Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Obituary: Elma Lewis, 92

DYCUSBURG — Elma Lewis, 92, of Dycusburg died Saturday, November 16, 2013, at Salem Springlake Health and Rehabilitation. She was a member of Frances Baptist Church.

She is survived by two daughters, Shirley Boling of Dycusburg and Lena O’Bryan of Marshall County; one stepson, Virgil Lewis of South Shores; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; one stepgrandchild; and two stepgreat-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Oval Thomas Lewis; one stepdaughter, Darlene Gulledge; 12 brothers and sisters; and one stepgrandchild. Her parents were Erving and Leona Keaton. Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, November 19, 2013, at Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion, Ky., with interment in Dycusburg Cemetery. Friends may call from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, November 18, 2013, at the funeral home.

Source: The Paducah Sun

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Obituary: Dorothy McKinney, 84

EDDYVILLE — Dorothy R. McKinney, 84, of Eddyville died at 1:30 a.m. Friday, November 15, 2013, at Crittenden Health Systems in Marion.

She was a member of Liberty Baptist Church in Lyon County. She is survived by one son, James Noble McKinney of Lyon County; two daughters, Vicki Carter of Franklin, Tenn,. and Jennifer McKinney of Nashville, Tenn.; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Dale Dunning of Eddyville and Gene Dunning of Paducah.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Noble McKinney; three brothers; and one sister. Her parents were Levi and Arlene Barrett Dunning. Services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday, November 17, 2013, at Dunn’s Funeral Home with the Rev. James Holsapple officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, November 16, 2013, at the funeral home.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Lamb Reunion 2013: History, Heritage, and Legacy

By Matthew T. Patton and Linda Lamb Monticelli

Attendees of the 2013 Lamb Family Reunion
The third Lamb Family Reunion was held Oct. 11-12 in Caldwell County, with nearly 50 Lamb descendants from eleven states in attendance: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington. Attendees were descendants of Longshore Lamb and his wife, Sarah Lee, early settlers of Caldwell County; and of Longshore’s brother, Thomas Lamb.

A Focus on Genealogy
The reunion kicked off on Friday with a gathering at the George Coon Public Library in Princeton, with many cousins meeting for the first time there. Judy Boaz, director of the library, shared the interesting and storied past of the library. After her speech, the group moved next door to the Glenn E. Martin Genealogy Library for an afternoon of research and a glimpse into its collection.

Following genealogy research at the library, Toni Watson, Caldwell County clerk, welcomed the group at the records room at the Caldwell County Courthouse where staff had graciously pulled several documents and records relating to the Lamb family. Renowned Western Kentucky genealogist and historian Brenda Joyce Jerome, a certified genealogist, was on hand to assist family members with record searches. On Friday night, nineteen attendees gathered at Adams Breezy Hill Restaurant for dinner and fellowship.

On Saturday morning, more than 40 gathered at the Lamb Cemetery at Claxton to dedicate a new tombstone for John and Mary Clayton-Lamb. In early 2013, the family gathered donations from Lamb family members across the country to erect a new stone in their memory. Their original tombstones have faded to near illegibility, so descendants decided to act to keep the flame of their memory alive through placing the new granite marker.

The marker includes the birth and death dates of John and Mary, and on the back lists all of their twelve children, as well as their children’s birth and death year. On the front, the family inscribed: “Memorial Lovingly Erected by Descendants – 2013.”

A Historic Cemetery
Marker for the Lamb Cemetery in Caldwell Co., KY
New stone for John and Mary (Clayton) Lamb (front)
New stone for John and Mary (Clayton) Lamb (back)
Because of the generosity of the donations gathered for their new stone, excess money was used toward a stone to mark this historic cemetery. It reads: “Lamb Cemetery. Since 1839. An old family graveyard on land John and Mary Clayton Lamb lived and raised their family. Erected by Lamb descendants 2013.”

The ceremony to unveil the two new stones began with musical selections on bagpipes by Paul Thompson, known as “The Town Piper.” After his renditions of songs to celebrate the lives of John and Mary, two of their descendants, Matthew T. Patton of Johns Creek, Ga., and Linda Lamb Monticelli of Plymouth, Mich., uncovered the stones for the crowd. The ceremony closed with “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.
From there, the family moved to the Princeton Tourist Welcome Center for a Southern-style lunch and an afternoon of visiting. A 64-page booklet (including welcome letters from dignitaries like Sen. Rand Paul and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear) was given to all attendees. On display were several documents and maps: the petition written for the Lenape Indians by the Lamb family’s ancestor Robert Longshore in 1681; accounts audited file for Longshore Lamb’s service in the Revolutionary War; the American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol in 2009 for Revolutionary War Patriot Longshore Lamb; several maps showing where the family’s ancestors lived from the 1600s through the early 1800s; and two large family tree charts showing four generations of descendants, one for Thomas Lamb and Alice Longshore, and the other for Longshore Lamb and Sarah Lee.

Guest Speaker
The guest speaker of the afternoon was Brenda Joyce Jerome, who presented a captivating talk on tombstone epitaphs. She provided examples of various epitaphs and carvings from tombstones, including cautionary passages like the one engraved on Mary Lamb’s original stone in the Lamb cemetery. It warns passers-by that they, too, should prepare to face a fate of death.

With sunny skies and comfortable weather throughout the entire weekend, the family relished reuniting with cousins across the country and sparking new friendships with cousins whom they met for the first time.

The next Lamb family reunion is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 2015.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Obituary: Edna Lee Shewcraft Macon, 85

Betty and Leon Hodges, Edna Macon, Oda Lee Patton Shewcraft, Dave Macon
From left: Betty and Leon Hodges, Edna Macon,
Oda Lee Patton Shewcraft, Dave Macon
Edna Lee Shewcraft Macon, 85, of Owensboro, died June 12, 2013, at the Western Kentucky Veterans Center in Hanson.

She was born March 19, 1928, in Crittenden County to the late Luther Francis and Oda Lee Patton Shewcraft.

She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Owensboro, Crittenden County Genealogical Society, Kentucky Society of the Colonial Dames of the XVII Century, Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Kentucky Society of the United States Daughters of 1812, National Society of Southern Dames and United Daughters of the Confederacy. She was an honorary President of General of the United Daughters of the Confederacy of Richmond, Va.

Edna, Minnie Nell, Dorothy, Luther, and Betty Shewcraft
Front: Edna, Minnie Nell, Dorothy (front)
Back: Luther and Betty Shewcraft
She was a Korean War veteran of the Women’s Army Corps, having served from July 1951 to September 1956 and achieved the rank of first lieutenant. She retired as a librarian with the Nashville public school system.

Macon is survived by her husband of 57 years, David Ramsey Macon; a son, David Lee Macon of Belleville, Ill.; three sisters, Dorothy Dean “Dot” Young of Owensboro, Betty Lou Hodges of Marion and Carolyn and husband Jerry Despain of Owensboro; and a brother, Carlton Shewcraft of Marion, Ill. She was preceded in death by her parents, Luther Francis and Oda Lee Patton Shewcraft; a sister, Minnie N. Martin; and a brother, Luther K. Shewcraft.

At her request, there were no services or visitation. Her cremated remains will be interred in the Coleman Cemetery in Murfreesboro, Tenn., at a later date. James H. Davis Funeral Home & Crematory in Owensboro was in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to: Mexico Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, Marion, KY 42064. Messages of condolence may be made at www.DavisFuneralHome.com

Source: The Crittenden Press, June 20, 2013, p. 7. Reprinted with permission.



Monday, April 29, 2013

Dycusburg Fish Fry: May 19, 2013

The annual Dycusburg Fish Fry will be held Sunday, May 19 at 1 p.m. at the Dycusburg Methodist Church grounds. In case of rain, the venue will be at the Dycusburg Baptist Church Fellowship hall.

Those interested in helping should arrive at 11 a.m.

Please bring a chair. Proceeds will benefit the upkeep of the Dycusburg Cemetery.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Lamb Family Reunion Planned for Oct. 12, 2013

Lamb Reunion (2011) in Princeton, KY
The Lamb Family Reunion will be held Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Princeton Tourist Welcome Center in Princeton, KY. All family members (descendants of Thomas Lamb and Longshore Lamb) and friends of the family are invited to attend.

A ceremony to erect a tombstone for John Lamb and Mary (Clayton) Lamb will be held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 12 at the Lamb Family Cemetery in Scottsburg, KY, just outside of Princeton. Descendants of John and Mary and other Lamb family members contributed to this special project earlier this year to make funding possible for the tombstone.

After the ceremony, a catered, Southern style lunch will be served at the Princeton Tourist Welcome Center with a special guest speaker, Brenda Joyce Jerome. Jerome is well known for her extensive genealogy research, focusing primarily on Western Kentucky. She has written more than 40 genealogy volumes that have proven invaluable for researchers across the country, including for the Lamb family.

For more information, email Linda Lamb Monticelli (rlmflm@aol.com) or Matthew T. Patton (matthewtpatton@yahoo.com).

Related Links

Sites of Note: Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog

The Western Kentucky Genealogy blog, authored by Brenda Joyce Jerome, has a wealth of interesting information about Western Kentucky counties.

Jerome is the author of more than 40 genealogical volumes about Western Kentucky, and maintains this blog with tidbits and photos regularly. Among the interesting updates is Tombstone Tuesday, typically with a photo of an interesting area tombstone and accompanying family documentation when applicable.

Jerome is a certified genealogist with and has devoted most of her life to genealogical endeavors.

Visit the site at wkygenealogy.blogspot.com.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Genealogy Query: William Coleman Brown (1793-1881)

I am looking for the parents of William Coleman Brown born 1793, South Carolina, died Shady Grove, KY 1881, married Pricey Kemp 12-3-1817.

Charles Brown
n4so.ken@gmail.com