This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the October 22, 2009 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

The Salyersville Independent  is a weekly newspaper published and edited by Michael David Prater, P. O. Box 29, Salyersville, KY 41465. Telephone (606) 349-2915.  Yearly subscription rates are $24.00 in Kentucky and $30.00 per year out of state.

            A very popular disc jockey at our local WRLV radio station has passed away.  Nolan “Country Cousin” Hall was known all over eastern Kentucky and several other states for his distinctive radio personality as well as his knowledge of Country, Bluegrass and Gospel music.  In addition, he also wrote and sang his own songs.  Here in Magoffin County he was noted for the early morning Coffee Pot Show during which he played country music, his favorite being George Jones along with other musicians of that era.  Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings were dedicated to Bluegrass music. He played the music of “Golden Oldies” on Friday evenings. Sunday mornings were devoted to Gospel Music.  He always supported area music groups and individuals, often having them appear in person on his radio programs.  Nolan seemed to like all people and was especially concerned with the young children “our most precious natural resource” and the sick and shut-ins of our community.   

            Nolan was called upon by members of the Manns Clan to host the Sept. 26th Saturday afternoon music program on the Pioneer Village stage for our Founders Days 2009 and did a magnificent job.  It is said that he told a friend that he was exhausted after the show but had enjoyed every minute of it.  That was to be his last event as he became ill with a bleeding ulcer soon after and died early Friday morning, October 9, 2009 at age 59 after suffering several complications. 

            I attended his wake Sunday evening and met friends and admirers of his from many different places.  As I write this, WRLV is playing a song dedicated to the memory of “The Cousin” entitled “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?”  (You can read Nolan Hall’s obituary by visiting our Links page and clicking on the Magoffin County Funeral Home link).

            Bob and Betty Whittaker stopped by the “home-twenty” for a couple of days, as they were en route home from a trip to Michigan.  We went up Puncheon Creek and picked up Randall Risner complete with his weed-eater then worked on the cemetery where the Arnett and Whitaker monuments are set.  We also visited the Benjamin Howard Cemetery just above the mouth of Puncheon as Bob wants to replace Patrick Risner’s old gravestone with a new monument.

            We have been reminded of a story that I had heard years ago about a Union soldier who was wounded in a skirmish on the Ivy Point during the Civil War and who died at the old Licking River Bridge going into the present Connelley Farm. This bridge was located just above the newer one (the Rt. 30 bridge).  The story goes that local residents took the body downstream for burial in the Caleb May Cemetery.  I believe Randall Risner and I have found the grave of this unknown Union soldier.  I would like to see this site marked for this soldier who gave his life for a cause he thought was right. At nearly one hundred and fifty years later, his sacrifice should not go unheeded.

            Now, on to some of our queries: Davon Combs, 1313 Carr St., Sandusky, OH 44870 visited inquiring about the Letcher Co. KY Combs family, in particular, Carl Combs b. ca. 1909 Colson, KY m. in 1931 to Corsea Sexton b. ca. 1913 at Sackett, Letcher Co. KY.

            Carl was a son of Jordan Combs and Sarah Sexton.  Sarah was a daughter of Ben Sexton and Julina Sexton/Gibson.  Was Julina a Sexton or a Gibson? Corsie claimed her mother was a Gibson and believed her to be of Creek Indian descent. Can anyone help with this query?

            The 1910 Letcher Co. census listed Jorden Combs b. 1877 and wife Sarah b. 1878 with one child Carl Combs b. 1909.  The 1920 Letcher census has Jordan Combs, age 34, Sarah age 32, Carl age 11, Gracie age 8, Ethel age 6 and Lawrence age 2.  

            Randall Risner and I accompanied the Magoffin Granite workers to the Pricey Cemetery where we are going to set the Jesse Gullett monument. They prepared the foundation for the monument while Randall and I traveled on down to Matthew in search of a couple of Nickel cemeteries. We are still looking for A. J. Conley and/or Sophia Sellards.

            We failed to find what we were looking for but did find the gravesite of Shelby Elam b. 1835 d. 1902.  This Shelby was an uncle of Shelby S. Elam, the author of the book Kentucky Through Thick and Thin. Several other hand carved monuments were there also that were second to none I’ve ever seen.  I took pictures but was chagrined to find later that I had failed to put film in my camera!

            We got a nice message from Roy Patrick, 3^rd great grandson of Meredith Patrick, thanking us for a photo of the newly repaired Meredith Patrick gravestone.  He remarked that the “repaired stone is better than a new marker as it has both character and a touch of history.”  He wanted to thank everyone, especially Jack Sizemore and Randall Risner for their part in seeing this done.

            The repair glue that they used is guaranteed not to break away again in the repaired spot.  I mention this because there are many broken monuments out there and perhaps someone will want to do repairs on family monuments.