Joel started a family while still living in North Carolina where he was born, he married a lady named Margaret Adams. At least that is the name that all of the researchers call her, I have never seen her name on any real document. Joel was listed in Wilkes County North Carolina in the 1810 Census as Head Of Houshold.
In 1820 Joel Church was listed in the Floyd County Kentucky Census with a wife between the age of 25, and 45. one boy under ten, two boys between 10, and 16. and three girls under the age of ten. Joel is over 45 years old in this record.
In 1830 Joel Church is listed in Lee County Virginia Census,which states that he is between 40, and 50. With a un-named wife between 50, and 60; two girls between 5, and ten years old, one female between 10, and 15 years old, and one boy between the age of 10, and 15 years old.
In 1840 The Tazewell County Virginia Census lists Joel as being between 50, and 60 years old, with a wife "un-named" between 30, and 40 years old, one son between 5, and 10 years old, one daughter under 5 years old, one daughter between 5 and 10. .
The Tazewell CO. Virginia Census for 1850, Joel Church was listed as being 75 years old, with a wife named Caroline, age 42, a son Thomas age 18, a daughter Nancy, age 12, A daughter, Willa (Milly) age 10, A daughter Margaret (Peggy), age 8, A son George , age 3, and a son James age 3. Note; The ages of Margaret (Peggy), and George is listed wrong, George should be 6 years old, and Margaret , about 4yrs
Milton Ward's house, which still stands today, in the year of our lord 2000, is listed as #867, and the house for Joel Church is #868 which means that there was more than likely no houses in between. I believe that Joel lived at the foot of Bill Young Mountain, which was just across the stream from Pilgrims Knob, where Milton Ward lived.Joel owned about 15 acres.
The census for the year 1860, in Tazewell CO. VA, lists Joel Church as being 74 years old, with a wife Caroline, age 55, a son George , 16 years old, a daughter Margaret 14,
Milly was now married to Henry Horn Jr, and living in a house next in line from Joel. Thomas was now married to Margaret Mullins, and lived in a house next in line from Milly,
Joel Church, and Milton Ward was the only ones in that immediate area that was listed with a Real Estate Value, and I believe that this means that Thomas, and Milly, had built on land belonging to Joel. Joel owned 15 acres in that area. Milton Ward owned about 4000 acres, according to the census records in 1860
In 1870 Joel is listed as being 110 years old, and living in the household of George Church, and Emaline. (I believe that this was in the hollow called Spruce Pine ., Just a few miles from Pilgrims Knob .
The tree that you see in the left hand side of the screen stands in a cementery on Compton mountain It was here that, with help from another researcher, to whom I am very grateful, I located the grave of my gr, grandmother "Elizabeth Church" which only had a rock for a marker. The name Lizzie Church was chiseled in, with her age, and death date. The grave next to her must be George,s, although there is no writing at all on his stone marker.
The graves of George, and Elizabeth are at least fifty feet from this large Hickory tree, and there is a line of graves between them and the tree, which are mostly marked only with a plain sandstone rock. I believe these graves to be all relatives of George Church.
