A Rude Awakening

A Rude Awakening

From what everyone, including my father, tell me Dad was a pistol growing up.  He seemingly was scared of nothing, and loved a practical joke.  This story takes place when he was about thirteen.

In rural Kentucky, during the early fifties, funerals at home weren't uncommon.  At this time home air-conditioning was unheard of.  Funerals were held quickly and in the summer all of the windows were left open, for obvious reasons.

During this time an elderly gentleman passed and his family held the service at home.  The box was placed next to a window, with flowers surrounding it.

Before the service started the Dad and a friend ducked outside, waiting for the funeral to progress.  Many of the local people stood up to give eulogies to the kindness and love of the fallen gentleman, who they claimed was always good to everyone.

The eulogies and the short sermon ended.  The prayers for the old man began.  This is what the boys had waited for.  As the prayers were said the boys went to work. 

The deceased gentleman suffered from a severe curvature of the spine.  In order for him to fit into the coffin, a leather strap had been used to hold him down.  The boys reached through the window, with their knives, and went to work on the strap.  They were making good time, when the prayers came to an end.  They quickly ducked down, mad that they had been unable to finish.

The boys went back into the home for the final moments of the service, hoping no one would notice that the straps had been bothered.  As the pall bearers were called to come forward and pick up the box, there was a loud SNAP.

All eyes turned to the coffin as the old man, slowly sat up in his box.  There was a shocked silence, followed by screams.  Suddenly everyone wanted to be somewhere else.

No matter how good that old man was alive, no one wanted to be with him now.  They ran through doors and dived through windows.  Everyone moving as quickly as possible.  The way Dad tells it, some are probably running still. 

I still laugh whenever I remember him telling that story.  I like fiction, but the best stories are the true ones.

The Choate Line

The Choate Line

My Choate line arrived in Casey County with my Grandfather George Christopher Choate.  He moved up to Casey from Jamestown, Fentress County, TN around 1933, at about 22.  He met my grandmother Dorothy Bell Allen soon after, and they eloped on a mule borrowed from her uncle.  They had eight children, including one that died soon after birth.

All my life Grandpa was a deeply religious man.  He was a leader in the community, a veteran of WWII, and an honorary Kentucky Colonel.  But in his time, I understand he had had his share of trouble.

Grandpa was from a rather rambunctious family known for handling trouble and making good whiskey.  My great-uncle Jim Choate told me once of a couple of young men who once stole the family still.  They came at night, loaded it in a truck and drove away.  My grandfather and his brothers gathered the mules and took a short cut down the mountain, waiting in the road, shotguns in hand, when the truck arrived.  The older boys piled in the truck with the thieves, and made the men take the still back and set it up.  Grandpa, being the youngest, had to take the mules back.  The older Choate boys convinced the miscreants that stealing their still was a bad idea.  They also impressed upon them that if anything else happened to the family business, that they would know who did it, and the appropriate action would result.  The still was left alone there after.

While watching "Sergeant York" Grandpa told me he used to deliver to the bar featured in the movie.  It was divided down the middle with Kentucky on one side and Tennessee on the other.  He would take loads of moonshine from the still and travel cross country, avoiding the roads and revenuers to deliver to the local drinking establishments.

Grandpa's parents were Andrew Jackson Choate and Judy Ann Gunter.  Judy was the daughter of the largest store owner in the country.  From what I understand she loved G-Grandpa, but her father didn't care for him.

Through Judy Ann Gunter to her mother Lady Ann Smith to her mother Juda Garrett to her mother Margaret Lovice Flowers to her mother Anna Garret to her father Stephen Burton Garrett to his Mother Susannah Burton, we reach our Burton line.  This line follows back to the knights Sir Burtons and back to Thomas De Burton of Langner Hall Salop England, born in 1250.  The De Burtons first arrived in England with William the Conqueror.

Andrews parents were George Washington Choate and Nina Ann Scroggins.  I have come across a picture of Nina Ann Scroggins and it mentions George Washington Choate was in the Civil War, but no more.  He had several sons that went west, and there were a few Texas Rangers that were his decendents.

George Washington Choate's parents were John Choate and Nancy Tidrow.  John's parents were Christopher Choate and Nancy Pyburn.  Christopher was the first Choate, of my line, to move to Fentress County, TN.

Christopher's parents were Austin Choate and Elizabeth Naomi Pyburn.  I can find no record of Christopher in the Revolution, but his brothers David and Isaac are both documented volunteers, and his brother Squire Thomas was murdered by Tories.  His brother Moses moved to Oklahoma and many Cherokee and Choctaw Choates are his decedents.

Austin's parents were Christopher Choate and Prudence Staley.  Prudence was full blooded Cherokee and her father was Chief Standing Turkey.  I kid you not.  His picture hangs in the Smithsonian.  Christopher was the first Choate to move south out of Maryland to Virginia.

Christopher's parents were Christopher and Flora Susannah Hawkins they were very successful farmers and land owners in Maryland.  At one time they owned a large part of Anne Arundel County.

Christopher's father was Christopher Choate (Christopher has been a very popular name in the Choate family).  He came to America as an indentured servent in 1676.  His father was also Christopher and his mother Jane.  They were from Essex County, England. The family goes back through three more Christopher Choates, all in Essex County.  The farthest of my line was born in 1530.  He had three sons, John, William, and Christopher Choate.

Casey County, Kentucky

Casey County, Kentucky

One of my hobbies is researching my family tree.  I first went through the Choate line, with much help from rootsweb, to their American arrival in 1676, then back several generation in England.  I found Choate ancestors, from Tennessee, who served in our country's wars from the Civil through WWII.  While this was interesting, what truly grabbed my attention, was Casey County's role in history, when I started researching my other family lines.

We moved from Bush Hog (McFarland) Ridge in Casey County, to Indiana, while I was a child.  Even though we moved north, I missed the hills of home and would head back every summer.  Though I have always loved Casey, I never truly appreciated its historic significance until I started researching my family tree.

My grandfather, Kit Choate, married Dorothy Bell Allen.  Her family extends back to Benjamin Allen.  While young I visited the Allen Cemetery and noticed the old grave stone from 1826, but did not realize how significant it was. 

Benjamin Allen first appeared on the Lincoln County, Kentucky census of 1790.  This area was to become part of Casey County, when it was formed in 1806.  He must have been a very influential man; he raised and commanded a unit of the Virginia Militial in the Revolutionary war, for which he was awarded 1000 acres in Casey County.  The old Allen Cemetery where his body resides was part of the original grant, and the farm that surrounds it is still owned by an Allen.

Grandma Miller was a Hughes.  Her great-grandfather, Calvin George Hughes, was a soldier during the Civil War who died in Casey County.  He is buried in the Lebanon National Cemetery.  His wife and son moved to Casey County.  Calvin's grandson, Grandma's uncle, joined the Army and died in France in 1918, during WWI.

Grandma Miller's mother was a Coffman.  Her great-grandfather, Thomas Kauffman Coffman, enlisted on July 28, 1862, in Casey County and served in Company I 8th Kentucky Volunteers.  He died at Clarksville, TN, in 1863.  Thomas' grandfather Jacob  Kauffman Coffman was from Virginia and served in the Revolutionary War from April, 1777 - 1782.  He was take prisoner at the battle of Eutaw Spring, South Carolina.  He also served in the battles of Monmouth, New Jersey, July 1778; Shamong, NJ; and New Point, VA, October 1781, where Cornwallis surrendered.  Jacob moved to Casey County in 1817.

Grandma's paternal grandmother was Mary Elizabeth "Mollie Crockett."  She was born in Casey County and was a second cousin to Davy Crockett.  Her grandfather, Robert Crockett, was from Frederick County, Virginia, and had his own distinguished history in the Revolutionary War.  He served from 1776 to 1782, and was in the Battle of Kings Mountain.  He moved to Kentucky in 1800.

My uncle David Miller served in Viet Nam, and Grandpa Dave Miller was a sharpshooter in WWII.  Grandpa was part of the Normandy Beech, D-Day Invasion.  Grandpa's gg-grandfather moved to Kentucky after the Revolutionary War.  He served in the war from 1778 to 1784.

I have not finished researching all of my Casey County family branches, and probably will find may other fascinating members.  I find it amazing how a small central Kentucky county has proven to be both a magnet. that drew heroes, as well as a well of patriotism, from which the country has drawn time and again.

Raising the Dead

Raising the Dead

I am attempting to persuade my father to give me more details of his years growing up.  I think this material would either be great for a book in its own right, or he would be an excellent example to use for  a character in a novel. 

He quit school in the sixth grade to work two farms for the family.  When he was fifteen he ran off to Michigan and made his way as a cook in a logging camp.  At seventeen he forged his father's signature and went into the Army.  While I was young he worked as a powder man, using dynamite and nitroglycerin to blast the way for highways.

From what his siblings tell me, he was a pistol growing up.  I wrote about him putting a skunk in his one room school house; but my favorite story is when he and a friend a friend attended a local funeral.  An old hunchbacked man had died, and as they did in those days, the funeral was held at his home.  After placing him in the casket, they had strapped him down so that he lay flat in the pine box.

It was a hot summer afternoon and the windows were all open, and the country folk mostly did without screens.  They hadn't embalmed the gentleman, so the casket had been placed in front of a window at the back of the house. 

Dad and his friend had sneaked around to the window, from the outside.  Whenever the preacher led the guests in prayer, Dad or his friend would reach inside the window and cut on the strap holding the body down.  The prayers ended before they could complete the cut so they gave up trying. 

They went around and into the house to join in the service.  Many people stood up and spoke of the man giving him a fine eulogy.  During the seventh or eighth such speech, there was a loud "SNAP!"  Everyone turned toward the casket, as the body sat strait up.

People screamed and ran, some going through doors and others diving through the windows.  The way Dad tells it, some are probably running still.  I still laugh whenever I remember him telling that story.  I like fiction, but the best stories are usually true.

The Allen Family from Scotland to Casey County

The Allen Family from Scotland to Casey County

The Allen branch of the family originated in Scotland and spelt the name Allan.  Henry Allan is the most distant relative of this branch that I could find.  Henry and his wife, Christina Knox were from Glasgow.  Henry was born in 1626 and Christina was born in 1629.  They had four children: James Robert, Issobell, Heneie, and Thomas.  Our branch is descended from James Robert Alan.

James Robert moved from Scotland to Ireland.  His son Robert Allen was born in Atrim, Ireland in 1701.  Robert married Sarah Cathey.  Later he came to America and had seven children, my line is decended from Benjamin, born in 1745.

Benjamin married Margaret Green Wohoab and they had ten children.  Benjamin was awarded 1000 acres of land in Casey County, Kentucky for raising and commanding a unit of the Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War.  He sat on a jury of a trial involving Daniel Boone in 1788 and appeared on the first censes in what is now Casey County in 1780. He was the first Allen to be buried in the Allen Cemetery, in Casey County, KY.  He died in 1826.

 I will post more on Benjamin and his decedents, my ancestors, later.

The Choates, From England to America

The first Choates, in the so-called Southern Choate line, that I have information on is John and Isabel Choate.  They resided in Essex Co., England.  John was born in 1490 and died after 1532.  Isabel was born in 1500 and died after 1532.

They had four children, William born 1520; Margaret born 1524; Robert born 1526; and Christopher born 1530.  My family line is descended from Christopher.  To the best of my knowledge, he was the first of many in our line to bear this name.

The wife of Christopher is unknown, but he had three children, John born 1556; William born 1558; and Christopher II born 1562.  Christopher I died after 1562.

Christopher II had a son, Christopher III born in 1585.  Christopher II died after 1585.

Christopher III had a son, Christopher IV born July 13, 1613.  Christopher III died after 1615.

Christopher IV married Jane.  They had three sons, Edward born 1639; Christopher V born September 4, 1642; and John born about 1644.  We are again descended from a Christopher.  Christopher IV died in Rivenhall Parish, Essex Co.. England on November 10. 1667.

Christopher Choate V was the first of our line to arrive in America.  He emigrated on April 15, 1676, as an indentured servant, to Baltimore Maryland.  He had four children Edward born 1689, Christopher VI born 1688, and Augustine.  Wife unknown.  He died on November 19, 1692, in Baltimore Co., Maryland.