This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the March 13, 2008 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.
 

          I took a Sunday afternoon trip to Puncheon Creek as I have been aware of the Shepherd Collins gravesite on the point between the left and right forks for some time, referred to as the Indian Graveyard.  I climbed a very steep hill to a large oak tree and sure enough there was a field rock tombstone with no inscription.  I could tell it was a gravesite but I had been told his wife and a couple of children were also buried there. The coordinates are N-37-32.706, W-082-58.933, elevation 1095.
          Census records of Magoffin and Johnson counties list Shepherd Collins. He was born in 1860 and married Malinda J. Dale b. 1870, dau of Berry Dale and Chaney Cole.
          This cemetery is in somewhat of an abandoned condition. Hopefully some kinsmen will take some interest in it such as a marker with names and dates to prevent the site from being lost forever.
          I went on up to the home of Randal Risner and didn’t have to twist his arm too much to get him to go on upstream on a cemetery search with me.  We stopped at Anna Barnett’s grave then went up to the Willard Marshall Cemetery (N-37-40-493, W-082-57.396, elevation 1096).
          From there we went to the John Kilgore or Harris Patrick Cemetery which had Hilda Bernice Griffith (b. 1966 d. 1987) and an Eva Patrick Risner (b. 1900 d. 1939) buried there. N-37-40.310, W-082-57.729, elevation 1126.  As it was getting late by this time we called it a day and didn’t continue on to the other sites we wanted to visit.
          Now the Easter lilies or daffodils will be in full bloom by the time you read this. The serpents will also be coming out of hibernation so waste no time in cleaning up the neglected cemeteries that you know about.
          Dorothy Hunter of Frenchburg, KY (Buchanan @mtc.com) wrote to inquire where Thomas Igo is buried.  A Thomas Igo shows in the 1840 Morgan Co. KY census as age 40 to 50, wife Martha Montgomery b. ca. 1828.  We will welcome any help on this query.
          Carter Conley of here in Salyersville, KY is trying to find the death date of his great grandfather, Ephraim Johnson (Johnston) b. ca. 1864.  He shows in the 1930 Magoffin Co. KY census as Ephraim Johnson age 66, wife Rosa Salyer age 52. Ephraim is buried in lower Pricy Creek in an unmarked grave.  Carter would like to obtain and set a stone and needs that death date. He invites his relatives to help financially in this endeavor.
          The 1860 Morgan Co. KY census lists Martin L. Johnson age 22 b. VA, wife Letitia Hammon b. 1843 with children Ephraim J. age 4 months (b. ca. 1859).  Letty was the dau of Ephraim Hammon b. 1802 and Lucinda. 
          Lori Harvey (lharvey @etcia.com) writes they have an ancestor John Patrick Purcell b. Aug 1839 born in Georgia and went to Purcell, OK then from there to Texas at age 12 to be with an uncle.  Can anyone shed any light on this query?
          Velma Jean Fredrick, 956 Belmont Ave., Mansfield, OH (vfrederick001 @neo.it.com) writes she has lost a lot of her genealogy due to a glitz in her computer.  She needs to know info on her grandmother Sarah Jane Reed. Sarah Jane Reed b. 1873 was a dau of William Martin Reed b. 1857.  William Martin married Margaret Patrick b. 1856, the dau of Brice Patrick.  Brice was born in 1816 and married 1st Fanny Minix then m. 2nd to Margaret “Peggy” Montgomery. Peggy was born in 1815, the dau of John Montgomery Jr. and Sarah Flannery.
          Sarah Jane Reed married 13 Nov 1890 to Charles Minix b. 1872, son of James “Little Jim” Minix. Little Jim was born in 1846 to Charles Minix, Jr. (b. 1815) and Margaret “Peggy” Patrick b. 1816. Margaret was a dau of Robert “Robin” Patrick and Brice Patrick was a son of Robert “Robin” Patrick.  Little Jim married Catherine Montgomery b. 1855, dau of Silas Montgomery.  Silas was born in 1822, a son of John Montgomery, Jr. and Sarah Flannery.
          Wilma Taulbee (wtaulbee1 @aol.com) writes her grandfather was Kelly May, son of Wallace B. May. She says before her mother passed away they found the gravesites but now she doesn’t know how to get there.
          Kelly May is buried in a cemetery near the mouth of Whitt Harper Branch and Rt. 460 that I copied in 1979. It is sort of hard to give directions so if you should ever visit Magoffin County come to our library and we may be able to direct you.
          John Kelly May b. 1889, son of Wallace B. May b. 1855, son of Noah May (Civil War Soldier).  Noah was buried at the Lexington National Cemetery.  He was married to Elizabeth Caudill who was buried in the Prater May Cemetery.  She was the dau of Elder Benjamin Caudill and Abigail Pennington who are buried here in Salyersville near my residence.  My great grandmother Nancy Caudill Conley was a dau of Benjamin Caudill and thus a sister to your Elizabeth.
          Wallis B. May married Angeline Amyx b. 1861, dau of James F. Amyx b. 1823. James F. was a son of Peter Amyx b. 1784. Peter was a son of Matthew Amyx who was a Rev. War soldier.
          Kelly May married in 1910 to Nora E. Rudd b. 1893. Nora was a dau of Leander “Lee” Rudd b. 1873. Leander was a son of Archibald Rudd, Jr. (Civil War soldier). Archibald Jr. was a son of Archibald Rudd Sr. b. 1792 and Nancy Woosley. Archibald Sr. served in the War of 1812.
          Leander Rudd married Jincy Patrick b. 1873. Jincy was a dau of William Patrick b. 1850. William was a son of Hugh Patrick (b. 1805) and Mary Jane Prater. Mary Jane was born in 1810 to Archibald Prater and Sarah Fugate. Archibald was born in 1755 and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War.

This Sunday, March 16, is the regular meeting time of the Magoffin County Historical Society. Come visit us at our library at 191 South Church Street around 2 p.m. and help us with plans for the upcoming Founder’s Day.  You may also telephone 606-349-1607 or write Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 (email: [email protected]).