Alleghany Historical-Genealogical Society, Inc.

P.O. BOX 817, Sparta, N.C. 28675

President: M.O. Zimmerman				
Vice President: Robert J. Andrews
Secretary-Treasurer: Lou Reid Landreth

Vol. 4, No. 2		 	              June 1982 			BULLETIN NO. 11

From the President:

	New members and those renewing their membership for 1982 total 110.  Even though June 1 is the deadline when non paid members are dropped from the roll of the Society, it is hoped that many will take early action to renew their membership.  THE SOCIETY NEEDS YOU!

	Regarding the “Alleghany County Heritage” book, the original target dates for receipt of advance orders, family history sketches and photographs have now expired.  Although the number of people responding had been generally good, it is felt that some additional time is needed to permit a greater number of family histories to be submitted. An additional sixty days will be allowed for this purpose, which makes he deadline for receipt of advance orders and family history material August 15, 1982.

	In an effort to help people write family history sketches, the Publisher has cooperated with the Society in sponsoring workshops in the Cherry Lane, Glad Creek, Whitehead, Cranberry, Prathers Creek and Piney Creek townships. One additional workshop is planned—for Gap Civil township to be held at the regular meeting of the Society on June 27.

	REMINDER!! Please get your advance orders in and get to work on family history sketches NOW and submit them to the Society as soon as possible.

	Another reminder: The Society’s office is located upstairs over Farmer’s Hardware (entrance on Main Street) and someone is there t discuss the format of the book and ideas about writing family histories during the following hours: Monday 2:00-4:00; Wednesday 12:00-2:00; and Friday 10:00-1:00.  

	Third Reminder: Regular meetings of the Society are held the fourth Sunday of each month at 2:30 p.m.  Unless otherwise announced, the meetings are held in the downstairs conference room of the Workmen’s Federal Savings and Loan Association.  Please attend these meetings to support your Society.

From the Committees:

CEMETERY: With most of the cemetery surveys now completed, we thought our readers might like to see a few samples.  The following information is copied from a selection of cemetery surveys.  Additional surveys may be presented in future Bulletins.

ABSHER AND IRWIN CEMETERY—Located in Alleghany County, Prathers Creek township, off US 221 on SR 110 ½ mile from Irwin Grocery School.  Property owned by Delano Choate Surveyed May 13, 1981 by Robert Andrews, Lou Reid Landreth and the Zimmerman’s. 
										 Additional
Grave #		Name		Date of Birth		Date of Death		 Information
 
1 	Absher, Abram		11-10-1829		09-12-1900
2	Absher, Nancy		12-27-1833		02-21-1907
3	Absher, Wm. Hardin	06-20-1860		03-21-1928
4	Irwin, William					08-27-1906
5	Irwin, Nancy					06-05-1889
6	Irwin, D.F.		03-25-1884		06-08-1889
7	Irwin, Sarah Ann							Child
8	Atwood, Laura								Child
9	Irwin, Franklin								Child
10	Irwin, Rausa								Child
11	Irwin, Mary								Child
12	Irwin, Matlida
13	Billings, Ollie		09-11-1896		10-13-1896		Baby
14	Petty, Ennice		10-11-1874		07-08-1897
15	Petty, Franklin		12-01-?						Baby
16	Absher, Martha		08-08-1862		05-09-1946
17 	Irwin, Marvin F,		      Unmarked              			Child

JAMES ANDREWS CEMETERY—Located in Alleghany County, Cherry Lane township, SR 1428, about 2 miles east of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church.  Property owned by Quincy Higgins.  Surveyed February 25, 1980 by Clifford Rector.

1	Andrews, James			1802		1893
2 	Andrews, Elizabeth Crouse	1809		1887
3	Andrews, Burrus		1843		1931
4	Andrews, Lucy Dougherty	1856		1947
5	Andrews, James, Jr.		1847		1859
6	Infant				1868		1868              Child of Martin & Catherine          
Andrews

7 	Andrews, Brady			1879		1880	   Son of Burrus & Lucy Andrews
8	Andrews, Coy			1897		1901	   Son of Burrus & Lucy Andrews
9	Unmarked
10	Unmarked
11	Unmarked

BROOKS CEMETERY—Located in Alleghany County, Gap Civil township, off SR 1426 on top of hill about 1 mile from property owner’s trailer on right of road.  Large gate to enter the field is locked.  Property owned by Kenneth Hudson.  Surveyed November 4, 1979 by Lou Reid and Alton Landreth.

  Additional
Grave #		Name		Date of Birth		Date of Death		 Information

1	Perry, Samuel Jr.	08-27-1921		08-27-1932	Darling we miss thee
2	Perry, Sam L.		05-10-1892		04-18-1955	
3	Andrews, Nancy Brooks	12-13-1860		06-12-1953	
4     Brooks, Hugh Montgomery 	05-02-1850		12-14-1938	Until we meet again
	        M.D.
5	Brooks, William Alfred	           1822		01-24-1908
6	Brooks, Sarah Mahala	11-18-1833		12-11-1909
7	Brooks, R.W.		12-14-1860		02-28-1936
8	Brooks, Ellen H.		08-06-1861		02-11-1944
9	Brooks, Joshua E.	07-17-1872		02-22-1939	God’s finger touched 
									him and he slept

10	Brooks, Laura A.	11-07-1854		04-02-1942	Her memory is blessed
11	Brooks, Robert E.	12-27-1879		01-20-1966
12	Brooks, Rosa C.		09-24-1878		09-08-1965
13	Brooks, Johnny Howard	03-02-1964		03-03-1964 Son of Bobby & Ellen Brooks
14	Brooks, Delbert G.	08-12-1934		10-17-1974
15	Brooks, Luther M.	04-20-1894		10-20-1962
16	Caudill, Martha
	   Washington 		09-01-1903		07-14-1952
17	Unmarked
18	B. O. B.									2 years
19	E. M. B.									2 years
20 	Hayes, Dora Brooks	10-22-1896	            01-31-1933      A tender mother & faithful
									           friend.  
21 	Brooks, B.B.		           1874		         1955
22	Hayes, Willard M.	08-30-1905		10-09-1956	Pvt. 6, field artillery
23	Unmarked
24	Edwards, William	            1745		ca       1830	Born in England
25	Edwards, Nancy Carter	ca        1750		ca       1835	Born in England
26 thru 31 are unmarked graves

GUY CROUSE CEMETERY—Located in Alleghany, Gap Civil township, on SR 1403, about ¾ mile from forks of road, south. Property owned by Howard Moxley.  Surveyed August 15, 1981 by Howard Moxley.

1	Toliver, Solomon
2	Toliver, Solomon’s wife
3	Crouse, Willie
4	Crouse, Guy
5	Crouse, Father of Guy & Willie
6	Crouse, Mother of Guy & Willie
7	Hendrix, Child
All graves are marked with fieldstones and no dates

CENTER EDWARDS CEMETERY—Located in Alleghany County, Gap Civil township, off US 21, 1 ½ miles North of Sparta, North of Highway in woods facing Maxwell house to he East.  Property owned by C.W. Higgins heirs.  Surveyed by Marjorie Armentrout and Kathleen Maxwell.

  Additional
Grave #		Name		Date of Birth		Date of Death		 Information

1	Edwards, R. Jeff		02-20-1871		02-23-1921
2	Edwards, Olie V.
	         (Caudill)		09-09-1872		03-09-1954		Wife of R. Jeff
3	Edwards, Verdie L.	11-14-1895		04-15-1909
4	Edwards, J. Elmer	01-09-1899		01-09-1899	      Son of R. Jeff & Olie
5	Edwards, Infant		06-08-1897		06-08-1897             Son of W.S. & Mary E.
6	Choate, Sally Edwards	01-13-1809		04-06-1897	  Wife of Richard Choate
7	Edwards, Mary Jane	07-09-1836		03-15-1899
8	Edwards, Center	06-02-1826		08-13-1901
9	Weaver, Rosa Jane	12-17-1862		08-16-1888         Wife of James A. Weaver
10	Edwards, John C.	07-21-1853		02-20-1890
11	Edwards, Mary Ellen
		(Cheek)		10-13-1857		01-26-194
12	Edwards, Maude
	   Emeline		08-22-1891		09-19-1892	Dau. Of H.S. & M.E.
13 	Edwards, Infant		12-04-1905		12-04-1905	Son of R.C. & L.E.
14	Edwards, William B.	01-11-1900		06-02-1901
15	Edwards, Rufus Center	10-29-1877		01-05-1958
16	Edwards, Laura Etta	01-03-1878		01-05-1906	Wife of Rufus Center
17	stone unidentified
18	Edwards, H. (Haywood)	08-08-1824		10-17-1894
19	Edwards, James Morris	05-11-1855		04-25-1885
20	Edwards, Infant		12-26-1880		12-26-1880	Dau. of J.M. & L.A.
21	Edwards, Infant		12-12-1878		12-12-1878	Dau. of J.M & L.A.
22	Edwards, Berry		02-20-1799		05-13-1870
23	Edwards, Ruth		           1800		07-15-1864	Wife of Berry
24	Whitehead, Synthia	03-15-1842		09-24-1877	Dau. of Sarah
25	small stone unidentified
26	Norman, Caroline	03-10-1834		01-06-1893	Wife of M.T. Norman
27	Blevins, Sarah Jane	04-03-1855		09-05-1889	Wife of Hudson Blevins
28	Edwards, Sally (Willey)	05-03-1842		11-11-1884	1st wife of H.S. Edwards
29	Edwards, H.S. (Hiram)	02-02-1838		07-03-1909	
30	Edwards, Mary Jane	10-23-1850		02-12-1890       Wife of Hiram S. Edwards
31	Edwards, Murtie Anis	05-16-1880		10-01-1893	Dau. of H.S.  & M.E.
32	Edwards, Florence L.	03-25-1885		02-17-1927	Wife of George M.
33	Edwards, Paul m.	01-11-1905		05-15-1907	Son of G.M. & Florence
34	unidentified stone
35	Edwards, Berry Jr.	08-04-1831		12-17-1889
36	Edwards, Amanda	12-28-1839		07-04-1895	Wife of Berry
37	Hall, John		05-22-1902		03-20-1921	Son of Mary Hall
38	unidentified stone
39	Edwards, Infant							Dau. of ? Edwards
40	Garrison (flat cement slab)			            1923	Was working on the new
									Hwy. 21 and died here.

HISTORY: There’s more activity every day in connection with “Alleghany County Heritage”.  We are quite busy during our office hours, helping with family history sketches, photographs, etc.  We have received a good number of completed family histories and related pictures.  Orders for he book are gradually coming in.  Many people have expressed their pleasure that the deadline has been extended.  We feel that we are making progress.

	In the workshops that have been held in the various townships, Bill Reasonover of the Hunter Publishing Company has given us many suggestions to prod our thinking about getting to work on writing our family history sketches.  Some ideas are as follows:

	// Think of several traits of your family you would like for a yet unborn grandchild to know about.

	// Was ours a close family which spent vacations, holidays, birthdays together? (Describe). 

	// Are there tales of Civil War service and other military service which should be recorded?

	//Sometimes a word or phrase may suggest something you may wish to write about.  Think about the follow:

·	the first family car				when the bank failed
·	how family laundry was done			first memories of radio and TV
·	sports in the community				vacation Bible School
·	fire destroys family property			weddings
·	the family garden				memories of the first grade
childhood work task at home

// Describe a person you are writing about.  Was he or she

·	tall?			fat?			happy?			somber?
·	red headed?		quiet?			a “talker”?		serious?
·	a good cook?		a good hunter?		interested in politics?
·	A neat dresser?		a piano player		fun to be around?

// List two of three values imparted to you which you now value.  How did these come to you and from which family member?

// Remember any family folk tales?

// Did your family have special visitors that you like to remember?

	DID THIS GIVE YOU ANY IDEAS? Get into family discussions about old times.  Its fun! Don’t forget to get out the old family album and pick out some pictures you would like to see in “Alleghany County Heritage.”  

RAMBLER’S REST

	In December of 1937, Anyce Irwin Shepherd and “Charlie” Shepherd opened a combination gas station and grocery store, and they named it “Rambler’s Rest”.  “It was Shell gas then, and it still is today.”  Bare & Little, Co., or “little bear” as she calls it, has supplied her with dry goods since this time. Anyce, or Mama Shepherd as she is called by her grandchildren, had no intention of ever opening a store; but her husband’s health unexpectedly broke down, and they could no longer depend on their farm for a livelihood.  
	Prices have changed tremendously since the store’s early days.  In the late 1930’s, she bought a case of soft drinks for 80 cents.  Today, that same case of drinks costs over $7.00.  Cigarettes have jumped from 15 cents to 55 cents.  “Coffee has gone through the roof.”  
	1938 was a year of tremendous trail for Anyce.  In April, her husband was shot and killed in their own backyard. At the time, he was deputy sheriff of Alleghany County.  The man that shot him became the first man from Alleghany County to be put to death.  Anyce now found herself in the position of being the single parent of six children and running a store at the same time.  
	Nevertheless, Anyce has always faced tribulations with courage, and her courage continues to strengthen all those whom she touches.  So, the store survived, and her family became closer than ever.  In 1942, at the time of the war, she had o close the store because the business could not progress on war stamps. She re-opened the store in the early part of 1945.  
	The store has been opened continuously since 1945; a grand total of 42 years of service to the Scottsville Community.  Today, at the age of eighty-four, Anyce Shepherd sees no possibility of closing the “Rambler’s Rest”.  

						Prepared by the Alleghany High School
						         Genealogical Research Class
								    1981

LIBRARY: The Society has received five beautifully arranged volumes, donated by member John Roberts of Columbus, Ohio.  They contain materials from the Roberts family collection, including copies of old deeds, school census records, bonds, accounts, old letters and many other papers on various families in Alleghany County.  We are fortunate to have this material and are grateful to Mr. Roberts.

MUSEUM: Chairman Roy Crouse is still scouting out possibilities for a Museum in the County.  Nothing feasible has turned up so far, but we hope patience and fortitude will win out.  It is a huge undertaking, so we feel that we should proceed cautiously.

The County Commissioners have allocated an initial sum of money to our cause, for which we are appreciative.  We urge our members to keep in min the financial needs of the Museum.  Our greatest need at this point is for financial donations to be made in sufficiently large amounts to enable us to purchase or build suitable quarters.  We therefore solicit any donations people would care to make in support of this worthy cause.  Such donations would, of course, be tax deductible.

INQUIRES: Patricia Turpin, Pulaski, VA, wants to know the parents’ birthdates and names for David Fender who married Phoebe__________.

W.N. Giles, Troutville, VA, wants to find out about Margaret Walker who lied as a servant in Bert Stidham’s family in 1880, Alleghany County.  In 1888 she was present when son, Huston, married in Alleghany County.