This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the JUNE 19, 2014 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            We want to thank Gail King Mortimer and Patsy Poe for bringing Billie Jean Queen from Ashland, KY in to our library to visit us recently. All of them are descendants of the Howards, although from different branches of the family.   Billie Jean is the daughter of Farmer Picklesimer and Elouise Howard.  Her mother had once been a member of our historical society. 

Her father’s family is from neighboring Johnson County.  Farmer was a son of Isaac Jackson “Bud” Picklesimer (1860-1930) and his 2^nd wife Amanda Jane Conley.  Amanda was born in 1869, a daughter of Isaiah Conley and Polly Mahan.  Bud Picklesimer’s first wife was also named Amanda – Amanda Jane Spradlin (1853-1915), a daughter of Michael Spradlin and Elizabeth Shaver.  They had a son William Albert Picklesimer b. 1881 d. 1943 and apparently were divorced prior to 1884 which was the year Bud married Amanda Jane Conley. 

Bud Picklesimer’s parents were Sam Picklesimer and Phoebe Rice. Phoebe was the daughter of Dr. Isaac Rice and Celia Conley. 

Bud Picklesimer and Amanda Conley had these children: (1) Samuel Thomas Picklesimer b. 1885, (2) David Sherman Picklesimer b. 1888, (3) James Monroe Picklesimer b. 1894, (4) Sanford Green Picklesimer b. 1896, (5) Kessteria Picklesimer b 1899, (6) Farmer Picklesimer b. 1901, (7) John Elbert Picklesimer b. 1903, (8) Charles Wayne Picklesimer b. 1903 and (9) Millard Picklesimer b. 1905.

            Farmer Picklesimer’s wife Elouise Howard was the daughter of Lacy Howard and Pearl Carpenter. Lacy and Pearl lived in Greenup Co. KY where Lacy died in a house fire 20 Feb 1976. He and his wife Pearl are buried in the Howard Cemetery, Boyd Co. KY.

            Farmer’s grandfather was Samuel Picklesimer whose family shows in the 1870 Johnson County, KY census.  Samuel b. ca. 1838 and his wife Phoebe were the parents of (1) Mary Ann Picklesimer, (2) Isaac Picklesimer, (3) John H. Picklesimer, (4) Benjamin Picklesimer, (5) Celia Jane Picklesimer, (6) Nathaniel Picklesimer, (7) Thomas Picklesimer and (8) James Picklesimer b. about 1870.  There may have been other children.

 Now to Billie Jean’s Magoffin county ancestors: Her maternal grandfather Lacy Howard was a son of John E. Howard and Polly Ann Salyer (b. 1851).  John E. Howard was a son of Lewis Howard and Elizabeth Shepherd.  Lewis Howard was a son of John E. Howard and Nancy Cameron.  John E. Howard was a son of James Howard and Elizabeth Green and a grandson of Thomas Howard and Letty Durham.  Elizabeth was a daughter of Lewis Green. 

James Howard was born about 1772 in Wilkes Co. GA and died 11 Jan 1857 Breathitt Co. KY.  He was also the ancestor of the Howard researchers who visited us last week.  You will remember that Bob and Betty Whitaker along with a group of descendants and visitors set a marker for James and Elizabeth (Green) Howard a few weeks ago.

Polly Ann was a daughter of William Salyer and LouQueen Howard.  William (known as “Wee Willie” Salyer was a son of John Salyer (b. 22 Jul 1803 d. 10 Mar 1865) and Polly Watkins.  John was a son of William M. Salyer (b. 1775 NC) and Nancy Raney or Ramey.  Polly was a daughter of Thomas Watkins.

“Wee Willie” Salyer’s wife LouQueen Howard (b. 1825) was a daughter of John Howard and Nancy Cameron.

Eloise Howard Picklesimer’s mother Pearl (wife of Lacy Howard) was born about 1898, the daughter of Leander Carpenter and Josie Conley.  Leander was born in 1855 and died in 1946.  His parents were Fielding Carpenter, Jr. (1824-1864) and Jennie Howard (1822-1880).  Leander first married Bethany Lovely (1862-1890) and they had four children (1) Parrott Carpenter b. 1879, (2) Mary Carpenter b. 1880, (3) Eli “Bud” Carpenter b. 1883 and (4) John Carpenter b. 1891. 

Leander’s 2^nd marriage was to Josephine “Josie” Conley b. 1866 d. 1946.  They were the parents of six additional children: (5) Bessie Carpenter b. 1893, (6) Grace Carpenter b. 1896, (7) Pearl Carpenter b. 1898, (8) Sanford Carpenter b. 1901, (9) James Carpenter b. 1904 and (10) Charles Carpenter b. 1907.  These Carpenter families lived in Breathitt County.  Leander was a next door neighbor to Pearl and Delilah Manns in 1900.  His death record says he died 24 December 1946 at age 91 in Johnson Co. KY.

Josephine Conley Carpenter was born in 1866 and died in 1946.  She was the daughter of John D. Conley (1825-1903) and Leesther Lawhorn (1829-1916).  John and Leesther are buried in the Conley Cemetery on Snaggy Hollow in Knott Co. KY.  John D. was a son of David Conley.  Leesther’s parents were John B. Lawhorn and Elizabeth Isabella Evans.

This family research has taken us down memory lane as we recall the many people we became associated with through the various family lines mentioned, the Howard’s of the Bullmire section of the county above Royalton, KY; the Conley and the Carpenter families.  Billie Jean’s family is related to so many people in our area.