He sent word to Margaret's folks down into the Carolina's about her death. Telling her children, and her folks that she was gone was a very hard thing for him to do. It seemed like saying it out loud somehow made it true, and he didn't want it to be true.
The children was a comfort to him, and helped keep him on track through this difficult time. "William Emanuel" their oldest, had married a young lady named Sarah, and had a family started. "Gabriel" had married "Jane Cooper", and had one child. "Emanuel, lived within shouting distance of Joel's home there in Lee CO.Virginia. " Gabriel", "Jane", and their two children, were still living in the house with Joel.
Joel JR. was eighteen years old, and came , and went , quiet a bit. He spent a lot of time in Pike County. He was courting one of the "Layne " girls there.
"Ann" was thirteen years old, and was able to help Gabe's wife "Jane",do the housekeeping , with a little help from her dad, and "Elizabeth", who was nine years old. "Celia" was six.
" Joel", although in his fifties, was in his prime. He stood at six foot two, and weighed around two hundred ten pounds, with brown hair, and eyes, and a beard most of the time. There was a little gray at the tips of his hair,and beard.
He wore homespuns around the house, but when he was in the woods he wore his deerskins. The deerskins would shed water real well, and protect against stings, and bites from the many insects, and bees. He had a huge bearskin coat that he wore over the deerskins when it was cold.
When the crops were in, and the cornfields were standing full of fodder shocks, Joel began to get ready to go trapping. He would go where he'd been winter before last, in Tennessee.
A man named "Pleasant Hobbs" lived just over on the Tennessee side, by a small stream. Two winters before, Joel had trapped in the headwaters of that stream, about five miles from the "Hobb's" house.
The one time that he had broken his vows with Margaret, was on that trapping expedition.
He had found the Hobbs living there in the wilds, where he never expected to find anyone, (unless they were Indians). Pleasant had hacked out a pretty good sized farm there in a little valley. He was very close to Cherokee territory, but Pleasant had nothing to fear from the Cherokee because his wife , although Pleasant called her Sarah, was a full blooded Cherokee, and related to a Chief.
It was just "Pleasant" his wife "Sarah" and Daughter "Caroline." Caroline, although almost thirty years old, had never married. She had been engaged in her nineteenth year, but her young man had died from a hunting accident before their wedding date. She had held on to his memory for a long time.
It was in the Fall of 1831 when Joel first met the wife and daughter of his old friend "Pleasant Hobbs". In years past he and Pleasant had trapped together, and each of them had lived with the Indians for short spells, at diffrent times.
. He had packed his supplies,and gear, back into the headwaters of their stream, and brought the horses back down to Pleasant's pastures, and barn. He had walked back to his camp, and prepaired for the winter of trapping.
He planned to do it the same way this time. He hoped to be well received at the Hobbs, but wasn't sure that he would be. Although he had not been unkind to Caroline, he had handeled her in a way not proper for a married man. If Pleasant took a shot at him, he wouldn't blame him.
That winter, just before the first snow, Pleasant's livestock had gotten out of the pasture,(including Joel"s horses), and Pleasant had sent Caroline up to Joel's camp to ask him to come help round them up. They had scattered in the woods, and were not easy to catch.
It was almost dark when Caroline arrived at Joel's makeshift cabin. There was no trail except for the tracks Caroline's horse, and the one she had brought for Joel had made. They were not the best of horses, but were the first ones she could catch.
In daylight you could see to pick your way through the undergrowth, but at night it would not be easy. your horse could step in a hole and break its leg.
"Miss. Hobbs", are you against staying here tonight and starting back in the morning.? We could make it I guess, but it would be better in the morning."
"Mr. Church, It dont look to me like we have much of a choice."
Caroline Took her looks after her mother, with long black hair, big slanted eyes, and youthfull body. She was a beautiful woman in her prime, with a sweet young thing personality, and Joel, although very married, could not help making advances on her.
Caroline, finding herself in the presence of a hansome man who expelled a feeling of strength, power, and yet,gentleness, she, although a lady of very high morals, could not resist him.
When spring came, and Joel was passing by the Hobbs house, saying his goodby's, he felt ashamed for what he had done, but at the same time he want to reach out to Caroline, and hold her.
"That was then, and this is now," Joel thought to himself. "she's probably married by now." It was getting late when he rode onto the "Hobbs" farm. There had been a crop raised, but was mostly still in the fields. The corn should have been put up by now. He saw a few shocks of fodder, it looked like someone had started puting it up, or was trying to put it up. The shocks that he saw looked loosly tied, almost falling down. Not done by an experienced farmer such as Pleasant Hobbs. Something was wrong.
When Joel rode into the yard, Caroline was coming from the barn with two buckets of milk. Even in a floursack dress, she looked good to Joel, . She saw him and seemed to tremble as she sat the buckets of milk on the ground. "Speak of the Devil" she said through a startled smile.
"Hello Carolina Hobbs"
" Hello yourself, get down off that horse afore I half to climb up there".
Joel stepped down , and she ran into his arms.
It turned out that Pleasant had taken sick about a month back, and was laid up in bed. Sarah had said just this morning that it would be nice if that old man Joel Church would drop by again, she bet that he would help get the crops in.
Caroline expressed sorrow at the news of Margarets death, and introduced Joel to his son Thomas, who was almost two years old.
Joel helped the women get the crops in, and he doctor'ed Mr. Hobbs until he was able to get around. He managed to get a little trapping done, and when he left in the spring he took Caroline with him. They were married at the first place they came to that had a preacher.
Joel gave his home in Lee County to Gabriel, and although Caroline wanted the children to come live with her and Joel, they chose to stay, at least for a while longer, right where they were.
Joel found a deserted house not far from the Contrary road, on the Levisa side, only a few miles from Dismal, in Tazewell County Virginia. (Later became Buchanan CO.) It wasn't where he wanted to live, but would do untill he could build over on the Dismal side.
When the census taker came by in 1850, he found Joel living just across the river from Pilgrims knob, within seeing distance of Margarets grave.
Caroline gave Joel a daughter "Nancy" in 1835. a daughter "Milly" in 1840. A son "George" in 1844, and a daughter Margaret in 1846. and then a son "James" who only lived a short time.
These children had a good time growing up. They farmed good soil, and ate very well.
The valley was beginning to be populated, and there were other children to play with, and later court, and marry.
A swimming hole just above the ford at Pilgrims Knob was a busy place on the hot summer days. The "Ward" children. was close by. The "Mullins's would come out of Spruce Pine, "Comptons off of the mountain, and the"Horns" from Bear Wallow. They had a fine ole time.
The war began in sixty one, Joel JR had moved from Pike County,to the Grundy area by then. Nancy had married "Mose Mullins", Milly had married "Henry(Son)Horn". and Thomas was married to " Margaret Mullins" .
Thomas, and George Church, Henry Horn, and Mose Mullins went to war for the South. as did Jacob, and William, who were sons of Joel JR, and Nancy Layne Church.
Old Joel got word that the Yanks were robbing families of their food, livestock, clothes, and just about everything. and anyone living along the roads were sure to loose what little they had to these thieves.
Along about this time Thomas slipped away from the fighting long enough to come see how the family was getting by, while he was home some Yanks came in a small wagon, and took him away. The family was to never see him again. He was to die in a hospital in Maryland in 1863.
Old Joel Church drove his livestock up into Spruce Pine, to where Mose Mullins had built, near his dad. Then he moved Caroline, Milly, and Peggy into the house with Nancy. It would be less likely that the Soldiers would find them up there off of the beaten path.
In the year 1862, not long after Thomas was taken, Caroline came down with Measles and died. Joel always kept sections of hollow logs sawed out to use for bee hives. He sawed off a section the right lenth, split off one side to make a lid, nailed a board over each end, and used it for a coffin for Caroline.
With a horse, and sled, they took her to the top of the mountain, and buried her. It was a sad time in Spruce Pine because she was dearly loved by all.
In the year 1876 Joel was to be buried beside Caroline. and soon after a hickory sprout grew between the graves. It grew, and grew, untill it was a large tree. Squirrels ate the nuts from the tree, and birds nested in the branches. Joel and Caroline would have wanted it this way.
Some of their children, and grandchildren are buried close by now,and lesser kin. The cemetery is now called The Kelly Cemetery.
This Story was written by Raymond Church
