George and Jane Pursley are listed in the death certificate recorded in 1858, (one of the few years that Kentucky recorded Vital Statistics before the late 1800's) as being from Virginia, and the parents of William Pursley.

William Pursley was the son of George and Jane Pursley of Virginia. He was born in 1779. According to his marriage certificate, he married Nancy Buckley on November , 1804 in Amherst Co. Va. William was listed on the Kentucky census of 1800 in Nicholas Co., but returned to Amherst to marry Nancy. He was bound to William Laurence Buckley, the brother of Nancy.

William and Nancy had their first child John James if Amherst Co. Their 2nd child William Jefferson was born between Amherst and Westmorland Co. Then the 3rd, George Washington was born in Westmorland Co. They then proceeded southwest to Mercer Co. Ky. where the Buckleys were and came directly to Barren Co. The Buckleys' Nichols' and Burchs' apparently came with them.

William is known by records to be in Barren Co. in 1811, but he doesn't show up on the tax records until 1814, when he buys 75 acres of land from Edward Young for 40 pounds, and settles on Fallen Timber Creek, where the other families settled. He was granted 50 acres on a Kentucky Land Warrant on Skaggs Creek on 3-18-1817, and a grant in a county court order for 250 acres on Fallen Timber on 3-8-1937. The 75 acre tract bought from Edward Young was originally deeded on 7-25-1799, a land grant by the state of Ky. "in consideration of a commissioners certificate no. 1673.

William and Nancy's last child was born ca. 1827 and Nancy died. William later married Missena Smith in 1832. Missena may have been married before, because she came into the marriage with some personal property, furniture and a slave named Lucy. The family did not own slaves and when the War would come later, they would fight for the Union. William would note in his will that Lucy would remain the property of Missena, and not pass to his children.

Though the early church records were burned, there is no doubt that William was a founding member of the Mount Vernon Church, and was involved in the building of the meeting house. The land was given by John Nichols Sr., who was William's daughter-in-law's father. The deed reads as follows:

This indenture made and entered into this 22 day of January 1831, between JOHN NICHOLS Sen. of the County of Barren and State of Ky. of the one part and WILLIAM PURSLEY, JOHN NICHOLS JR., ELIAS NICHOLS, PHILLIP NICHOLS, the heirs of RICHARD NICHOLS decd., THOMAS NICHOLS, ROBERT B. BURCH, JOHN BURCH, NICHODEMUS BURCH, WILLIAM T. BAILEY, WILLIAM JOHNS, JOHN SCOTT, FRANCIS SCOTT and JAMES WOOD, of the other part and of the County and state aforesaid. Witnesseth: that the said JOHN NICHOLS SEN. for and in consideration of building of a certain meeting house known by the name of Mount Vernon on said Nichols land which is acknowledged to be done, hath this day granted to the aforesaid WILLIAM PURSLEY and others the same right and title in common with himself to a certain tract or parcel of land containing one acre whereon the said meeting house stands to be laid off in a four-square so the said meeting house will be in the centre and further it is to be considered that the said meeting house is to be free for all gospel preachers, of every denomination, and that no one society is to interfere with the appointed days of any other; the right of said land to extend to the aforesaid WILLIAM PURSLEY and others and to their heirs and to my heirs, to have and to hold the same from all other claim or claims forever. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the day and date above written.

JOHN NICHOLS

William suffered from diabetes and it would seem he knew he was very sick. He filed his will only one year before he died.

Burial: Old Pursley Cemetery - destroyed⁶

Nancy Buckley was the daughter of Henry C. Buckley of Londonderry Ireland, who was captured at the Battle of Saratoga under the command of General Burgoyne.

Burial: Old Pursley Cemetery - destroyed⁶

Missena is a mystery. She was one of the founding members of the Lick Branch Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Her slave Lucy however, chose to join the old Fallen Timber Church, where part of William's family belonged. Fallen Timber would later come to be called Poplar Springs Baptist Church, which still is in progress today.

It would seem Missena's step-children liked her, as several named their children after her. But after the death of William, Missena married a Morrison. There was a fight over the will after she finally died in 1873, and I have seen comments by some of the daughters that stated "there was nothing left to divide."

Burial: Old Pursley Cemetery - destroyed⁶

Before my Grandfather Joshua Sherman Pursley died in 1978, he told me that the first Pursley that came here was a Dr. from Va. He was close. John James was known as "Jackie, the Dr. from Va." in the community. He was also keeper of the Poorhouse from at least 1860 - 1865, and was paid $223.oo for 1864, and $250.oo for 1865, ordered by the court to be paid by the Sheriff to John James'. Though he was ill and dying himself, he is listed as treating his daughter Nancy for Flux early 1880s and Samuel Piercy for complications from the War until his death. The following is a Eulogy printed in the Glasgow Weekly Times June 6, 1883, by his cousin, Captain Samuel Carter Stout.

DEATH OF J. J. PURSLEY

J. J. Pursley was the son of Wm. Pursley of Virginia, and was born in Amherst County on Aug. 2, 1805. He moved to Mercer County, Ky. in 1910, then to Barren County in 1811, and was a citizen of Barren County until his death. J. J. Pursley was a grandson of Henry C. Buckley of Londonderry, Ireland, who was taken prisoner at the Battle of Saratoga, in the Revolutionary War, under General Burgoyne. J. J. Pursley was beloved by those who knew him. I was called to witness his departure while death was hovering over him. He was confined to his room and bed from January 17th, until we witnessed his departure Apr. 29, 1883 at 12 o'clock., when we stood by his bedside and watched him cross the river. It has never been my lot to witness such a triumph of grace as I witnessed in his death. It seemed to me that he was one selected by our Father in Heaven, through whom to display the power of his grace amidst the shackles of death. Truly, to him death had no terror - the sting of death had been drawn; the grave to him had lost it's power, and he could say: "All is well with me forever." He told the family not to grieve for him, but rather rejoice that the will of God was being accomplished in his removal. After this, he requested his funeral to be preached by Elder E. Bertram at Poplar Spring or Siloam, as they wished; and he prayed, sung and talked of that Beautiful Land and the relatives he would soon see and talk with on the other shore. He was a man of string moral character, a lover of religion who never doubted it's realities of the life to come, he told the place and the hour where God, for Christ's sake, pardoned his sins. He was converted at a prayer-meeting at a neighbor's house on the second Sunday evening in June, 1878 at 4:30 o'clock, and has proved to be a good Christian ever since, even until he spoke his last word; and when I stood by his bedside and looked at him, I noticed the change of his eyes and the look when he met the blood washed throng on the other shore that he had talked so much about and was waiting to meet them. He was afflicted with a cancer for 53 years - that is, it was discovered at that time - and he has been keeping his general system in good order for 35 years. He was a doctor and practiced medicine for 40 years, and had taken medicine himself for the cancer. On account of disease, he was not able to do manual labor for 27 years previous to his death. He was married to Mary Nichols on March 24, 1829, and raised seven children - three boys and four girls - all of whom are married and housekeepers. The father and mother lived together for 54 years, 1 month and 5 days, until death called the father to the other shore to meet his friends who have gone before. His favorite song was the one sung by the choir when he was converted -- "Our Bondage shall end by and by."

He now sleeps in the burying ground near home, awaiting the resurrection morn, when he will be raised again; then we shall see him and know of a truth --- "That he is not dead, but only sleepeth."

Captain Samuel Carter Stout

Burial: Matthews Cemetery, Whites Chapel Rd.¹⁴

William Jefferson has been an impossible branch to track down. There are many loose ends where he is concerned for which I am still searching. The first mention of William J. anywhere after his marriage to Martha is in the Mortgage books of Barren County listed here:

"This Indenture made and entered into this 1st day of May 1837 between William J. Pursley of the County of Barren and State of Kentucky of the one part and Wilson Ritter of the County and state aforesaid of the other part witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar to the said William J. and consideration of the further sum thereafter to be named hath bargained sold and conveyed unto the said Wilson Ritter the following property (towit) one cow, a head of sheep, 1 bureau, all his house hold and kitchen furniture to have and to hold unto the said Wilson Ritter his heirs and family forever and the said William J. Pursley dothe covenant and agree to defend and forever warrant the title to the aforesaid property unto the said Wilson Ritter forever, except upon the condition that whereas the said William J. Pursley is indebted unto the said Wilson Ritter by notes as follows (towit) two notes due 1st day next for twenty six dollars and 56 cents each. Now if the said William J. Pursley shall well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the said Wilson Ritter the above named notes and interest on said notes and all costs attending the foreclosing of this mortgage and fee for recording this sum by the first day of Sept. next, then this deed of mortgage to be null and void, else to remain in full force and virtue in said equity. In testimony whereof the said William J. Pursley hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal the year and day above written."

William Jefferson Pursley signed with his mark, (X) meaning that he couldn't write. Though he apparently had not been afforded and education, it seems odd that both his immediate older and younger brothers and father could both read and write. I also found where many people mortgaged to Wilson Ritter who seemed to be the loan shark of his day.

In 1841, William mortgaged once again to his brother John J., one cow and calf, 2 steers four years old, one heifer and yearling, one sucking horse colt, 7 head of hogs, 4 sheep, one mantle clock and bureau, one bed, bedstead and another bed and furniture, one loom, one kettle pot, oven and skillet, one half dozen chairs, his present crop of corn, oats, and tobacco. To make this deal null and void, he had to pay Thomas Duncan a note for $48.oo due "in about 2 months." Else, John J. would pay and would possess all William owned.

William eventually got on his feet it would seem and bought 20 acres on Glover's Creek from Nelson Sanders. But here is where the mystery starts: There is no record of sale of this land nor repossession, no deaths, wills, no further mention in Barren Co. He and Marthe appeared on the Williamson Co. Tennessee census in 1850 and 1860 with Martha and children. As of 1991, there were no Pursleys' living in Williamson Co. and can find no further records as of 1999.

George Washington Pursley was a very religious man. He was also a "Hand Doctor", what we know to day as a Osteopathic Dr. Back in the early 1800s there were basically 3 types of doctors: "Bone-Crackers" which were the early chiropractors, M.D.s which were the regular medical Dr.s like his brother John J. and "Hand Doctors" which would include 2 types of faith healing. 2 types because, many Baptist preachers were Hand Doctors, not all Hand Doctors were Baptist ministers. Many Baptist ministers took on the title of Hand Dr. because they were expected to be able to faith heal. But the other type of PH.D. was a doctor that was relatively close to Osteopathic medicine.

This type of medicine was based on the body's power to heal itself, and Dr.s of this type were usually given their title by people in the community in respect of their help and healing power. The practice of Osteopathy in modern day medicine emphasizes the importance of the muscle and bones of the body and their connecting tendons and ligaments. It maintains that a disturbance in the musculoskeletal system can cause disturbances in the other systems of the body. These doctors use massages and other manipulations to treat wounds and illnesses. This is a recognized treatment of disease even now, and present day graduates of osteopathic schools are eligible to be licensed as physicians and surgeons. In keeping with this , Mrs. Madge Pursley of Booneville Indiana, a direct descendant of George, remembered her grandfather talk of being burned as a child, and George took away the pain by taking his had and rubbing it.

Before leaving Barren County for Booneville Indiana, George and Virginia were highly respected members of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in Barren County.

Burial: Baker Cemetery, Booneville, Indiana²⁶

Burial: Burch Cemetery Plot north of Knoxville Iowa, Marion Co.⁵⁴

Landon and Mary moved to what is now known as Knoxville in Marion County, Iowa in 1844. The following is an abstract from an article Landon submitted to the "Old Settler's Association" of that county, describing the hardships of being one of the first settlers of that county.

FROM:

THE HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY IOWA

Landon J. Burch, a prominent old settler in the northern part of this township, and still a well-known resident there, was born in Virginia in 1801. He became an orphan early in life and was subjected to many hardships and adventures during a long career of changes of place and occupation, till he finally located here in 1844. In relation to his adventurous experience as a pioneer, we will let him speak for himself, quoting from an elaborate paper, submitted by him to the "Old Settlers Association" of this county.

"I and my brother William shouldered a parcel of provisions, a coffee pot, and axe and a gun, and left Winchester some time in January. We traveled up the Des Moines Valley to White Breast Creek, and there took the claim where I now live for myself, and my brother took that whereon John Fry now lives. We stayed there eight or ten days, made some little improvement, lived in camp and suffered a great deal from cold. During one day of the time it snowed, after which the weather became warm enough for the bees to come out, but still cool enough for some of them to become so chilled that they could not fly far. Then we went bee hunting. Instead of looking up into the trees we traced p the hives by the fallen bees; and by this means we found several swarms, some of them quite rich.

"Then we had plenty of honey, but our bread and coffee soon gave out, and we went to an Indian trader at Red Rock, (or where the town now stands) and got a supply of coffee, meal, and a little whiskey. But the snow was so deep and the weather otherwise so bad, that we could not go on with our improvements; so we concluded to to home and move our families up at the earliest practicable time.

"A thaw commenced about the time we started which ws about the last of January and continued till the ice broke on the river, and we began to prepare for moving. We hd now been several years in Iowa, encountering all the difficulties attending up a newly settled country, and I had spent what money I had brought from Kentucky. Besides improving several lots in Winchester, I had built a small boat on the Des Moines river, with which I had carried lumber from Passmore's mill, on Lick Creek, to Ottumwa, to build the first frame house there and took my part in trade.

"On the 1st of March we loaded our plunder on the boat, at the mouth of Lick Creek, and started up the river. A man named Miles Wilkinson took passage with up intending to take a look at the country, and join with me in building a mill, provided he liked the situation.

"Soon after we got on the way the weather became cold and stormy, and as our boat was an open one, and our children small, we had to camp on shore every night for the sake of fire. Besides, Wilkinson had the ague, and was not able to work the boar more than half the time. In this way we got along very slowly, and were twenty-one days getting to our claims. But here we were at last, with our wifes and little ones, five children each. Not a neighbor's dog could we hear bark, nor a chicken crew. Wilkinson spent two days in prospecting between where Knoxville now stands and the Des Moines river, and came to the conclusion that the country would never be settled enough to justify the building of a mill, that the toll from all the custom we would get would hardly feed a few pigs. So he went back and built a mill somewhere in the southern part of Wapello County.

"As for Bill and me, we were located, and if we had no kind neighbors to hold friendly conversation with, we had frequent opportunities to listen to the howling of wolves. Yet we were not quite destirute of neighbors. The Joneswes had settled in the timber west of Knoxville; Elian Fuller had made a settlement on White Breast, and Wm. McCord had located between there and Red Rock, and he was my nearest neighbor. Two bachelors living on the river, named Johnson, I also became acquainted with.

"As soon as we got into a shelter brother Bill took my boat and went to work on the river, carrying flour from Meek's Mill, (Bonaparte) to the garrison on "Coon River", where Des Moines City now is. The river was high and my brother worked hard to make even small wages. At the same time I worked about home, planted three or four acres of corn, fixed up my smith tools, did some little jobs in that line for my distant neighbors, and also for the Indians, repairing their guns, ect., for which they paid me punctually with one exception. The children also traded with the Indians in little trinkets, and thereby obtained quite a friendly undertanding with them. Both the children and I acquired a knowledge of their language very rapidly; but they left too soon to enable us to become perfect in it, or to make it useful to us.

"The creek was full nearly all summer, and as I had a patch of corn on each side of it, I had to cross pretty often in a little unwieldly canoe. On one of these trips I came very close to losing 2 of my children.

"This was the summer of '44, during the latter part of which my brother Bill moved to his own claim, and we lived about 3/4 of a mile apart. In August, our families all got sick, I being the only well one. We had got our stock up from Van Buren county, during the summer, and when sickness came the care and labor that fell upon my unaided shoulders were enough to have employed three men. Our eldest daughter died after a lingering illness of about 3 months. She died from the want of medical aid and attention, when there was not a soul present except I and my sick family. My wife was unable to turn herself in bed; and as for me, trouble and the loss of sleep had so nearly worn me out that I scarcely knew anything. But for the fact that I was in good health, we must have all perished.

"When I say that my daughter was dying, I went out every few minutes and blew a little tin trumpet as loudly as I could, hoping to attract the attention of someone who might be withing hearing. As is happened, a young man named Moyer, was crossing the prairie at day dawn, and hearing the blast, surmised it to be a note of alarm or distress, and came to the house. He and my brother laid out the corpse, and then went abroad amoung our scattered neighbors, who came in and assisted us to bury our child in a tolerably decent manner.

"Having failed, on account of sickness, to make a trip in the fall, our provisions gave out. We had plenty of milk, but no bread. During Sickness and after, I had to beat corn in a mortar and sift it for bread; and now this process had to be kept up until the ice broke out of the river in the spring following. Then I made a voyage to the old neighborhood for a cargo of bread stuff. I shall never forget the rejoicing of the children on our return. Little ones that could scarcely utter their words plainly would cry out "we'll have plenty o'bread now, mother!"

"On reaching Eddyville, during one of these trips, we fell in with one of the agents of the contractor, names Scott, who was there after corn for the garrison at Ft. Des Moines, and who prevailed on us to ship a load to that place, offering a high-price. There was no available means of transporting it by land just then, for the roads were so bad that a team could not draw much more than would feed it for the trip.

"So we agreed to turn back. The weather was good to start with, and if it so continued we calculated to make the trip in eight or nine days. It was important to get provisions enough to last us for that length of time. But after insisting very hard, all the meat we could get were a couple of small thin sides of bacon. We had plenty of tea, and could have supplied ourselves with plenty of molasses, but could procure only one small jug to hold it. Meal we had none to start with, but supposed that when we should reach the horse mill, (or rather ox mill), just above where Coalport now is, we could get a supply. But here we could get only about 3 quarts. We could have got some of our cargo ground, but didn't, thinking we could surely get a supply at Red Rock. But we were again disappointed, for the only eatable thing we could get there was a peck of very small potatoes, and what whiskey we wanted.

"Here, the weather turned cold, and the wind blew so string against us that we had to lay by. It grew so cold that the water froze on our poles, making them so slippery and heavy that we could not use them. And to Add to our troubles, our small potatoes, the only substitute we had for bread, froze and became utterly worthless. We, however, made the best we could of them by trading them to the Indians for maple sugar. And they in turn, made the best of them by thawing them and drinking the juice with much relish.

"Having at last reached the Fort and delivered our load, we started on our return voyage with nothing to ear, hoping to reach Red Rock before we should suffer much. At that time there was but one settlement between the Fort and Red Rock, on what is now called Butcher's Prairie. By the time we reached this point the wind blew so hard up stream that we could make little or no progress, through one hand went on shore with a rope to pull while the others paddled on board.

"The situation was by no means promising, and we were compelled to land an wait for fair weather. So I went to the house to see if I could get something to eat. It was occupied by a man and his wife, whose name I have forgotten. The man was a surly fellow. No dry joke that I could Pass in stating my case, could make him smile, and he looked suspiciously at me and talked as though he thought the whole world was composed of robbers, and that I had come to impose upon him. In reply to my request for4 something to eat, he gruffly said he had nothing for himself. But the woman wore a different countenance, and from her pleased expression I was able to glean a hope. And not only her words but her works soon confirmed it. She said we were suffering and must be fed. So she went out and killed the only chicken she had, and with that and some flour, butter, and milk, she provided us a full meal, cooked. I carried it to the boar, and after our feast, when I returned the vessels, she would receive only the moderate sum of fifty cents. She was truly a sister of charity. Blessed be her memory.

"Next morning the weather was quite calm, and we finished our voyage without any further difficulty.

"Some time in the Spring or Summer of 1845, I commenced building a mill, and in about 20 months began to grind. It was a poor thing. I could not make more than 16 or 18 bushels of meal per day, but every bushel of toll was worth .50 cents, and as many settlers had came into the neighborhood, I got all the grinding I could do. My customers extended twelve or fifteen miles around; and after this there was no scarcity of bread."

After homestead: Moved to Mining town Fulford, Colorado⁹²

Civil War Widow: Claimed homestead⁹²

Homestead: Golden Gate Canyon, Gilpin Co. Colorado⁹²

Battles: Fought at Pea Ridge⁹²

Burial: National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark.⁹²

Cause of death (Facts Pg): Dysentery⁹²

Company: 3rd Iowa Infantry⁹²

Prisoner of War: Little Rock Arkansas, Civil War⁹²

Burial: Old Pursley Cemetery - destroyed¹⁰⁸ Fought: Union Army Co. K. 13th Ky. Infantry¹⁰⁸

THE DIVORCE

In Early 1883, Nancy did something unheard of in the 1800s. She pioneered a new dimension which would become a tradition in our family: She filed for divorce from James Barbour. Do not take this lightly, this is one case where a divorce was definitely warranted.

In the deposition of her father J. J. PURSLEY before his death, he states that James H. Barbour

"was a tyrant as to the children, but for a long time my daughter kept this from me. He never mistreated her to my knowledge, but he would abuse the children and call them little scumps and futers. He would object to the children going to meeting and say they ought to listen to him, he was an educated man and he wouldn't go with his wife to meeting."

He stated that James would have let Nancy die of Flux, that he went away for days while she was sick and left her with no treatment and she almost died. He also states that both she and the children were afraid of James while she was sick.

JOHN WOLFORD PURSLEY WOULD LATER TESTIFY that he had heard James say several times "that he would give up his farm and family and the wife and children could make it on their own. He was not going to bother his mind with the things of this world, and he could make a living for himself if they put him on a rock" I find this statement particularly funny, since James Barbour ending up owning a rock quarry on his farm.

MARY 'POLLY NICHOLS PURSLEY Nancy's mother, said that "He was awfully rough on the children, they saw a pretty hard time." Jim Barbour told Polly that he didn't treat her daughter like he used to because everybody knew they didn't get along at home and he was just acting the hypocrite. Polly talked extensively about the last days of her son Joshua D.'s life, and how he requested that all his brothers and sisters be with him until his death, and how Jim Barbour was jealous of the fact. She also quoted that Jim and Nancy did not see eye to eye on religion and that Nancy would "rather hear a dog than to hear Jim Barbour talk religion." Polly also talked of how "little Josh" would get "fretful" during one of his daddy's rages.

EPHRIAM "'DICK" STOUT testified that while he was working in Johnson County, Missouri the year before, Jim Barbour had written him and wanted to know what chance there was for a widower and a stone mason in Missouri.

UNION T. "NOON" BARBOUR, their son, came forth to testify against his father, that his father told his brother Josh to take a stick and "knock his mother (Nancy) down." Noon stated:

"He would call her a "puke" of the earth, and a low down buzzard and anything he could think of that was low down. - He has been doing that for 4 or 5 years and he was always threatening to drive his children off. He said if anybody fired them, they would have to pay him the money - He threatened a lots of times to hire his children out - said he was going to sell his property and put the money in his pocket and marry, and leave ourselves to scratch for a living there. He said he longed to see the time when mammy and the children would have to live on ash-cake and water."

"He was always telling mammy what kind of a wife he was going to get next time- Said he was going to get one with the same color of hair and eyes and was telling her what kind of a set of children he was going to raise the next time. He would say he wasn't able to work at home and would go off at night and leave us boys to work for days. He would throw up to us children a loads of times about belonging to his church; said we belonged to the devil's church. He said we were so low down, we would have to stick ourselves into his church so people would think something of us."

He wouldn't sent the children to school but very little and wouldn't give them any books except spelling books. They tried to get him to let them have other books, but he wouldn't let them have them. He said he had "I AM" books there and that was all we needed. He never did let us go to school over 5 or 6 weeks in a year and some years he wouldn't let us go that much. He would get mad at us sometimes and wouldn't let us go to school, would stop us."

"He was quarreling a heap of times and scolding my mother in an angry way when she was sick, he didn't treat her very kindly or wait on her much."

"He left and would be gone for several days at a time, and sometimes we didn't know where he went. If she had died, we wouldn't have known where to have gone to hunt him...There was a good many around that allowed she would die...She has been kind to him as much as she could...She has done her part as well as his...She and my brothers would work and make what we generally eat - My mother would sometimes weave the cloth and make the clothing and sometimes she would buy the clothes ready made. Mother sold eggs and butter and bought the sugar and coffee...He set me free at 20 years old. I don't remember if he charged me but I paid for most of the provisions."

MARY BARBOUR MATTHEWS, Jim and Nancy's daughter stated:

"He has treated Ma bad ever since I can recollect - always quarreling with her and calling her everything a man could call his wife. It has been cruel and abusive...He whipped us all and knocked us around and was always doing something of that sort. "

"He thought Josh was a bad boy and he beat him one night at the table so that we thought he was going to kill him and we all got up and left the table. When he quit beating him, Ma went into the yard and told Josh to come eat his supper and Pa said "Josh, pick up that stick and knock her down." I can't recall whether it was a walking cane or a chair round that he beat him with...He threatened to drive us children off many a time...I don't speak to my Pa now, neither does he to me."

The divorce was granted to Nancy on the grounds submitted, and Jim Barbour was ordered by the court to pay child support and alimony in the amount of $20.oo per month. In 1901, Nancy went back to court to recover 12 years of back alimony and won. Jim was ordered to appear in court on the next Monday or face charges of contempt and go to jail. She also got the house and 14 acres of land on which to raise the 5 children left at home.

Though they had grown up in an abused home, all of Nancy's children proved to be good citizens and well respected in the Fallen Timber community.

James H. Barbour served in Company E, 9th Ky. Infantry. He was a PVT. and was discharged at Louisville on Dec. 15, 1864, but was described as a pensioner from the "War of 61." His wedding to Nancy took place at Polly Meglocklin Pursley's home, the wife of Joshua Davis Pursley and was performed by the Reverand Thomas Dodson, a Baptist minister who performed many of the Pursley marriages. JOSEPH PURSLEY and JOHN BURCH witnessed the Marriage Certificate.

"Jim" Barbour was neither well liked nor respected in the community because of how he treated his family. In later years his son Josh that he had abused so frequently ran a store at Oleoak in the Fallen Timber community, and he had a story that he told about his dad for years after Jim's death that are perceived as fact:

There was a crowd of men who came to his store to discuss the people in the community (were they women this would have been known as gossiping). Anyway, one day one of the men in the community was there talking and was quite intoxicated. After their daily discussion, Jim got up and walked to the door and said "The first one of you who mention my name after I leave is a Son of a Bitch." Josh said you could have heard a pin drop after he left, and no one mentioned his name.

His obituary appeared in the Glasgow Republican on Thursday Feb. 7, 1907, stating that he was a well known citizen (doesn't say he was well liked ad most obits of that time did). It goes on to say that he was a farmer and a stone mason, having a remarkably fine quarry on his farm. He apparently arose from his bed and dressed at the usual time on the Monday morning mentioned, took ill and died in 5 minutes. He had not been in good health for some time but was able to be about. The paper remarked that Mr. Barbour "was married 3 times, and it is a little remarkable that all 3 are still living. The first 2 from whom he was divorced, never having remarried." Jim died at age 77.

Burial: Matthews Cemetery, Whites Chapel Rd.¹³⁴

Joshua Davis Pursley died young at the age of 46. He was mortally wounded in the Poplar Springs area by a wild boar hog. His wife Polly was 2nd generation Irish.

Though I don't know all the details of his death, I have recovered some legal documents which state that he lived in pain for a short while after his encounter with the hog, and knew that he was dying. This took place at Christmastime, and he called for all his brothers and sisters to stay with him, around his bedside until his death. They were all there, comforting him until the end, until he died apparently of peritonitis. He had killed and cured hogs for a living.

In the census of 1870, Joshua and Polly are listed as having another child Mary R, who was dead by the census of 1880. In the census of 1900, Polly states that there were originally 8 children, but only 3 survived. She also states that she is originally from Tennessee.

Burial: 1879, Matthews Cemetery, Whites Chapel Rd.¹⁹⁰

Joesph Thompson Pursley known to his friends as "Joe Thomps", was a Baptist minister. He is sighted as "commencing a protracted meeting at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church" on the 4th Sunday in January, 1882 in the Blue Spring community in Metcalfe County, a bordering county of Barren.

Josephs marriage was performed by the Baptist minister E. Bertram. Surety was Joseph Buckley. Witnesses were G.R. B. Bailey, Noah Bertram and J. F. Buckley. Amanda died some time around 1882 and he later married D. E. Pennington.

I would imagine that Joe Thomps was quite a character, not unlike his 3 boys. Before Josh Pursley died, he told me briefly about Joe Thomps , saying that he was let go from a church he was pastoring here. Later I ran across and article from the Glasgow Republican, in the April 1911 edition that stated:

The jury disagreed in the case of the "Reverand Joe Thomps Pursley, charged with obtaining money by false pretenses from Johnson Terry, colored."

After this, he was living and preaching near Louisville Ky. when he died. He presented a deed recorded in the Jefferson Co. courthouse shortly before that conveyed land to his sons, held in trust from his decd. father J. J. Pursley to them. Apparently, he didn't deem his own son worthy, but grandsons. However if John J. was worried about these three, he was barking up the wrong tree.

Rev. Joe Thomps Pursley died suddenly at the age of 65. He had pneumonia and had complained of pain for several days, but the Dr thought it not to be life threatening. After midnight on Nov. 3, 1910, he hemorrhaged to death from the lungs. His obituary appeared in the Glasgow papers, along with the Louisville Times, noting he was a well known Baptist minister.

Burial: Baker Cemetery, Booneville, Indiana²¹⁰

James was said to be a very likeable man. He was a member of the Bon Ayr Baptist Church in Barren County for many years. When he died, his obituary said that he was one of the oldest men in Barren County, having died at the age of 91. He died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. E. (Anna) Martin in Louisville, Ky., where the newspaper said hea had gone to take treament for his illness (cancer).

In the minutes of the Mt. Tabor Baptist Church, Hettie was charged with "dancing" and ordered to appear before the church board. After 2 months, she sent word that she was sorry, but still did not appear before the board. The church, deciding that she "gave no satisfaction" excluded her from the roll. When the rest of the family moved, James and Hettie stayed here, however I do not know if there is a connection. She later joined the church and died a member there.

Burial: Fort Myers, Fla.²³⁴

Burial: Greenwood Cemetery at Knoxville, Iowa²³⁸

Burial: Bowles Cemetery, Barren Co. Ky.²⁴²

Burial: Bowles Cemetery, Barren Co. Ky.²⁵²

If nothing else could be said about John James Pursley who I will from hereon refer to as "Buck", he was a good man, and an intelligent one at that. Had he been born in a place and time with more opportunities, he would have been very successful and maybe even famous.

He was a master carpenter who built houses, churches and barns, made caskets (which he freely gave to those who could not afford them), fashioned plow points and implements, and basically could make anything that could be made with one's hands. He taught music in the local school and penmanship, played classical music on his violin. He did not play "fiddle" music and did not care for the music of his time.

In the late 1800s, Buck, Jay White Pursley and Daniel Stout decided that the Oleoak community needed a house of worship where everyone could attend, regardless of belief or denomination. Daniel Donated the Land, J. White donated the materials, Buck donated the labor and with the help of J. White - White's Chapel Church opened to the community in 1890. This church still stands and has meetings today (1999). After the opening in 1890, every year on the second Sunday in May, the White's Chapel community celebrated what was known as "Uncle Buck's Day" with dinner on the grounds, singing, and an all day celebration. Though his name was John James, his wife Jane changed it to Buck because she didn't like either the name John or James.

Buck was a rather serious man and didn't go in for practical jokes. He was nearly deaf in later years and my father and uncles tell me that if you laughed he would beat you to death because he thought you were making fun of him. One day his brother-in-law my g-g-uncle Bob Matthews was on his way to Buck's house and heard noises from the barn. He peeped inside to see his sons Virgil, John Sam and Luther, shooting craps with Buck's 2 boys, Josh and Hub. Bob knew that Buck would teach them a lesson so he went and told him. Buck went out to the barn, and though the boys ranged in age from 16 to 21, it made no difference. According to my grandfather Josh, Buck closed the door behind him and beat the "crap" out of all of them. My g-daddy Josh also told me that this particular incident broke up all future gambling.

According to the family, being around Buck & Jane was better than Abbot and Costello. He called her "Mam" when he got mad and would start to complain. She would mock him and say "Aw, shut up Buck." Of course he couldn't hear well and would say "You say something Mam?", to which she would reply "No Buck, I didn't say a thing."

Jane was the complete opposite of Buck. Buck didn't believe in drinking or smoking at all. Jane on the other hand liked a smoke every once in a while and her grandson Hub would take her a pack of cigarettes that she kept hid. Her son Josh (my grandfather) moonshined on the side (though he only sold to the judges and lawyers in town so he never was caught) and he would take her a bottle of his own corn whiskey , which she only used for medicinal purposes. It reported lasted her along time as she would only take a tablespoon at a time.

Buck had never had a drink of liquor in his life, and he always said that he would kill the man who gave it to him unknowingly. One day, he went into the field and didn't come back for dinner. Jane got worried about him and called Hub and Josh to come looking for him. They found him in the field he was working next to his team of mules, unconscious where he had been mowing hay. He'd had a heart attack and was very close to death. When the doctor arrived, he checked Buck and turned to the boys and said "We have to speed up his heart. do you have any whiskey" Josh turned to his mother and she just happened to have some in her cupboard. They fed it to him a teaspoon at a time and soon his heart sped up to where he had a strong pulse. The doctor instructed them how to treat him, and told them that if he lived until the next morning he had a chance. Later that night, buck woke up and looked at his son Josh and asked "Josh, was that whiskey you gave me?" Knowing how his dad felt, he still decided to tell him the truth. Buck slay there for a few minutes and said. "Well, I took it once and I'll take it again!" Even he knew it had saved his life.

As I said before, Buck didn't like the type of music people play in his day and he didn't care for my other g-grandfather, (his daughter-in-law's father)

Arthur Woodson Goodson "Wood" Stringfield or fiddle music or banjo he played. Buck commented more than once that "there is nothing sorrier than a banjo picker." One of Buck's pet peeves was that every Sunday morning Wood would get on the party line and give a big ring on the phone so everyone would pick up, and proceed to play his banjo. Jane would pick up the phone and say "Wood's gonna pick us a toon!" Buck was so irked at this "foolishness" that he would go to the barn, or sit out on the porch.

When son Hub bought a car, he decided that Buck should learn to drive. He put it out in the field, gave Buck a crash course and turned him loose. Everything was all right until Buck wanted to stop, at which point he started yelling "Whoa, Whoa! (after all, it had worked on his mules for 50 years). Of course the car didn't stop, proving to be a bad experience. He decided to stick to his wagon and team, and never drove again.

There are many stories associated with Buck and White's Chapel Church. That's because there was no place for the kids to go like today, and their parents required they attend church. Unfortunately White's Chapel fell prey to many of their pranks.

In the White's Chapel congregation, there was an old woman who was rather large and at the same time, seemed to have a small kidney. Every church service be it night or day, she would get up and go outside to use the bathroom behind the church so no one would see her. One night during a revival service, a group of the neighborhood pranksters which included Ivan Shipley, Buck Matthews, Garnett Shipley and Josh Pursley's son Hub (named after his uncle), decided to play a joke. Now Paul Garnet and his brothers didn't happen to be there that night, so they got the blame. Anyway, Hub made it up with the others that he would take out running around the outside of the church and they would appear to be chasing him on the ground. The next day, Buck called his grandson aside and told him not to be "foolin around with those Jackson Boys" and told them of the night before. He also told Hub that Paul Garnett would get him in trouble if he continued to run around with him.

Buck was the neighborhood blacksmith. He made and sharpened farm implements. Many times the grandchildren would go to his house and help him with his work. Buck figured as along as they were working, they were out of trouble. One day, while beating out a piece of hot metal, he mashed his finger. He threw the hammer as hard as he could throw it and yelled "HELL UP A LIMB!"

The two grandsons who were there with him knew better than to laugh so they took out for the barn. He stood and watched the barn for a long time to see if they were making fun of him. They stayed in the barn until he went to the house, because they could not keep a straight face long enough to go back and help.

Had he have known some of the things his own sons did in the neighborhood today, I would probably not be writing this history, as there would have been no one to carry on the family line. His 2 sons Hub and Josh were classic pranksters. Jane and Buck were simple people who lived off the land and produced most everything they ate or needed. People in those days weren't accustomed to luxuries and Jane never owned a Wedding ring. One day while plowing, my father Hub found a ruby ring set in solid gold. He had it cleaned and polished and gave it to his grandmother Jane. It was the only ring she ever owned and she loved it, when she died, she was buried with it.

Jane and Buck loved each other very much, and when Jane died, Buck didn't have much left to live for. He missed her with each passing day, and would comment from time to time that things in the world were changing around him and he didn't understand it all. Cars were replacing the horse and wagon days, tractors replacing teams of mules, and he felt lost. He more than once said he wished he could go on and be with "Mam." When he died, his obituary listed him as a descendant of a Barren County Pioneer family. But this statement holds more than first glance. Buck lived throughout most of the history we study. Born in 1860, he would see the Union and Confederate armies ride by on their horses. Being Union he suffered from the Carpetbaggers. He lived through the Indian Wars, the Mexican war, and saw WWI and WWII, and saw the depression come and go. His life spanned through 13 Presidents, from Abraham Lincoln to Harry Truman. I look forward to the time that we can sit and talk in the afterlife, and he can tell me one on one, what it was like to be one of the pioneer families of Kentucky. Burial: Matthews Cemetery off Whites Chapel Rd.³⁰²

Lucian is not listed as a survivor at his father's death, even though living. It is known that he had a disagreement with the family here and never came back, even to his parent's funerals. The disagreement was over the murders that took place with his little brother and the revenge thereof by his other brother Lon. SEE ALONZO PURSLEY

Lucian went to Booneville where his grandfather and uncles were. He commented to family that there was trouble back here and he had no intention of staying. Lucian was very well liked by family and friends. Mrs. Helen Wells of Booneville told me that one day she was at her grandmother's house, and noticed that there was a lot of traffic going in and out to Lucian's house. When she commented that he sure had a lot of company her grandmother said, "Oh, he has a lot of company alright. It's paying company and he's glad to see them come!." It was that day, Helen found out Lucian was a "moonshiner."

Lucian was well liked, and those who weren't friends, were customers, so no one wanted him to get caught by "revenuers." One day when the revenuers came to town, Lucian was warned that they were looking for him. He took all his whiskey and sour mash and dumped it down a ditch. About this time while everyone was in a rush, the hogs got out of their pen. They went straight to the ditch and started eating. When the revenuers got there, all they found was a bunch of staggering drunk hogs.

Alonzo was known to all as "Lon" Pursley. After the murder of his brother Jenks, Lon killed Jenk's murderer. A man from Stovall Crossing (now Park City Ky. in Barren Co.) once told us that when he was just a young boy, he was walking to Glasgow for Jockey day (previously described in Dakota Jack's notes). Lon stopped and gave him a ride in his wagon. Lon didn't say much so the boy, making conversation, asked him what he was going in for. Lon answered very calmly "I'm goin to kill a man." He immediately thought Lon was just "windy" and dismissed the comment. When they got into town, Lon pulled his horse and wagon up in from of Pedigo Stables, stood up, pulled a pistol out and shot a man dead who was sitting on the bench in front of the stables. The rider was only a kid at the time, and said he believed he rand all the way back home. He thought he had rode into town with a crazy man. Lon proceded straight to the sheriff and told him what he had done. No charges were brought.

Several weeks later, Lon was in town again. A man came up to him and told him there was a guy who wanted to see him at the Upper Depot Cafe, but he didn't know what he wanted. Lon set out for the cafe, and about half a block away, a friend met him and told him not to go in there, it was a trap and they intended to kill him for revenge of the previous shooting. Lon went anyway and again killed a man, went to the sheriff and turned himself in. Once again no charges were brought, it was clearly a case of self defense and Lon had witnesses to this effect.

Then in April of 1933, there was a dispute over a property line. When the sheriff arrived, the other man lay dead with his shotgun beside him, on his side of the fence. The sheriff was laying for Lon this time, three killings were 1 too many for any man. Lon's son Warners took the rap. The family knew that the very least sentance Lon could get was like in the penitentiary, but more likely would get the death penalty. The man he shot was known to be a troublemaker, but Lon had been drinking a bit too much in the years prior so his character was also in question.

Warner was charged with murder, court case # 5188, April 17, 1933. However he was never prosecuted. The sheriff still believed that Lon had committed the crime and kept trying to find the truth. But neither the family nor friends and neighbors would admit anything. You see, Warner had a clean record and was a decorated veteran of WWI. He had a much better chance of beating the rap than his dad.

After his wife's suicide (see Maggie Ward), Lon drank heavily and was charged with Public Drunk, and carrying a concealed deadly weapon in September of 1934. But he overcame his problems and lived until 1961, a very well liked man in the Stovall's Crossing community. Judge Shelly Riherd of this county once told me that he grew up on the farm next to Lon's, and never knew a better man. He just always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Burial: Pursley Graveyard at Stovall Crossing at Park City³⁶⁶Cause of death (Facts Pg): Prostate cancer

The previous shootings by he husband Lon seemed to have little effect on Maggie and her love for her husband. However, after the ordeal where her son took the rap, Maggie seemed to have a calm nervous breakdown. The sheriff was insistent in trying to prove that Lon murdered the guy to eliminate him as a neighbor, then the sheriff could eliminate him. Maggie could not bear the thought of life without Lon, and was sure she was going to lose him. In late July 1933, she filed a will with the Barren County Court, leaving all she owned to Lon. A few days later of Aug. 2nd, 1933, she walked out in front of a train on the Barren - Edmonson County line and committed suicide. The newspaper article read that she had not been well recently, and it was thought that she might not have heard the oncoming train.

Burial: Pursley Graveyard at Stovall Crossing at Park City³⁶⁶

Bruce had a daughter Hettie who died in infancy by his first wife, and twins who died at birth by his second wife. He and Mabel later moved to Booneville, In. where he an Mabel raised a nephew, Earl Simpson.

Ellenton Pursley was commonly known as "El" and his descendants settled in Cheatham Co., Tenn. El was known to enjoy an occasional game of dice. His grandson Willard Pursley related a story from 1952, when he and his son John H. had a visitor from Cheatham Co. while they were living in Davidson Co. They went to the barn to shoot a game of craps.

Unknown to El and his son, the man brought a pair of loaded dice. When you reached out to grab the dice, it was referred to as "fanning" the dice. After a while of shooting straight 7s and 11s, John caught on to the fact that the dice were loaded so he fanned the dice. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his gun. The man left the dice game in one piece, but El and John's money stayed.

Burial: Bowles Cemetery, Barren Co. Ky.⁴²²

Joshua Sherman Pursley was my grandfather, and to say he had a temper was an understatement. But with that temper, he could also be a very funny fellow, who loved to play pranks. My husband comments regularly that I am definitely his granddaughter, and after 20 yrs. of marriage he still sleeps with one eye open.

Josh loved to hunt, especially coon hunt. I was 18 when he died and was amazed at how quickly word spread throughout the country. By the hour of his funeral, there were dozens of flower arrangements from coon hunting clubs that spanned from Iowa and Illinois to Alabama. One in particular comes to mind, as it looked just like a black and tan hound he had owned. However let me say here, that Josh would have expected no less.

Josh had a friend by the name of Ulysses Cherry who was also a jokester. One was constantly trying to outdo the other. On prank in particular had to do with a check. Ulyses wrote a check to Josh for something and since Ulysses had a lot of money the check was not in question. Josh took the check and kept it for a few days and then wrote "INSUFFICIENT FUNDS" across the front. He then took it to Ulysses house and presented him the check. Ulysses blew up and immediately went to the bank and demanded to see Mr. Sears to find out what happened. Mr. Sears looked at the check, and told him the bank would not write insufficient funds, they would have it stamped on the check. Ulysses immediately knew he had been had.

Not to be outdone, Ulysses got the perfect chance to get even a short time later. Ulysses and Josh went to Hodgenville for Josh to buy a plant bed burner from a man who made them. The man told Josh he would be glad to make him one, but he didn't have the money to buy the materials. Josh said he would pay the $350.oo up front, the man agreed and Josh started home. They stopped to gas up, and the service station attendant asked who they were and what they were doing there. When they told him, Josh asked the attendant if the man he had dealt with was honest. The attendant said "I believe he's alright now, he did leave town one time with a bunch of people's money, but that was a long time ago." This of course gave Ulysses an idea.

At 3 am the next morning, Ulysses had his brother-in-law (Shaw who lived on the farm next to Josh) come to Josh's house and tell him there was a call for him. Josh, half-dreaded and no shoes, raced to Shaw's house thinking there was something wrong with one of his kids. Unknown to him, Ulysses' brother Hiram Cherry was on the other end of the line. Now Hiram only lived 2 miles up the road, but what he said was so upsetting to Josh, that Josh didn't recognize his voice.

"Are you the Josh Pursley that I talked to yesterday at the service

station who came up here for the tobacco burner?"

"Yea, what about it?"

"Well, it's none of my business, but I just thought you'd like to know

that he's packing up and leaving town again with your money."

Josh ran all the way to Ulysses' house, got him out of bed and they started to Hodgenville. They got there, Josh jumped out of the truck, ran up to the man's house barefooted and knocked. The man came to the door rubbing his eyes and said, "What can I do for you?" Josh didn't say a word, walked back to the truck, got in and looked at Ulysses and said, "You know, I've got a notion to kill you!" Ulysses laughed all the way home.

One day my father Hub Lee was at his father Josh house, and Josh asked him to drive him to the mail box. It was very cold and raining hard. Ulysses raced by in his truck coming home from town, and Josh got out and waved him down and yelled "HEY!" With Josh still waving, he backed up, got out of his truck wearing a suit and dress shoes. In the cold down pour he ran up to Josh and said "What's wrong Josh?" Josh calmly said "Ulysses, if you don't get enough milk from you cows tonight, you can come over and strip mine." Ulysses stood there soaked to the bone and said, "I'm gonna shoot you, you bastard!"

Probably the best joke ever played on Josh was orchestrated by my father (and Josh's son) Hub Lee. Hub Lee happened to be in the neighborhood grocery when a man brought in a goose egg, which was not common in Fallen Timber community. Hub Lee got the egg and took it home. He took shoe polish and colored the egg brown to match the Rhode Island Red hen eggs my grandmother gathered everyday. He slipped the egg into the nest. After my grandmother gathered it, Josh's major preoccupation was to find the hen that had laid it. He unsuspectingly ate it for supper that night, and then went coon hunting. A couple of days later, Hub Lee was talking to his Uncle Hub (Josh's brother) after church at Bethel. Uncle Hub commented to his nephew that he should have seen the egg that Josh had for supper. Now Josh and Hub were very close brothers so what you told one, you might as well tell the other and he knew that. So Hub Lee says to his uncle Hub "You don't mean he ate that?" Uncle Hub said, "Yea he did, what's wrong?" "Well uncle Hub, don't tell dad but that was a buzzard egg. I painted it up to match Mom's and put it in her nest. I never thought about him eating it!" Dad stood in the front of Bethel Church and watched uncle Hub drive to Josh's house to see if he was OK.

"Josh, how are you feeling?"

"Well, I guess I'm fine, why?"

"How did that egg taste you ate?"

"Well I reckon it tasted like an egg ought to taste. Why do you ask?"

"Well Josh, it's rumored that the egg you eat was a buzzard egg!!!"

Uncle Hub then proceeded to tell his brother that it was intended only as a joke, and that my dad never thought about him really eating it. To make matters worse, on the back of my dad's farm against Fallen Timber Creek, there were buzzard caves where they layed their eggs and it happened to be the right time of year.

The next morning, Hub Lee had his car parked down at Doc Elliot's garage in on of the concrete chutes. Josh pulls up behind him where he can't get out and proceeds to find him in town. Doc's garage was located where Bale Tire is here today. As soon as Josh got out of sight, Doc had his men jack Josh's car up and move it where Hub Lee can get out. When Josh came back, he starred at it for a minute, and then looked up into the air as if to wonder if it had flown out. He checked his doors and they were still locked. Puzzled, he went inside and said to Doc, "Have you seen Hub Lee?" "No, no Josh can't say as I have." Josh turned to leave and Doc said "Josh, stay with us." Josh told him he had to go home, it was just about dinner time. Doc then said, "What are you gonna have for dinner Josh, eggs?" Josh gave him a long stare, obviously decided his statement must be coincidental and left.

Hub Lee in the meantime, has gone out to his sister Pauline Pursley Well's store, where Garrett's Grocery now stands in Green Valley in Barren Co. He parked his car behind so Josh wouldn't see it. They were all laughing about the situation when someone said, "Uh-oh, here he comes." Hub Lee got down under the counter and hid, and Josh walked in, looked at his daughter and asked if she'd seen Hub Lee. "Nope." Josh turned to leave and Hardin Mcfarland said "Josh, what's your hurry?" "I gotta get home, Mattie will have dinner ready." "Hey Josh, donna have eggs?" Josh was catching on that everybody knew he had eaten a buzzard egg. He gave Hardin a dirty grin and turned and left.

About that time, who should drive in while everyone in the store is laughing, but Ulysses Cherry, the King of Kuts. The whole store was hysterical so when he finally found out what was going on, and of course, he wanted in on the joke, and told Hub Lee to let him take it from there. Ulysses drove to Josh's house and blew the horn. Josh came out and sat down in his truck to find Ulysses laughing so hard that tears were running down his face Ulysses had told everyone at the store that he currently owed Josh one, and he was about to collect.

"Josh, I know it ain't funny, but I can't help from laughing. Me and Hub

painted up that egg and thought we'd have some fun. We never

thought you'd eat it."

"Oh ??? Well just what do you THINK we do with eggs around here

ANYWAY?"

At that point, Josh got out of the truck and slammed the door so hard, that Ulysses said he almost turned the truck over. Josh went into the house and said "Mattie, it definitely was a buzzard egg that I eat cause old Cherry's in on it too." Mattie laughed to the point of tears, when he turned to her as he grew angrier and said, "I wouldn't be so quick to laugh if I were you, you cooked yours in with it didn't you?" she stopped laughing and said, "That little bastard, I'm gonna kill him." she went down to Pauline's and told her to get hold of Hub and tell him she wanted to see him. Pauline then told her what was going on and grandma immediately decided not to tell him, he deserved it, and she was just going to let him "sweat it out."

That afternoon, Josh was working out in the garden and Ulysses Cherry's tenant Carl Creek, saw him just standing out in the field sticking his finger down his throat trying to throw up. He went to ask Josh what was wrong and was told. Carl said "Josh, it's been nearly a week since you eat that egg, it ain't gonna hurt you." Josh replied "Yea? Well I been standin' here for 2 hours trying to think of one good thing that a buzzard ever eat, and ever time I do I get sick."

Later he told Mattie to fix his supper, he was going hunting. In the spirit of a good family joke, she fixed ham and eggs. When he walked in the kitchen, he turned white and screamed "EGGS? YOU KNOW I DON'T WANT NO OLD EGGS!" He stormed out and went hunting until his usual time, 3am. Meantime Mattie calls her daughter and tells her to get hold of Hub Lee, that his father hadn't eat in a week. The next morning at 8am, Hub Lee was standing over Josh's bed at 8am (if you knew Josh, it was better to try to break something like this before he got awake enough to kill you). He told his father it was a joke, that there wasn't a buzzard egg, only a goose egg. Josh studied for a moment and said "Hub Lee, I just didn't think that you would really do that to me."

Later that day, Josh drove out to his brother Hub's house and told him the good news. Hub said "Josh, if it were me, I'd have to see that goose." Realizing there wasn't a goose in the country, he headed straight for Hub Lee's house. He said "Now Hub Lee, you know I believe you, but who had that goose?" Dad explained to him that old man Peers had a goose that was 12 years old who had layed 2 eggs. Carlos Wells had bought them, and give them to Hub Lee for the prank. Josh told Hub Lee that the one thing he had learned in the last week was, "You can die and not a thing in the world be wrong with you."

He said he was already sick enough to die, and didn't think he would have lasted another 10 days. He did however, stop by Pauline's store to verify the story, on his way home.

Josh was never the kind of grandfather that you run into his house and jump into his lap. He was more the king that you run into the house and go to a back room to hide. He was more the kind that if he were in the den, you tried to stay in the kitchen, or at least in grandma's-ma's lap. He had no time for small children, he seemed to have got his fill with his own kids. But when you got older and could talk to him on his own level, he could be very funny and enjoyable ( that is if you didn't disagree with him.) He has his own opinions and way of doing things, such as when I was in college, he called every Friday so see "if the girl came home." I was young and didn't think it was any of his business. But now that I'm 40, well, I still don't think it was his business, and guess I am more alike him than I care to admit. He had married after Mattie's death, and wasted a fortune on a woman who only married him for his money. But still, he once told me, if he had it to do all over again, he wouldn't have change a thing. Guess so: the last time I saw them together I was 10 years old and she was dressed in white go-go- boots and a miniskirt at age 60+.

About 3 weeks before he had his last stroke and became non-responsive, I spent the day with him. We had a terrific time. I was just starting the family research at age 18 and he told me about the family as far back as he knew. Then he went to his bureau and pulled out a picture (so old, it was sewn down to cardboard, like they did in the 1800's. That picture contained my g-g-grandfather Captain Samuel Carter Stout and all his relatives, including brothers and sisters born in the early 1800s. He told me that if I stuck with it, this picture would mean allot to me in later years. Well grandad, for once I agree with you whole heartedly.

Bud Pursley (as he was known to friends and family) was a Methodist Preacher and famous evangelist who held large camp meetings and was widely known. He was a very religious man, and for the most part, reminds me of the previous minister mentioned Freeman Valentine Harwood. If you visited him when he had the church in Fountain Run Ky., you were required to walk on the opposite side of the street from the local pool hall.

He was steadfast in his beliefs. I have a newspaper article where he went to court for a sermon he preached. During a revival he commented that a lady did not drink, smoke or use foul language. One of the members had a daughter who smoked, who's father believed to be a lady, so he took Bud to court to slander.

Like the rest of his brothers, he was a Golden Gloves Boxer. He was said to be a talented heavyweight. When he entered the ministry, he gave it up because he believed he could not do both, but he too learned some lessons on the way.

Bud and his wife Lou were sent to Eastern Ky, a rather difficult mission. In the summer, he was scheduled to preach a revival up the mountain, where there was no road, only a dirt path. He put on his best suit and shoes and climbed the 7 mile hike. When he got there, the Church was small and full of poor people.

He preached the first night's sermon with no response, which was uncommon. At the end, the place cleared like a skunk had walked in. Outside, there was one man and his wife left. Bud asked them if they knew where he was supposed to stay and they offered to put him up for the night. Bud followed them to a one room cabin where they fixed him a bed hardly big enough for him. they then left, he assumed going to their house. He didn't sleep well thinking about what was wrong with the service and walked out at 4am. At daylight, the man and woman emerged from the smokehouse, where they had slept on a pallet. Bud apologized feverently.

He and the man began to talk and he found out that the last preacher that wore a suit, ran off with a woman in the congregation. He was advised to wear overalls and work boots and bring his wife. So he did and everything went fine in the revival. He noticed the people he was staying with had little to eat, so he borrowed a gun and went squirrel hunting. Straying off the path, as he had been warned not to do, he came upon one of the members, running a moonshine still. He asked the man if there wasn't any other way he could make a living. The man told him to come down off his high horse, and "It'll do you good to remember that any money you get at the end of this revival will come from this still, the one around the corner or the next one. They talked for a while and Bud realized there were no crops or gardens due to the rocky mountainside.

So on Saturday morning, the village loaded up all the whiskey on one old gray mule, and the kids went down the mountainside to sell the goods and get food for the community. Once Bud accepted their way of life, he said it was about the best revival he had ever had.

John H. seemed to inherit the family talent of Hand Dr. John was known far and wide for having the talent of being able to "stop blood." People came from far away to have John stop various kinds of bleeding. John took that talent to his grave. All the family knew is that, when he was requested to stoop bleeding, he would leave the house and tell them he would be back in a minute. His own grandson got part of his foot cut off in a lawn mowing accident, and when called, John told the family not to worry, he would be alright. When John's grandson was taken to the hospital, the doctors marveled at how the bleeding had stopped on it's own.