Documenting the Details

Archives for January 2010

Surname Saturday: Taylor

Today’s surname is Taylor, the name of my maternal grandmother. Emma Ewers Taylor Born 24 Oct 1900, Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky Married Elmer Dennis Hopkins 11 Oct 1920, Jellico, Campbell County, Tennessee Died 19 Jan 1978, Harlan, Harlan County, Kentucky Buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky John Cook Taylor Born 25 […]

James Hankins’ Farewell Letter Before Sailing

James Bailey Hankins was the son of Lee and Samantha Hankins and the brother of my grandmother, Verda McCauley. (He had a hand in naming me but that’s a story for another day.) When I was growing up it was an event when Uncle Jimmy came to Kentucky from California for a visit. He was […]

Madness Monday: The Father of James Arton Hopkins

Oral family history tells us that James Arton “Jim” Hopkins and his brother, William Columbus “Lum” Hopkins, were the sons of Stephen Wolfenbarger and Eliza Hopkins. “The story” passed down through the family is that Eliza and Stephen got married and had two boys, Stephen went off to fight for the Confederacy in the Civil […]

Surname Saturday: Lanier

Today’s surname is Lanier, the birth name of my paternal grandfather. John William “Will” McCauley (aka Thomas Jefferson “Jeff” Lanier): Born 1 Mar 1875, Alabama (either Chambers or Randolph County); Married Verda Waller Hankins 27 Sep 1904 Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky; Died 20 Jul 1959 Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky; Buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Greenville, […]

Treasure Chest Thursday: Square Nails

Jim & Cindy Hopkins moved their family from Wallins Creek in Harlan County, Kentucky to Rockcastle County between 1900-1902. Their new home was this 2-story house near Brodhead on what is now KY 1326. According to family legend, troops used the house during the Civil War and almost 40 years later bloodstains from wounded soldiers […]

Tombstone Tuesday: Emma & Elmer Hopkins

Elmwood Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky Hopkins Emma E. – Oct 24, 1900-Jan 19, 1978 Elmer D. – Apr 2, 1894-May 26, 1980 Emma Ewers Taylor was the daughter of John Cook Taylor and Emma Jane Owens. She was born in Rockcastle County, Kentucky and died in Harlan County, Kentucky. Elmer Dennis Hopkins was […]

Surname Saturday: Hopkins

Today’s surname is Hopkins, the name of my maternal grandfather. Elmer Dennis Hopkins Born 2 Apr 1894, Wallins Creek, Harlan County, Kentucky Married Emma Ewers Taylor 11 Oct 1920, Jellico, Campbell County, Tennessee Died 26 May 1980, Harlan, Harlan County, Kentucky Buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky James Arton “Jim” Hopkins Born […]

Surname Saturday: Taylor

James Francis Taylor and Margaret E. Ramsey  James Francis Taylor was born on 8 Jul 1830 in Garrard County, Kentucky. He was the son of William Taylor and Martha Ramsey. The family moved to neighboring Rockcastle County sometime between 1840 and 1850.  Margaret E. Ramsey was born on 15 Nov 1840 in Rockcastle County. She […]

Ancestor Bio: Isabella Jane Goodloe

Isabella Jane “Janie” Goodloe was born 172 years ago this month on 27 Jan 1838 in Hopkins County, Kentucky. She was the first of four children born to John Emerson “Jack” Goodloe and Eliza Ann Dobyns. By the time Janie turned 11 years old, her mother had died and her father had married Elizabeth Pettus. […]