Hi Bette, Don't expect much from the, ear to ear gang. I have a gggr grandfather out of McCracken Co., that died in May of 1880, he was a mason. I contacted the lodge in McCracken Co., and was politely passed off the national (or state) lodge in Lexington. I my self, not a mason, and I made that clear from the git go....all I inquired about was any specific ROUSE genealogy records, excluding the smoke in mirrors business. The fellow told me he would see what he could do, that was four years ago and still haven't heard a thing. Don't expect much and you shouldn't be disappointed. ----- Original Message ----- From: BBUS2@aol.com To: KYMCCRAC-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 10:51 AM Subject: [KYMCCRAC] KY Masonic info needed Hi, I am trying to find a way to see if my gr. grandfather JAMES MONROE LUTTRELL could be found in any records in the Masonic Lodges in Paducah, Trigg, or Lyon county lodges. I have tried to get info before, no results. I would appreciate any feedback on how to acquire this info or any help offered. Regards, Bette Beem ==== KYMCCRAC Mailing List ==== Are you also subscribed to the KYJacksonPurchase-L List? It covers the 8 counties of the Jackson Purchase region and has a large subscribership, which offers additional opportunities for contacts. ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.0/304 - Release Date: 4/7/2006

Hi, I am trying to find a way to see if my gr. grandfather JAMES MONROE LUTTRELL could be found in any records in the Masonic Lodges in Paducah, Trigg, or Lyon county lodges. I have tried to get info before, no results. I would appreciate any feedback on how to acquire this info or any help offered. Regards, Bette Beem

My friends - I am glad to be able to report that all of our beta testers have reported in with their findings concerning the KGS Series VI Digital Maps of the JP region in CD format. The results were uniformly good, including the tests performed with Mac's, with all programs used found to be workable and able to open the images, excepting only one, which is not a mainstream photographic software item. Based on these results, I believe we can proceed to the next step. I am preparing the necessary CD label design, which I hope to have finished in the next few days, after which the item will become available. Many thanks to our beta testers who took the time to check this out for us. Recently, I asked if we might have someone on any of the JP lists which I host who might be willing to help one of our subscribers get a workable website set up on which old photos and other memorabilia could be displayed. I noted that I had obtained unlimited RootsWeb space for this use. Quite a number of people sent messages to me, pointing out that our good friend Don Howell had just such a site over at Yahoo. No one has yet offered to assist in the site setup. I had refrained from mentioning that it is Don who needs our help. He has given permission for me to explain that his Yahoo space ran out some months ago, and that he now needs to get the images at Yahoo over to the RootsWeb site, plus adding more, as they become available. Don has done, and continues to do, a great service in making these early family photos and other items available for our viewing. He has logged many miles going to antique dealers, estate sales, and other places in the JP, and has freely made the results available to all of us. So I am asking again if we might have someone who could work with Don for a short period of time to get the site up and running at the RootsWeb location. It will not be a full-time situation, as Don will handle everything after the initial setup is completed and the process for uploading is established. I would do it myself but for the time constraints which I currently have,and will continue to have for several more months. If we have some folks who would be willing to help Don out, please contact me by private e-mail and I will fill you in on the details and put you in touch with Don. I have had several inquiries about when I might be posting the short histories of the JP Masonic lodges, which I had indicated I would do earlier in the year. I have completed about a third of them(in hard copy), but my source for the information has gone away for the moment. But don't give up on that subject. It is still coming. I apologize for the delay. On another note, our very good friend, Sandi Gorin, whom many of you know as the host of the South-Central-KY List, as well as the State's resident expert on her area of KY, will shortly be having surgery on both of her eyes. I ask that we will all remember her during this time, and keep the hope and prayer that all will be well after these procedures are completed. -B ====================================================================

For anyone in the area researching Gibson/Gipson or related families ,please feel free to check out our Gibson Ancestors site below. Thank you and have a great week. Robin For anyone researching Gibson/Gipson genealogy check out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gibsonsandancestors/ --------------------------------- New Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC for low, low rates.

My friends - A note to tell you that beta testing has been virtually completed(I am still awaiting the results from one tester)on the KGS Series VI JP Area Digital Maps beta CD. All of the results so far have been consistently good, including those testers who use a MAC. In all cases but one(a rather obscure program of which I have not seen or heard about), the images could be opened, enlarged, reduced, and otherwise manipulated as the testers saw fit. Unless the final tester has problems, I will be ready to start offering these in a short time. I will, of course, keep the lists posted in this. We have had a much easier time with this testing than we did with the CD on which the Graves County Circuit Court Order Book G page images were held, since we had an index to consider, as well as links to each page in which items in the index appeared. Those were overcome with the invaluable assistance of two of our list subscribers. As most of you are aware, western TN suffered a surge of tornadoes yesterday, with an extremely severe one touching down and doing heavy damage in Dyer Co., TN. Dyer County is just south of Obion County, TN which lies adjacent to Fulton Co., KY. There was loss of life and much property damage from this tornado(the news is saying that as many as 60 funnels were spotted at various times and places in this huge storm). We send our hopes and prayers to the people in that area, and our sympathies to those who may have lost loved ones in this event. -B ====================================================================

This is from the gentleman below again looking for his Pleasant family, I have no idea who he is and you can email him directly below. Copy and paste his email address is the easiest way to do it, then add your information. Thanks Robin steven63" <steven63@charter.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "steven63" <steven63@charter.net> To: "'holt'" <holt@vci.net> Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 5:57 PM Subject: Obits of Thomas B. Pleasants > > CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE > Volume 63, No. 8 > Nashville, TN > February 20, 1902 > > > [General Organ of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.] > > ____________________ > > > Thomas B. Pleasants was born in Powhatan County, Va., January 17, > 1844. He came to Kentucky in 1866, and in 1869 was married to Miss > Matilda > A. Hendricks, who preceded him several years to the heavenly world. An > only > daughter, Miss Mary B. Pleasants, of his immediate family, remains to > mourn > her loss. He was a Confederate soldier, a kind and devoted father, a > devout > follower of Jesus Christ, and for years a member of the Broadway Methodist > Church, Paducah, Ky., where he died in peace August 3, 1901. We expect to > meet him again. > H. B. > JOHNSTON. > > > > > PADUCAH SUN > Paducah, KY > August 5, 1901 > > ____________________ > > > DEATH OF THOMAS PLEASANTS > > > Mr. Thomas Pleasants, aged 53, an employee of Bauer's pottery, died > Saturday night at 611 North Sixth Street from congestion of the bowels. > He > was born in Virginia, but had lived in Paducah for many years, and leaves > one daughter, Miss Bennie Pleasants. The funeral took place yesterday > afternoon at 5 o'clock, services by Rev. G. W. Biggs, burial at Oak Grove. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: holt [mailto:holt@vci.net] > Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 3:10 PM > To: steven63 > Subject: Re: [KYMCCRAC] Fw: Thomas B. Pleasants (1844-1901) VA to Paducah > > It doesnt matter to me if you would like to I will pass it along and also > below is the list itself if that might help you out any as well. Have a > good > > weekend. Robin Holt > http://www.rootsweb.com/~kymccrac/ > or > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/KY/mccracken.html > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "steven63" <steven63@charter.net> > To: "'holt'" <holt@vci.net> > Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 1:54 PM > Subject: RE: [KYMCCRAC] Fw: Thomas B. Pleasants (1844-1901) VA to Paducah > > >> Would you like me to e-mail the two transcribed obituaries I have for >> Thomas >> B. Pleasants? >> >> I put the wrong county of birth; he is listed as actually listed as born >> in >> Powhatan County, Virginia. >> >> Greg >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: holt [mailto:holt@vci.net] >> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 9:38 PM >> To: steven63@charter.net >> Subject: Fw: [KYMCCRAC] Fw: Thomas B. Pleasants (1844-1901) VA to Paducah >> >> I will forward this to the gentleman below, thank you. Robin Holt >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Mary & Dale" <restate@brtc.net> >> To: "holt" <holt@vci.net> >> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 6:25 PM >> Subject: Re: [KYMCCRAC] Fw: Thomas B. Pleasants (1844-1901) VA to Paducah >> >> >>> >From Paducah City Directory 1894-95 >>> >>> Pleasants, Mrs M.A., widow T N, res 813 Jackson St. >>> Pleasants, T B, tobacconist, res 818 Jackson St. >>> Pleasants, Thos., laborer, res 818 Jackson St. >>> >>> Hope this helps! >>> Mary >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "holt" <holt@vci.net> >>> To: <KYMCCRAC-L@rootsweb.com> >>> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 7:16 PM >>> Subject: [KYMCCRAC] Fw: Thomas B. Pleasants (1844-1901) VA to Paducah >>> >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>I forwarded this from another list if anyone can help this gentleman >>>>>his >>>>>information is below..............thanks >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> From: "steven63" <steven63@charter.net> >>>>> To: <KYJacksonPurchase-L@rootsweb.com> >>>>> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 1:24 PM >>>>> Subject: [KYJP] Thomas B. Pleasants (1844-1901) VA to Paducah >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Seeking information on Thomas B. Pleasants, born January 17, 1844 in >>>>>> Nottoway County, Virginia; came to Kentucky in 1866; married Matilda >>>>>> A. >>>>>> Hendricks in 1869; died August 3, 1901 at Paducah, Kentucky; and >>>>>> obituary >>>>>> states he was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery. The present computerized >>>>>> records of Oak Grove Cemetery do not include his or his wife's name >>>>>> and >>>>>> neither does neighboring Maplelawn Cemetery. He was a member of >>>>>> Broadway >>>>>> Methodist Church. He was survived by a daughter Mary B. Pleasants. >>>>>> Would >>>>>> appreciate any help in locating the burial place of this old veteran. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks >>>>>> >>>>>> Greg >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >> Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 268.3.1/291 - Release Date: 3/24/2006 >> >> > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 268.3.1/291 - Release Date: 3/24/2006 > >

>I forwarded this from another list if anyone can help this gentleman his >information is below..............thanks > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "steven63" <steven63@charter.net> > To: <KYJacksonPurchase-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 1:24 PM > Subject: [KYJP] Thomas B. Pleasants (1844-1901) VA to Paducah > > >> Seeking information on Thomas B. Pleasants, born January 17, 1844 in >> Nottoway County, Virginia; came to Kentucky in 1866; married Matilda A. >> Hendricks in 1869; died August 3, 1901 at Paducah, Kentucky; and obituary >> states he was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery. The present computerized >> records of Oak Grove Cemetery do not include his or his wife's name and >> neither does neighboring Maplelawn Cemetery. He was a member of Broadway >> Methodist Church. He was survived by a daughter Mary B. Pleasants. >> Would >> appreciate any help in locating the burial place of this old veteran. >> >> Thanks >> >> Greg >> >> >> >> ==== KYJacksonPurchase Mailing List ==== >> Check out the Rootsweb searchable mailing list archives at: >> http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=KYJacksonPurchase-L >> >> >

Blacksmith Apprenticeship contracts or agreements, were they filed with the county government such as a recorder of deeds or county clerk's office? Thank You, Colleen c_dobrzynski@hotmail.com

Looking for information on the family of James Allsup of McCracken County, Kentucky, originally from Lincoln County, Tennessee. Son William Allsup lived in Massac County, IL along with wife Hannah Cornelia Neill/Neal and children. Thank You, Colleen c_dobrzynski@hotmail.com

My friends - I had said that I would wait 48 hours before moving forward on the selection of the beta testing group for the KGS Series VI digitial JP maps. However, there has been such a good response that I have been able to go ahead and put the testing group together. I raised the number from 5 to 10 to allow for the inclusion of some addition programs. We now have folks who can check 21 different viewing programs, which should give us a well rounded look at whether all is well with this effort. I have been in touch with most of the testers already, and I will keep the lists apprised of the results of the testing. I will, as I have said earlier, be in Seattle at the end of this week, presenting a seminar, but I hope to get these CD's to our testers before I depart. Many thanks to all who volunteered. More to follow...... -B ===================================================================

My friends - Just a quick note to say that the Mac beta testing slot has been filled. Since we had only one of those needed for the group, the first volunteer was naturally selected. -B ====================================================================

My friends - I am happy to report that I have reconciled the problems associated with the digitizing of the KGS Series VI JP county maps, and we are now ready to move to beta testing of the final work. I am asking for 5 volunteers to test this CD. If you wish to participate in that activity, please send a message to me via private e-mail and, when you do, please specify what sort of program you will use to view the files. I have tested them in 5 different programs, from the little MSPaint, all the way up to Adobe Photoshop and PhotoShop Elements, and have found no difficulties in opening the files. However, I would like to have each volunteer to have a different viewing software, in order to verify that my tests are accurate. I also need one Mac user to volunteer. As a small token of appreciation for the beta test, the volunteers can keep the CD's gratis. I primarily need to know if the images open satisfactorily and can be used for the genealogical purposes we all have, and if any bugs are noted. The images will appear in whatever program is used at a fraction of their full size(perhaps 6% to 15%), except perhaps in the less sophisticated programs which may show the images at 100% when opened. The magnifying components of the more sophisticated programs will zoom them up to 100%, and I have even zoomed them up to 200% without appreciable loss of clarity. It will be unlikely that the images can be printed on a normal printer, however, due to their size. If hard copies are needed at some point, the better route would be to contact me about those(which are available). Of course, selected portions of the digitized maps could be printed without difficulty. Obviously, the sophistication of the software image program which is used to view these files will have an effect on what can be done with them, but I have not found any program, as I said, above, which will not open them and make them usable. I will wait 48 hours to select the volunteers, with the selection based on who volunteers first with one image program, and then proceed to who is first with another program, etc., plus the first volunteer who has a Mac. I'll let everyone know who is selected, and when the group number has been met, I will notify the lists. -B +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm looking for a marriage record of William Boyd Short, married to Caroline Wariner or Warren. Their only child, Charles McPherson Short. On Charles death certificate it mentions his parents names.. The closest that I can figure out that William probably got married in the late 60's but no later then 1872, because that's when Charles McPherson Short was born. I have not been able to place William Boyd Short on the 1870 census. So I want to think that he was married after 1870 but no later then 1872. Remember Charles was born in 1872. But he could of been married before 1870, and I just can't find him on the census. If you happen to have a marriage record book on hand could you please check the index. for William Boyd Short and Caroline Wariner or Warren. Charlotte

I'm looking for a marriage record of William Boyd Short, married to Caroline Wariner or Warren. Their only child, Charles McPherson Short. On Charles death certificate it mentions his parents names.. The closest that I can figure out that William probably got married in the late 60's but no later then 1872, because that's when Charles McPherson Short was born. I have not been able to place William Boyd Short on the 1870 census. So I want to think that he was married after 1870 but no later then 1872. Remember Charles was born in 1872. If you happen to have a marriage record book on hand could you please check the index. for William Boyd Short and Caroline Wariner or Warren. Charlotte

Does anyone on this list have information about the family listed below? The 1920 McCracken County, KY Census contains the following information: District 2 - Household 504 - Paducah City - Ohio Street - January 15, 1920 Brown, Will D./W/M/54/None/KY/KY/KY Brown, Fannie D/W/F/47/Wife/IN/Unknown/Unknown Brown, Herbart O./W/M/25/Son/Welder/KY/KY/KY Brown, Kenny R/W/M/19/Son/Steel Metal Worker/KY/KY/KY Brown, Nellie A/W/F/17/Daughter/KY/KY/KY Brown, James H/W/M/14/Son/KY/KY/KY Brown, David A/W/M/11/Son/KY/KY/KY I would like to learn the maiden name of Fannie D. and the names of the spouses of the children. James H. Brown married my aunt, Ruth Barnhill. At one time he served as the Comptroller for the State of Virginia. James Hearne Brown is buried in Paducah. If anyone has access to cemetery records I would love to have the name of the cemetery and dates. If you are familiar with any of these folks I would love to compare and share information. Thanks! leecate@cddn.com

Does anyone have, or could anyone lookup, Harry Douglas CARTER, borth October 16, 1920, in Paducah, KY, we think. His parents, we think, were Fay Carter and wife, Sarah Gertrude (surname YOUNG, we think, because she had a brother called Jack YOUNG) Carter. We do not know if Jack was full or half brother. Sarah may have been called "Sally". As far as we know, Harry Douglas did not have any siblings. We do not know where Fay CARTER and Sarah G. were from originally, but we think the YOUNGs were from KY. Sarah Gertrude's parents were, we think, Elliot YOUNG and Rhoda YOUNG (maiden name unknown). After Fay CARTER died, Sarah married someone whose last name was BARKER. Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU in advance!

My friends - I have spent a fair amount of time today with my pencil and calculator, looking at the numbers associated with the possibility of holding a genealogical conference in the JP region in the summer of this year. The sole purpose of this message is to give you a report on the findings. Those of you who are not interested in this particular subject can use your "Delete" buttons now, and avoid reading the rest of this rather lengthy report. Yesterday was the nominal cutoff date for those interested to send replies. We were hoping to have at least 100 positive responses so that consideration of whether to form a planning committee could proceed. As of this moment, we have had a total of 104 positive responses. From this 104 number, there were five withdrawals, leaving the number at 99. From that point, it was necessary to review the content of each response, in order to determine what restrictions, if any, possible attendees mentioned in their positive response, regarding their ability to attend. I think it goes without saying that most of us do not know where we may be, or what we may be doing, two weeks from now, much less seven months away. Nevertheless, all we can go on at this point is the reasonable beliefs which folks have about their ability to attend, and other events which might well prevent them from being able to attend. I separated the responses into several categories, which ranged from "Almost Certain" to attend, down to "Unlikely to Be Able To Attend, but would like to do so", with several categories in between. I counted the numbers of the two top categories("Almost Certain" and "Reasonably Sure")and totaled those to reach what is probably a good foundation count total for attendance. This number came to 67. Included in this number are any additional people, such as spouses, or others who would come with another attendee(s), who were mentioned in the responses. The remainder of the responses fell into the last two categories("Possible Attendance, but Major Conflicting Possibilities", and then the last category mentioned above). This number comprised the remaining 32 who responded. Into these categories went responses which indicated that there were family events already scheduled, or which might likely occur and could easily conflict with the time of the conference in late July, as well as those which indicated problems with the possible registration fee, the location, the ability to attend only if it is held on certain dates in July, ability to reach the conference location by air, and other potential problems which could easily affect the respondent's ability to be present. And, of course, there will always be situations which will arise in the weeks just before the conference, which would prevent people from being able to attend. But, as can be seen, the 67 number falls considerably short of the firm number needed to proceed. As a comparison, we started planning for the 2000 event a year in advance, in the Fall of 1999, rather than seven months out, as is the case with the current situation. When I sent out the request for responses of interest to the idea back then, I had, by the time three weeks had passed, received over 160 interested replies. Eventually, this escalated to 174. By the time of the actual conference, we had lost 33, which gave us an actual number of 143 paid attendees. In the case of the 2000 event, the only announcement arena used was the KYJacksonPurchase-L mail list. For the possible 2006 conference, I sent announcements to some 17 county lists, and 4 regional lists, in KY, TN and IL - far more announcement coverage than we had in 2000, but the interested numbers were far lower this time than in 2000. I suspect that inflation, especially associated with the price of gasoline and other travel cost increases, are responsible for much of the lower level of response. Many additional people would probably *like* to attend, but costs are prohibitive. This conference, if held, would incur costs between $5500 and $6500. One of the most often stated requests in the feedback forms we received from the 2000 conference was that we bring in speakers who could give a more broad based view of the JP region, relative to the rest of KY, IL and TN. There was much interest in having nationally known speakers give presentations. If we were to obtain two speakers of national genealogical prominence, the cost for each would very likely be in the $1000 neighborhood, after the speaking fee(usually $400-$500), the travel expenses, meals and lodging are totalled up, which accounts for at least $2000, plus several hundred dollars more for an historical/genealogical program presented after the banquet. We could also have speakers such as Kandi Adkinson from the KY Land Office, which would incur lesser costs that would be associated just with travel and lodging(without speaking fee), but which would be in the $200 range, approximately. When we then add up the hotel meeting room costs, the cost of the banquet, and the dozens of other expenses associated with such an undertaking, we reach into the cost range indicated above. Any speakers at the national level require written speaking contracts, negotiated some months in advance, which would cause us to have to start collecting registration fees very quickly, and with less likelihood of being able to refund a part or all of it, especially at a point 30 days out from the actual date of the conference if an individual found that he/she could not attend, in order to be sure to have the funds to meet the contractual obligations. Given all of the above, it is my view that it will not be possible for us to proceed with planning at this time for a conference in 2006. If we had a good buffer number between those who indicated that they were "almost certain" to be able to attend, and those who expressed considerable or definitive doubt about their ability to attend, we could proceed, as was the case in 1999/2000. It is always better, I think, to err on the side of caution in these things, rather than taking chances with the potential funding and having a shortfall. I know that this is very disappointing news, but we gave it a good try, and perhaps we can make the attempt again to hold a conference in 2007. Many thanks to all of those who expressed an interest in attending, and to those among them who so generously offered to do volunteer work, should the conference have become a reality. -B ====================================================================

My friends - Just a quick note today to say that we have now reached the number 88 in our march to have 100 interested parties for a possible JP regional conference in Paducah in the summer. We are drawing closer. I will, of course, keep you posted. -B ====================================================================

My friends - I am again stopping by with a daily conference numbers update. But, before going to that topic, our good friend Mary Louise Gossum, one of our tenured subscribers and an excellent researcher, has made a major discovery of an error in the 1910 Graves County census. There are approximately 32 pages of this census which have been misplaced into the 1910 Floyd County census. These pages appear in both the Heritage Quest and Ancestry.com databases for the 1910 Floyd County census, which indicates that this was an error by either the census bureau originally in misplacing sheets(and I tend to believe these may have been loose sheets rather than bound ones, as was the norm)from Graves into Floyd, or by the National Archives, in having inadvertently microfilmed the Graves County sheets as a part of Floyd County. These 32 pages appear to be a part of Magisterial District #1 in Graves County. If you are not finding a family member who is believed - or known - to be in Graves County in 1910, it would be wise to check Floyd County. The indices for both HQ and Ancestry may actually indicate that an individual is present on a certain page in Graves County, but when the page is examined, the person is not there. This would be a prime candidate to be found on the Graves sheets misfiled in Floyd County. I will be sending this information along to ProQuest(owner of Heritage Quest), as well as Ancestry so that this error can hopefully be corrected. Many thanks to Mary Louise for calling this to my attention. As far as I can determine, this is the first time that the discovery has come to light. Moving to the proposed conference in Paducah in the summer, our list of interested parties has increased now to 83. We are continuing to attempt to reach 100 by 10 January for planning purposes. The TN county lists have been notified, as have two regional lists. The Illinois regional lists will be notified today, as well as county lists for the southern part of that state. I will continue to keep the lists updated on a daily basis. -B +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My friends - Today, in addition to an update on the possible 2006 JP genealogical conference update, I am sending along another of the little essays written by Dr. Gordon Wilson in his little book entitled, "Fidelity Folks". He was born and grew up in Fidelity, better known to us as New Concord, in Calloway County. He was a well known writer and storyteller and was head of the Department of English at Western Kentucky University for a number of years. The title of today's piece is 'Over the Hills & Far Away'. Moving now to an update on the possible 2006 JP conference that may be held in Paducah in the late July time frame based in Paducah, I have received 78 expressions of interest and desire to attend such a conference, which is moving closer to the minimum number of 100 that will be needed to proceed. January 10 has been set(but not necessarily in concrete) as the date by which the goal of 100 needs to be met, so that planning can begin immediately. I will be posting an announcement of this possible conference on several other regional lists that cover central KY and the KY counties just east of the Tennessee River, as I know that we have folks there who have family connections in the 1800's in JP counties. In addition, I may also send announcements to the Massac and Pope County, IL lists, given the fact that crossover traffic was so great between McCracken County and those two IL counties, especially Massac. I will continue to keep the lists posted on a daily basis concerning the progress on conference numbers. -B +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY -Dr. A. Gordon Wilson "Fidelity Folks" "In spite of the barriers at Fidelity, we sometimes went beyond them as a splurge, risking a fearful working of horseflesh. When I was a small boy, I went with Father on one of his calls across the state line in Tennessee, my first journey outside my native state. Though Tennessee was only four miles away, we had no business in that direction, that is, none of us but Father, who took in some sixty square miles in his practice. I was excited as we neared the line, for I expected it to be a bold one, as it was pictured in my geography book. I may have expected a line fence or, as sometimes occurred in our neighborhood, two line fences between farms where the owners could not agree. To my surprise, I did not know when we crossed the imaginary line, for the poor farms seemed the same, the same mud holes were duplicated in the road, the same stolid people greeted the doctor. But the thrill of having been out of the state made me feel big for days; I was a sort of Marco Polo, who had traveled far and seen much. When I was big enough to drive the family buggy, my older sister and I decided to spend a weekend with one of our cousins, who lived in a Tennessee village all of twelve miles from our house. We stopped nearly everybody we met after we got out of our own neighborhood and carefully asked the way, receiving as many answers as there were people. In those days there were no markers on any road, big or little; you had to depend on what you could learn from people along the way. We finally arrived at our destination, elated at being bright enough to interpret all the directions we had received. While at the foreign village we visited a brick works; attended church and Sunday School in the strange church, where I saw my first pair of pressed trousers; asked innumerable questions about the odd manners of the people so far away and in another state; and came away feeling that it was queer how people who did not live at Fidelity had some likable characteristics. I determined then and there that I would grow up to be a rich man so I could travel even farther and see the big world. About once every two years I went with Mother to the west side of the county to visit the relatives on both sides of the house. Usually we had a hard time getting Mother to leave home, for she hated to be away enjoying herself when Father could have no vacation. Doctors did not have vacations then; neither did sickness. We hitched up the old family nag to the roomy old buggy, and away we went for four or five days, our clothes packed in the telescope. We were received royally wherever we went, and we should have been, for all the rest of the time we entertained every weekend some of the numerous Wilsons and Robertsons and their in-laws. I was put through my paces as a reader and singer of ballads, we ate enormous quantities of good plain food, and then we turned back to Fidelity and its humdrum life, away back in the hills. Ulysses, you remember, returned to Ithaca after his marvelous adventures in the Trojan War. Now "up the creek" was not so far, but a journey in that direction seemed an adventure to us all. The slightly different neighborhood up Beechy Fork and Blood River had its own ways of doing things; some of the ladies could cook things that tasted vastly better than our customary fare; family relics may not have been any better, but they seemed finer, up the creek. And some of our young bucks, including two of my brothers, went courting up the creek and married there, bringing their wives back to Fidelity and Beechy Fork. When the services up the creek at some church seemed particularly attractive, we would organize a party and go in a wagon, with our own private dinner on the ground. Church, as I have said, was our one chance of going somewhere, not because of our religious nature but because of our desire to go "over the hills and far away." When you consider that in winter the high-wheeled buggies of the time mired to the hub out in the flatwoods on the only road between Fidelity and the county seat[Murray], you can see why we did not make many long journeys in that direction. On two occasions I mired my mule down in the public road, not far from Sulphur Springs Church at that. We called such places quick­sand, but they were really just plain clay, the crawfishy kind of the bottoms or the red fire clay of the hills. In the many years since Father died, I have often thought of the bravery that he had to show by going everywhere on those trails and roads in all sorts of weather. We all think that his hard life ended when it did because of the strain on him; how he lasted forty-four years as a country doctor is still a puzzle to us who knew and loved him. Mud could not daunt him and his old yellow horse; not even the three-foot snow of 1886 kept him from going to the limits of his big practice area. What was for us younger people a pleasure jaunt in summer had to be for him an area to be covered to reach those in distress." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++