Doris, Thanks for the Lee County Memories site. I briefly went on, but will be back before the days end. I have a sister, Velma who will hopefully join this list & relate some of her own stores of living in a coal mining town. She has a story of going to the boarding house in Lynch, Ky & will touch base with you, I'm sure. I notice your Ely name in marriage. Our mother, Edith G. Bledsoe had a cousin, Edna Neeley who married an Ely. Do you have her in your husbands family? Mary

Margaret, Thanks. I had wonderful parents with lots of treasured memories of KY/VA. Thanks also for the soundex entry on John Sprinkle, living in Colorado. They did return to Scott Co. VA, but it was during the depression, so they quickly returned to Colorado, according to son, Charles & wife, Virginia. Mary

Wayne, Thank you & glad you enjoyed my post & think it worthy of another list. Yes, you have my permission to repost it. Thanks also for the other sites. I've checked briefly & they're great. I've referred one of my sisters, Velma. Hopefully she will join in with some of her own memories, of living in a coal mining town. She should have some good ones, being a wee bit older. Thanks again for Coal Camps pages. Mary

Hi Anna, Be careful what you wish for. Saw your post from July, asking for someone who lived in Lynch to write. Well, I lived in Lynch, KY. My daddy, Vivian (Slim) Harris also worked in those coal mines. The mines were owned by the U. S. Steel Coal and Coke Company. I was born in Roda, Happy Hollow, Wise, Va. & that is where he first started in about 1923. Then he got on at the Lynch Mines & Mama had two things to worry about, besides us six children; Daddy's safety in the mines (she lost her own father, Evin Parkey Bledsoe, in the Pennington Gap, VA Coal Mines, 1912) and Daddy going & coming home, winding around, up & down that narrow, treacherous Black Mountain road, in the fog. In the 1930's it was a real drop off down that mountain side, with nothing but the trees to stop you. He worked at Mine No 31 (I believe they call it a Portal) in Lynch, KY. We, first moved over to Hiram, KY, then up to Lynch on Y Street. We then lucked out by getting to move into one of the duplexes for supervisors on Main St. I believe Mr. Schubert, a Super. put in a good word for Daddy. Mama wrote her up until 1979. Their son, home on furlough, in the 1940's saved my life with a tourniquet, when I cut my arm to the bone on one of those glass milk jugs. Besides that Big Store that had everything, which was east of our house, we had that Little Store, west of our house, we could take some script & buy milk. I thought it'd be fun to wade in that slimy water trickling down off the mountain & running along the street. This two inch scar just above my wrist is still a vivid reminder, it was a bad idea. The Cheetums lived in the other side of our house, with 15 children & we honestly, all got along great. I didn't know there was such a thing as white socks, until we moved to Texas. Mama kept us scrubbed and clean, but that coal dust had a way of discoloring things. One night after Mama had got us all bathed & had us sitting in the living room by the fireplace, rolling our hair on those tin strips, she had somehow managed to keep & cover with paper, we heard someone coming through the door. We looked up, screamed and all ran behind Mama, as we saw this black man, we didn't know in our house. The power had gone off at the mines bath house, so the men had to go on home to bathe. Yes, I remember the outside toilet with the coal house in the other half. One night it was my turn to go fetch a bucket of coal, just after we had been sitting around telling spooky stories. I was getting coal as fast as I could, when someone jumped out of the other side & yelled "It's the Blue Man." I also remember The Lynch Baptist Church. It was a big beautiful church, but being a child then, I keep remembering how cold the little chairs were, as our Sunday School classes were in the basement. I still have my little Bible given to me in 1945, signed by Mrs. John Staley, Mrs. W. G. Pennington & Mrs. M. I. Davis. There was all nationalities there in that little mining town and we all got along well. We had lots of churches. The mining company provided the town with everything they needed, I guess. The mines, post office & hospital were all east of where we lived. I have lots of memories of playing around the hospital area. I guess we always knew someone in there. There were twenty & forty steps going up to the next level of a street with an iron railing. Then the next level the same. It started down on Main. The mines started below upon another level back into the mountains. You could walk the paved road in front of the mines & on one side would be the lamp house next to the mines & across the road to your right was the bath houses. There was also a window where the miners picked up their pay. They took lunch buckets to the mines, but at times, some of the men ate at a very small restaurant in front on Main St. We had a nice big grade school where one sister & I attended & right next door a sister & brother went to a nice big high school. Some families of kin there were Hodges & Cothern. One sister, Vivian Gertrude Harris, later married into the Summers family of Lynch. She died in the Lynch Hospital in 1950, when her son was born. He, Carl Frank Summers, grew up to go to Lynch Grade School, but graduated in West Virginia. My Aunt Birdie & Uncle Paul Hodges now live in Benham, KY. Daddy had to leave the mines after twenty-two years for health reasons. He & my brother went to Texas, in 1945 and sent for Mama when he had work. The war had just ended and she (Edith Gertrude Bledsoe Harris) got on the train with five little girls and brought us to Texas. She didn't mind leaving the coal mines, but she sure missed her people, her friends & her mountains of Kentucky & Virginia. Edith's mother was Victoria A. Sprinkle of Fairview, Scott County, VA. Hope you get lots of mail from former or present Lynch folks. My three sisters & I hope to visit Lynch, Ky & over Black Mountain into Virginia this next Spring or Summer. Mary Harris Carey, Houston, TX [email protected]

Hello All: A group from the Wise County Genealogical and Historical Society has undertaken a wonderful project. They are attempting to provide information about the coal camps that existed in Wise County and their influence on the surrounding area. I am honored they have asked me to be the webmaster for their efforts. I will try my hardest to present the information in a timely and professional manner. As they provide the information, I will format it and post on my Homepages site at Rootsweb.com. The information is of historical and genealogical interest. One of the authors of an article submitted today might just be a unknown relative of mine! As it stands now, I am in the infancy stages of building the pages for the coal camps but wanted all to know there is information posted. If you have any information on any of the camps or would like to provide information on the coal camps of your counties, please feel free to contact me. The pages are located at: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~duncanrw/coal_camps/The_Coal_Camps_overview.htm http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~duncanrw/coal_camps/Exeter_history_articles.htm l http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~duncanrw/coal_camps/exeter_mine_loc.html http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~duncanrw/coal_camps/How_Derby_Got_It's_Name.htm l http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~duncanrw/coal_camps/derby_loc.html All of these pages can be reached via my index page for Hills and Hollers at: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~duncanrw/ Hope all this information helps someone find an ancestor or a living relative and maybe even understand the history of the area! Sincerely yours, Wayne Duncan State Coordinator Liaison THE USGENWEB CENSUS PROJECT (A non-profit, for-public benefit corporation)

Does anyone have information on Gerusia/Jerusia RHOTON or her son William RHOTON, possibly illegitimate. Gerusia is listed in the 1850 census as being age 32, with siblings age 17 and 11, in the household of Jonathan, age 71 and Susannah, age 56. Could she have been an "old maid"? In the same census William Rhoton, age 9 is listed in the household of James (age 55) and Mary (age 64) JEFFRIES. Did they "take him in" and raise him? On 6 January 1869, William RHOTON (age 16) married Rebecca DAY (age 32)!?! Under the parents column, he lists only Gerusia RHOTON, while Rebecca lists A. W. and Anna DAY. On that page, William is the only person listing only one parent. William and Rebecca were parents of my g'pa Andrew Jackson RHOTON, with siblings named Billy and Jane (Rhoton) GIBSON. G'pa Andy was married to Winnie ROBINETTE, whose marriage I cannot find recorded in either Scott or Lee County. G'ma Winnie died March 1906 of TB. Hopefully, someone knows the story of my Gerusia and William. Before my dad died, I told him that someone had told me there was no need to begin racing my Rhoton roots that I'd run into a dead end. Dad, being of the generation that he was, did not want to discuss any "such stuff," in spite of my urging that this was something that happened and not to be ashamed of after all these years. At the time the old gentlemen told me the above I was a young mother; too young and too busy to ask further questions. That man has since died and any other old folks around home that I've asked never heard of my g-g'pa being born out of wedlock. In a later census William is listed as a farmer. Tradition says he was also a preacher. My dad was Emmet Wilson RHOTON 1902-1979 married to Emmer Ethel BOWEN 1909-1947, if that could help identify the above William. I would also be interested in knowing the origin of the name "Gerusia/Jerusia". Thanks for any help. Nora Rhoton Bailey Kingsport, TN e-mail: [email protected]

Last summer the first Gatherin' of the Bledsoes was held in Gallatin, Tennessee, hosted by the Bledsoe Lick Historical Society. It was a rewarding event for those of us with an interest in Bledsoe history and genealogy. Over 400 people attended, many bringing their family genealogy records and old pictures, eager to find relatives and learn more about the early Bledsoes. If you have anyone with the name of Bledsoe in your family, you may find this a valuable resource. The link below will take you to the announcement of the 2001 event. I attended last summer, and found many great connections. Most Bledsoes in southwestern Virginia have ancestors who were in Tennessee long before the area became a state, so that makes this gathering a happy hunting ground! http://hometown.aol.com/circledblj/BLEDNEWS2000.html

Thursday, 9 November 2000 Research Tip: Plot That Plot While some people start thinking about cemeteries when Halloween rolls around, genealogists tend to think about them far more often. Why? Because cemeteries can be excellent sources of information about our ancestors. Tombstones can reveal names, birth and death dates, spouses, and children. Some family monuments and mausoleums can provide data on several generations of the same family. And one graveyard can contain dozens of headstones commemorating your forebears. If you visit a cemetery to transcribe the tombstones, be sure you get all of the data from each headstone. That includes not just the words on the monument, but any pictures or designs as well. It also includes the location of the grave within the burial site. You don't have to be a professional cartographer, and you don't have to get everything exactly to scale, but you do need to sketch the outlines of the cemetery, and draw the relevant roads, buildings, and other landmarks that define its position. And you need to indicate where each pertinent grave was located within the cemetery. This one act can provide the historical setting for your transcription, allowing you and others to define exactly where the grave was located. Not just to guide others who wish to visit the grave later, but to allow location of the site even if the cemetery becomes "lost" due to development or disaster in the future. * * * * * IN SEARCH OF YOUR EUROPEAN ROOTS Your guide to the records and research tools for successful genealogy in European records Now available for just $15.25 http://www.everton.com/specials/b61 * * * * * Harvest Special: Get a full year of access to the unique resources of On-Line Search, plus a one year subscription to Everton's Genealogical Helper for just $49.50 (45% off the retail price!) http://everton.com/specials/harvest.htm Copyright 2000, Everton Publishers All rights reserved - ------------------------------------------------------------------ FAMILY HISTORY NEWSLINE is a free daily genealogy news service from Everton Publishers P.O. Box 368 Logan, UT 84323 Toll-free: 1-800-443-6325 http://www.everton.com To subscribe, send a message to [email protected] with the message: subscribe history

Hello Carolyn, I'm not ignoring your post. I've just got a lot to learn here. I've just been so excited on what I've found on one side of my family. It takes me a while to soak it all in, I guess. These two lines are connected to me through marriages in the Harris family. One cousin working on the Smith line may reach out to you for help, if that is OK? He is having a hard time tracing his grandfather, EW (Ewin) (Ivin) Smith of AR mar. April 8, 1899, Fannin County, TX, Jimmy Sue Phillips (b) Jan 1, 1882,TN (d) Nov 26, 1970, Tarrant County, TX bur. Alvarado, Johnson County, TX This cousin is Jimmy Don Smith (b) Aug. 17, 1949, Memphis, Hall County, TX his father is John Smith (b) Apr 12, 1902, Honey Grove, Fannin, TX (d) Mar 29, 1981, Dallas, TX (bur. Alvarado TX) mar. April 20, 1919, Honey Grove, Fannin, TX Goldei Birdie Harris (b) Feb 27, 1904, Cleburne, Johnson, TX (d) Dec. 15, 1985, Chowchilla, CA (bur. Alvarado, Johnson, TX. Thank you again for your post. We have a tornado in the Houston area, so I better get off. Mary

Linda, Slowly but surely, I eventually get all my mail answered. On your question, what Herron's and Barker's are you related to? It's through marriages in Bledsoe/Sprinkle line for Barker and through marriages in Bledsoe/Harris line for Herron. I'm Mary Evelyn Harris. My mother was Edith Gertrude Bledsoe and her mother, Victoria A. Sprinkle. This is what I have. BARKER: a daughter of Victoria's sister Emma Sprinkle, (wife of William Joseph Neeley) married Dick Barker, twice. Vera Mae Neeley (b) June 18, 1910, Fairview, Scott, VA (d) Jan. 1996, Big Stone Gap, Wise, VA, mar. #1 & #2 Dick Barker They had five children. They lived next door to my Aunt Virgie Sprinkle Wells in Big Stone Gap, VA, when I was a child. I remember the red hair in that family & age rangeing from abt. 1926 to 1937. children of Dick Barker & Vera Mae Neeley 1. Iris Barker 2. Oldest Son Barker 3. Ronnie Barker 4. Dannie Barker 5. Jerry Barker Not a lot there, but I have a photo of Vera (Mama called her Mae), taken about 1984 in California with her sisters. It was passed on to me through Emma's brother, John Sprinkle's family.(his son, Charles R. Sprinkle & wife Virginia P. Mabe of CO & NJ). I also have notes & cards to Mama from Mae. .............................................................................. ... HERRON: Second husband of, daughter of my Father's brother, Eddie Walter Harris is a Herron. Virginia May Harris (b) Mar. 12, 1940, Roda, Wise, VA mar. husband #2 James Herron of Appalacchia, Wise, Va abt. 1991 She mar. first, Jan. 1, 1959, Hialeah, Dade, FL, husband #1James Arle Davis (b) Feb 5, 1928, Richmond, Chesterfield, VA They have two children, living in FL. HERRON: My Father's sister, Mary P. Harris, married a Herron. Mary Pickford Harris (b) Oct. 10, 1920, Honey Grove, Fannin, TX mar. Sept. 26, 1942, Wise, Wise, VA, Ernest Eugene Herron, Sr. (b) Jan 11, 1921, Appalachia, Wise, VA (d) May 1997, Miami, Dade, FL (son of Garfield Herron & Nancy David) children of Mary P. Harris & Ernest (Uncle Bud) Eugene Herron, Sr. 1. Ernest Eugene Herron (b) Jan 11, 1946, Miami, Dade, FL mar. Nov. 19, 1965, Miami, Dade, FL Janice McCombs (b) Nov 29, 1945, AL. They have two sons. 2. Vanessa Jane Herron (b) Feb 19, 1956, Miami, Dade, FL mar. Jan 13, 1979, Coral Gables, Dade, FL Leonard Booth (b) Feb 12, 1950, Salsibury, Wicomico, MD They have two sons. children of Ernest Eugene Herron (b) 1946 & Janice McCombs. 1. Jeffrey Eugene Herron (b) Nov 3, 1968, Miami, Dade, FL 2. Jason Todd Herron (b) July 8, 1973, Miami, Dade, Fl (d) abt 1997, FL children of Vanessa Jane Herron & Leonard Booth. 1. Sean Booth (b) Sept. 18, 1989, Miami, Dade, FL 2. Jaymes Booth (b) Sept. 18, 1989, Miami, Dade, FL 3. son Booth (b) Sept. 18, 1989 (d) Sept. 18, 1989 Miami, Dade, FL Are you connected to anyone mentioned here? Mary

Thank you so very much. You are a SWEETIE. Jean ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2000 8:23 AM Subject: [VASCOTT-] BLEDSOE St. Charles, Va. > Hello, > Just wanted to let Bledsoe, Johnsons know that I have the Lee Co. Cem. books > and will do lookups > > EvIn Parkey Bledsoe is buried in the ROCK/LICK Wax Cem. St Charles, Va. > > BLEDSOE, Evin Parkey; 8 AUG. 1878 - 1 JULY 1912, " AT REST" > > BLEDSOE, JAMES, REV. 12 MAY 1855 - 12 MARCH 1932, H/O JULINIE BLEDSOE > > BLEDSOE, JULINIE, 6 JUNE 1860 - 21 JULY 1934, W/O REV. JAMES BLEDSOE, > "MOTHER" > > My husband has relatives buried here also. Will send directions to cem. also. > > Doris Hyden Ely > Lee Co. Roots > > > ==== VASCOTT Mailing List ==== > > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library > >

Jean, Thanks. This is wonderful. Mary

Jean, Listed under children of Edith G. Bledsoe & Vivian Harris. Please, make a correction for Harry Paul Carey birth date to August 24, 1935. Of all people, this is my husband. I put in day for my Father, since his is in the same month, even though in front of me was the exact date. Plus, I do have all verification to this date. Thanks, Mary

--part1_3f.c81cce9.2740385e_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --part1_3f.c81cce9.2740385e_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: <[email protected]> From: [email protected] Full-name: BMckean103 Message-ID: <[email protected]> Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 13:23:12 EST Subject: FOUND & LOST To: [email protected] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Windows AOL sub 109 DEAR LIST IN A 1883 SCOTT CO VA DEATH INDEX THERE WERE 225 NAMES FOR THAT YEAR IN A LOOSE ALPHA ORDER. IN THE SCOTT CO COURT HOUSE DEATH REGISTER THERE ARE 154 NAMES ENTERED. IN THE MICROFILM AT VA STATE LIBRARY, THEY ALSO SHOW 154 PERSONS FOR 1883 I NOTED OTHER NOT ALL YEARS WERE IN THIS INDEX, AND SOME YEARS THEY HAD NOT COMPLETED. BUT, THEY WERE DOCUMENTED IN THE RECORDS. I ASSUME THESE INDEXES WERE DONE BY W.P.A. PEOPLE DURING THE EARLY 1930'S. ?? THERE ARE 78 PEOPLE UNDOCUMENTED IN THIS INDEX. IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN CHECK THEIR FAMILY PERSON'S IN 1880 CENSUS. AND THEN CHECK FAMILY BIBLES OR "OBITS" FOR THIS DEATH YEAR. THERE WERE 2 MARTHA STAPLETON'S ON LIST, ONLY 1 IS DOCUMENTED IN 1883 DEATH RECORDS. THERE WERE 3 MARTHA STAPLETON'S IN 1880 CENSUS. ?? BERNICE PETERS MCKEAN MISSING NAMES FROM 1883 Last Name First Name BAKER NO F/ NAME O O BEVINS EDWARD H CATRON MARTHA CATRON WILLIAM P DARTER ORBU B DAVIS MARY V DAVIS MILUM DILLS DONA E DILLS GEORGE W DOREN MATIE G FALIN ROBERT E FALIN RACHAEL FALIN ROSA L FALIN MARGARET FELTY GEORGE W FLEENOR GEORGE FERGUSON ROBERT HARKLEROAD LORENZA HEAD ELIZA HEAD NETTIE HENSLEY MARTHA C HENSLEY SARAH HILTON JAMES H HILTON MARY K HOBBS GEORGE P HOSTON NO F/NAME JACOBS NO F/NAME JESSEE HUSTON JOHNSON JAMES B JONES NO F/NAME KETRON O D KILGORE D R KILGORE GREEN MAHONEY LUTHER W MCCONNELL E F MCCONNELL R P MCCONNELL WILLIAM W MCCONNELL WINNIE E MCLANE CORA E A MCLANE MARGARET P E MCNUTT SUSAN MCMURRAY GEORGE C MEAD CHAP W MILLER BERTHA MOORE ROBERT B MORELL WILLIAM M MONEYHAM ROSEY M ODELL M E PALMER THOMAS J PARKS C PORTER EASTHLER POWERS GEORGE W PRATT FANNIE PRICE ELIZABETH A QUILLEN RUSIA A M QUILLEN WILLIAM J RAMEY AMAND P RAMEY LAURA L RAMEY JOHN M RENFRO H J / TWIN RENFRO E B / TWIN RENFRO WILLIAM F RUTH WILLIAM G SALLIER HENRY S SALLIER HENRY C SALLIER JAMES M SANDERS CORDA SHELBY CATHERINE R SINMS MARY B STAPLETON MARTHA STEPHENSON MOLLIE E STEPHENSON JOHN C TURNER LILLY P WOOD NANNIE B WOOD T E WAMPLER HENRY J WILCOX PALISTINE --part1_3f.c81cce9.2740385e_boundary--

Hello, Just wanted to let Bledsoe, Johnsons know that I have the Lee Co. Cem. books and will do lookups EvIn Parkey Bledsoe is buried in the ROCK/LICK Wax Cem. St Charles, Va. BLEDSOE, Evin Parkey; 8 AUG. 1878 - 1 JULY 1912, " AT REST" BLEDSOE, JAMES, REV. 12 MAY 1855 - 12 MARCH 1932, H/O JULINIE BLEDSOE BLEDSOE, JULINIE, 6 JUNE 1860 - 21 JULY 1934, W/O REV. JAMES BLEDSOE, "MOTHER" My husband has relatives buried here also. Will send directions to cem. also. Doris Hyden Ely Lee Co. Roots

I am looking for the Miller Family in the area of Western Va. My G-Grandmother Lucinda Miller was born there in 1814, she moved to Lawernce County, Ky m.Elijah Williamson abt 1840. I have no record of where her family lived or how to find them. Any leads or help would greatly appreciated. Thanks Lyman Porter

Just a tidbit of information - I had a great Aunt who died in childbirth. She was married to Tommy Gilreath (sp?). I have a picture of the two of them after they were married if anyone is interested. It's one of the old photos with water color pencils used for color. fyi....

If you would like to send the photo to me, I would be happy to post it on the Scott Co Photo Project page: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~drakefam/scottphotos/ Then we could all see it! pat At 07:42 PM 11/11/2000 -0500, you wrote: >Just a tidbit of information - I had a great Aunt who died in >childbirth. She was married to Tommy Gilreath (sp?). I have a picture >of the two of them after they were married if anyone is interested. >It's one of the old photos with water color pencils used for color. > >fyi.... > > >==== VASCOTT Mailing List ==== > > > >============================== >The only real-time collaboration tool that allows you and other family >members to create a FREE, password-protected family tree. >http://www.ancestry.com/oft/login.asp

Corinne, Thanks. No problem. I know how these names run through my head, too. I'm still hoping that your gg-grandmother Lydia Johnston is the sister of my g-grandmother, Juline (Julia) Johnson/Johnston. Mary

Mary Jo, In answer to your question: " Do you know where Eliza Riley was born or have the names of her siblings or other children"? NO, sorry, but I'll certainly keep you posted should I receive such information. My source here on the list is: [email protected] (Jean Brand) She is very helpful. Mary