Garnett Jett Thomas -- Administrative Officer and Accountant

 

Garnett Jett Thomas was born on July 27, 1920 in the Farmington community of Graves County, Kentucky, the youngest child of Pinkney Madison Thomas and Ethel Myrtis Drinkard Thomas.  His three older siblings were his sister, Bertie May Thomas, born in 1906 and his two brothers, Audree Madison Thomas who was born in 1901 and Cave Johnson Thomas who was born in 1913. Both his brothers became ministers. His father was a native of Trigg County, Kentucky and his mother a native of Graves County. Garnett was only 18 when he lost his father.

Garnett moved to Paducah, Kentucky where he resided with his sister and was employed as a clerk in the office of the superintendent of the Illinois Central Railroad.  He volunteered for service in the Naval Reserve in 1942 and was ordered to report for duty on November 7, 1942 at Davisville, Rhode Island. Serving on naval ships in the Pacific during the war, he received the American Asiatic Pacific, the China Service, WWII Victory, American Defense, Philippine Liberation and WWII Occupation Campaign medals as well as two Bronze Star medals.  Near the end of the war he attended the U. S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s school at the University of Notre Dame and received his commission as an Ensign.

After the war Garnett attended Lambuth College in Jackson, Tennessee where he graduated in 1947.  He went on to attend Mississippi State University where he received his master’s degree in business administration in 1949.

After his graduation from Mississippi State, he accepted a position with the university as an accountant and later appointed as the administrative officer and chief accountant for the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and its eleven branch stations across the state of Mississippi. He was a member of the President's Club at MSU, a director and past president of the government Employees Credit Union, on the advisory board of the National Bank of Commerce, a Rotarian, where he served as president and Rotary District governor, listed in the "Who's Who in the World", "Who's Who in Finance and Industry", and "Distinguished Americans by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England".

On March 26, 1948, Garnett married his first wife, Mabel Katherine Gardner of Jackson, Tennessee. Mabel was a graduate of the West Tennessee Business College. Garnett and Mabel settled in Starkville, Mississippi where Mabel was a piano teacher. She died at the age of 60 on September 29, 1979 in Starkville. She was buried in the Highland Memorial Gardens in Jackson, Tennessee.  Subsequently Garnett married his second wife, Robbie Nell Penton, a native of Hissop, Alabama. Garnett and Nell were married for 25 years prior to his death.

Garnett had no children by either of his two wives.  He was the stepfather of two sons, Vernon Bice, Jr. and Michael Bice and a daughter Gena Bice Black, children of his wife, Nell.

Garnett died on September 7, 2006 in Starkville, Mississippi at the age of 80.  He was buried in the Oktibbeha Memorial Gardens Park in Starkville.  Nell died May 18, 2014 in Huntsville, Alabama at the age of 78. She was buried in the Oktibbeha Memorial Gardens.

 Garnett J. Thomas Tombstone

LINEAGE: (Garnett Jett Thomas was the son of Pinkney Madison and Ethel Myrtis Drinkard Thomas and grandson of Starkie Duprey and Sarah Frances Pugh Thomas.  Starkie Duprey was the eleventh child of Perry and Elizabeth Bridges Thomas. Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Elizabeth was the sixth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Linda Kelly Kompanik -- Librarian

 

Linda Maryanna Kelly Kompanik was on born February 13, 1955 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She was the third of four children born to Harold Eugene Kelly and Johnnie Mae Thomas. Harold was a native of Willow Hill, Illinois and Johnnie Mae was born and grew up in Christian County, Kentucky.  Linda’s sister was Janice Ann Kelly born in 1949 and two brothers, Harold Eugene Kelly, Jr., born in 1952 and Thomas Dean Kelly, born in 1959.

Linda enrolled at Western Kentucky State University where she chose to become an attorney. She planned to get her law degree and practice law with her brother. But while working toward her law degree she stumbled onto a new dream while working part time in the Hopkinsville Library as their Reference Librarian. With some persuasion from a friend, she decided to switch tracks and head in the direction of Library Science.  That is where she found her niche in life.

Linda obtained her AB degree in Library Media Education and English from WKU and later received her Masters of Library Science in May 1995. Upon graduation, Linda continued to work at the Hopkinsville Library where she worked for three years as the head of the reference department and then became the assistant to the library director.

On July 1, 1995, Linda was hired as the director of the Logan County Public Library in Russellville, Kentucky. . The duties of Linda's new position included budget decisions, library stock management, coordinating library programs for the public, and managing the library's nine staff members.  Linda was genuinely committed to doing what she could to help provide the very best library service possible for the people of Logan County.  She respected and appreciated the community’s heritage and had a vision of the library’s place in the county’s continuing progress.

In May 1999, Linda was awarded the Outstanding Library Service Award by the Kentucky Library Association/Public Library Section. The award was presented to her for outstanding achievement in providing library service to the people of Kentucky. This honor is awarded to librarians whose work has enhanced library service across the Commonwealth. She was lauded for her work at the Logan County Public Library as well as her statewide work on various committees including the Legislative Committee, which achieved an increase in state aid to libraries throughout the state.

In 2011, Linda was instrumental in a statewide campaign for the state of Kentucky to create a specialty license plate with a library theme. To gain approval for the plates the state was required to obtain 900 applications.  She personally collected the applications and asked for contributions to make the plates. Linda was successful in her campaign as the state legislature subsequently approved the specialty license plate.

Linda recognizing the growth in the library had a vision for a new library for Logan County. Over the years she literally fought the establishment and public opinion on the need for a new library. She stood up in favor of a new library at meetings and events. The road to getting a new library building is a long one.  It required getting grants, legislative appropriations, obtaining loans and private donations from citizens.  Linda was successful in her efforts and bids for constructing the new Logan County Library were opened September 25, 2012 and construction finally begun on the new facility.  The new library opened in February 2014 in a beautiful new building on Armory Drive in Russellville.  Unfortunately Linda passed away August 28, 2013, in Bowling Green, Kentucky at the age of 58 from a lengthy battle with cancer, five months before the new library she fought for was completed. In January 2014, the local newspaper, the News-Democrat & Leader selected the former Logan County Librarian Linda Kompanik as its “Citizen of the Year.” It stated that, “Although Linda is no longer with us in body, she will be with us in spirit every time the doors swing open at the Logan County Public Library”.

Linda was married on October 9, 1992 to John Paul Kompanik.  They had one daughter, Tamara Kompanik Dillard.  She was buried in the Naples Memorial Garden Cemetery in North Naples, Florida.

 

LINEAGE:  (Linda Maryanna Kelly Kompanik was the daughter of Harold Eugene and Johnnie Mae Thomas Kelly, the granddaughter of John Clealon and Mary Willie Thomas Thomas and the great-granddaughter of Robert Allison and Emma Nora Cunningham Thomas.   Robert was the fifth child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas. Mary was the seventh child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges. )

 

Temperance Thomas -- Early Trigg County Pioneer

 

Temperance Thomas was born on February 7, 1794 in Bertie County, North Carolina.  She was the second child and oldest daughter of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  She was twelve years old in 1806 when her family traveled from North Carolina to settle in Christian (now Trigg) County, Kentucky. 

James Thomas and his wife Mary along with their six children settled into a one-room cabin made of white oak logs that James and his son Cullen built with the help of their neighbors.  It was located at what is now the intersection of the Donaldson and Cadiz roads in southern Trigg County. Their youngest child Stanley was born in November after the family had arrived in Kentucky in July and was their only child born in Kentucky.

Temperance or “Tempy” as she was known did not have a very easy life.  As the oldest daughter, it was her duty to help care for the younger children of the family as well as to help with the many household chores. 

A few years later in 1812, two of Temperance’s first cousins, Ezekiel Thomas, Jr., and Luke Thomas from Bertie County, North Carolina came to live in Kentucky.  Ezekiel, Jr. was born in 1792 and he and Luke were the sons of Ezekiel Thomas, Sr., a brother of James Thomas.  On November 11, 1813, after having been accused of disgracing the family by becoming pregnant outside of wedlock, Temperance married her first cousin, Ezekiel Thomas, Jr.

Temperance and Ezekiel set up housekeeping in a log cabin on land which had been acquired by Ezekiel that was located about two miles from her parent’s cabin.  On March 4, 1814, Temperance gave birth to a daughter whom she named Clarissa and they called her Clerry. Three years later on October 22, 1817, Temperance died at the young age of 23.  She was buried a short distance from their cabin which is reported to be near the graves of the Futrell family members. 

Her grave was never formally marked and today no one knows the exact location.  The gravesite area has been completely obliterated by numerous cultivations on the site over the years. A memorial monument honoring Temperance was erected in the Peyton Thomas Cemetery in Trigg County by a group of her descendant nieces and nephews.  The stone is engraved with the words, “Buried in unknown wilderness grave 1 mi. SE.  Presented in loving memory by nieces & nephews August 1989”.

Three months after Temperance’s death, Ezekiel, Jr. married Abrilla Parry Standley, a first cousin of Temperance, on her mother’s side of the family.  Around 1824, Ezekiel along with his brother, Luke and their families migrated to Tennessee and settled permanently in the Hico community in Carroll County. Ezekiel and his second wife, Abrilla, had nine children.  There is no further trace of Clarissa, his daughter by Temperance, but it is believed that she accompanied the family to Tennessee. Some records indicate that Clarissa died in her childhood.

Ezekiel died on January 3, 1850 at the age of 58 and was buried in the Ezekiel Thomas Cemetery in Hico, Carroll County, Tennessee.  The Ezekiel Thomas Cemetery contained an unknown number of his family.  Unfortunately, the cemetery was bulldozed by a Huntingdon, Tennessee motorcycle dealer in the 1970s. None of the stones exist today and even the skeletal remains may have been disturbed.

Damaged Tombstone of Ezekiel Thomas, Jr.

LINEAGE: (Temperance Thomas was the second child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Charles Lee Howard and Monico Howard -- Train Accident Victims

 

 

Charles Lee Howard was born on December 22, 1866 in Lyon County, Kentucky, the son of John T. Howard, a native of Caldwell County, Kentucky and Mary Jane King, a native of Lyon County, Kentucky.  He was third of seven children of John and Mary.

 Charles grew up in Lyon County, but later moved to Trigg County, Kentucky where he met and married Margaret Effie Baker. Charles was a farmer and he and his family lived on a farm in Trigg County. Sometime around 1910, he moved with his family to another farm in Lyon County.  Later he moved with his family and settled in Little Cypress, in Marshall County, Kentucky where he was known as a prominent farmer of the community.

Charles and Effie were the parents of six children, Mary Adeline Howard, born in 1890, Grover Steve Howard, born in 1893, Home Blane Howard, born in 1896, Mattie Lewis Howard, born in 1902, Johnny Charlene Howard, born in 1905 and Monico Collins Howard, born in 1906.

Early on the morning of March 4, 1919, Charles loaded his farm wagon with eggs, butter, milk and other farm products which he planned to sell in Paducah.  Paducah was located about twelve miles from their farm home.  He attached a team of two horses to the wagon and he and his 12 year old daughter, Monico, boarded the wagon and left for Paducah.

At approximately 8:45 a.m. Charles and Monico were about one mile from Paducah at the Benton Road crossing. At the same time the Illinois Central passenger train No. 135 which was en route from Central City to Paducah was also nearing the Benton Road crossing.  The train consisted of an engine, three coaches and a baggage car. Witnesses later said that Charles, realizing that his team and the train were going to reach the crossing at nearly the same time, began to whip his team in an apparent effort to get across the track before the train reached the crossing.

The train which was behind schedule and was due at Union Station at 8:30 a.m. had also gained speed.  The wagon and the engine reached the crossing at the same time. The engine struck the wagon, hurling it high into the air.  Charles body was found about 250 feet from the crossing, lying at the bottom of an embankment.  His head was mashed beyond recognition and his body was bruised and lacerated.  His daughter’s body was thrown about twenty-five feet beyond her father, over an embankment and her body was badly mangled.  The wagon was knocked to pieces but the horses escaped.

A Mr. and Mrs. Kirkland, who resided a short distance east of the crossing, were eyewitnesses to the tragedy.  Mr. Kirkland said he heard the engine whistle in short blasts, as a danger warning and the bell on the engine also was ringing.  Mrs. Kirkland said she was at a window where she could see the accident.  She said she remarked to her husband that "those people will be killed if they don't hurry and get over."   The train’s engineer said he was about ten yards from the crossing when he noticed the wagon and its occupants.  He said he blew the whistle and applied the brakes, the train stopping about thirty feet beyond the crossing.  

A coroner jury was empanelled and an inquest was held about 10 a.m. at the scene of the accident.  Their verdict was non committal and did not attach any blame, briefly saying Howard and his daughter were killed by an Illinois Central passenger train at the Benton Road crossing.  

Charles and his daughter Monico were buried in the Fooks Cemetery in the Sharpe Community of Marshall County.  Charles was 51 years old at the time of the accident. Charles’s wife Effie died five years later on October 19, 1924, at the age of 54, and was buried next to her husband and daughter in the Fooks Cemetery.

 Tombstone of Charles Howard

Tombstone of Monico Howard

LINEAGE: (Charles Lee Howard and Monico Collins Howard were the husband and daughter of Margaret Effie Baker Howard.  Effie was the daughter of Samuel Freeman and Sarah Adeline Thomas Baker and granddaughter of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas. Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Mary was the seventh child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)