This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the April 19, 2012 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            We had a message from Janet Carpenter ([email protected]) who is the granddaughter of Kelly and Nannie (Bailey) Carpenter who once lived on Gun Creek near Royalton, KY.  Her parents were Ellis and Adeline (West) Carpenter and she would like any info on these families.

            Kelly Carpenter was born 2 November 1926 to Walter Carpenter and Arizona Fletcher.  Walter was the son of Samuel Carpenter and Eliza England.  Kelly married Nannie Bailey b. 1893, daughter of Ira “Dick” Bailey and Nancy Fletcher.  Ira was a son of Joseph Bailey and Jennie Runyon.  Jennie was one of the three Runyon girls who are said to be half-Indian.  Ira and Nancy Bailey are buried at the Forks of Gun Creek Cemetery here in Magoffin County. Ira and Nancy had these other children (1) Jane Bailey b. 1878 m. Harris Whitaker, (2) Mary Bailey m. Harry Patrick, (3) Nettie Bailey m. William Marshall, (4) Frankie Bailey m. Ramey Whitaker, (5) Willie Bailey (female) m. Kern Patrick, (6) Fadie Bailey m. Wiley “Meat Skin” Fletcher.  Nannie Bailey Carpenter was the youngest child of the family. 

Ira’s wife Nancy Fletcher was born in 1857 to Simon Fletcher and Mary “Polly” Adams who are buried in the Gilbert Adams Cemetery.

We have a pretty good listing of this family in our Bailey family book, thanks to the help of Mrs. Dee (Ella Carpenter) Marshall, the daughter of Kelly and Nannie Bailey Carpenter. 

            Another query came from Mr. Robin Lavey, 101 Springhill Ct., Mooresville, IN 46158 who writes he is doing research on the family of his great grandfather John Rowe.  John was born in 1884 Magoffin County, KY and died 8 Oct 1967 in Royalton, KY, the son of George Rowe.  Robin says John’s mother was Arlene Pinks. 

            Robin would like to know where John Rowe’s burial site is and if he has a grave marker.  We found a John Rowe b. 1884 d. 1967 in the cemetery up on the hill behind the old Salyer Elementary School in Royalton.  We will try to get someone to go out to the cemetery and see what kind of headstone he has.   Buried in a separate cemetery close by are Peggy Rowe b. 11 Apr 1954 d. 31 Jul 1960 and Jerry Rowe b. 1950 d. 1969.  This cemetery is adjacent to the Zack Standifer Cemetery.  Just around the hill toward Oakley Creek is the Samuel “The Legislator” and Malinda (Arnett) Salyer Cemetery. 

            It could be that John Rowe was the son of George Rowe b. 1858.  George was a son of William Rowe b. 1832/1834 Tennessee and Polly Watkins b. 1835.

            Perhaps there is someone out there who can shed more information on this family. We would be pleased to receive more on the Rowe family as what we now have is very sparse.

            We had some nice visitors last week.  McKay Prater and his aunt Pauline Hicks Allen were here.  McKay is a young man who has done a lot of genealogy work and is especially interested in getting our early settler’s grave sites marked.  He is a descendant of the Marshall family also so we hope to get him interested in helping with the family genealogy this year.

            Henry Gardner Bailey b. 1850 d. 1927 was the son of  Samuel Bailey and Nancy Runyon.  Jennie was a sister of the aforementioned Jennie Runyon Bailey.  Henry Gardner married Susan Marshall, daughter of Reuben Marshall and Catherine Holbrook.  H. G. and Susan had 12 children (1) Estill Bailey b. 1867 d. 1888 did not marry, (2) Samuel “S. H.” Bailey b. 1869 d. 1945 m. Susan Shepherd, dau of Able Shepherd and Polly Hale (these are McKay’s ancestors), (3) William “Dutch” Bailey b. 1872 d. 1961 m. Laura Coburn, dau of Joseph Coburn and Cynthia Grigsby, (4) Emily Bailey b. 1874 d. 1946 m. Proctor Allen, dau of Adam Allen and Jemima Whitt, (5) George W. Bailey b. 1877 d. 1970 m. 1^st to Ginnie Stephens, dau of Reuben M. Stephens and Nancy Jane Hicks then married secondly to Dora Handshoe, dau of Harris and Mousie Handshoe, (6) Mary Bailey b. about 1879 d. 1939 m. Andrew Jackson Hicks, dau of James Hicks and Alice Ousley, (7) Rube Bailey b. 1881 d. 1956 m. first to Rebecca Shepherd and m. 2^nd to Julie Hicks; (8) Margaret Bailey b. 1883 d. 1901 m. Wilson Shepherd, (9) Catherine Bailey b. 1885 d. 1961 m. Grover Cleveland Stephens, dau of Reuben M. Stephens and Nancy Jane Hicks, (10) Kellie Bailey b. 1887 d. 1962 m. Birdie Conley, dau of Reuben Conley and Helen Coburn, (11) Lona Bailey  b. 1889 d. 1923 m. Jack Handshoe, dau of Wilson Handshoe, and (12) Green Bailey b. 1892 d. 1970 m. Roxie Coburn, dau of Joseph Coburn and Cynthia Grigsby. 

            We are looking for anyone interested in helping with the Marshall family genealogy.  Write us at Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465.