"A HISTORY OF THE DAVIESS-McLEAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN KENTUCKY, 1844-1943" by Wendell H. Rone. Probably published in 1944 by Messenger Job Printing Co., Inc., Owensboro,Kentucky. Used by permission p.270-271. Daviess County JOHN GRAVES HOWARD: John Graves Howard was the first Moderator of the Daviess County Baptist Association, serving from 1844 to 1859. He was born of respectable and pious parents in Caswell County, North Carolina November 9, 1792. Under the parental roof he received a plain English education. In his twenty-first year he was married to Miss Priscilla Yancey. Three years later, in 1816, he emigrated to Kentucky and settled in Daviess County, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a man of high social standing, and at one time filled the office of Justice of the Peace, and afterwards that of Sheriff. For a while he filled the office of Colonel of the State Militia and from that circumstance was afterwards known as Colonel Howard. He was fond of society, and at one time, after he entered the ministry, was betrayed into the habit of drinking to intoxication. From this he soon recovered himself; but his repentance and mortification were deep and long continued. The high esteem with which he was universally held, the sincerity of his repentance and his manly and Christian character, not only restored him to the fellowship of his brethren, but also secured the confidence and respect of the unconverted. He professed faith in Christ and united with the Church at Tanner's Meeting House (now Buck Creek) in 1818, being baptized by that valiant pioneer preacher, Elder Benjamin Tolbert. He commenced his public Christian labors as superintendent of the Sabbath School at Green Briar Church. He served this Church as clerk for a number of years after 1823. >From June, 1822, he served the Church as deacon, but for how long we are not informed. This Church also licensed him to preach in December, 1821. About the year 1839 he united with the First Baptist Church in Owensboro and in September, 1840, was ordained to the pastoral care of his own Church by Elders H. B. Wiggin, Reuben Cottrell, and Thomas Downs. His service was continued" [sic] with this church for a period of two years. >From 1841 to 1844 he served the Goshen Association as Moderator, until the formation of the Daviess County Association, of which he became a constituent pastor and member. Besides the First Baptist Church of Owensboro the records also show him to have been pastor of the following Churches: Yelvington, 1844 1849; South Hampton, 1855-1856, and 1858-1859; Pleasant Grove, 1840-1842, 1850- 1852 and 1860-1864; Macedonia, 1849-1852. There were perhaps other churches which he served but our records of such are not at hand. He held membership at Yelvington from 1844 to the latter part of 1854. On January 1, 1855, he went into the constitution of South Hampton Church and became the first pastor. He held membership there until the year 1865 when he again became a member of the First Baptist Church of Owensboro to which he belonged until his death. During the last ten years of his life he preached but occasionally. For a year previous to his death he was a great sufferer, but he had grace to cheer and sustain him to the end. His departure took place on April 16, 1874, at his residence in Owensboro, Ky. He was buried in the Elmwood cemetery.[sic] Although he entered the ministry at the age of 48 he nevertheless served his generation well. He was one of the last connecting links between the pioneer preachers of this section and the preachers of the last half of the nineteenth century. His is the earliest picture of any preacher we have been able to obtain. Cottrell Downs Howard Tolbert Wiggin Yancey = Caswell-NC Christian-KY http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/daviess/howard.jg.txt