Melissa A. Petty

The fate of Melissa A. Petty is unknown. She was the oldest of John R. Petty and Margaret E. Thomas’s ten children, born about 1858 in Tennessee. In 1860, two-year-old Melissa lived with her parents and three-month-old brother in McMinn County, Tennessee.¹1860 U.S. census, McMinn Co., TN, population schedule, District #16, p. 146, dwelling 1068, family 1068, J. R. Petty; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7667 : accessed 5 Nov 2009); from NARA microfilm M653, roll 1262. By 1870, the family lived in Logan County, Kentucky, and had grown to include four more children. Melissa’s age was listed as eleven.²1870 U.S. census, Logan Co., KY, population schedule, Keysburg Dist., p. 33, dwelling 185, family 185, John R. Petty; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7163 : accessed 5 Nov 2009); from NARA microfilm M593, roll 483. Those two census records are the only records found to date identifying Melissa.

The six youngest children moved to Forsyth County, Georgia, after Margaret’s death in 1876.³1880 U.S. census, Forsyth Co., GA, population schedule, Coal Mountain, enumeration district (ED) 78, p. 24, dwelling 240, family 240, J. M. Echols; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6742 : accessed 5 Nov 2009); from NARA microfilm T9, roll 147; five Petty children listed as niece and nephews. 1880 U.S. census, Forsyth Co., GA, population schedule, Cumming, enumeration district (ED) 73, p. 357B, dwelling 49, family 52, James W. Tribble; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6742 : accessed 3 Sep 2010); from NARA microfilm T9, roll 146; Oliver P. Listed as adopted son. Milton and Samantha remained in Hopkins County, Kentucky.⁴Hopkins Co., KY, Marriages, 11-1877–3-1880: 302, Hankins–Petty, 1879; Hopkins Co. Clerk, Madisonville. 1880 U.S. census, Hopkins Co., KY, population schedule, Court House Dist #2, enumeration district (ED) 191, p. 308D, dwelling 231, family 231, Milton Petty; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6742 : accessed 3 Sep 2010); from NARA microfilm T9, roll 420. Melissa’s whereabouts are unknown.

A newspaper article published around 1934 and Samantha’s obituary in 1944 both give clues about Melissa, although they conflict. The article was about brothers John and Perry reuniting after forty-four years apart. It states John returned to Madisonville, Kentucky, from Georgia to live with “his oldest sister, Mrs. S. A. Hankins, who is now 73 years of age.”⁵“Brothers Reunited After 44 Years; Cobedn Relatives Celebrate,” undated clipping, ca. 1934, from unidentified newspaper (possibly in Harrisburg, IL), privately held by Steve Petty (great-grandson of John Franklin Petty), copy provided via email to Linda McCauley, Mt. Vernon, KY, 10 Mar 2012. But Melissa was the oldest sister. That implies Melissa died before publication of this article or even before John returned to Kentucky. Samantha’s obituary contradicts that theory.

Samantha’s obituary says, “Mrs. Hankins was the last one of her immediate family. Three brothers and a sister have died in the last fifteen months.”⁶“Mrs. Samantha Hankins Influenza Victim,” Madisonville (KY) Messenger, 7 Jan 1944, p. 2, col. 4; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 Aug 2020). Samantha died on 7 January 1944, making the last fifteen months October 1942 through January 1944.⁷“Kentucky, U.S., Death Records, 1852–1965,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1222 : accessed 4 Sep 2013), death certificate no. 1387 (1944), Samantha Angeline Hankins; from microfilm 7016130–7041803, KY Dept. for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort. Brothers Daniel, Joseph, and W. O. died well before 1942.⁸Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com : viewed 23 Nov 2012), memorial 34924113, for Daniel Boone Petty, (Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery, Ball Ground, Cherokee Co., GA), digital image, 6 Feb 2011, by P Hawkins. “Funeral Notices, Petty,” The Constitution (Atlanta, GA), 11 Apr 1937, p 28, col 7; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 Jan 2018. “Kentucky, U.S., Death Records, 1852–1953,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1222 : accessed 4 Sep 2013), 1876, W. O. Petty; from microfilm 994027–994058, KY Dept. for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort. But brothers Perry, John, and Nathaniel died during that 1942 to 1944 timeframe, making the “three brothers” part of that statement accurate.⁹Find A Grave, (https://www.findagrave.com : viewed 23 Nov 2012), memorial 83305363, for Oliver Perry Petty, (Marietta City Cemetery, Marietta, Cobb Co., GA), digital image, 11 Jan 2012, by MHardy. Find A Grave, (https://www.findagrave.com : viewed 23 Jun 2021), memorial 173659800, for John Franklin Petty, (Sunset Lawn Cemetery, Harrisburg, Saline County, IL), digital image, 12 Jan 2021, by Mdeneal. Find A Grave, (https://www.findagrave.com : viewed 23 Jun 2021), memorial 66621676, for Nath T. Petty, (Four Mile Baptist Church Cemetery, Pickens Co., GA), digital image, 24 Apr 2011, by dgresh. Samantha only had two sisters—Melissa and Mary.¹⁰Linda F. McCauley, “John R. Petty & Margaret E. Thomas,” Documenting the Details, 10 Sep 2021 (https://documentingthedetails.com/jrpetty-methomas : accessed 10 Sep 2021); children of John and Margaret established. Mary died in 1891, leaving Melissa as the only possibility for a sister dying in the previous fifteen months.¹¹Friendship Cemetery (Forsyth Co., GA), Mollie E. Hawkins marker, photographed by Linda McCauley, 10 Nov 2011.