This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the January 24, 2013 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            Another query came in this week that is connected to the Samuel and Nancy (Runyon) Bailey family.  It has some unanswered questions and maybe if people keep researching and asking elder members of their family for information, we may be able to add to and preserve more of the family history.

            Troy Myers wrote for information on Ervin James Bailey. Ervin was married to a Roxie Prater.  Troy says Ervin was born in Magoffin County either on May 4 or May 8 in 1904.  Roxie was born 22 Dec 1913 and he is not sure of her birthplace but believes it was in Kentucky or West Virginia.

            Troy has Ervin’s obituary and it lists his father as Leck Bailey and his mother as Marinda Howard.  He thinks it is possible that the Miranda Howard and Rosanna Howard may have been sisters.

            We will start out with Rosannah Howard as we have information on her in several of our publications.  Rosannah (or “Rosanna” as spelled on her tombstone) was born 5 Mar 1886 in Breathitt Co. KY and died 15 Mar 1942 at Hippo, KY.  She is buried in the Hicks Cemetery on KY 850 in Floyd Co. KY. Rosannah was the daughter of William “Billy” Howard and Leester Mann.  William Howard (b. 1852 d. 1919) was a son of Lewis Howard and Elizabeth Shepherd.  His wife Leester (there are several various spellings of her name) was born 1860 in Breathitt Co. KY, her death date is unknown but she was buried in the Tyree Cemetery in Jackson, Breathitt Co. KY.  She was the daughter of George Mann and Elizabeth Jane Hensley.

            And now for Miranda Howard: most of the information we have on Miranda Howard (known by nickname of “Rendy” or “Rindy”) came from the late Paul A. Bailey of Wheatfield, IN.  Miranda was born in the 1877/1880 time period in Lambric, Breathitt Co. KY.  Our Mann family manuscript gives her death date as 12 June 1962 and buried in the Alton Cemetery in Frankfort, KY.  Her parents were Ira Howard and Louisa “Old Honey” Conley.

            Miranda’s date of death and place of burial came from visitors to our Mann family Founders Day, Joshua and Laura Cloyd, who also supplied quite a bit of info along with obituaries, etc. on this family. 

            Miranda had a son named Will Howard who was born about 1896.  She later married Leck Bailey and had children (1) Arminda Bailey m. George Hicks, (2) Alice Bailey m. Kindle Patrick, (3) Lee Bailey died as infant, (4) Irvin Bailey m. Roxie Prater and Freddie Bailey died as infant.

Leck Bailey was born 22 Feb 1880 in Magoffin Co. KY and died 21 May 1973 in McGuffey, OH. He was buried in the Preston Cemetery in Alger, OH.

After Leck Bailey died Miranda married (as his 2^nd wife) Jasper Manns. They were married 11 Nov 1912 here in Magoffin Co. KY.  Jasper was a son of William “Shoats” Manns and Louranna Conley.  Miranda and Jasper had two children who grew to adulthood: (1) Tony Manns b. 1909 Knott Co. KY married Lula Conley and (2) Eliza Manns b. 1910 m. Oda Ritchie.

            The 1910 Knott Co. KY census gives the family of Jasper and “Randy” Manns.  Miranda was born about 1879.  In the household were children Oscar, Dorton, Mitchell and Tony.  Oscar, Dorton and Mitchell Manns were children of Jasper and his first wife Amanda Howard, she was also a daughter of Ira Howard and Louisa “Old Honey” Conley.

            Maranda and Jasper are listed in the 1920 census records of Breathitt Co. KY with their two children, Tony Manns and Eliza Manns (called “Lizzie” in this census).

            Maranda was enumerated in the 1930 census of Knott Co. KY. Her son Tony, with age given as 16, was in the household. She was listed as being widowed and her surname was given as Howard.

            By 1940 Maranda was in the household of her son Tony who had married Lula Conley, dau of Theodore “Thee” Conley and Lena Neeley. 

            Apparently she spent her last days in Frankfort, KY with her daughter Eliza Ritchie and family.  One record we have of her gives her last husband’s name as Joe Allen.

            We haven’t answered Troy Myer’s query fully but we hope we have given some information that will help him in his research.  We ask that he or any reader who can help with more information contact us here at Magoffin County Historical Society, Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 (email [email protected])

            We are anxious to get our Mann family book into print as it will be a valuable research tool on many area families.  We have been delayed in our work by various circumstances for the last several years and now we are working toward being able to continue with our printing plans.

            Many people were saddened this week by the passing of 9-year old Dalton Dingus, who succumbed to the dreaded disease of Cystic Fibrosis.  He was the grandson of Edison and Theresa (Allen) Dingus and of Johnny and Frances Gay (Allen) Reed.  Our historical society along with people from many states and countries sent Christmas cards to this little boy, to the extent that the number will be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. Perhaps the publicity this received will aid in promoting research that will help other children.