This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the January 30, 2014 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            We got a wonderful surprise telephone call from Florida a couple of weeks ago.  Mary Connelly, the daughter of one of our valued members, Callie Long Conley called to tell us her mother was celebrating her 99^th birthday and that when Callie was asked what she wanted for her birthday she said, “That new cookbook that Todd is talking about in the Historical Comments column!”  Well, this has pleased and heightened our spirits here at the “home twenty” to a high degree!

            Callie and her late sister Gladys Spradling were among our first members of the Magoffin County Historical Society back in 1979 when we began printing our quarterly journals.  They have helped us with material for printing in our publications all through the years.

            While Dorothy was talking with Mary, she asked if Mary would send us a story of Callie’s life along with some pictures to insert in the last volume of the Life Along the Licking River series. A few days later, we received a wonderful story with pictures of Callie’s childhood home on Litteral Fork, also of Callie and her husband Edwin Conley and pictures taken on her 99^th birthday.

            This story is typed into the manuscript and now we are anxious to get it into print.  This book will be the next publication we print just after we complete the last volume of the Salute to Veteran’s book.  That one is being printed as we speak so it shouldn’t be long before the Licking River volume will be ready.  It is sad as we work on this book as we are losing so many of our veterans.  Just last week we had the sad task of performing DAV rites for three, Harold Dean Collins, Arlie Barnett, and Paul Edward Arnett.  We are also remembering the family of veteran Jesse Miller.

            While on the topic of the Licking River volume, we want to send our condolences to the family of Bessie Patrick Montgomery who died at age 93 the first day of January this year.  Bessie was the daughter of Green Patrick and Nannie Barnett.  She was the widow of Howard Montgomery.  We are privileged to have had Bessie’s daughter Jewel Howard send us family memories and pictures which we have printed in previous volumes of the Life Along the Licking River book.  Reading about her life has inspired us to add a section to the Licking River book on our citizens who have lived into their 90’s and beyond. 

            There are so many oral histories that need to be recorded and put into print and we urge you to do this for your family if you have not already done so.  Time passes quickly and erases much from our memories.  Try to record stories and memories of your family then they will not be forgotten. 

            Along these lines, we want to attempt to answer an email from Desirae Colwell who is searching for her Henry family roots.  She is the daughter of Richard Clark Henry and the granddaughter of Denzel Ray Henry.  Denzel Ray was a son of Oron Arnett Henry and Rissie Gullett.  We have the following as children of Oron and Rissie (Gullett) Henry: (1) Merle Henry b. 1912 m. Clyde Arnett; (2) Garland Henry b. 1914 m. Grace Salyer, (3) Harold Henry b. 1917 m. Grace Holbrook, (4) Denzel Ray Henry b. 1920 m. Betty Moyer, (5) Jewel Henry b. 1926 m. Oscar Arnett, (6) Ishmael Henry b. 1928 m. Gladys Reed.

            Denzel and his father Oron Henry both died in April of 1972.  Oron, a resident of Gifford, KY died at age 77 on April 17^th and his son died April 25^th at his home in Phoenix, Arizona.  Oron, Rissie and son Denzel are buried in the Gullett Cemetery located on the Chalmer Gullett farm at the mouth of Middle Fork.  This cemetery was copied in 1978 by the late Imogene Caudill who helped us greatly in our work of recording Magoffin County cemeteries.

            Oron’s wife Rissie’s family is included in our Gullett family books.  She was born 1 Aug 1896 and died 11 Jul 1975, a daughter of Wiley Gullett and Sarah Jane Burton. 

            Wiley Gullett was born in 1874, a son of Daniel L. Gullett and Sarah Salyer.  Daniel L. Gullett and Sarah Jane are buried in the Gullett Cemetery on White Oak, Morgan Co. KY as copied for us by Brent Gullett in 2003.

            Daniel L. Gullett was born in 1844 and died in 1926, a son of Wiley S. Gullett and Jane Pelphrey.  Wiley’s wife was Sarah Jane Salyer b. 1849 d. 1902, dau of John “Ferryman” Salyer and Evaline Jackson. 

            Wiley S. Gullett b. 1820 was a son of William Gullett b. 1785 Wilkes Co. NC and Tempy Hopper b. 1793, dau of John Hopper and Anna Wilson.

            We had much help on this line of the Gullett family from Teddy Michael Prater, Sharroll Minix, Gay Gullett Wilson and Sue Mortimer as well as many others.

            We have strayed somewhat from Desirae Ann Henry Colwell’s question on the Henry family line.  In our family histories and in his obituary, Oran Henry’s parents are given as Jim Henry and Sarah Josephine Patrick.  Desirae would  like to hear from any of her Henry family relatives so please get in touch with us here at 191 South Church Street in Salyersville, KY 41465 (telephone 606-349-1607 or email [email protected]) if you can help her or us with more information.