Looking at the biographical information at: http://genforum.genealogy.com/tribble/messages/278.html Down toward the bottom it states, "The father was of German descent, born in Virginia in 1811, and when fifteen went to Overton County, Tenn., where the father died." WHO went to Overton County, Tenn? WHO died in Overton County, Tenn? WHO was fifteen when the family went to Overton County, Tenn? Or are these inaccurate statements?

The Goodspeed History has some errors regarding Valentine Kimes, Sr. in the Francis M. Kimes bio. Here is what I have been able to put together on Valentine Kimes, Sr. VALENTINE KIMES, SR. was born the 7th of July, 1775 in Frederick County, Maryland to Heinrich Keim (changed name to Henry Kime) and Anna Catarina "Catharina" Reber. He was christened the 4th of September, 1775 in the Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church of Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland. It is believed his grandfather was Johannes Keim of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, an immigrant from Germany. In about 1777 Valentine, Sr. moved with his parents to a German settlement called Morgantown in Loudoun County, Virginia near the border of Fauquier County, Virginia. They moved to Rockbridge County, Virginia in 1789 and on to Bath County, Virginia in 1791 where his parents lived the rest of their lives. Valentine married MARY ELIZABETH CUSTER the 12th of November, 1798 in Botetourt County, Virginia. She was born the 26th of November, 1780 in Maryland to Abraham Custer and Mary Maria _______ . Mary Elizabeth moved with her parents to Virginia where she met and married Valentine. The older Germans in the Ozarks pronounced Valentine as Valenteen except it sounded like Velty or Felty. It is spelled Felty on the marriage certificate. He signed his name with an "X." Apparently he did not know how to read or write at the time of his marriage. Valentine recorded a deed in 1794 in Bath County, Virginia. The 7th of June 1798 he was given power of attorney by his parents and then the 3rd of July, 1798 he conveyed a tract of land in Rockbridge County, Virginia to William Cooper for his parents. His father had purchased this tract from Edward Branch. Valentine’s and Elizabeth’s first child, Abigail, was born in Virginia in 1799. Mary was born in 1801 in Bath County, Virginia and Abraham was born in 1802 in Virginia. The 18th of October, 1804 Valentine and Elizabeth recorded a deed for 37 acres of land in Bath County, Virginia. This was part of a 160 acre tract adjoining the Adam Given property on the south. Valentine and his family must have moved to Franklin County, Virginia from Bath County between 1805 and 1810. The 7th of January, 1805 Henry Smith, his wife Polly and William Chitwood of Franklin County, Virginia deeded 97 acres to Valentine Kimes of Franklin County. But, their fourth child, Hiram Kimes was born in Bath County in 1807. They were living in Franklin County the 17th of April, 1811 when their fifth child, Valentine, Jr., was born. In the fall of 1811, when Valentine, Jr. was six months old, the family moved to the north fork of the Holston River in Washington County, Virginia. Valentine and Elizabeth transferred 97 acres on the north side of Blackwater River in Franklin County to Pleasant Blankenship the 14th of November, 1811. Their last three children: David, Lavina, and Hannah were born in Washington County, Virginia in 1814, 1823, and 1825 respectively. Elizabeth was one of the early members of the Methodist Church, joining in 1807. Valentine, Jr. said his mother would "get happy at meeting and shout." Valentine, Sr. and Elizabeth held family prayer in their home. Valentine, Sr. and his son, Valentine, Jr. went to Overton County, Tennessee in 1826. It is not clear if the entire family moved here then or if father and son went for a visit. Valentine, Sr.’s half-brother, Conrad Keim was already living in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Abraham, Valentine Sr.’s third child married and raised his family in Overton County, Tennessee. It seems that the Kimes family did move to Overton, Tennessee sometime between 1825 and 1831. In 1831 Valentine, Sr. moved his family including most of his grown children and their respective families to the Virginia settlement on Clarke’s Creek in Wayne County, Missouri. His son, Abraham Kimes remained in Overton County where the first of his fourteen children was born in 1831. Some slaves accompanied the family on the move to Missouri. They were in Piedmont, Wayne County, Missouri in 1831. Valentine, Sr. and Elizabeth lived in Wayne County, Missouri the rest of their lives. "Volentine Kimes, Sr." of Wayne County, Missouri received a patent for 40 acres the 10th of April, 1843. He died between 1843 and 1850 in Wayne County, Missouri and is buried in the English Cemetery, County Rd. N. two miles north of Patterson, Wayne County, Missouri on Clarke’s Creek right across the road from the "Old Virginia Settlement." Elizabeth died the 11th of January, 1856 in Piedmont, Wayne County, Missouri and is buried next to Valentine in the English Cemetery outside of Patterson, Wayne County, Missouri. The slaves who died before Valentine, Sr. have tombstones on their graves although Valentine and Mary Elizabeth’s graves do not. Valentine and Mary Elizabeth had eight children. Sources and footnotes for this bio: 1. All information on Valentine Kimes, Sr. was taken from the personal journal of Valentine Kimes, Jr. and from a letter and family group sheet from Fred Eggleston, Alexandria, VA dated August 3, 1984 to Virginia Pierce unless otherwise noted. 2. Sources quoted by Fred Eggleston on the Family Group Sheet for Heinrich Keim: Bath County, Virginia Wills, 1:229-231, 237-238, 111; Deeds 1:10, 12, 14, 157, 2:18, 44, 46; 3:34, 93; 4:68, Court Order 1:372, 525, 544; Personal Property Tax, Rockbridge County, VA., Deeds C541, 549, 551, 588, 591; Court Orders, 1795-1700, 397, Personal Property Tax Franklin Co., VA. Deeds 5:42, 6:152, 225. IGI Virginia & Maryland. National Archives, Revolutionary Genealogist 23:178 (1979)11:182 (1978) Bath County, Virginia. Bath County, Virginia. 3. Baptismal records of the Monocacy Lutheran Congregation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Frederick, Maryland, page 81. 4. It has been pretty well established that her name is Custer. On page 27 of "Early Marriages, wills, some Revolutionary War Records" compiled by Anne Lowry Worrell, she shows Elizabeth’s last name spelled Custen, as well as Abraham’s last name as Custen. She shows the marriage date as Nov. 10, 1798. Virginia Pierce had a photocopy of the marriage bond. The writing is flowery and hard to read, but the names look more like Custer than Custen. The date is definitely 12. Virginia Pierce has a letter from J. Francis Amos, M.D. of the Carilion Family Medicine of Rocky Mount, Virginia, in which he states that "the Custer family is a well-known family in western Franklin County (Virginia) and we did have a migration from Franklin County in the 1830’s to Missouri." 5. From Dolores M. Johnson Gucciardo of Little Rock, AR: 1791-1799 Botetourt Marriage Records Vo. 3-p430: Felty Kimes & Elizabeth Custard 12 Nov. 1798. Sur: Abraham Custard (sig. Custer) Wit: William Hite. Min Ret - Felty Kimes & Elizabeth Custard md. 15 Nov. 1798 by Samuel Gray - (Summers; Kimes, Worrel 1 Nov. 10; Custer) 6. Personal Journal of Valentine Kimes, Jr. written by Valentine Kimes, Jr. 7. 1820 census records for VA lists a Voluntine Kimes in Washington Co, VA. He is listed on pg 215 A of the census. 8. The Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Arkansas, c. 1889, about Francis M. Kimes. 9. There is a land patent for a Volentine Kimes, Sr. of Wayne County, Missouri dated the 10th of April, 1843 for 40 acres located in the South East ¼ of the North East ¼ of Section 11 in Township 29 North, of Range 4 East, in the District of Sands subject to sale at, Jackson, Missouri. Bureau of Land Management Certificate No. 7775, accession/serial #: MO3520__.332. This is probably Valentine Kimes, Sr. and a clerk misspelled his name. 10. He is in the 1840 census for Jefferson Township, Wayne County, Missouri but not the 1850 census. 11. Gene Kimes of Piedmont, Missouri in a phone conversation with Virginia Pierce Jan. 15, 1999. He found the cemetery. He also found the homestead of Conrad Kimes, brother of Valentine, in Tennessee. The local story is that three brothers settled there for awhile - Valentine, Conrad, and one other. Susan