Herman J. Boyd -- U. S. Postmaster

 

Herman and Louise Thomas Boyd

Herman Jefferson Boyd was born on July 22, 1911 near Mershon’s Bridge in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the son of Sam Sumner Boyd and Mary Louise Jefferson Boyd.  He attended schools in the Mershon’s Bridge Community until January 1, 1934 when his family moved to Cadiz and his father began serving the first of four terms in the office of Trigg County Jailer. Sam served for 14 years as jailer and then became an investigator for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for the State of Kentucky.

Herman’s first job was a clerk’s position with the Cadiz Grocery Company in Cadiz, which was owned by Van B. Alexander.  After Herman had worked four years at this grocery store, Mr. Alexander sold it to the Red Front Grocery chain.  Herman then went to work for the J. W. Cowherd grocery store where he worked for three years before beginning his military career.

On May 29, 1942, Herman enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps and was stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana and later at Keeler Field, Mississippi and Kingman, Arizona. He was assigned to the 431st Bomb Squadron and participated in battles and campaigns over Japan, the Marshall Islands and in the western Pacific.  He flew over 40 combat missions as a flight engineer and a machine gunner in the crew on a B-24 bomber.  Herman was discharged from the military on November 7, 1945 with the rank of Tech Sergeant.  He received several medals including the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with silver stars.

Herman returned to Cadiz after his service career and began a new career at the U. S. Post Office where he was appointed as a temporary clerk in 1946.  He received a permanent appointment as a regular clerk at the post office in 1948.  In 1968, he was advanced to the position of supervisor and assistant to the Postmaster.

On June 11, 1946, Herman married Louise Thomas.  Louise was born on October 19, 1913 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the daughter of John Vernon and Clementine Wilson Thomas. Louise had one sister, Isabelle Thomas, born in 1904.  Louise worked for 38 years at the Trigg County Farmers Bank in Cadiz. Herman and Louise made their home on Main Street in Cadiz.  They had no children.

On December 23, 1972 Herman received an appointment to the position of Cadiz Postmaster.  He had been serving for the prior six months as the officer-in-charge of the post office since the retirement of the previous postmaster, Terry Watkins on June 23, 1972.  Herman was a perfect example of an individual who had begun his career as a temporary clerk and progressed through the ranks advancing up to the position of postmaster. At the time of his appointment, the Cadiz Post Office had two fulltime carriers, one fulltime clerk, and a custodian. They also had three temporary clerks and three rural carriers.  Herman served as the Cadiz Postmaster for five years until his retirement in 1977 at the age of 66.

Herman died at the age of 86 on December 16, 1997 at the Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  Louise died on July 9, 2010 at the age of 96 in the Doctor’s Hospital in Augusta, Georgia.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

 Herman and Louise

Tombstone of Herman and Louise Boyd

Herman's military tombstone

LINEAGE: (Herman Jefferson Boyd was the husband of Louise Thomas.  Louise was the daughter of John Vernon and Clementine Wilson Thomas, John Vernon was the fifth child of Jonathan Starkie and Julia Dyer Thomas.  Jonathan was the third child of William Bridges and Nancy Jane Rogers Thomas.  William Bridges was the first child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Mildred Blanche Thomas Carney -- Noted Trigg Countian

 

 

 

Mildred Blanche Thomas was born on December 25, 1925 in Trigg County, Kentucky.   She was the third of four children born to Ted D. Thomas and Beulah Sumner Thomas.  Ted was a Trigg County farmer and merchant and served as a county magistrate for over 20 years.  Blanche’s brother Wilford Allen was born in 1921.  Another brother, Wallace Hugh, born in 1923 died at the age of 2.  Her only sister, Geneva Gray, was born in 1927.

Blanche grew up on Donaldson Creek and went to school at the Upper Donaldson School for her first seven years and then went to Oakland School for one year.  She went on to graduate from Trigg County High School in 1945.

After her graduation from high school, Blanche married Thomas Catlett Carney, Jr.  on May 26, 1945.  They said their vows in front of Judge Higgins in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Thomas was born on February 15, 1924 in Trigg County, and was the son of Catlett Carney and Annie McAtee Carney.  He grew up on the Tanyard Road and went to school at the Bethel School.  For the first few years, he rode to school in a buggy with the neighborhood children and afterwards rode a horse to school before later attending Trigg County High School.

After their marriage, Thomas and Blanche moved to Evansville, Indiana where he worked in a defense plant until World War II was over and then they moved to Hopkinsville, where Thomas worked for the Henderson-Moorefield Company.  He worked as a shop foreman and truck driver for the company for thirty-three years.  Blanche worked for the International Shoe Company and the Moe Light Company in Hopkinsville for a number of years.

In 1957, Thomas and Blanche moved to Trigg County and bought a small farm located south of Cadiz and lived there until 1963.  They later sold this farm and bought another one.  There Blanche worked on the farm and Thomas continued to drive to his work in Hopkinsville.

In 1970, they built a new store building on the site where Blanche’s father had operated a grocery store for many years.  Blanche operated the grocery store until Thomas’ death.  She then left the business and sold the grocery store.  Blanche later worked as a cafeteria worker in the Trigg County Schools.  She also served as president of the Thomas-Bridges Association.

Thomas and Blanche were the parents of two daughters, Mildred Louise, born in 1948 and Connie Sue born, born in 1951.

Thomas died on May 6, 1979 at his home at the age of 55.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz, Kentucky.  Blanche died on December 7, 2004 at the Trigg County Hospital at the age of 78. She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

Thomas and Blanche Carney Tombstone

LINEAGE: (Mildred Blanche Thomas Carney was the daughter of Ted D. and Beulah Sumner Thomas.  Ted was the son of Dallie Brown and Willie Mae Thomas Thomas.  Dallie was the eighth child of Rufus King and Alvie Adeline Dunn Thomas.  Rufus was the fifth child of Perry and Elizabeth Bridges Thomas.  Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Beulah Sumner was the first child of Thomas Darnell and Lula Bell Thomas Sumner.  Thomas Darnell was the third 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.)

Aaron C. Sumner -- Migrant Farmer

 

Aaron and Martha "Mattie" Bridges Sumner

Aaron C. Sumner was born on December 20, 1855 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the son of Joseph Greenberg Sumner and Margaret Ann Colson Sumner. Although his death certificate states his middle name was Columbus, his great grandchildren believe that his middle name was Cornelius. His tombstone lists his first name as Aron, but all other records indicate the spelling is Aaron. Here again, his great grandchildren state the tombstone is in error and his name was Aaron.

Aaron grew to manhood on a farm in Trigg County and on December 21, 1875, at the age of 20, he married Martha Caroline Bridges in Cadiz, Kentucky. Martha or “Mattie” as she was called was the second of twelve children born to Orren Dates Bridges and Mary Elizabeth Hixon Bridges. She was born on October 20, 1850 Aaron and Mattie were the parents of five children.  Their first three children were born in Trigg County--Weston Columbus, born in 1876; Minnie Lee, born in 1880; and Lula Mae, born in 1882.  Their other three children were born in Howell County, Missouri—Hervie Otto, born in 1885; Lottie Belle, born 81 1886 and William Stanley, born in 1889.

Aaron became discouraged with living in Kentucky as the only job he could find was picking tobacco.  So in 1882 he packed up his small family in a covered wagon and headed west to Howell County, Missouri where he found a piece of land that he could homestead on. He settled on a small farm west of Cureall, Missouri and began planting oats, producing hay and raising sheep. He lived on that farm until his family was all grown.  After the children were gone, he sold the farm and he and Mattie moved to the state of Washington and then to Texas, but after a year they were not happy in these locations and they returned to Missouri where they purchased a farm six miles west of West Plains.

Eight years after they bought the new farm, Mattie died at their home on January 13, 1928 at the age of 75. Because she had taught at the Homeland School, her funeral was held in the Oak Grove School and she was buried in the Fowler Cemetery in Howell County.

After Mattie’s death, Aaron went to live with his oldest son, Weston Columbus Sumner, in Ganado, Texas.  A few years later he moved to Bristow, Oklahoma where he lived with his youngest son, William Stanley Sumner.  Missing his beloved Missouri, Aaron moved back to Caulfield, Missouri to live with his youngest daughter, Lottie Belle Sumner Story.

Aaron died at his daughter’s home in Caulfield on December 6, 1941 at the age of 82. His death certificate listed his cause of death as “senility”.  He was buried in the Fowler Cemetery next to his wife, Martha.

Tombstone of Aaron and Martha Sumner

LINEAGE:   (Aaron C. Sumner was the husband of Martha Caroline Bridges.  Martha was the second child of Orren Dates and Mary Elizabeth Hixon Bridges.  Orren was the first child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Edward Walter Battoe -- Career Air Force Member

 

 

 

Edward W. Battoe

Edward Walter Battoe was born on October 10, 1928 in Princeton, Kentucky.  He was the second child of Trevor Everett Battoe and his second wife, Myrtle Eliza Meador.   Edward’s older brother, Robert Trevor, died at the age of three months and his younger brother, Clifton Ray, died in infancy.  His two younger siblings, Lora Dean, born in 1932 and Leroy Delano, born in 1933 lived to adulthood, Edward also had four half-siblings from his father’s first marriage, Faye Lena, born in 1911; Nancy Lucille, born in 1914; Helen Hazel, born in 1916 and James Franklin, born in 1919. 

When he was very young his family moved to the Donaldson Creek community in Trigg County where he spent his early childhood years.   His family later moved to Paducah, Kentucky.

It was while his family lived in Paducah, that Edward enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 24, 1945 after he had only completed one year of high school.  Edward went on to serve 26½ years in service to his country, retiring from the United States Air Force on February 29, 1972.  He saw military service worldwide as well as combat duty in Vietnam.  In Vietnam, he served with the 377th Security Police Squadron at TonSonNhut Air Force Base in 1966 and 1967. He was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal with the “V” Device for heroism, a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service and various other medals.  He was assigned to the 3700th Security Police Squadron at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas in 1967 where he served until his retirement in 1972.  He was an Air Force Senior Master Sergeant at the time of his discharge.

After retiring from the military, Edward started a second career when he founded the Battoe Industries, Inc. in San Antonio, Texas and served as General Manager until his retirement in 1999. The company specialized in greeting cards. 

On April 20, 1950, Edward married his first wife, Geraldine Somers Wickliffe, in Coeur  d ‘Alene, Idaho.  This marriage subsequently ended in divorce.  On October 9, 1955, Edward married his second wife, Dixie Lee Beesley.  Dixie was born on July 15, 1938 in Kansas, the daughter of Albert and Stella Beesley.   Her family moved to Colorado where she resided in Pueblo, Colorado at the time of their marriage.  Edward and Dixie were the parents of two children, Elizabeth Lee Battoe, born on May 4, 1956 and Edward Walter Battoe II, born on July 20, 1957.

Edward died on June 24, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.  He was buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.

Dixie and Edward Battoe

Tombstone of Edward W, Battoe

LINEAGE: (Edward Walter Battoe was the son of Trevor Everett and Myrtle Eliza Meador Battoe, the grandson of John Edwin and Malinda Hawkins Battoe and the great-grandson of James J. and Charity S. Bridges Battoe.  Charity was the tenth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Curtis Allen Lancaster -- Lost at Sea

 

Curtis Allen Lancaster

Curtis Allen Lancaster was born on June 30, 1933 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  He was the fifth of seven children born to Pinkney Loys Lancaster and Virginia Thomas Mitchell Lancaster.  His siblings, who all grew to adulthood, were Thomas Loys Lancaster, born in 1923; Sylvia Rebecca Lancaster, born in 1925; Dorothy Lee Lancaster, born in 1927; June Matilda Lancaster, born in 1929; Joe Boyce Lancaster, born in 1934 and James Wendell Lancaster, born in 1937.  Curtis’ father, who was a farmer, died at an early age of 41 in 1938 when Curtis was just about to turn five years old.

Curtis grew up in Hopkinsville and when he was in his early twenties in the 1950s, he moved to Seattle, Washington.  Curtis was single and liked to hunt deer.  On October 17, 1958, Curtis and his roommate, Gordon  Fowler  travelled from Seattle to the small fishing and boating community of Anacortes, Washington, located about 80 miles north on a peninsula near the many islands of Puget Sound.   There he joined a small hunting party headed for Cypress Island in the San Juan Islands group where they planned to hunt deer.

In addition to Curtis and Gordon, the hunting party included James Gant and Don Pennington, along with Pennington’s 15 year-old daughter, Estelle.   The group planned to stay in cabins on Cypress Island.  The group set out in a 16-foot outboard boat from Anacortes late on Friday evening, October 17.  Soon after the hunting party left Anacortes, they encountered a storm.  Sometime later it was determined that their boat had not arrived at Cypress Island which was only about five miles north of Anacortes.  Nothing was found to indicate that the group had ever reached the island.

Family members alerted the Coast Guard about the boat’s failure to arrive at its intended destination.  On Saturday morning the Coast Guard initiated a sea and air hunt for the missing boat.  The search continued on Sunday and Monday in a 15 by 20 mile area surrounding Cypress Island.  Helicopters and fixed wing planes as well as patrol boats were used in the search.  By Tuesday morning hopes faded for the safety of the five members of the Seattle hunting party.  Although a few days later, some wreckage assumed to be from their outboard boat, was found, no trace was ever found of any of the five occupants of the boat.  

Curtis Lancaster was only 25 years old at the time of his death.  His loss in the Puget Sound was similar to the loss another family who died there in a plane crash nearby in 1945.  See Lindsay D. Thomas’ story published as a Leaf on September 15, 2022.

Although the remains of Curtis were never recovered, a monument in his memory was erected in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County, Kentucky, the cemetery where his father Pinkney and his mother, Virginia are buried.  The tombstone reads:  “In Memoriam, Curtis Allen Lancaster, Born June 30, 1933 in Hopkinsville, Ky, son of Pinkney Loys & Virginia Mitchell Lancaster. LOST OCT 18, 1958 IN PUGET SOUND”.

Curtis Lancaster Memorial

(LINEAGE:  Curtis Allen Lancaster was the son of Pinkney Loys and Virginia Mitchell Lancaster, grandson of Ezekiel Allen and Peachie Matilda Harrell Lancaster and great-grandson 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 and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Sidney Gordon Bridges -- Trigg County Carpenter

 

Gordon and Ernestine Bridges

Sidney Gordon Bridges was born on July 22, 1906 in the Blue Spring community of Trigg County Kentucky.  He was the third of eight children born to Drew Manley Bridges and Lena Mae Guier.  Drew was a farmer and he and Lena lived on a farm in the Mount Pleasant community of Trigg County until 1925 when they moved with their family to farm they bought in the Maple Grove community.  

Gordon’s siblings were Lola Jo, born in 1901; Robbie Bell, born in 1904; Sarah Elizabeth, born in 1907; Clifton Earl, born in 1910; John Thomas, born in 1915; Clovis Manley, born in 1918; and Mosco Doris, born in 1919.

On December 11, 1927 Gordon married Jane Ernestine Bridges in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.   Ernestine was born on June 9, 1906, in the Maple Grove community and was the daughter of Durwood Stanley Bridges and Jane”Jennie” Thomas.  Ernestine’s father Stan had taught school in Maple Grove and later became a merchant in Canton, Kentucky before becoming a famer.  Stan and Jennie settled on a farm in the Maple Grove community.  Gordon and Ernestine lived on the farm with her parents after their marriage.

Gordon did not find farming to be a successful careen and in 1934 he decided he would quit farming and become a carpenter.  He worked on many local projects in the Trigg and Christian County area building homes and barns.  He built the log American Legion Club house in Cadiz as well as working on the CCC Camp.  In 1951, he helped to build the Trigg County Hospital, the first large medical facility in Cadiz.  In addition to his carpentry work, Gordon worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Corps of Engineers on several projects on dams on the Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.

Gordon was known as a passionate sportsman loving to hunt and fish.  He would travel to Colorado numerous times to hunt deer and trips to South Dakota to hunt pheasants.  He had the reputation of being the best known fisherman in the western Kentucky area.   After his retirement, Gordon worked as a fishing guide on Barkley Lake.  Country music star Eddy Arnold was one of the many fishermen that Gordon helped as a guide.  Gordon’s fishing adventures were even the subject of a newspaper article in the Louisville Courier Journal.

Gordon and Ernestine were the parents of three children, Betty Jo who was born in 1928; Billy Gordon, who was born in 1931; and Robert Stanley who was born in 1934.  Gordon and Ernestine continued to live on the farm where Ernestine was born until their deaths.

Gordon died on February 25, 1986 at the age of 79 in Cadiz, Kentucky.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.   Ernestine died four and one half years later on December 11, 1990 at the age of 84 in Cadiz.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

 Ernestine and Gordon

 

 Gordon Bridges

 Gordon and Ernestine Tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Sidney Gordon Bridges was the son of Drew Manley and Lena Mae Guier Bridges, and the grandson of Starkie T. and Elizabeth W. Lawrence Bridge.  Starkie was the second 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.

Eldon Lee Reid, Jr. -- Stock Car Racer

 

 

 

Eldon Lee Reid, Jr. was born on July 15, 1973 in El Paso, Texas, the third of eight children born to Eldon Lee Reid, Sr., and Edna Jo Eggleston.  His siblings were Regina Reid, Bobbie Jean Reid, Deserae Reid, Lisa Reid,  Veronica Reid, Andrew Reid and Michael Reid. 

Eldon grew up in New Mexico and his interest in stock car racing came from his father, Eldon, Sr., who was a well known modified race car driver competing in races all over Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.  He won many races and earned numerous achievements on dirt and asphalt tracks.  He taught his son a love for the thrill of the sport.

Eldon, Jr. married  Kristi Brewer and they became the parents of seven children, Zackary Reid, Adyson Reid, Aaron Reid, Kaden Reid, Ashley Reid, Taylor Reid and Zachary Reid.  Eldon started an oil pumping business in the mid 1990s. He grew the company over the following twenty years until 2017 when he, along with his wife, Kristi, increased their company unto a complete oil field service business.

Although his father had always raced, it was a friend of his mother who actually got him interested. . "My dad is in his 50s and they'll bury my dad in his race car," Reid was quoted as saying.  His mom arranged for him to pick up a bomber car which is a lightweight racing car used to race around oval tracks. This immediately sparked a passion for racing. Over the years, Eldon made a lot of friends and shared a lot of laughs at tracks across the country. Butch and Kristi loved traveling across the country to venture to new tracks and to pick up his next new race car. His  pit crew consisted of his cousins and close friends. Even though he was mechanically inclined, Reid relied on his pit crew to keep his car in tip-top shape. 

Reid was the top-point track champion race for several years at the Carlsbad  Speedway and was ranked in high standings at the Artesia, New Mexico track, which draws a competitive field of faster drivers.  In a local interview, Reid explained, that race car drivers always like to put on a show for the fans. An old car with the windows kicked out and driven "as is" fits into the bomber class. Street cars with souped-up  motors raced in the street stock class while four-cylinder, compact cars raced in the mini-stock class. A step up from super stock is the modified class. Reid said. "It s fun. It’s just fun," he added. "It beats going to the bar." . Reid's biggest fan was his son Zachary, who became the self-appointed, race-car inspector and personal coach. His sights were set on racing one day, which would make him a third-generation stock-car driver.

Eldon Reid, Jr., died on Saturday, October 19, 2019 in Amarillo, Texas as the age of 46,  He was buried in the Carlsbad Cemetery in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

LINEAGE:  (Eldon Lee Reid, Jr. was the son of Eldon Lee Reid, Sr. and Edna Jo Eggleston, grandson of Ray Reid and Mildred Marie Smyth and great-grandson of  Fred Rod Smyth and Jewel Irene Bleeker.  Fred was the fourth child of Charles Walter Smyth and Alpha Adeline Thomas.  Alpha was the fifth child of James Clark “Muck” Thomas and Elizabeth Josephine Lawrence Thomas.  James Clark was the fourth child of James Thomas, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James Thomas Jr. was the sixth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)