ll7

LFGA Line 7.

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Line 7. (Line 3) Bird Lay of Whitley Co., Ky. and Campbell Co., Tenn. The 1810 Census of Warren Co., KY shows a Bird with wife plus a son and daughter both under age 10. William L. Lay b. 1809 is probably the male under age 10. Living near by are several Brown Families. The 1830 Whitley Co., Census shows Bird with wife and one son (probably Jesse b. ca. 1818), plus three unidentified daughters at home. Rev. William L. Lay 1809-1907 of Campbell Co., TN married Elizabeth Ellison. Children: Mary (Lewis Baird), Hiram, Helen (Harvey Grant), Jesse, Isaac, William Paris, James (Emily Botkin), Lewis, Michael, Ida (Brooks), John L., Nancy (Douglas), Rachel (Joseph Peace), Berry, and Lucinda.

Wm. L. Lay married secondly, December 14, 1872 to Elizabeth Anderson. Children were Louisa (Lee Romine), Jane (Cal Trammel), Calvin, and Samantha (Albert Neal)

CONTACTS

Phyllis Allison

Charles and Juanita Grant cgrant001@elmore.rr.com

Betty Huett 4655 Valmeyer Dr betsyah22@cs.com

Vivian & Gilbert Johnson vkids@aol.com

June Kornegay jutekorn@juno.com

Gerald and Becky Lay slim@jellico.com

John Walter Lay Jr. layco3@juno.com

Kenneth Lay kjlay@widomaker.com

Mary A. Lay gpamalay@netc.com

Oliver Vincent Lay (Ollie) ollielay@aol.com

Eugene Lee

Virginia Malone

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. McGinnis rlmcgin@aol.com

Janet Lalene Lay McIntire janmcintire@gmail.com

Thelma Rice tlrice1@juno.com

Gene and Ivadene Ricketts

Jesse P Roberts ruckytwo@gmail.com

Nancy Sloan nancyrs13@vtc.net

Louise Stevens lou_stevens@sbcglobal.net

Myrtle Vest

Ivadene Ricketts

Ivadene Lee Ricketts was born to Charles and Edna Rose Lee in the home of her grandparents, Dr. Lee Rose and Mrs Minnie Rose, of Poplar Creek, Kentucky. The Lee Family moved to a Tennessee farm, located in the Foothills of the Smokies when she was three. It was there that she received her education and married Gene Ricketts. She has one son, two grandsons, and one great-grandson who was born in 1996.

Ivadene is a well known water color artist, and author of many inspirational poems. Her paintings hang in homes and businesses across the country. She considers her talents as a gift from God, which continues to enrich her life and fulfill her dreams.

LFGA Line 7

Lay, Ellison and Peace Families

By Ivadene Lee Ricketts

Elk Valley, Tennessee is located near the borders of Tennessee and Southeastern Kentucky. In 1861 Kentucky was opposed to secession and the people of both states were torn between loyalties. This was the location of the home of Rev. William L. Lay, called "Preacher Billy" and his wife Elizabeth "Betsy" Ellison Lay. They were the parents of Rachel Lay, the Grandmother of my father, Charles Lee. Rachel was born February 5, 1853. She was still a child in the 1850s. However, by the end of the Civil War, Rachel was entering her teens.

It was during those years that she first met Joseph Walter Peace, who was serving in Company A 49th regiment of Kentucky Infantry, with her brother (Lewis?) who was his Sergeant or Officer. Her brother and Joseph were friends, and he invited Joseph to the Lay home to meet the family and also told him he had a sister "who is so pretty, she will knock your eyes out. Joseph fell in love with Rachel right away and they were wed when Rachel was sixteen, December 23, 1869 in Jacksboro, Tennessee.

Rachel shared with her children and grandchildren stories of her home and life in Elk Valley. Before the war, it was peaceful, and a happy place to live. There was plenty of work to keep them busy, and help with getting it done. Sometimes work turned into social events, and people enjoyed working together at corn huskings and quiltings. Othertimes, family or neighbors needing help were assisted by such events, bringing them together and resulting in strong ties between friends and relatives

Church was important in the Lay family and they were involved in service to the community as well. Reverend William L. Lay was of the Baptist faith, Justice of the Peace, millwright, wainright, postmaster, and storekeeper; and he owned land which was rented out under tenure, called sharecropping.

During the Civil War, troops from both sides came into the valley by railroad, looking for food, horses, food for their horses and any other pressing needs. Thus life within Elk Valley became extremely difficult and the suffering unending. Due to the religious convictions of the Lays, and their commitment to service of others, officers from both sides brought wounded soldiers to their home for aid and assistance. Near the end of the war, the food supply of the Lays was desperate, and their hope for the future rested completely upon the tobacco crop which had been hidden in the grape arbor located near the house. An officer of the Union side brought wounded and placed them on the ground near the house. Other than cleansing their wounds, and giving them water to drink, little could be done by the Lays, except to pray for the men.

As the night air grew cool, someone moved the wounded to the area beneath the grape arbor, and a fire was started. The fire warmed the tobacco overhead, leading to its discovery. The officer gave the Lays a receipt for their tobacco crop which was taken from them. The Lay family received payment for the tobacco after the war, giving them cash to replant and rebuild their lives.

Others, who were not as fortunate, became bitter toward the Lay family, causing painful divisions which could not be mended. Rachel spoke with love and understanding of these people, and of the pain the war caused by separating friends and family. Throughout her life, Rachel held the happier times of her childhood home within her heart, speaking only kind words of the loss of friends of Elk Valley, Tennessee.

Joseph Walter Peace was called Joe, Jr. His father was Thomas, who was the son of Joseph Sr. His great-grandfather Tobias Peace, was born in England, and was in sympathy with George Washington. He went to Canada.

then joined the Continental Army and served as a Drill Lieutenant until the war ended.

Joseph went home with Rachel's brother at the end of the war, as he was in love with Rachel. Rachel related that they purchased two horses and a wagon, to travel from Elk Valley to Poplar Creek in the Carpenter, Kentucky community, to the home of the Peace family.

Joseph's father had died while he was away, and the Peace home would be where Joseph and Rachel lived and reared their family of ten children. They traveled with a group for protection from robbers.

Joe and Rachel gave to each of their children ten dollars as a wedding gift, and one full year of free room and board in the Peace home. This gift could be accepted at the wedding, or at anytime in the future, should they fall upon hard times. Joseph and Rachel's daughter, Lulia (Lula), accepted this gift when she married Smith Lee, my grandfather. Lulia married Smith when she was only fourteen years of age, with the consent of her parents; perhaps because she would remain in their home for a full year. This gave Smith time to build their home on the land he owned. They married in the home of Rev. Joseph and Rachel Lay Peace April 24, 1902; and their first child, Charles Lee was born there, February 10, 1903. He was my father.

My father related many things about Rachel and Joseph to his children. He said that they had a good sense of humor and a zest for life. They enjoyed playing jokes on each other, and would laugh about it. together. Once Joe has seen a log which had fallen into the creek near the house due to a storm. High water caused the creek to be muddy, and the log was was just below the water. He walked across the creek on it, and excited, he ran to tell Rachel that he could walk on water. She followed, as he insisted he could prove it to her, to which she muttered something like "no fool like an old fool. The second crossing his foot slipped and he fell into the flooded creek, to which Rachel shouted to him "what's the matter Joe, did you lose your faith? They laughed at this story many times.

Joseph became a Methodist Minister and held camp meetings, and gave service to others. They brought their children up in a Christian home, taking them to church on Sundays. Their home was open to friends and family on Sunday afternoons. On some occasions, their daughter Lulia would play the organ and sing, for people came from some distance, to listen and enjoy her musical talent. Joseph would fall to his knees anywhere at anytime he felt the need to pray, and he prayed aloud. When his grandchildren asked him about this, he said that when hungry I eat, when thirsty I get a drink, and when I am burdened, I pray. He called this praying unburdening.

Lulia followed his practice and prayed aloud and her children heard her prayers for them, and for future generations. They also heard her sing as she went about her work.

Charles was at the home of Rachel and Joe, when the roof caught fire. Excited when Rachel told him of the fire, he threw the covers over his pants, and couldn't find them. He fought the fire on the second story of the house, while his girlfriend and aunts watched from below. The following day, September 8, 1923, Joseph died, his last words to my Dad wereCharlie you're a good boy or Charlie be a good boy ...his message was not clear.

Lulia Peace Lee died February 5, 1921 at age thirty three, after a battle with tuberculosis. Following Joseph's death, Lula's daughter Jennie fell when swinging on a grapevine swing cut by my Dad for them the year before. Unknown to them, the grapevine had died, and became brittle, and it broke as she swung out over the side of the mountain. She landed on a stump, injuring her spine, resulting in paralysis on one side, and partial loss of sight. Rachel, although in her seventies, took Jennie into their home to give her full time care.

Dad told me of these tragic times in the family. While Jennie was at the Peace home, Dad also stayed there. Someone visited the Peace home who had the mumps, perhaps unaware of it, and Jennie caught them.. Dad greatly feared mumps, not having had them. However, on the morning Jennie died, "She lifted her sweet little arms out for her good-bye hug, and I went to her bedside and gave her a hug. When he returned home from work her spirit had left her. That was May 10 1924, and Jennie was sixteen.

Lulia was a tender, understanding mother, however she loved her children enough to correct them as needed. Before her death, Lulia invited her family and friends to their home for a meeting, and to say good-bye to them. As the meeting came to a close, she asked those who would, to come take her hand before leaving; to give their lives to God and prepare to meet her in Heaven. Those who came, I believe, kept the commitment to Lulia, for she was loved and respected.

The Lay, Ellison, and Peace families set good examples for their children. How I would love to sit at Rachel's feet and listen to her tell about her childhood in her parent's home in Elk Valley, where she left part of her heart.

Information for what I have written came from family members... my Dad, Charles Lee, his brother Uncle General Lee, and three of his cousins, Minnie Peace Hinton, Joseph Walter Peace, and his brother William Andrew called Bill Peace. I appreciate each one for the gifts they shared with us.

Children of Rachel Lay and Joseph Walter Peace

Jency, born 10 September 1870; Nancy Elizabeth, born 22 July 1872; William Andrew born 10 April 1874; Julia Ann (Veach) born 1876, Calvin born 22 October 1877; Bery Chrysillis (Ceal) born 2 March 1879; Laura born 1 September 1882; Nellie born 1886, Lulia A. born 28 January 1888, and H. Edward Peace, born 22 October 1892.

Children of Lulia Peace and Smith Lee

Luster (Charlie) , Arthur , Litha , Laura, Jenny, General, Robert Edward, Ellis, William Henry, and Arnold. Arnold died at birth.

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