Obituary: Ruby Mae Richardson, 86

Ruby Mae Shewcraft Richardson

MADISONVILLE -- Ruby Mae Shewcraft Richardson, 86, Madisonville, formerly of Crittenden County, died Friday, April 25, 2008, at Ridgewood Terrace Nursing Home in Madisonville. She was a member of Grace Baptist Church in Madisonville and was a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Hattie Holder Shewcraft; and her husband, James Richardson, who died in 1989.

Survivors include one son, Pastor Lawrence Richardson of Madisonville; one granddaughter; and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at Seven Springs Baptist Church in Frances, Ky. Burial will be in Mapleview Cemetery in Marion, Ky.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Tomblinson Funeral Home Slaughters-Hanson Chapel and after 1 p.m. Sunday at the church.

Source: The Henderson Gleaner, April 26, 2008

A Second Free Dump Day!

It Went So Well … Let’s Do It Again!

A Second Free Dump Day for Dycusburg!
Saturday, May 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We’ve been granted another opportunity to get unwanted trash hauled off in time for the 4th of July VETERANS’ MEMORIAL MARKER dedication! A free dump truck will be in town to
take away your trash.*

If you need assistance with your cleanup efforts, please call 270-988-3004 or 988-2758. To volunteer to help your neighbors, please call 270-988-3004 or 988-2758.

*(Regular household garbage cannot be included; this pick up is for large items that the garbage truck normally would not pick up)

Recipe Resubmission

The Dycusburg Community Group cookbook, titled "Dycusburg Cooking: Past and Present" is planned for printing prior to Dycusburg Day on Oct. 11. We apologize if you previously submitted recipes, but the group underwent a recent change of hands.

We hope you will resubmit these to the group at dycusburg@yahoo.com or mail them to: Dycusburg Community Group, P.O. Box 112, Dycusburg, KY 42037. You will receive a confirmation of receipt as all recipes submitted will be included.

Dycusburg Boys (July 1963)

Brad Hunt shared this photo of some boys at the front of the Howard Grocery Store in Dycusburg in July 1963. From left: Joe Kinnis, Bobby Rushing, David Matthews, Steve Turley and unknown. Can anyone identify the boy on the far right? (Click photo for larger size). E-mail me at matthewtpatton@yahoo.com if you can.

Obituary: Virgil E. Travis, 65

BENTON, Ky. — Services for Virgil E. Travis, 65, of Benton will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 8, 2008, at Collier Funeral Home. The Revs. Robert Chandler, Richard Dowdy and Steve Seaford will officiate. Burial will be at Marshall County Memory Gardens.

Mr. Travis died Monday, May 5, 2008, at Marshall County Hospital.

He attended Brewers United Methodist Church. Mr. Travis owned Benton Auto Salvage and Wrecker in Marshall County for 22 years.

Surviving are his wife, Paula Beth Creason Travis; two daughters, Tammy Travis of Kuttawa and Amie Belcher and husband, Corey, of Benton; two sons, Chris Travis of Salem, Ind., and Jeff Travis of Benton; one brother, Gordon Travis and wife, Patsy, of Eddyville; three sisters, Shirley McCallister and husband, Carrol, of Princeton; Virginia Lee Jewel, of Dycusburg; and Lucille Bigham of Hobart, Ind.; and three grandchildren, Abigail Belcher, Tyler Belcher and Madison Travis.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Barbara Epperson. His parents were Elvin Travis and Gertie Henry Travis.

Friends may call after 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, 2008, at the funeral home.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Brewers United Methodist Church Building Fund, 7756 Brewers Highway, Benton, KY 42025.

Views of Dycusburg, Part 6: Front Hill (April 2008)

April 2008

Views of Dycusburg, Part 5: Masonic Lodge (March 1964)

Courtesy of Brad Hunt

Views of Dycusburg, Part 4: Looking Over Town (June 1988)

Courtesy of Brad Hunt

Views of Dycusburg, Part 3: Front Hill (February 1967)

Courtesy of Brad Hunt

Views of Dycusburg, Part 2: Front Hill (September 1961)

Courtesy of Brad Hunt

Views of Dycusburg: Front Hill (August 1959)

Courtesy of Brad Hunt

Cemetery Fundraiser Fish Fry Date Announced

A fish fry will be held May 18 at 1 p.m. at the Dycusburg Methodist Church to raise money for the Dycusburg Cemetery's perpetual care fund.

As you can imagine, with increased costs of mowing and decreasing interest rates, there's no better time than now to send your donations for the perpetual care of the cemetery.

Please mail donations to:
Dycusburg Cemetery
c/o Faye Stinnett
202 Stinnett Rd.
Fredonia, KY 42411

Clean Up Day a Huge Success

We received the following report from the Dycusburg Community Group's president, Michelle Henderson:

The clean up day at Dycusburg was a huge success. At the beginning of the day, volunteers from all over the area were in town to help load up the dump truck that was generously donated through the offices of Crittenden County Judge Executive Fred Brown with the assistance of Magistrate Greg West.

The dump truck was completely full by the end of the day after locals brought down their rubbish items. It's the beginning of what the Dycusburg Community Group (DCG) hopes is a twice-yearly effort (look for another clean up day in September in advance of October's Dycusburg Day Festival).

Please stay tuned to this site for upcoming events. The DCG is actively working on many future projects (a summer BBQ, a community cookbook, a souvenir historical keepsake book, a tree and flower-planting day ... to name a few), and we hope you will be involved. (E-mail us at dycusburg@yahoo.com for volunteer opportunities).

Change for the better at Dycusburg is in the air! We strongly feel that today's event was the beginning of some great things in our wonderful Cumberland River village. We extend a heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who volunteered their time, energy and love today. Dycusburg is a small town with a big heart.

Dycusburg Community Group Contact Info

The Dycusburg Community Group has secured a post office box at Dycusburg. The new address is:

Dycusburg Community Group
P.O. Box 112
Dycusburg, KY 42037

We are still in desperate need of donations for our Veteran's Memorial Marker at Dycusburg. If you'd like to make a donation, please send it to the address above. If you have questions, we also have a new e-mail address: dycusburg@yahoo.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Monday Update: Lots on Tap for Dycusburg This Week

A few noteworthy items for Dycusburg this week:

Community Yard Sale. Several members of the community will hold a large yard sale at 20 Hilltop Drive in Dycusburg, starting at 8 a.m. daily Friday-Sunday. Various items will be available, from children's clothing and toys to knicknacks and household supplies and electronics. A portion of the proceeds will go the Dycusburg Community Group to continue to raise money to benefit the town. For more information, call 270-988-2758. There is no set-up fee, but there is limited space, so reserve your spot now!

Dump Day.On Saturday, May 3, from 10-2, Dycusburg residents have a great opportunity to get unwanted goods hauled off in time for mowing season. It's also a great way to get our community cleaned up and ready for the 4th of July VETERANS’ MEMORIAL MARKER dedication! A free dump truck will be in town to take away your trash. Several volunteers have already stepped up to help remove large items ... but we still need more! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you need assistance with your cleanup efforts, please call 270-988-3004. To volunteer to help your neighbors, please call 270-988-3004. (Regular household garbage cannot be included; this pick up is for large items that the garbage truck normally would not pick up.)

Community Photos. Get a free family portrait this weekend at Dycusburg Baptist Church from noon-5. Those participating will get a free canvas 10 x 13 print, and will be able to select additional photos at very reasonable prices. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Dycusburg Community Fund. Sign up sheets are at the post office, Dycusburg Grocery and the Baptist church.

Free Dump Day for Dycusburg

Free Dump Day for Dycusburg!

Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is a great opportunity to get your unwanted goods hauled off in time for mowing season and is a great way to get our community cleaned up and ready for the 4th of July VETERANS’ MEMORIAL MARKER dedication! A free dump truck will be in town to take away your trash.*

If you need assistance with your cleanup efforts, please call 270-988-3004. To volunteer to help your neighbors, please call 270-988-3004.

*(Regular household garbage cannot be included; this pick up is for large items that the garbage truck normally would not pick up)

Dycusburg Pace Slow, But Wonderful

Back from a recent visit to Dycusburg, I was reflecting about some of the great people who lived down there -- those who were true role models as I grew up. In fact, as I looked down at the swollen Cumberland River, I thought of this great piece that Mary Lou Griffin wrote about Dycusburg in 1969. I definitely miss many of the older, genuinely good folks who made Dycusburg what it was. For more excerpts, visit http://www.dycusburg.com/danecdotes.html.

Dycusburg Pace Slow, But Wonderful
Written by Mary Lou (Ramage) Griffin, March 1969

Dycusburg is the most colorful town one could imagine, I guess it is typical of all small towns, but I can hardly agree. It is a river town and once in a by gone era was a thriving, glamorous town typical of river towns. Once it boasted hotels, tobacco warehouses, saloons and all the colorful people that traveled by paddle wheel boats.

As all river towns had, it gained a rough reputation because of all sorts of people landing here. Now it is a sleepy little village where a river boat coming by is a source of interest. It never fails to fascinate me when a boat as coming by and I always pause to admire it as so many other people in our little town. I find myself being amused because the reputation that still hangs on.

These people in this town are the finest most heart warming that you could find and I know most of them like the back of my hand. I have lived in the city and those who are city dwellers miss a rich experience, when they cannot live in a small town. There are so many people I want to tell you about, maybe you would not find them interesting, but I find them completely fascinating. Dycusburg is infamous for having no law, and by that, of course, I mean no sheriff.

We manage to take care of our own, in this so-called "no man’s land." And never a more law-abiding bunch of citizens would you want to find.

The pace is slow, but that is wonderful, if you just want to sit on a stump and contemplate, watch a jaybird build a nest or just look up at the sky you do not feel ridiculous. I find it a heartwarming thing to walk out in the back yard early in the morning, especially in the summer, and just look at the trees, and listen to the birds, and occasionally a rabbit comes to nibble the clover back there. A person has missed much if he or she cannot enjoy the skyline at sunset. Did you ever take a fishing pole with a cork and just sit on the bank and relax? Try it sometime. The worms are a bit squirmy, but the overall thing is worth it, and if you get a bite–that’s an extra bonus.

The river flows right by, and you can sit on the bank and hear the music from the restaurant, and people talking on the store porch. The town consists of one store, one post office and one restaurant and grocery combined. Excitement is a thing that is craved because of the quiet. Sometimes we have too much on a Saturday night, when some young buck is a little more under the way, the expression, meaning, he has imbibed a little too much and wants to prove he is a man, meaning of course, he is very unsure, so he picks a fight or tries to.

You don’t have to walk in a hurry in Dycusburg, you can amble along at your own pace. To be unusual, you could walk fast, that would create comment because maybe something is wrong or something has happened which needs to be made known.

Somewhere in the vicinity, ambles an older man in high black overalls and rolling a Bull-Durham cigarette. He’s just part of the colorful scenery.

If you need a place to get away from the hustle and bustle I strongly recommend our little town. Come and see for yourself. I like it–you might too.

Quarantine of Dycusburg Raised (1899)

Kuttawa, Ky. Dec. 20 -- At the instigation of the Board of Health, the physicians, after a thorough investigation have decided that there are no cases of smallpox in this county and have notified the Board of Health to that effect.

At Dycusburg the quarantine has been raised the large number of alleged cases of smallpox there for several weeks having proved to be measles and also a disease pronounced as Cuban Itch.

Source: Bee (Earlington, Ky.): Thursday, December 28, 1899.

Dycusburg From Tiline

Here's a view of Dycusburg across the river from Livingston County.

Click the image for a larger view. Thanks to Brenda Underdown for sharing.

Few Books Remain

Just a few copies of the Dycusburg book remain. I'm selling these for $50 until April 1. Send me an e-mail at matthewtpatton@yahoo.com if you'd like a copy set aside. As you can see from this photo, the book is quite substantial at 443 pages.