This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the August 22, 2013 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            Another busy, busy week has passed us by and we are constantly looking at the calendar counting down the days until the 35^th Magoffin County Founders Days begin here in Salyersville, KY.  This year we are honoring the Rudd family and it has been interesting and exciting to see all the history and genealogy on this family unfold.  Our celebration days go from Tuesday, August 27 though Sunday September 1^st but we won’t stop there!  We will continue until we feel that we have gathered all the information on the Rudd generation that we are able to get. 

            Originally, we had planned on meeting on Monday, September 2^nd to set a memorial marker for the earliest Rudd family to live in Magoffin County, Archibald and Nancy (Woosley) Rudd but we have changed those plans.  We decided that more time was needed to explore the area where this family lived and try to find the most likely burial site on which to set a marker.  Tentatively we plan to do this in the fall.  Right now the vegetation is very heavy and it makes it hard to explore our mountaintop cemeteries.  If we cannot find a definite spot for the marker then we will try to place it in the most logical spot and a place where descendants can visit to view this memorial for their ancestor.  We will attempt to let everyone know in time so plans can be made to come and be with us for this dedication.

            Since we have postponed this event, I guess we will all just go up to Tip Top and have dinner with Paul Bailey and the rest of the Tip Top Reunion group!  (SMILE)

            We have succeeded in getting the Fall Journal in the mail to our members.  We always look forward to the responses we get after sending one of these out.  Work has begun on the 4^th Journal of the year 2013 and in this one we will attempt to focus on our Founders Days celebration so here is an open invitation to all of you out there with cameras – share those pictures with identifications of the people in them with us.  This last Journal of the year also gives those who couldn’t come and visit during Founders Days a little glimpse of the activities and people who participated.  We keep scrapbooks and photo albums of our activities and enjoy looking back through them. Help us make a great record of the Rudd Founders Day year! 

            Rudd family information and pictures continue to come in and we are pleased about that.  We have had many visitors seeking Rudd family souvenirs as well as coming in to drop off their family genealogy with us.  Kevin Lee Rudd of Felicity, OH whose father Taylor Rudd told him about our library visited last week.  His grandparents are James Rudd and Mary E. Stacy; also French Helton and Marvella Risner. We were able to help him find the a little more info on the Helton family.  French Helton was born in 1868 and died in 1929, a son of Sam Helton and Eliza Montgomery.  He is buried in the Sam Henry Patrick Cemetery.  We are looking forward to receiving more info on Kevin’s Rudd ancestry through Taylor’s wife Hattie Helton.

            We have visitors who are also searching for other families with Magoffin County ties.  Robert E. L. Lacey of Cibolo, TX came in to do some more research on the Clay Lacy family.  He was appreciative of what we had done in the past to help in his genealogy work.  He is now searching for Clay’s son, James Lacey.  Clay was a son of William Clay Lacy who died in an accident in 1922 on Todd’s Road in West Liberty, KY.  His wife was Margaret Fugate.  Those of you who do Facebooking and are descendants of the Lacy family may wish to look up his Lacy web site on Facebook. 

            Harold Patrick Wyland of Plymouth, IN spent some time with us looking for the burial site of his grandfather Watt Patrick and any information he can find on the family.  Watt Patrick was born in 1902 and married Erin Higgins.  Watt was the son of Berry South Patrick and Josephine Arnett and grandson of Logan Arnett and Delana Howard so we know he has a lot of Magoffin County relatives. 

            Back in 1982 I copied the Watt Patrick Cemetery on the Right Middle Fork and found the grave markers for Watt and Erin Patrick as well as Berry South and Josie Arnett Patrick.  There are many family members buried on this cemetery and back in 1982 I found there were 23 unidentifiable gravesites.  Has anyone been to this cemetery lately and could provide an update on it?

            We also enjoyed a visit with Kelly Curry of Batavia, OH.  She is a descendant of Monk and Mandy Patrick.  We were very fortunate to have had a very special lady, Gladys Blankenship Connelley give us information on this line several years ago. She said her set of Patrick’s were known as the “Dugan Patricks”, pronounced “Doo-gan”.  Gladys had an excellent memory and a talent for telling family history in story form. Her parents were William Henry Blankenship and Catherine “Katie” Patrick.  Katie was a daughter of Amos “Monk” Patrick and Amanda Higgins.  Monk was a son of Squire John Patrick and Charlotte Patrick.  Squire John was a son of Reuben Patrick and Charlotte Wilson and grandson of William Patrick and Mollie Rains.  Charlotte was a daughter of William Patrick and Nancy Prater.

            Gladys did not know the origin of the “Dugan” name for this Patrick family but said that traditional name had been handed down through the ages.  Perhaps there is someone out there who can provide more information.

            We are looking forward to many of you coming to Magoffin County for our Founders Days event.  Let us all enjoy a safe and fun-filled holiday celebrating our family heritage.  Remember that we are celebrating the Rudd family heritage in particular but all are welcome as Founders Days also serve as Magoffin County Homecoming time!