Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

Various 1882 to 1894

For Clay, Jackson, Lee, and Owsley Counties

Based on the Minutes of the Booneville Association
Of Baptist Churches compiled by Dennis L. Brewer

Expanded and Annotated by Betty Thomas Finger

—1882—

BRANDENBURG, JOEL was born Jan. 19, 1839 and departed this life March 13, 1882. Member of the Baptist church for 15 years and 8 months. Ordained a Minister of the Gospel in the year 1879. He said to his wife, "Call Brother Hall (Harvey Hall) to preach my funeral" - He further stated to his brother Samuel to call anyone he pleased to help. He leaves a wife and two children to mourn his absence. [Joel was the son of Joseph "Yankee Joe" Brandenburg and Rhoda Hamilton. He married Sarah Plummer and they had 3 children; Elizabeth, Lewis Joel, and Lucy.]

—1884—

BANKS, DRUCILLA, age 39 years. [born c.1844, daughter of William Kelly and Ally Allen. (Ally Allen- Kelly is also listed in these obits, died 1890). Drucilla married Lansford "Lance" Banks, Dec 1, 1864 in Clay County, KY. Lance was a Baptist minister after the Civil War. They had seven children; Martha Jane, John Kelly, Ulysses Grant, Rachel Ann, Cassie Elizabeth, Francis M., and Allia "Ally". Drucilla died Oct 7, 1884 in Clay County.]

—1884/85—

CAUDILL, NANCY, age 42 years. [This is all that was written for this person. The only Nancy Caudill I found who died around this time is b. Aug. 23, 1836 (birth years are often off on older headstones), d. Oct. 1, 1884, and buried in the Hunter Cemetery, Sextons Creek, Clay County. I believe this Nancy was married to Robert G. Caudill ("Cordell"), b. 1836 KY. They are on the 1870 Clay County census, with children Ephraim b. 1856, John b. 1858, Larkin b. 1862, and Anderson b. 1869. Lived in Owsley County in 1880. Some say Nancy was a Pennington.]

—1885—

GAY, MATILDA [d/o James Williams and Lucinda Abner] was born January 5, 1843 [in Owsley County, KY] and departed this life May 1, 1885 [in Owsley County]. She told her husband [James B. Gay] she was going to meet God and her two little infants that had gone on before her. She belonged to Piney Grove Church and wanted Elder A. J. Murrell to preach her funeral. [Known children born to Matilda and James are: Theophilus G., John R., Mary J., William J., Eliza, Robert, Franklin "Frank", Nancy Ann, Lincoln, Benjamin H., and Sarah A.]

SNOWDEN, JAMES was born December 20, 1863 [in Owsley County, KY] and departed this life October 21, [1885 in Lee County] at the age of 21 years, ten months and nineteen days - member of the "so-called Christian Church" - has left a father, a mother [James Snowden and Lucy Thomas], a sister [Margaret E.], and brothers [Asa and Archibald].

SNOWDEN, MARY ANN was born October 26, 1863 and died October 17, 1885 [in Lee County, KY] - not a member of any church but she "told Sister Cynthia Smith and Elizabeth Evans that there was nothing in her way". [Mary Ann was the wife of James Snowden (b. 1863). They are buried in the Snowden Cemetery, Beattyville, Lee County, KY.]

—1886—

BREWER, HOWELL, [died] in the 96th year of his age on April 19, 1886. He was born in the year 1790 and joined the Missionary Baptist Church in 1832 in Hawkins County, TN and moved to Owsley County, Ky in 1848. He formed a part of the constitution of the Royal Oak Church and remained one of its pillars the remainder of his life. He had about 200 children, grand children, and great-grandchildren. [Howell married Mary Polly Wolfe. She died June 2, 1896. They are buried in the Howell C. Brewer Cemetery, Sturgeon, Owsley County, KY.]

BURNS, ABITHA was born January 20, 1855 and died April 22, 1880[must be a typo (for 1886) since these obits start with the year 1882]. She was the wife of Franklin Burns. She lived a member of the 'Piney Grove Church for two years. "The church has lost a pious sister, her husband a good wife, her children a good mother." [I believe this is "Asline" or "Action" Hacker d/o Julius Hacker and Easter Marie Burns who married Franklin Burns September 30, 1874 and died 1886. Robert Franklin Burns is buried in the Oneida Cemetery in Oneida, Clay County, KY.]

ISAACS, ELISHA. He was in his 78th year. [Believe this to be ELIJAH Isaacs b. 1808 VA, married Sarah "Sally" Bowman April 15, 1830 (also listed below). They had these children: Sylvester b. May 13, 1831, Preston b. 1834, Henderson b. 1841, Stephen b. 1843, William b. 1845, Isaac b. 1846, Jacob b. 1850, and Martha b. 1853. Elijah & Sally were living on Buck Creek, Owsley County, KY in 1880.]

ISAACS, SARAH, dau. of Jacob Bowman [and Eleanor "Nelly" Evans], one of the earliest settlers of the mountains of eastern Kentucky. She made this country her home most all her life, living on Buck Creek nearly all the while. She had been a member of the Misssionary Baptist Church for nearly thirty years. She passed away in her 74th year on March 31, 1886. [Sarah married Elijah Isaacs April 15, 1830 in Clay County]

—1887—

BOND, SARAH a member of the Elk Lick Church was born December 15, 1792, [SC to William B. Barwick Jr. and Elizabeth Phillips] and departed this life August 11, 1887 [in Owsley County, KY] at the age of 94 years, 7 months, and 26 days. She joined the Elk Lick Church about ten years ago and was a member at her death. [Sarah was married to William Bond, b. 1778, SC.]

BURCH, WILLIAM a member of the Union Church in Jackson County, departed this life January 19,1887 [at Island Creek, Owsley County, KY] at the age of 73 years - a member of the Baptist Church for 40 years. [He married Malinda "Millie" Mays in Tennessee c.1835 and they had the following children: Elizabeth b. 1836, Thomas b. 1838, Newton b. 1840, Jasper b. 1842, Mary b. 1844, Sarah b. 1846, John b. 1848, and Martin Van Buren b. 1851. William was a cook in the Civil War. He enlisted as a Private in Company D of the 7th KY Infantry and was discharged as a Corporal.]

—1889—

HACKER, JOHN. A member of the New Prospect Church for six years.
[Believe this to be the s/o Julius Hacker and Easter Maria Burns, who was killed by Richard "Dick" McCollum after he (John) emptied his gun shooting at Richard's feet to make him dance. John was born Dec 8, 1866 and died Feb. 6, 1889 in Clay County, KY. He is buried in the Hensley family cemetery along the bank of Red Bird River near Spurlock, Clay County, KY. He married Nancy Ann Hensley Nov. 10, 1884 and had two chidren: Julius, b. 1885 and Rebecca Jane, b. 1887]

—1890—

BREWER, ROBERT T.(typo?) [Robert L. Brewer] was born September 16, 1868 [to Valentine Sevier Brewer and Sarah Jane Wilson] and died September 10, 1890. He was a beloved brother and a good boy, loved by all that knew him. He left a dear father, mother, brothers, and sisters [Siblings: Mary M., Alford G., Lucy A., Howell C., William W., Emily B., Maurice D., Rutherford (died as an infant), Wilson G., Orlena O., Felix N., Sarah M., and Lucian B.], and many friends to mourn. [He is buried in the Neeley Cemetery (located on McCollum Farm), RT 846, Sturgeon, Owsley County, KY]

FIELDS, JOSEPH E. [ELIAS] was born September 21, 1852 [in Clay County, KY to Jeremiah "Jerry" Fields and Elizabeth Jane "Betsy" Eversole] and joined the church at Piney Grove, Owsley County, December 14, 1884. He left a loving wife and three children to mourn his loss. [Joseph married Mary "Polly" Hignite about 1875 and they had these children: William H., b. 1876, Stephen Green, b. 1878, Dora, b. 1880, and Sidney, b. 1884.] He was Clerk of the Church until his death [in 1890].

GAY, H. C. [HENRY, s/o Elijah "Lige" Gay and Mary "Polly" Baker] aged about 43 years had been a member of the Baptist church for about eleven years. Died July 28, 1890, [at Pond Creek, Jackson County, KY. Henry was a Private in Company D of the 6th KY Cavalry in the Civil War and is buried in the Tyner West Cemetery in Tyner, Jackson County, KY] leaving a wife and five children, three of them infants. [Henry married Caroline "Kelly" Brock (d/o James and Elizabeth Brock) on Nov 24, 1865 in Clay County, KY. They had Elizabeth (b. 1866), James M. b. 1870, and Job b. 1873. He married second Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Carmack (d/o Abraham Carmack and "Alsey" Dean) on Dec 12, 1876 and they had John b. 1878, and others (could not find on census records).]

KELLY, ALY [d/o Morris Allen and Rachael Bishop] was born April 12, 1823 and departed this life April 4, 1890 [at Sextons Creek, Clay County, KY]. A member of the church for "upwards of fourty years." [Aly/Aley/Aily married William Kelly May 25, 1841 in Clay County, KY. They had these children: Rachel b. 1842, Susan Jane, b. 1843, Drucilla, b.1844, James b. 1846, John, b. 1848, George W. b. 1850, Joseph M. b.1853, Frances M. (male) b. 1856, Kinchen (male) b. 1859, Henry b. 1861, and Jobe b. 1864. She is buried in the Kelly Family Cemetery, Sextons Creek, Clay County, KY.]

SMITH, LUCRETIA ["Leasy"] was born [1815-1820] in Hawkins County, TN [to Meshack Barrett II and Sarah Katherine Hamilton. Lucretia married Franklin/Francis Smith on July 26, 1835 in Hawkins County,TN] and came to Owsley County in the year 1846. Joined the Royal Oak Church and lived a pious Christian life until her death [in 1890]. The mother of ten children, three of them dead and seven living to mourn her death. [Lucretia and Franklin "Frank" had these children: Samuel b. 1836, John b. 1838, Sarah E. b. 1841, Meshack b. 1843, Evoline or Emeline b. 1846, Alexander b. 1848, Abijah b. 1850, Francis Marion b. 1853, Martha E. b. 1856, C. K. (Curtis) b. 1858, and Samuel b. 1859 (on 1860 Owsley census, 1 year old, perhaps a g/son?)]

—1892—

HUCHINSON, ISAAC was born in 1802 in the state of Tennessee [Census records have Virginia, and his Civil War Discharge paper says Franklin County, KY ]. Some time unknown [prior to 1842] he moved to [Clay County] Kentucky [and married Sarah "Sally" Sandlin (b. 1828 in Clay County, probably daughter of James Sandlin and Zylphia Baker). Children born to Isaac and Sarah were William H. b. 1850 Andrew James b. 1852, and Zylphia b. 1854. They were divorced in Owsley County and he married Zerilda Stewart (b. 1840, d. 1887) on Jan. 10, 1861. Children born to this union were: Ruth A. b. 1862, Daniel b. 1864/1865, John b. 1866, Wiley b. 1871, Andrew b. 1873, and Margaret "Maggie" b. 4/10/1877.] and in 1886 joined the Baptist Church at Athens, Owsley County and there remained until June 26, 1892 when the Lord called him to meet his reward in Heaven. "He left... eight children, five boys and three girls, to mourn his death."

—1893—

DOYL, JOHN, the son of David and Sarah Doyl of Clay County, KY. Born February 11, 1869 in Clay County and joined the Baptist Church at the age of 12 years. Died October 22, 1893, leaving four brothers and two sisters, along with a father and mother to mourn him.

—1893—

EVERSOLE, ARA [or ARRIA SPURLOCK, d/o John Spurlock and Matilda Hensley], wife of Joseph Eversole (b. 1854) [They married Nov. 14, 1878], was born in Clay County, Ky February 13, 1862 and died October 30, 1894. She was a member of the Baptist church at Antepast. She leaves behind a husband and six children. [Known children: Martha b. 1879 (m. Lee Reed 1895), James b. 1882, Sally b. 1885, John b.1887, Joseph b. 1889, and ????? b. c.1891(?).]

POE, ZEBEDEE, was born in North Carolina on March 17, 1817 [to John Poe (b. 1779) and Nancy Bare (b. 1785)] and died October 17, 1894 [in Clay or Owsley County, KY], - a lay member of some Baptist church until 1871 when a committee of the New Bethel Church, then in Clay County, sent him before a presbytery for ordination, consisting of James Gunn and Alfred Findley - gave him full power of a Baptist Minister. When he died he was a member of Ells Church and leaves a wife and children to mourn his passing. [Zebedee married first Nancy Vanover-Cantrell (b. 1818 NC). They had the following children: Zacchaeus (?) b. 1835 Matilda b. 1839 NC, William b. 1841 NC, Catharine b. 1846 NC, and Louisa b. 1849 VA, He married second Sarah Stewart (b. 1836 VA) on Nov. 6, 1855 in Pike County, KY. Their children were: John b. 1870 KY, Elizabeth b. 1873 KY, and possibly others.


Sources: Birth, Death, Marriage records, Census Records, some Civil War pension records, Find A Grave, Owsley County Cemeteries ("TT" Barrett's site), and Ancestry.com, —with a little help from the friends of the Three Forks KY River Historical Association.

If you can add or correct any information on any of these individuals, please contact us. We would appreciate your input. Thank you.