Before my Grandfather Joshua Sherman Pursley died in 1978, he told me that the first Pursley that came here was a Dr. known in the Oleoak community as "Jackie the 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