This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the OCTOBER 9, 2014 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

                We have spent a great many hours these past few weeks working on the Index to the six volume set of Magoffin County Salute to Veteran’s books.  We had much additional info to add to the index (about 300 pages worth!) and we are well pleased with our efforts.  We expect to get into finalizing the pages and print this volume this week.

                A relative of Ole Todd’s came to visit this week.  Mr. Ethan J. McCague of Summerville, SC and his son were here researching the Helton family.  Ethan is a great grandson of Jack Rodgers.  Jack Rodgers’ mother was Cornelia Helton who married Allen McClain Rodgers and lived in New York.  When we printed the Helton book we believed Cornelia to be the only child of George Helton, Jr. and his wife Mary N. Howard. Some researchers are not sure of her mother’s name; Cornelia may have been a daughter of Anna Estridge.

                Son Toddie Preston and Ole Todd escorted Mr. McCague to visit the Helton marker in the Christian Churchyard here in Magoffin County, honoring the family of George Helton and Malinda Wade.  This marker was set in 1996 during the Helton family Founders Days celebration.  We next went to Conley Branch of Mash Fork here in Magoffin County to visit the George Helton, Jr. Cemetery.  My grandfather Ephraim Helton is also buried there.   Ephraim was a brother to Cornelia, Ethan’s ancestor.  We are glad to make contact with this branch of the family again after so many years and hope that with further research we can learn more about our family.

                Visiting from Minneapolis, MN was Janet LeMaster Orescanin who was searching for info on Newcarius Salyer.  She was born in 1832, a daughter of Levi Salyer and Mary Carty.  This is a family that lived in neighboring Johnson County but also have several descendants in Magoffin County. 

                Levi Salyer was born about 1800 in Russell Co. VA and died 1845 in Johnson Co. KY.  His first wife was Matilda and we do not presently know her surname.  His second wife was Mary Carty, also born in Russell Co. VA.  Mary was a daughter of David Carty.  Mary Carty married 2^nd to Henry Conley.

                Levi was a son of Zachariah Salyer, Jr. and a grandson of Zachariah Salyer, Sr.  Zachariah, Jr.  was born in 1765 North Carolina and died in Johnson Co. KY.  By oral tradition, we are told that his wife was Mary Saylor, a sister to Solomon Saylor. 

                We worked with Wava Brickman of Cape Coral, FL with her ancestry. Her parents were Henry Wireman and Kate Whitaker.  We were able to help her with all her family as we have collected and printed information on nearly all her family lines. Her paternal grandparents were Amos Wireman and Sally Hale.  Amos was a son of Abraham Wireman and Nancy Jane Arnett.  Abraham was a son of Jacob Wireman and Susannah Sizemore.  Abraham’s wife Nancy Jane was a daughter of David Arnett, Jr. and Polly Joseph.

                Amos Wireman’s wife Sally was a daughter of Ben Hale and Betty Shepherd.

                On Wava’s maternal line, her grandparents were Vinson Whitaker and Vina Wireman.  Vinson was a son of Daniel Whitaker who married in 1876 to Amanda Howard.  Daniel was a son of Frank Whitaker and Clarinda Brown.  Amanda was a daughter of John E. Howard and Susannah Shepherd who are buried in the head of the Licking River area, near the home of Mrs. William J. (Hazel) Shepherd.  New markers were placed at their gravesites a few years ago by the Magoffin County Historical Society.  Later, Karen Coffey Wilson, working with members of her family, identified several unmarked gravesites and placed new markers, making this cemetery a beautiful place to visit.

                Vincent’s wife Vina was a daughter of Morganthal “Morgan” Wireman and Elizabeth “Betty” Shepherd.  Morgan was called “Bright Eyes”, a nickname neighbors used to distinguish him from the several other Morgan Wireman’s in the area.  Morgan was a son of John B. Shepherd and Florence Sizemore.  Florence was a sister to Susannah Sizemore, they being daughters of George “Goldenhawk” Sizemore and Sallie Anderson.  Morgan is buried on the Vanderpool Cemetery, Straight Fork of Licking, Gunlock, KY. Getting markers for the gravesites of Hezekiah Vanderpool and his wife Elizabeth Hamilton Vanderpool and their son, Rev. R. L. Vanderpool was one of the last projects of the late Raleigh Shepherd, Jr., a friend and volunteer worker of our historical society.  Raleigh was not able to get the markers set in his lifetime so Bob and Betty Whittaker of SC, Raleigh’s brother-in-law Willie Conley, Preston Hale, his son Brandon Hale along with Dorothy Wireman and I helped get the job done. This was on July 20, 2007.   At that time, we also reset the marker for Morgan Wireman.  We found 20 or more unmarked graves on this cemetery.

                We have been able to add some new information to the Rudd family manuscript, thanks to the visit of Wilma Warford Taulbee of Frankfort, KY.  Wilma’s grandparents were John Kelly May (1889-1916) and his wife Nora Ellen Rudd.  Kelly May was a son of Wallace May and Angeline Amyx.  Angeline was a daughter of Peter Amyx.

                Kelly’s wife Nora Rudd was a daughter of Robert Lee “R. L.” Rudd and his wife Jincy Patrick.  R. L. was a son of Archibald Rudd, Jr. and his wife Nancy Jane Burton.  Jincy Patrick was a daughter of William Patrick and Rebecca Lykins.  R. L., Jincy and their daughter Nora Ellen Rudd May are all buried in West Chester, Ohio.  John Kelly May is buried in Magoffin Co. KY in the May Cemetery located at the mouth of Whitt Harper Branch.

We want to mention the visit a few weeks ago of Murl F. Caudill of Stanford, KY who was here to research Adams and related family ancestry.  We took them to the cemetery behind the Burning Springs church on Coal Branch where Elmon Conley had a marker set for his grandparents Benjamin Caudill and Abigail Pennington.  Murl’s family and Todd’s family are both descendants of Benjamin Caudill.  Elmon’s wife Pauline had flowers placed on these gravesites for many years, so, in her memory, we continued the tradition.  Mr. Caudill, along with his wife and family were very pleased to be a part of placing the memorial flowers.  We have many fond memories of Pauline and Elmon who lived a distance away but who visited us several times a year and wrote many letters to us.  His writing contributions are a valued part of several of our publications.