John Garton Grigsby, Jr. -- Farmer and Construction Worker

 

John Garton Grigsby, Jr. was born on December 28, 1921 on the family farm in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the fourth of five children born to John Garton Grigsby, Sr. and Georgia Reid McAtee Grigsby.  John Garton Sr. was a farmer and both he and Georgia were natives of Trigg County.  John was a descendant of Jemima Bridges Sholar.

John’s siblings were Henry Waller Grigsby, born in 1909 and married Susie Lee Green; Josephine Grigsby, born in 1911 and married Felix Ewing Broadbent; Oscar McAtee Grigsby, born in 1914 and married Irene Gertrude Freeman; and Robert Edward Grigsby, born in 1923 and married Marianne Boesl.  

John attended elementary school at Bethel School and then went on to graduate from Trigg County High School in Cadiz in 1941. On January 19, 1943, John was inducted into the U.S. Army and received his basic training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.  He was subsequently assigned to duty at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky and Camp Carson, Colorado and then was sent overseas where he served in the Pacific Theater, where he was stationed in Okinawa.  He was discharged from the military in March 1946 as a Tech 5.

On August 13, 1949, John married Notra Dane Johnson in Cadiz in the home of Rev. Rudolph Noel who conducted the wedding ceremony. Notra Dane was born May 7, 1927 in Christian County, Kentucky, the daughter of Charles Alpha Johnson and Rosa Lee Sowell Johnson.  Charles was a farmer and both he and Rosa Lee were natives of Trigg County.

After John and Notra Dane were married they settled in a home on a farm in the Delmont community south of Cadiz on Highway 139. John worked as a farmer. He later worked in construction with his major employer being the Tennessee Valley Authority working in the Land Between the Lakes. After 27 years, he retired from working in construction. After retirement he went back to work on the farm with his son.  Notra Dane was a homemaker and excelled as a seamstress who enjoyed crocheting and quilting.

John and Notra Dane were the parents of two children, John Garton Grigsby, Jr. (II), born in 1953 and Deborah Faye Grigsby, born in 1954 and married Stephen Barnard Catron.

Notra Dane died on October 12, 1994 at the age of 67 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  She was buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Trigg County.  John died on September 16, 1999 at the age of 77 at the Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville.  He was buried in the Bethel Cemetery next to his wife.

John and Notra Dane tombstone

LINEAGE:  (John Garton Grigsby, Jr. was the son of John Garton and Georgia Reid McAtee Grigsby.  John was the second child of John Ferguson and Mary Josephine Lawrence Grigsby.  Mary Josephine was the third child of James Henry and Elizabeth Sholar Lawrence.  Elizabeth was the fifth child of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Rachel Louise Gentry Erath -- Secretary and Bookkeeper

 

Rachel Gentry Erath

Rachel Louise Gentry was born on June 3, 1931 in Cadiz, Kentucky. She was the third of five children born to Thomas Perry Gentry and Eliza Dell Hughes Gentry.  Thomas was a farmer and both he and Eliza Dell were natives of Trigg County.  Rachel was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

Rachel’s siblings were Thomas Hughes Gentry, born in 1925 and married Nellie Evelyn Thomas; Lillian Pearl Gentry, born in 1927 and died at birth; Clara Dell Gentry, born in 1937 and married Ernest Ronald Lawrence; and Mary Jo Gentry, born in 1939 and married Carol Wayne Whitmer and later married Eugene Carrol Riley.

Rachel grew up in the Oak Grove community of Trigg County and attended the local rural Trigg County schools and went on to attend the Cadiz schools.  As a teenager, she worked as a clerk in a grocery store and as a seamstress with the E. R. Street Department Store in Cadiz.

On September 26, 1952, at the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Trigg County, Rachel married Robert "Bob" William Erath, who was serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  Bob was born on November 27, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York, the son of William Charles Erath and Margaret Hussennetter Erath.  William Charles was a salesman in his family tile business and both he and Margaret were natives of Brooklyn, New York.  Bob grew up in Brooklyn and attended the public schools in Queens, New York. 

After Bob was discharged from the army, he and Rachel moved to Amityville, New York, a community located on Long Island, New York to make their home.  Bob went to work with his family tile contractor business,  William Erath and Son, Inc. which his grandfather had founded in 1912. Later, Bob became the owner of the firm.  In 1982 Bob retired from Erath and Son, Inc. and bought Hidden Harbor Marine in Copiague, New York. He was also a partner with, E. J. Enterprises and Fore Associates.  In 1990, he sold Hidden Harbor Marine and truly retired.   Rachel worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for William Erath and Son, Inc.

Rachel and Bob loved boating.  They took many cruises around Long Island as well as many other excursions around the east coast.  After many years of boating, Bob became the Commander of the Amityville Yacht Club.  In 2010 Rachel and Bob moved to Juno Beach, Florida where they lived in an independent senior living community called the Waterford.

Rachel and Bob were the parents of four children, Pamela Ann Erath, born in 1954 and married Gary John Franza and later married Arthur Alfred Sharples and then married David G. Formichella; Kimberly Robin Erath, born in 1956 and married Dan Parasky; William Scott Erath, born in 1959 and married Christina Ann Braster; and Jeffrey Thomas Erath, born in 1960 and married Angela Marie DeSanctis. 

Bob died on July 19, 2018 at the age of 88 in Juno Beach, Florida.  Rachel died on March 14, 2022 at the age of 91 in Juno Beach.

Bob Erath

LINEAGE: (Rachel Louise Gentry was the daughter of Thomas Perry and Eliza Dell Hughes Gentry.  Eliza was the first child of Mason Hamilton and Mattie Pearl Thomas Hughes, Jr.  Mattie was the first child of Wesley Gunn and Eliza L. Henderson Thomas.  Wesley Gunn was the sixth 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.)

Larry Eugene Lancaster -- College Professor

 

Larry Eugene Lancaster

Larry Eugene Lancaster was born on July 22, 1946 in Cadiz, Kentucky.  He was the only child of Otis Hopson Lancaster and Ruby Rhea Ezell Lancaster. Otis was a farmer and a carpenter and a native of Todd County, Kentucky. Ruby was a homemaker and a native of Trigg County, Kentucky.

Larry grew up in Trigg County and attended elementary school at Cadiz Graded School and went on to graduate from Trigg County High School in 1964.  After high school, he enrolled at the University of Kentucky’s Community College System’s Henderson Community College in Henderson, Kentucky where he obtained his Associate of Applied Science degree in 1967.  He then enrolled at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1970.  Larry then went to Nashville where he enrolled at Vanderbilt University and earned his Master of Science degree in nursing.  He later enrolled at the George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt and was awarded his Doctor of Education degree in 1982.  During his educational career, Larry was listed at one of the Outstanding Young Men in America in 1978 and was named as a Who’s Who in the South and Southwest in 1981.

With an admirable education under his belt Larry began an esteemed career as a college professor, author and guest lecturer.  He joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University in 1973 with a joint appointment as an instructor in medical surgical nursing at the School of Nursing and as a clinical specialist in nephrology at Vanderbilt University Hospital.  He taught the advanced physiology/pathophysiology course for acute care nurse practitioners. He also had a faculty appointment with Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia He later became the associate professor and chairman for the Department of Adult Health at Vanderbilt.  In 1995 he was promoted to professor of nursing at the university, a position he held until his retirement in 2012.

One of Larry’s most significant accomplishments was being the author and editor for the book, The Patient with End Stage Renal Disease, which was published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. in 1979 with a second edition published in 1984.  He later published Core Curriculum for Nephrology Nursing in 1995 with a fourth edition of the book which he edited that was available in 2001.  He was also the author and coauthor of numerous articles in professional books and journals. In April of 1985 he traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa where he was the international guest lecturer at the Renal Care Society of South Africa.  He also presented guest lectures at numerous conferences throughout the United States and Canada.

On September 30, 1967, Larry married Patricia Kay Chancellor at the Corydon Christian Church in Corydon, Kentucky.  Patricia was born on April 21, 1947 in Henderson, Kentucky and was the daughter of Spencer Chancellor of Henderson and Frances Louise Chancellor of Corydon, Kentucky.  This marriage ended in divorce and Larry had no descendants. 

After his retirement in 2012, Larry continued to live in Nashville. 

Larry died on August 26, 2023 in Nashville at the age of 77.  He was cremated and was inurned at the Episcopal Cathedral in Nashville, Tennessee.

 Larry Lancaster

 

Larry's Memorial Marker at his parents grave site 

in the Trigg Memory Acres Cemetery in Cadiz, Kentucky

LINEAGE: (Larry Eugene Lancaster was the son of  Otis Hopson and Ruby Rhea Ezell Lancaster and the grandson of Ezekiel Allen and Jennie Wiles Lancaster.  Ezekiel was the fifth child of Thomas Jefferson and Margaret Francis Lawrence Lancaster.  Margaret was the daughter of Ezekiel M. and Polly Sholar Lawrence.  Polly was the second child of Allen Thomas and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

John Marshall and Virginia Nell Braboy Gray -- Heavy Equipment Operator and Executive Secretary

 

Marshall and Virginia Braboy Gray

John Marshall Gray was born on May 1, 1932 in the Mount Pleasant community of Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the fourth of five children born to Andrew Abner Gray and Lola Jo Bridges Gray.  Andrew was a farmer and both he and Lola Jo were natives of Trigg County.  Marshall was a descendant of Starkie Bridges.

Marshall’s siblings were Homer Mason Gray, born in 1922 and died at the age of one; George Manley Gray, born in 1924 and married Marilyn Miller Clark; Stella Mae Gray, born in 1925 and married Maurice Alton Thomas; and Lola Jewell Gray, born in 1943 and married Robert Arrice Prescott.

Marshall went to elementary school at the one-room Maple Grove School and later attended Trigg County High School. He obtained his diploma in heating and plumbing from the ICS.

On November 26, 1952, Marshall married Virginia Nell Braboy in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in the home of the Rev. J. H. Maddox.  Virginia was born on May 9, 1934 in Trigg County, Kentucky at the Braboy homestead located next to the Cumberland River near the mouth of Little River.  She was the oldest of three daughters of Boyce Taylor Braboy and Martha Helen Terrell Braboy.  Boyce was a farmer and both he and Martha were natives of Trigg County.  Virginia was a descendant of Simco N. Bridges.

Virginia’s siblings were Bernice Rhea Braboy, born in 1940 and married Jesse Reide Brown and Janice Carol Braboy, born in 1944 and married Robert Michael Holloman and later married Troy Lee Josey and then married Joe Powell.

Virginia attended elementary school in the rural Trigg County schools and went on to graduate from Trigg County High School in 1952. She then attended Draughon’s Business College in Nashville, Tennessee where she received her Advance Secretarial Diploma on November 21, 1952.  She attained the rating of Certified Professional Secretary in 1976 from the Professional Secretaries International.

In early 1953. Marshall and Virginia moved to Detroit, Michigan where Marshall worked in the heating and plumbing business.  In 1962 they returned to Trigg County where Marshall worked as a heavy equipment operator and later was employed with the Tennessee Valley Authority in the Land Between the Lakes.  Virginia became an executive secretary at Hoover Universal in Cadiz, Kentucky in October 1965 and was one of the first employees hired at the new local plant.

Marshall and Virginia were the parents of three children, Marcia Lynn Gray, born in 1953 and married James Steven Rutland; Lydia Carleen Gray, born in 1955 and married Scott Paul Bosse; and James Ronald Gray, born in 1956 and married Reta Ann Futrell Nolin.

Marshall died on November 7, 2014 at the age of 82 from complications of Parkinson’s disease at the Benchmark Healthcare in Puryear, Tennessee.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  Virginia died on June 7, 2020 at the age of 86 from pneumonia at the Brookdale Assisted Living in Murray, Kentucky.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

Marshall Gray

 

Virginia Braboy Gray

Young Marshall and Virginia

 

Marshall and Virginia tombstone

LINEAGE: (John Marshall Gray is the son of Andrew Abner and Lola Jo Bridges Gray.  Lola Jo is the first child of Drew Manley and Lena Mae Guier Bridges.  Drew is the seventh child of Starkie T. and Elizabeth W. Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie is the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William is the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

(Virginia Nell Braboy is the daughter of Boyce Taylor and Martha Helen Terrell Braboy.  Martha is the fifth child of Robert and Emma Skaggs Bridges Terrell.  Emma is the fifth child of William Joseph and Sarah Wills Bridges.  William Joseph is the first child of Simco N. and Emeline Martin Bridges.  Simco is the third child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William is the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Barkley Lamb -- Victim of an Accidental Shooting

 

Barkley Lamb was born on July 28, 1912 in Graves County, Kentucky.  He was the second of ten children of Solon Davis Lamb and Myra Boyd Carr Lamb.  Solon was a farmer and a brick setter. Myra was a homemaker.  Solon was a native of Marshall County, Kentucky and Myra was a native of Graves County.  Barkley was a descendant of Perry Thomas.

Barkley’s siblings  were Lucille Lamb, born in 1910 and married Clarence Andrew Langenwalter; Lady Murriell Lamb, born in 1914 and married Girvous Lee Reed; Solon Carr Lamb, born in 1918 and married Minnie Lee Murphree; Davis Lamb, born in 1920 and died at the age of one day; Myra Marjorie Lamb, born in 1921 and married William Champe Marshall; Charles William Lamb, born in 1923 and died at the age of nine months; L. C. Lamb, born in 1924 and died at the age of two days; Norma Lou Lamb, born in 1926 and married Hiram Russell Murphree and later married Robert Frances Connolly; and Beulah Ann Lamb, born in 1927 and married Paul William Lemish and later married Donald M. Henry.

Barkley was born in Graves County, although his parents lived in Murray, Kentucky.  Prior to 1920 the family moved to the Cuba community south of Mayfield, Kentucky where his father continued to work as a farmer. In the 1920s, the family moved to Mayfield where his father worked as a brick setter for the X. B. Wickersham Brick Company.

On Monday afternoon, December 12, 1927, Barkley was killed instantly when a shotgun accidentally discharged.  Barkley was a 15-year-old, whose home was located just outside the city limits of Mayfield on the Fulton Highway near the brick company where his father worked.  On that December afternoon, the boy had been told there were  rabbits seen just a short distance from his home.  He obtained his gun to go hunting for the rabbits. Coming out of his home, he noticed a truck that was in some slight trouble just in front of his home, and he stopped to talk to the occupants. He sat on the truck’s running board and leaned his gun against the truck, watching the driver adjust their vehicle.  Barkley coughed and leaned over to clear his throat, and accidently knocked his gun toward the ground, causing the hammer to strike the running board.  The shotgun went off striking him over the right eye and piercing his head resulting in the fatal injury.

Barkley’s death was one of several recent tragedies in the family of Solon Lamb.  In the last few years, he had lost his wife and three of his children had died.  Another of his sons, five-year-old Solon Carr Lamb had  lost an eye a few months earlier in November 1926, when a dynamite cap exploded. Young Solon Carr had been playing on the railroad tracks near his home when he picked up a torpedo on the railroad right of way and it exploded. Bits of the torpedo struck him in the eye and face and "peppered" his body from his knees upward. One finger was also mangled. The youth was rushed to the Mayfield Hospital, where the right eye was removed and the fore finger of his left hand was amputated.

Barkley Lamb was buried in the Cuba Church of Christ Cemetery in Cuba, Kentucky.

LINEAGE: (Barkley Lamb was the son of Solon Davis and Myra Boyd Carr Lamb.  Myra was the first child of Rufus Encelous and Louella Lancaster Carr.  Louella was the first child of James Edwin and Peachie Ann Coleman Lancaster.  Peachie was the fourth child of Alfred Boyd and Alpha Thomas Coleman.  Alpha was the second child of Perry and Elizabeth Josephine Bridges Thomas.  Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)