Day 134

Today was a long day and much of it frustrating.

I headed for Meade County stopping at the public library to look for any additional information on the Hayneses. A history of the county mentioned 4g grandparents William and Agnes Haynes. William and his family emigrated from Bedford County, VA about 1805. William was a farmer but also served as county surveyor from 1840 to 1867. A discussion on slavery (in the county history) had an interesting connection with other parts of the family. "Another slave owner, Henry Haynes of Brandenberg, had sent his slaves from the county. They were working on the farm of George Atkinson at Henderson, KY." William (b. 1773) was 20 years older than George (b.1793) and separated by 60+ miles but they obviously knew each other due to the commercial traffic on the Ohio. Their two families would be joined when, in 1900, George's grandson Hugh Letcher Atkinson married Elizabeth Bowmer, Henry Haynes' great granddaughter.

I then searched the countryside for the Haynes cemetery. It is hidden somewhere on a farm but I had no luck finding it. Ditto with the Bowmer cemetery in Breckinridge County. Ditto with Edward DeHaven's grave - even with new directions. Finally, I went searching again for the Sterett Cemetery - since I had to go that way to get to Henderson. Driving Skillman Road for the 6th time, I peered through the weeds down a long embankment and found the stones. The cemetery is in very poor shape. Many graves are broken or knocked down. Weeds abound. It is very sad. I found John Sterett (4gg) and his second wife Polly but no Sarah DeHaven Sterett - our 4g grandmother. It is hard to know that the graves of both Sarah and her father, a Revolutionary War hero, have virtually disappeared. William Sterett's grave (3gg) was there but not one for his wife Elizabeth Holt Sterett.

About 3pm I finally arrived in Henderson, KY. After checking into a motel, I found Atkinson Park - named for our gg Edward. It is a lovely location bordering the Ohio River with playgrounds, walking paths, a disc golf course, athletic fields, and picnic areas. I then went to the Fernwood Cemetery. Hooray for having the lot numbers and for a cemetery office that is manned and has maps! SUCCESS all around. I found Hugh and Elizabeth Atkinson's graves - our great grandparents. I found a Letcher monument with James Hughes Letcher and Nannie T. Kennedy Letcher (3gg). And finally - for those cousins who asked my why we never have a large monument - A huge obelisk for George Atkinson with a large horizontal crypt for his wife Lucy Ann Holloway Atkinson. Our 3 gg (Edward and Nancy Letcher Atkinson) and numerous other relatives were there as well. Nice they all keep each other company. Quite a contrast to my efforts earlier in the day.

Tomorrow - library time working particularly on the Holloways.