History of Kentucky, five volumes, edited by Judge Charles Kerr,
American Historical Society, New York & Chicago, 1922, Vol. V, p. 366,
Franklin Co.

     MILES EVERETT LEE, state custodian of public buildings and grounds
at Frankfort, is one of the capable and reliable men of Kentucky, who
has won his appointment though merit and who is giving universal
satisfaction because of the efficient manner in which he is discharging
his duties.  He was born near Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Kentucky,
May 12, 1880, a son of Silas Lee and grandson of Miles Lee, who died
near Belmont, Bullitt County, Kentucky, before the birth of his
grandson.  For many years he was very active as a farmer and became a
successful man.  Miles Lee married Sarah Cundiff, who also died in
Bullitt County.  The Lee family was established in Virginia during the
Colonial epoch of this country, when its representatives came from
England.  Silas Lee was born near Belmont, Bullitt County, Kentucky, in
1845, and was there reared, but moved to Hardin County after reaching
his majority.  Here he has continued to live, and has devoted himself to
agricultural pursuits with gratifying results, as he is now one of the
leading framers of his neighborhood.  In politics he is a democrat. 
From the time he joined the Baptist Church he has continued to be one of
its active supporters and liberal contributors.  Silas Lee was married
to Almeda Lee, who was born near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in 1844 and
died in Hardin County in the spring of 1883, having borne her husband
two children; Miles Everett and his sister Lizzie, who married Alonzo
Pate, a farmer in the vicinity of Vine Grove, Hardin County, and a
prominent democrat of that region.  
     Miles Everett Lee attended the Hardin County country schools, the
Hardin Collegiate Institute and Center College at Danville, Kentucky,
but left the latter in 1903, at the close of his freshman year.  For the
subsequent eight years he taught school in Hardin County, and was also
local editor of one of the newspapers of Elizabethtown.  For one term he
served as county assessor, then entered a general insurance business,
with which he was occupied until he was elected to the State Assembly in
1915 from Hardin County and was re-elected in 1917, on the democratic
ticket.  He served in the session of 1916, the special session of 1917
and in the session of 1918, and in the latter year was a member of the
rules committee, and was on a number of important committees during the
time he was a member of the Legislature.  Mr. Lee was author of the
local option law making the second conviction for bootlegging a felony,
and this bill passed.  He was joint author with Senator Jay Harlan, of
the Budget Bill, passed in the session of 1918, putting all state
departments on a budget system.  On July 1, 1981, Mr. Lee was made
custodian by the Board of Sinking Fund Commissioners to fill an
unexpired term expiring March 1, 1922.  His jurisdiction includes the
new state capitol, the old state capitol, the executive mansion now
occupied by the governor, and the old mansion, as well as the grounds
surrounding all of these, which office is a very responsible one.
     The Baptist Church holds Mr. Lee's membership.  He belongs to
Morrison Lodge No. 76 A. F. and A. M., of Elizabethtown; Elizabethtown
Chapter No. 34, R. A. M. : Elizabethtown Chapter  O. E. S.; and
Elizabethtown Commandery No. 37, K. T. .  While he lives at Frankfort,
Mr. Lee maintains his legal residence at Elizabethtown, where he is a
property owner.  During the late war he was one of the zealous workers
in behalf of the Hardin County war activities, was secretary of the Red
Cross drive in 1918, assisted in all of the drives, and bought bonds and
War Savings Stamps and contributed generously to all of the
organizations. 
     On June 26, 1907 Mr. Lee was married near Elizabethtown, Kentucky,
to Miss Ethel K. Purcell, a daughter of Levven and Catherine (Stader)
Purcell.  Mr. Purcell, who was a farmer of Hardin County, is now
deceased, but his widow survives and makes her home at Louisville,
Kentucky.  Mr. and Mrs. Lee have two children, Carl Purcell, who was
born November 5, 1909; and Almeda Catherine, who was born May 16, 1914.
     Mr. Lee is a man who has steadily risen, never failing to justify
the confidence reposed in him.  His fellow citizens long ago recognized
the fact that in him they would have a dependable and conscientious
representative, and he is living up to the record he made formerly in
the work he is doing in his present office.  Such men as he add prestige
to the state and set an example those who come on the scene of action in
subsequent years will do well to follow.

Cundiff Lee Pate Purcell Stader
=
Hardin-KY Bullitt-KY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/franklin/lee.me.txt