This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the April 11, 2013 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            I made another sad trip up to the John T. Wireman Cemetery on Route 7 last Friday to be present at the last services for Victor Ray Davis, husband of a charter member and one of the faithful helpers of the Magoffin County Historical Society, Madge Arnett Davis.  This was my second trip there recently as less than seven months ago, Vic’s mother-in-law Mae Shepherd Arnett was also buried there.

            Vic was raised and grew up in Floyd County, KY, the son of William “Jug” Davis and Laura Layne Davis but he adopted Magoffin County as his home when he married Arvel and Mae Arnett’s daughter Madge.  He was known far and wide for his good nature, his humor and, most importantly, his love for God and spreading the Good News of the Gospel.  Our heart-felt sympathy goes out to his family, friends and neighbors.

            This month of April is bringing us some warmer temperatures along with many spring flowers and shrubs.  We see a tinge of green appearing on the hillsides beginning once again to cover the destruction of the tornado of a year ago that changed the looks of our landscape so drastically.  We have started a small book of pictures of this event in Magoffin County’s history and it is progressing well.  There is still time for us to include your thoughts and feelings about the tornado that hit several areas of Magoffin County if you would care to share them with us.  You may email us at [email protected] or write to us at Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465.  

            You may also use the above addresses to send us information and pictures for the Rudd family history for the year 2013.  Perhaps you can also attend the next organizational meeting on April 21^st at 2 p.m. here at the historical society library at 191 South Church Street in Salyersville.  We need to make some preliminary plans for the 35^th annual Magoffin County Founders Day celebration.  We are already getting requests for an events schedule.  Right now we can give you the dates for our upcoming Founders Days; they are August 27 through September 2, 2013.  We will have to work long and hard to get everything ready and your help is greatly needed.  We are a small organization and have lost many of our helpers from years past.  Of course, all of you who have any Rudd family connections are urged to come out and help and all others are also welcome.  Our Founders Days celebrations are for everyone who has any interest in our county, its past and its future!  We consider Founders Days to be Magoffin County Homecoming days and everyone is invited to come.  We need lots of help!

            This April meeting will also commemorate the beginning of the Magoffin County Historical Society as it was back in April of 1978 when some of us officially met to establish the group. Little did we know that we would still be meeting and working all these years later.  There have been very few times that our historical society did not meet on the regularly scheduled date, the third Sunday afternoon of each month.  Of course, we have had a great number of special called meetings and other additional meetings as well.

            It has been surprising, even to us here at the historical society, to see how far-reaching the Rudd family is connected with so many of our other Magoffin County and area families.  We are beginning to hear from people with Rudd family ancestry and that is very encouraging to us.  Remember to send your family info here to us at the historical society in order for it to be collated into the family outline that we have compiled.

            We have said before that most of the Magoffin County Rudd family descends from James Rudd and Dorcas Payne through James Harvey Rudd and Louellen Wilson.  Their son (1) William Sherman Rudd married Rose Ellen Patrick, dau of Charlie Patrick and Elizabeth Lykins and here is where you will begin to see some very familiar names in our county genealogy.

            William Sherman Rudd (1874-1949) and his wife Rose Ellen were the parents of  Carl Rudd who was killed in action during World War II.  They also had two daughters Maurine Rudd and Erie Rudd m. Lewis Minix.

            Child (2) for James Harvey Rudd was Leander Rudd b. 1877 d. 1953.  The next child (3) Noah Harvey Rudd married first to Maude Coffee and they were the parents of (a) Madell Rudd m. Magoffin Rowe; (b) James Earl Rudd m. 1. Ethel Mae Pinks and m. 2^nd Goldie Trusty; (c) Reva Rudd m. Rader Deaton; (d) Vernie Rudd m. Boyd Barnett; (e) Mearl Rudd m. Dixie Bailey; (f) Eulan Rudd m. Homer Cole.

            Noah Harvey Rudd next married Julie Coffee.  Their four children were: (g) Edith Rudd m. Grover Hammonds; (h) Edna Rudd m. Tilden Penix; (i) Hurndon Rudd m. Finetta Craft and (j) Pauline Rudd m. 1^st Joseph Reed and m. 2^nd Sterling Taylor.

            Noah Harvey Rudd’s 3^rd wife was Edna Mae Minix, dau of Dennie Minix and Lessie Richardson.  They had 5 children: (k) E. J. Rudd m. Mary Alice Howard, (l) Noah Adrian Rudd m. Margaret Ellen Howard, (m) James Dennie Rudd m. Zelma Conley; (n) Augustine Rudd m. Bert Castle and (o) Barbara Gail Rudd m. Bert Daniels.