sarah Ann married William Mullins.  They had seven children.

      Henderson "Hen" Bates married Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Roberson.  They had six children.  He served in the Confederate Army and rode with General John Hunt Morgan in June of 1864.  He was a Captain in Company D  13th Kentucky Calvary. He died in September 1870 from wounds he received while serving in the Confederate Army.

      Mary Jane Bates never married and had no children.

      Martin Van Buren Bates first married Anna Swan and then Annette Weathersby.  He was known as the Kentucky giant.  He met her while going on a ship to England to tour Europe. 

      The story I wanted to tell was about James.  He served in the Confederate army as a Sergeant, Company F 5th Company mounted infantry under the command of Captain Ben E. Caudill. While he was on furlough for the purpose of procuring horses for the Confederates, he was captured by the home guard.  He was tied to a tree and tortured to death with bayonets, a slow and agonizing death.  His family was forced to watch him die.


      From a story written by John Lucas, a distant relative of the Bates, what happened is told:

      • "When his brother, Martin Van Buren Bates, found out that the local Unionists had captured James, tormented and murdered him, he was enraged.  He gathered his men and searched out the murderers. One by one they were captured. Some were roused out of their beds at night. Others were found hiding in hilltop caverns. Some were ambushed on Rock House Creek and locked in it under close guard. Then their wives, parents, grandparents and children were rounded up and driven to the mouth of Big Hollow and kept there around campfires all night. The children ranged from about 12 years old down to babes in their mothers' arms. Some of the wives were pregnant.


      • Two slender black oaks grew a dozen feet apart. A pole was lashed to the trees about 10 feet up. A round beech log was cut, stripped of its branches and placed on the ground beneath. Eight nooses hung down from the pole.

      • At dawn, the Rebels roused the sleepers, who threw fresh wood on the fires. At the sight of the dangling ropes the women began to wail. The giant appeared on his giant horse, his giant sword and pistols gleaming, his black eyes shining with contempt and hatred. His men appeared out of the gloomy mists herding the prisoners before them, each man's hands bound behind his back.

      • The prisoners were placed on the log, and a noose was dropped around each shrinking neck, the men pleading for their lives. Their relatives begged the giant to be merciful. The giant sat on his great horse for several minutes while dawn slowly brightened the sky. The fire crackled, adding its gleams to the soft light of the new day. The killers began to hope a little; then the giant raised his hand in a signal. Two men gave the log a shove and it rolled down the hill. The eight bound figures dropped a few inches and choked slowly to death. With swords and cocked pistols the women and children were kept at bay. None could render aid.

      • The "Yankees" were a quarter of an hour dying. The giant told the people not to touch the dead or take them down from the gallows. They were to hang there and rot by the road, their corruption warning all passersby of the consequences of killing a Bates. If anyone violated his order, he would die in the same way. Absolutely no mercy would be shown. In addition, his family would be destroyed, his house burned, his stock killed. "Take warning," the giant said. "because no other warning will be given!" Then he and his men rode away, leaving the dead to swing in the wind and their kin to mourn them through a monstrous nightmare.

      • The bodies turned to skeletons before the giant came back, only rattling bones were left for burial."

      After this, Martin  could not stay in Letcher County.  John Lucas said,  "When those children got old enough they would have killed him without a doubt. He moved away when the war was over and didn't tell people where he went, either. You know what his vengeance was like. We can't even guess what those children would have done to even the score when they got to be grown men."

      I haven't placed John in the family yet.  I do have a John Lucas who was the son of Noah Holbrook and Siller Bates.  I don't know if that is the right person or not.  He was alive while Martin was alive, but I am not sure how much first hand knowledge he would have had of the incident.

      [FNB Chronicle, vol 9 no 3, 1998 http://www.tngenweb.org/scott/fnb_v9n3_giant.htm]

      Wednesday, July 9, 2008

      A Husband's Love

      John Isom Adams was the son of Benjamin Adams and Nancy Holbrook.  Benjamin was the son of John Hobbs Adams and Lettie Simpson, my 5th great grandparents.  Benjamin was the brother of Jane Adams who married Benjamin Webb. They were the parents of Lettie Webb who married Archelous Craft.  They were the parents of Chunk Craft.  That makes John Isom Adams my first cousin five times removed.

      John married Sarah "Sally" Craft.  She was the daughter of James Washington Craft and Druscilla Hammons my 4th great grandparents.  Sally was the sister of Archelous Craft.  She was my g-g-g Aunt.

      If you are trying to keep score, that means they were first cousins once removed through John Hobbs Adams and Nancy Caudill.  They were third cousins through Benjamin Caudill & Mary Elizabeth Adams as well as John Adams & Ann Caudill.  And they were husband and wife.

      While the Civil War was being fought, Sally was ill.  John wanted some gun powder to kill a squirrel to make something for her to eat.  Gun powder was very scarce.  A bomb had been dropped by General Humphrey Marshall's army.  John tried to open the bomb for the gun powder.  It exploded in his hands and totally blew him up.  He died  on March 10, 1863.  Sarah died on March 26th.  This story was reported in the John J. Dickey Diaries by John and Sarah's grandson, the oldest son of Joseph Adams and Sarah Bates.

      Tuesday, July 8, 2008

      The Search for Benjamin Harrison Bentley

      I copy my pictures on little SD disks that fit in my digital camera. I know I can put the pictures on my computer or disks and delete them and reuse the SD disks, but I cannot hit the delete button on the SD disks. I have about a dozen of them now. It was how I was able to reconstruct my pictures when my computer crashed last November. Just before the reunion I copied the pictures to my computer and organized them. I have one disk that is the running things that happen throughout the year like birthdays, holidays, etc. Then I have another disk where I am putting cemeteries (like Dr. Can's) and old picture work. Since the pictures are dated, I was able to easily separate them into subjects. One of the first in the year was my trip to Cleveland in January so I was able to put pictures in folders by January 19 Uncle John Vint, January 20 Aunt Hazel, January 21 Otho & Pat Holcomb and January 21 Uncle John's again.

      There was a post card picture that I didn't even remember copying on Day Two. I copied pictures at Hazel's on my trips last year and I didn't remember seeing anything new at her home. In fact, I took her pictures on that trip. I wrote to Lisa and Nancy to see if they remembered the picture. They suggested (from the carpet around the picture where I had laid it on the floor) that it might have been at Aunt Ernestene's when we stopped and picked up Candy and Ernestene and had a brownie before we went to Hazel's. I thought I would check with Candy at the reunion and ask her, but she wasn't able to come because of work and Bernie's graduation from High School. I wrote to her when I got home.

      She said that the picture, which was one of those post card ones, was sent to her grandfather, Benjamin Harrison Hall, from his namesake uncle Benjamin Harrison Bentley. She went on to say that the lady in the picture was a girlfriend, but not the lady he had married. She thought the wife's name was Lenora, or something like that.


      The post card says " Hello Ben, Here is your Name Sake and his Best Girl and See how you like her fine I hope. Be good as ever, Your Ben" It was sent to Mr. Ben H. Hall at Baker, Kentucky.
      I went into my database expecting to find this man easily, but he wasn't there. I started with Ernestene's father who had received the card. I hadn't entered them in the family tree yet, so I went back to a sheet I had on that family and started filling in the blanks. According to a sheet that Ernestene had given me Benjamin Harrison Hall's parents were Solomon and Allie Jane Hall. I thought since this was an uncle then Allie Jane must have been the Bentley sister. The sheet also said that Solomon's parents were Matthew Bentley and Servilla Hall. I did have Matthew C. "Mack" Bentley and Servilla Caroline Hall in my work already, but I had it marked that I had not searched for all of their children. I started through my normal checks of census records, etc. and I was coming up blank except for Matthew and Servilla in the 1880 census. I found a Matthew and Diadema in 1910 and 1920, but I didn't know if that were the same Matthew.
      I searched for the better part of two days finding bits and pieces on this family.
      June 19, 1880 Letcher County Family 407 was
      Bentley, Matthew 29, head
      Caroline 23, wife
      Miranda, 6 daughter
      Daniel, 4 son
      Noah M. 2 son
      Mary F, 3 months, daughter
      John, 30, brother
      Samuel, 19, brother.
      That matched what I had for Matthew and Caroline and the brothers matched for Matthew. Then I went dry. Finally, I found that Mack and Didama Belcher had married.
      In 1910 they were in Greenup County.
      Bentley, Matthew, 58, head, marriage 2, married 20 years, Farmer
      Diadema, 54, wife, marriage 2, had 7 chilodren, 7 living
      Anderson B., 21 son
      Thomas T, 17 son
      Cynthia, 15 daughter
      In 1920 they were in Leatherwood, Greenup County, Kentucky.
      Bentley, Matthew, head, 54, farming, general farm
      Diadame, wife, 66, farm laborer, home farm
      Alexander, George, son-in-law, 35, farm laborer, home farm
      Rausie E., daughter, 27, farm labore, home farm
      Cecle, grandson 9, farm laborer, home farm
      Betrese, granddaughter, 6
      Ralph, grandson, 4 years 1 month
      Alta, granddaughter, 1 year 7 months
      Carrie, granddaughter, 0 months
      Bentley, John M. cozen, 70, widowed
      Now at this point I am thinking that "Rausie" must be a daughter of Servilla and Servilla had died and Matthew remarried. I have also not found Benjamin Harrison. I might have stopped here, but families are usually correct on who they say their aunts and uncles are when the families are close like the relationship between Benjamin Harrison Bentley and Benjamin Harrison Hall. So I went back again.
      I tried finding birth and death records for the Benjamins, Matthew, and Servilla. I started reseaching under the name Mack instead of Matthew. I found Mack died of cancer of the stomach in 1923. I struck out on the rest, but I found a census record for Mack Bentley with a wife of "Dame" in Millstone in 1900.
      Bentley, Mack, head, Nov 1851, 48, married
      Dame, wife, May 1852, 46
      Mary E., daughter, May 1879, 21
      Sarah J., daughter, Feb 1884, 16
      Bitha, daughter, Oct 1885, 14
      Anderson B., son, Jun 1890, 9
      Rausy E., daughter, Nov 1891, 8
      Tom T., son, Jan 1893, 7
      Cynthia A., daughter, Nov 1893, 6
      I always look to see who the neighbors are when I am doing a census page. Family 223 is
      Hall, Servilla, head, Jan 1854, 48, widowed
      Ally J., daughter, Apr 1883, 16
      Nerve, daughter, Jan 1886, 14
      Benjamin H. son Sep 1889, 10
      Finally, I have found Benjamin. Now I know that Servilla did not die and that Mack was having children with both Servilla and Diadema for part of his marriage to Servilla. The families are:
      Matthew C. "Mack" Bentley & Servilla Carolina Hall
      Ally Jane Bentley
      Marinda Bentley
      Noah Milburn Bentley
      Daniel Boone Bentley
      Mary F. Bentley
      Manerva Bentley
      Benjamin Harrison Bentley
      Matthew C. "Mack" Bentley & Didema Belcher
      Sarah J. Bentley
      Tabitha Bentley
      Anderson Bunker Bentley
      Rose Ellen "Rausy" Bentley
      Thomas T. Bentley
      Cynthia Ann Bentley.

      Millstone School at the Forks between 1959 and 1962

      Kris sent an email thanking me for the Happy Birthday.  I meant to include in that story at the end that what he wanted for his birthday was a picture of the school at Millstone there at the Forks.  At the reunion Eddie (DV & Mary Evelyn Bentley's son) told him that there had been one printed in the Mountain Eagle recently.  Kris tracked it down and sent me a copy.  If you can identify folks or if you have any other pictures of the school, please share them.






      Kris is in the second row 1st person on the left.  I love the kid in the front row with the light pants.  I would have expected to be able to pick some others out, but I wasn't. 

      Monday, July 7, 2008

      Kris Edward Bentley Happy Birthday


      Kris Edward Bentley was born on July 7, 1950. He is the son of Alma Eva Henrikson and James Martin "Joe" Bentley.













      Kris with dad, Joe.



      Joe, Kris & Alma




      Kris & Shirley Cole, couisn daughter of Wilma Bentley & James Cole

















      After graduating from high school Kris went to Morehead State University.  He studied Math and the sciences.  He was a student teacher.




      Kris went into the Air Force.  He was stationed in Germany and got to travel Europe on his off time.  When he returned to the states he went to San Angelo, Texas.  Later, he was at Ft. Leavenworth.  This was one of the tumbleweeds he encountered when living there.


      When the military service was over he returned to Morehead and got his master's degree.  He worked for Hughes and lived in California for several years.  The company went through a number of changes and he moved to Dallas, Texas.  He worked between the Dallas office and their Washington, DC office as a senior scientist.  He left the company and went back to school to get his teaching credentials and began teaching various math classes in Dallas. 





      Me and Kris at one of the Bentley reunions, possibly 1997.





      At another Bentley reunon, Kris was in deep conversation with Carrie Wolfenbarger, wife of Wes Bentley (son of Othos's sister Laura Belle Bentley and her husband Sherman Bentley).





      While at Morehead Kris roomed with Gary Adkins.  Gary married Sherry Bentley.  Sherry is the daughter of Bob and Charlotte Clark Bentley.  Bob is the son of Laura & Sherman Bentley.  This is at another of the Bentley reunions.





      And this was Kris at the 2008 Bentley Reunion.



      Happy Birthday KRIS!!

      Sunday, July 6, 2008

      Schenck Family Reunion

      Margaret Ann Mullins, daughter of J. D. & Cora Bentley Mullins, married David Schenck. Dave is the son of Lowell David and Virginia Gibson Schenck. Roelof Martense Schenck born about 1629 in Amersfoort, Utrecht, Holland. He came to America and settled in Flatlands, Kings County, New York where he died on January 14, 1795. His son, Jan Roelofse Schenck was the first Schenck born in America. He died in New Jersey on January 30, 1753. The next son, John Schenck was also born and died in New Jersey. The next son, William Janse Schenck moved from New Jersey to Warren County, Ohio. His son, David Schenck stayed in Warren County where he was born in 1779 and died January 22, 1827. His son, John David Schenck moved from Warren County a bit further north to Franklin, Ohio in Butler County. His son, Obediah Schenck, had 12 children: Pearlie, Samuel, Edward, Mary, Harriet, William, John David, Josephine, Maude, Claude, Myrtle and Harry. John David Schenck moved to Jefferston Twp., in Montgomery County, Ohio, near Dayton. His son Paul David Schenk married Rachel Louella Loy who was known as Lulu. Paul and Lulu had ten sons: Kenneth, Wendell, Harold, Paul, Lowell David, Kenneth, Richard, Dwain, Ronald and Merle Schenck.




      The family is a close one as were the Loys, Sears, and Wombolds. These intermarried families had reunions dating back to at least 1914. The Schencks had many reunions.During WW2 seven of the ten sons of Paul and Lulu were in service. As each son returned home from war the family gathered together and had dinners to welcome the son home. They would gather on weekends thankful that all returned home safely.





      As the families grew, Paul and Lulu wanted their grandchildren to know each other. From the family dinners welcoming their sons home, came the 4th of July reunion which is still held today. The sons took on hosting the gatherings when Paul and Lulu were no longer able to do so. At first they were held right on the fourth. Later, they were moved to a weekend either before or after the fourth where they began camping and spending the weekend together.




      The family whose ten sons were great athletes, hosted a family baseball game. They have volleyball and play many games together. They eat their meals together. Merle and his wife, Gladys, cook breakfast for all on Saturday and Sunday mornings. They work together to put up tables and chairs. They police the entire area before they leave the gathering on Sunday.










      Now, for the fourth year, Margaret and David host the reunion at their home in Arcanum.








      On Saturday after lunch, the baseball game and water balloon games, Lowell Schenck gathered the family around. He told stories of growing up with ten brothers and what it was like when he was younger.


      Lowell David Schenck






      Ronnie Schenck telling the charcoal on the beach story.







      Merle Schenck



      Others in the family including brothers, wives and cousins stood and told family stories or remembrances of gatherings in the past at Uncle Harold's or other locations.



      Rebekah, (David's sister Ellen's daughter), Amy holding her son Logan (Margaret and Dave's daughter), Barbie (Margaret and Dave's daughter) and Margaret listen to the stories being told.Brother Ronnie compiled a book on the military service and family life while the seven brothers served in World War 2. Lowell wrote a book with remembrances and family pictures which he gave a copy to all the brothers or wives and the cousins. Both are great books. A wall showing the ten sons and their children was made by Ronnie for the 2006 reunion and was displayed again this year and updated.




      You might think that things would calm down after the games and remembrances, but when it is dark they build fires for roasting hot dogs and marshmellows and eat cowboy beans. Before this meal they do a few fireworks. Click on this link to see a bit of them.






















      Also remember that these fireworks go on for about thirty minutes.




      Lana and I have come over for the fireworks for the past three years and then stayed in my little RV. This year we had tickets to the Dragons baseball team, a Red's farm team, followed by a fireworks display. Lana told me to give those tickets away that we were going to Aunt Margaret for her fireworks.





      We went earlier this year since we usually don't arrive until it is getting dark. By coming earlier she got to participate in the games, get closer to her cousins and we both got to listen to the wonderful stories that were told.





      The Schencks are a loving, close family who take care of each other and keep close by attending this family weekend of fellowship.

      Thursday, July 3, 2008

      Bentley Cemetery at Neon Junction

      When Terry Bentley went to visit his father, Dr. Can Bentley's, grave, I went along.  I had never been there.  Here is what we saw.


















      Dr. Can is my second cousin twice removed.  He was born on September 2, 1897 and died on May 14, 1985. He was the son of John Quiller "Quiller" Bentley and Ellen Bates.  On his World War I Draft Registration card he listed his occupation as "preparing to study medicine" in Louisa, Kentucky.  He was described as medium height, medium build, blue eyes and dark brown hair.





      In the 1920 Census he was listed as a teacher in the public school system.  His sisters, Manerva "Nerva" and Susan were also listed as teaching. 


      In the 1930 Census he was listed as a physician.  He was living with his wife, Sarah Haydon "Sallie" Douglas.  Together they had five children:  Doris, June, Robert, Can and Addie.


      Dr. Can married Lettie Malinda Bentley.  They had Allen, Carol Ann and Terry Bentley.  They divorced.


      Dr. Can died on May 14, 1985 in Henry County, Kentucky. 




      The next grave is Dr. Can's sister, Susan A. Bentley




      Next to Susan is Laura Bentley.  She is also Dr. Can's sister.  Her stone says:


      LAURA BENTLEY

      WIFE OF PRESTON BENTLEY

      JAN. 10 1892

      FEB 5 1971


      THERE ARE NO DEAD. WE FALL ASLEEP

      TO WAKEN WHERE THEY NEVER WEEP

      WE CLOSE OUR EYES FROM PAIN AND SIN

      OUR BREATH FLOWS OUT, BUT LIFE EBBS IN.


      SHE WAS THE SUNSHINE OF OUR HOME


      MOTHER














      Her husband, Preston Bentley, lies beside her.  He was the son of Samuel Bentley and Sarah "Sally" Holbrook.  He was the grandchild of Daniel Bentley and Marinda Ramey, and the great grandson of John Queller Bentley and Margaret "Peggy" Hamilton.  His stone has the same verse as Laura's. 



      Next to Dr. Can's grave is Ellen Bates Bentley, his mother.  She was the daughter of Henderson "Hen" Bates and Elender Dale. Henderson was the son of John Wallis Bates and Sarah Waltrip.  Henderson was the brother of  Elizabeth Agnes Bates who married Joel Ellis Wright and were my great great grandparents.  Henderson and Eliza Agnes were brother and sister to the Kentucky giant, Martin Van Buren Bates. 





      Next to Ellen is John Quiller Bentley, her husband and Dr. Can's father.  They had five children that I have reseached so far:  Dr Can, Laura, Dr. D. V., Minerva and Susan Bentley. 





      John Quiller was the son of Benjamin Bentley and Elizabeth H. Reynolds.  He was the grandson of John Queller Bentley and Margaret "Peggy" Hamilton.



      There are two other graves at the cemetery.  The first is Timothy G. Hall.





      I found Timothy's birth in the Kentucky Birth index.  His mother's name was Edith Rose.  I could not come up with which Hall was his father, nor could I place Edith.  I will have to do some more searching for her. 


      The last grave is Eliza Ellen Newsom born in 1921 and died in 1954. 


                                 


      I couldn't find anything on this one.  It would seem she would be easier, but I struck out.