Willard Barkley Mitchell, Jr.--Young Victim of a Tragic Accident

 

Willard Mitchell, Jr.

Willard Barkley Mitchell, Jr. was born on September 21, 1965 in Caldwell County, Kentucky. He was the oldest of three children born to Willard Barkley Mitchell, Sr. and Janie Marilyn Williams Mitchell.  His father Willard or Pete as he was known was a native of Caldwell County and worked as an employee of the International Shoe Company in Hopkinsville.  His mother was a native of Trigg County.  About a month before Willard, Jr. was born, Pete died tragically at the age of 26 when the car he was driving went out of control and struck a tree.

Willard Jr.’s two older siblings were brothers, Gordon Keith Mitchell, born in 1963 and Gregory Lynn Mitchell born in 1964.  After Pete’s death, Janie married Troy Dixon and she and her sons settled in Trigg County.  She worked as an employee of the Johnson Controls factory in Trigg County.

On the evening of May 12, 1978 a storm containing high winds accompanied by a tornado with over two inches of rainfall struck parts of Trigg County causing disaster conditions and a power back out for several hours in some parts of the county.  It was later estimated that $1.5 million in damages were attributed to the tornado and the severe rain storm shat raked through the county that night.

When the storm began, twelve year old Willard, Jr. was at the home of his grandmother located on Hwy. 525 known as New Hope Road about seven miles south of Cadiz.  The tornado that swept the area knocked out the power about 8 p.m. at the grandmother’s house.  Willard crossed the road to his own home to retrieve some matches to light candles at his grandmother’s house.  He was returning to his grandmother’s house about 8:30 p.m. when he darted across  the road  in  the  path  of  a  1978  Chevrolet pickup  truck  being driven west  bound  on  the  New Hope  Road.   Willard’s was  wearing a  green  army  coat  that had been pulled up over head and shoulders apparently blocking the view of where he was going, The driver of the truck,  neighbor Wesley Wallace,  apparently  saw  Willard in the road and attempted to avoid the  accident.  Mr. Wallace  apparently  hit  his  brakes  and swerved  into  the  left lane  but  could  not  avoid  hitting  the youth.  Willard was taken to the Trigg County Hospital Emergency Room by his step - father, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.  There were no arrests made in the incident. Mr. Wallace was taken by ambulance to the hospital emergency room about 10:30 p.m. that night for treatment of shock.

Willard, Jr. who was in the seventh grade at Trigg County Middle School was buried on Sunday afternoon, May 14, 1978 in the Blue Spring Church Cemetery in Caldwell County near the grave of his father.

 

 

Tombstone of Willard Mitchell, Jr.

LINEAGE: (Willard Barkley Mitchell, Jr. was the son of Willard Barkley, Sr. and Janie Marilyn Williams Mitchell and the grandson of Sanford Frazier and Lillie Mae Gresham Williams.  Sanford was the son of George Raymond and Ida Elizabeth Hargrove Williams.  Ida was the first child of Jefferson and Ida Bridges Hargrove.  Ida was the third child of Starkie T. and Elizabeth Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Edwin C. Thomas -- Mystery Murder in the Civil War Era

 

Edwin C. Thomas was born on April 14, 1830 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the first child of James Thomas, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James Jr. was the sixth child of James Thomas and Mary Standley Thomas.  Edwin had five siblings, Carroll Thomas, born in 1831; an unnamed infant; James Clark “Muck” Thomas, born in 1835; Pollie S. Thomas, born in 1837 who died as a child and Amanda Jane Thomas, born in 1838. Edwin’s family was a farm family who lived on Donaldson Creek.

Edwin married Amanda C. Brandon on March 29, 1849 in Stewart County, Tennessee.  Amanda was a native of Stewart County and was born on June 4, 1830, the daughter of William and Abigail Skinner Brandon.  Census records indicate that Edwin and Amanda lived in Trigg County in 1850, the year after their marriage but in 1860, they were living in Smithland, Kentucky on the Ohio River where Edwin had become a riverboat pilot.

Little is known about the life of Edwin Thomas except his death in 1864.  His death is recorded in the July 21, 1864 issue of the Louisville Courier Journal in a news column simply titled “Murder” which went on to say that “about twelve o’clock yesterday, a murder occurred in the bar of Graham’s Hotel on Fourth street between Main and Water.”   Witnesses to the event say that Ed Thomas, a river pilot, was observed standing at the bar conversing in a low tone with Joseph Graham.  Mr. Graham was the proprietor of the hotel.  The bystanders said they were unable to hear the full conversation between the two gentlemen, but presumed from the gestures that it was of an unpleasant nature.

Ed was overhead as saying to Mr. Graham, “Joe, you have been following me around all day, and have insulted me several times.  You shall do so no more.”  Mr. Graham replied, “I did not insult you,” and drew a pistol from his pocket and taking deliberate aim at Thomas, fired.  According to the news article, “The ball took effect, it entered the left breast of Thomas and inflicted a mortal wound.  After being shot, the wounded man turned, walked through the dining-hall, and on reaching the alley to the rear of the building he fell on his face, and expired in less than ten minutes.”  Mr. Graham turned himself in to the police authorities and was confined in jail.  An article in the July 23, 1864 issue of the Courier Journal states that Mr. Graham was arraigned for the murder, but because of the illness of the presiding judge, the case was postponed.  No further information could be found about the murder of Edwin C. Thomas.

According to the 1870 census, Edwin’s wife, Amanda, was still living in Smithland, with their three living children, James William Thomas, born in 1850; Margaret Alice Thomas, born in 1852; and Dewitt Stanley Thomas, born in 1854.  A fourth child, Laura Dean Thomas, was born in 1857 and died that same year.

Amanda died on July 1, 1876.  The location of Edwin and Amanda’s burial sites could not be found.

LINEAGE:  (Edwin C. Thomas was the first child of James, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James, Jr. was the sixth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Harry Clinton Coleman -- Mechanic

 

Harry and Irene Coleman

Harry Clinton Coleman was born on April 11, 1918 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the first of five children born to Herman Conrad Coleman and Johnnie Pearl Bridges Coleman. Herman was a farmer in Trigg County. Harry’s siblings were Mira Everdeane, born in 1920; Nila Jean, born in 1926; Ernest Layton, born in 1928 and Howard “Tommy”, born in 1933.

Harry worked as a young man as a farmer with his father.  In 1933, the U.S. Congress established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a relief program for unmarried young men between the ages of 18 and 25. Harry joined the CCC and traveled to Bunker Hill, Nevada where he worked in a camp for six months. He returned to Trigg County where he worked again as a farmer and as a truck driver.

On January 31, 1942, Harry was drafted into the U.S. Navy and was sent to the Naval Training Station in Great Lakes, Illinois. He was later sent to navy training units at the Navy Pier in Chicago and in Treasure Island, California where he completed his training as an aviation machinist.  On May 6, 1943, Harry left California bound for the Fiji Islands, where he served as part of the Far Eastern Theater of War.  He was then sent to the New Hebrides Islands. Following serving over two years in the South Pacific, Harry was sent back to California where he was discharged from the service on November 10, 1945.

Retuning to civilian life, Harry worked for six months in California driving a semi-trailer truck on the west coast before returning to work for the Henry White Chevrolet Company in Cadiz as a mechanic. He worked at the Chevrolet dealership for five years then became a driver for a private trucking company for several years.  He later went to work at Fort Campbell military base where he worked as a mechanic on combat vehicles.  He worked in this position for seventeen years before retiring in January 1970. After enduring heart surgery, Harry drove a school bus for the Trigg County School system before officially retiring in 1986.

On November 2, 1946, Harry married Thelma Irene Fourshee.  Irene was born on September 16, 1925 in Trigg County, the daughter of Riley Isaac and Edna Earl Carr Fourshee. Edna Earl was the granddaughter of Drewry and Peachie Tart Bridges.  Irene grew up in Trigg County and graduated from Trigg County High School in 1944.  She worked in varied positions over the years including teaching school, working as a secretary at the local five and dime store, as a deputy in the County Clerk’s office and in an attorney’s office. She later went to work for the Home Service Company in Cadiz.   The business moved to a location on East Main Street in Cadiz and in 1970 she and a partner purchased the store from its owners, changing its name to Trigg Supply Company.

Harry and Irene had no children. Harry died on March 13, 2003 at the age of 84 at his home in Cadiz.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  His wife, Irene, died on March 15, 2016 at the age of 90 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

 Tombstone of Harry and Irene Coleman

Harry Coleman's Draft Card

LINEAGE: (Harry Clinton Coleman was the son of Herman Conrad and Johnnie Pearl Bridges Coleman.  He was the grandson of William Stanley and Eliza Helen Davis Coleman and Starkie Emerson and Matilda Elizabeth Wallis Bridges.  William Stanley was the seventh child of Alfred Boyd and Alpha Thomas Coleman.  Alpha was the second child of Perry and Elizabeth Bridges Thomas.  Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas. Starkie Emerson was the fourth child of Starkie and Elizabeth Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Thomas Jefferson Carr -- Farmer and Merchant

 

 

 

Thomas Jefferson Carr was born on June 20, 1875 in Stewart County, Tennessee.  He was one of two children born to Robert Henry Carr and Mary Etna Turner Carr.  His sister, Mary Robert Carr was born in 1877.  He also had two half-siblings, Carlon Scott and Ora Scott from his mother’s second marriage to Nathaniel Scott. His parents were farmers who lived most of their lives in Stewart County.  They both were buried in the Carr Cemetery in the Linton area of Trigg County, Kentucky.

On October 6, 1895, when Tom was 20 year old he married Daisy Dean Sumner in Stewart County, Tennessee.  Daisy was born on June 26, 1875. In Trigg County, Kentucky, the daughter of James Edmond Sumner and Mary Louisa Bridges Sumner, who were both natives of Trigg County.  James Edmond was a farmer and Mary Louisa was a housekeeper.  Daisy was the oldest of their three children.  Her sister Mollie Sumner was born in 1876 and her brother Thomas Darnell Sumner was born in 1877.

After their marriage, Tom and Daisy settled on a farm on Saline Creek in the northern area of Stewart County where Thomas was engaged in farming.  Tom had a very good friend and neighbor named Frank Kennedy.  Frank owned a general store which was located across the state line in Kentucky.  In the late nineteen-twenties Tom purchased the general store from his friend and became a merchant.  He moved his family from the farm and settled in a house which attached to the general store. 

In the early 1940’s the U.S Army established a new army facility known as Camp Campbell at the time and later called Fort Campbell. The facility, straddling the state line in Kentucky and Tennessee, reached into Trigg and Stewart Counties.  Unfortunately Camp Campbell claimed possession of the land occupied by Tom’s general store and their home.  Tom and Daisy then moved to a house in Cadiz, Kentucky. After Tom lost his wife in 1944, he bought a home on the South Road and opened another small general/grocery store which he operated until his death.

Tom and Daisy were the parents of nine children, Louise Carr, born in 1896; Mollie Elizabeth Carr, born in 1899; William Amos Carr, born in 1901; Jennie Mahalie Carr, born in 1903; Elna Norine Carr, born in 1906; Tommie Blanche Carr, born in 1909; Annie Pearl Carr, born 1911; Dorothy Dean Carr, born in 1914; and Clarence Jefferson Carr, born in 1918.  It was the custom that as each of their daughters were married, Tom would give them a milk cow and Daisy would make them a feather bed for their home. The Carr family produced many descendants who still live in the Trigg County area today.

Daisy Sumner Carr died in Cadiz on August 30, 1944 at the age of 69.  Tom died on February 17, 1956 in the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz at the age of 80. Both Tom and Daisy are buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.

LINEAGE: (Thomas Jefferson Carr was the husband of Daisy Dean Sumner.  Daisy was the first child of James Edmond and Mary Louisa Bridges Sumner.  Mary Louisa was the second child of Drewry and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges. Drewry was the fourth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Mary was the fifth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Jerry Allen Herndon -- College Professor

 

Jerry Allen Herndon

Jerry Allen Herndon was born on January 9, 1939, in Trigg County, Kentucky, the second of eight children born to Robert Vernon Herndon and Mary Frances Sholar Herndon.  His father was a school teacher and guidance counselor with the Trigg County school system and his mother worked as a nurse’s aide.  His siblings were Robert Hayden Herndon, born in 1936; Kay Carol Herndon, born in 1941; Donald Wayne Herndon, born in 1943; Sandra Faye Herndon, born in 1946; James Dwight Herndon, born in 1954; Joy Anita Herndon, born 1955; and Nick Anthony Herndon, born in 1960.

Jerry grew up in California, Texas and Kentucky and graduated from Trigg County High School in Cadiz, Kentucky in 1958. He went on to attend Murray State University where he majored in History and English and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1962.  He was awarded a Fellowship in English at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina where he earned a Master of Arts Degree in 1964 and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in 1966.

On June 1, 1960, Jerry married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Annette Allen, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  Patricia was born September 4, 1941 in Hopkinsville, the daughter of Dennie and Imogene Calhoun Allen.  Jerry and Patricia were the parents of seven children, Rose Lee, born in 1961; Joel Allen, born in 1963; Jay Evers, born in 1966; Joanna Renae, born in 1969; Melanie Ann, born and died in 1969; Victoria Frances, born in 1974; and Susan Joy, born in 1973.

Jerry began his academic career by doing both his student teaching, and his first year of professional employment, at Trigg County High School, before teaching in the universities as adjunct, assistant, and tenured full professor. He taught for three years at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  He then returned to his alma mater, Murray State University where he taught English Composition and American Literature for 31 years before his retirement.  While at Murray State, Jerry helped to organize the Jesse Stuart Collection of Manuscripts, Correspondence, and other materials for the Forrest C. Pogue Library Special Collections.  Jesse Stuart was a noted author and poet whose stories relied heavily on the rural locale of Kentucky for his writings and had been the Poet Laureate of Kentucky.

Jerry was an editor of manuscripts for the Jesse Stuart Foundation and was the author of several books on American Literature.  After his retirement from the university, Jerry worked for 21 years as an associate for the sporting goods department in Walmart before retiring a second time in 2018.

Jerry died on January 8, 2022 at a hospital in Lehi, Utah, one day before his 83rd birthday.  Patricia, his wife of 61 year was at his side.  He was buried in the Redwood Memorial Cemetery in West Jordan, Utah, next to the grave of his young daughter who had died in 1969.

LINEAGE: (Jerry Allen Herndon was the son of Robert Vernon and Mary Frances Sholar Herndon.  Frances was the fourth child of Jesse Smoot and Anna Rosella Choate Sholar.  Jesse was the first child of Drewry and Rosetta Olive Grigsby Sholar.  Drewry was the child of William Bridges and Mary Hutt Sholar.  William was the fourth child of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)