We are wading into one of the largest projects we've ever undertaken and that is getting info, pictures, etc. of our military personnel from World War I to the present and we have to depend on the general public for this material.

We are receiving materials almost daily and we thank you but at that, it's only a drop in the bucket. We have not received nearly enough material. We will continue to collect info for the next few weeks or when we think we have received the major portion of info on Magoffin's veterans.

I would like to share an email just received: John F. Powers of Edgewood, WA writes he is son of Winford Powers, a Navy veteran of the Pacific in WWII. John and his two brothers are Vietnam veterans.

Edd Powers was a son of Harrison Powers, gr/son of Thomas Powers and gr/grandson of Holloway Powers.  John F.'s grandmother Bessie Caldwell b. 1908 was a dau of Shade Caldwell and married in 1924 to Edd Powers.

John would like to get his father Winford on the list of veterans and will send his DD214.   John said he will also be visiting Oliver Powers in the near future as they want to clean up the Jackson Cemetery.

Now, folks, if this young man can cross country to clean up a local cemetery, surely folks can clean up that family cemetery that is in dire need or help pay someone else to keep it mowed.

My travels this week have been slowed again due to the weather for it turned back to winter.  I did make a trip with Paul Burchell to try to reconstruct a cemetery that had been damaged by a strip mine operation on Grapevine Creek of Little Blaine that was the burial ground of Ira Hale b. 1845, Civil War soldier, Pvt. Co. G, 39 th KY Inf., his wife Eunice along with some children.

Then the weather warmed up Friday evening and I traveled over to Johnson Fork, picked up Mike Walters, went to Turkey Branch with the intention of going to the Robinette Cemetery but found the road closed due to gas well drilling.

We then went on down to the mouth of Cow Creek to find a Picklesimer Cemetery . We climbed and re-climbed all over behind the church, getting discouraged.   We finally went down the point towards the highway and found the cemetery a short distance above the road: N-27-45.414, W-83-10.318, elevation 946.

This small cemetery is in dire need of a cleaning up and, of course, Mike volunteered to help.

John Picklesimer b. 1845 (his death date of 1921 isn't on the tombstone), his wife Mary M. (Mary Margaret Perkins) b. 1847 d. 1921, the dau of Thomas Perkins and Mary, are inscriptions found on these three piece stones that have tipped over and fallen apart. I found that John was a Civil War soldier in the 14 th KY Inf. USA and I suggest a government marker be obtained and set here.

John was a son of James Picklesimer and Mary Montgomery.   James was a son of David Picklesimer and Sarah Prater. Sarah was a dau of Archibald Prater and Sarah Fugate, also found in this cemetery.

Rennie Picklesimer b. 1869 d. 1889, her son Arthur Picklesimer b. & d. 1889 along with Willie Picklesimer b. & d. 1908, son of Boyd Picklesimer and Mary, plus another grave with no name, marked by a fieldstone. Now, if anyone is interested in cleaning up this cemetery, let it be known.

Traveling back up Johnson there is a fenced-in cemetery near the access to the Mountain Parkway (N-37-45295, W-83-10.546, elevation 829) with one stone leaning against a corner of the fence that reads Paulina Burton b. 24 Dec 1942 d. 14 Jan 1954.

Prater and Dunn Funeral Home Records on page 75 reveal that Paulina Burton, a resident of Kernie , KY d. 14 Jan 1954 at the age of 11 years, 21 days at the Paintsville Hospital of Meningitis and was born 25 Dec 1942, the dau of Wayne Burton and Easther Reed, funeral was 17 Jan 1954 with clergy Cleve King.

I've been informed by Patrick Purcell that this person was exhumed and re-interred in Ohio where her parents were buried.

We then traveled on up Johnson to where Steve Reed was evidentially making a house location and then a couple of tombstones became visible after a building had been torn down. On our return, we stopped and took pictures. The inscriptions were L. C. Williams b. 17 Oct 1858 d. 13 May 1942 and wife Solena Williams b. 14 Jan 1862 d. Nov 1941.

On page 316 of our Williams book we read: Levi Williams b. 1859 Johnson Fork, Morgan Co. (son of Eli Williams and Violet Allen) m. 1 st Serena Davis and had one child Addie Williams b. Aug 1885.   I believe Serena or Solena was a dau of John Davis and his wife Mary/Polly as they had an 8-year-old girl named Sarah in the 1870 Magoffin County census.   Any other info on this family would be appreciated.

Stacey Jackson Blanton and I made a hurried trip to the Green Adams Cemetery near the 460 Rockhouse Road junction where some of her Jacksons are buried.   We then traveled to Booger Mountain to that Jackson Cemetery. As that road is now blacktopped, we traveled down to the Oakley Road and stopped at the John D. Jackson cemetery. John D. was born in 1884 and died in 1901, son of Roll and Mary Jackson (N-37-39.892, W-83-02.366, elevation 923) and this cemetery is badly in need of a clean up.            

We want to thank J. W. Back for another contribution toward the proposed Jesse Gullett marker.   Ms. Gay Gullett Wilson sent an email that she is planning a trip back in the near future so that project needs to come to completion soon.   It would be great to have a dedication ceremony when she is here as she and her family have worked for this a long time.

Our telephone number is 606-349-1607, email [email protected] or write Magoffin County Historical Society, Box 222, Salyersville , KY 41465. 

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