Sunday, November 3, 2024

Weekend Full Of Surprises

 Susan's weekend was a series of fine surprises. Her cousin Ann called Friday night to see if she was up for a trip into western Kentucky on Saturday for an event planned to honor a common ancestor.  I can handle the dogs by myself, so of course she went. The event was for a ceremony to honor Mandley Winstead, who was a Revolutionary War soldier, buried near Nebo, Kentucky in 1846. Susan and Ann's connection to Mandley is through his third wife, Amy, and that was close enough for the invitation.


The church was nearly full, with descendants from the area, and a small band of re-enactors for a little ceremony. 



Visiting the grave site involved some utility vehicles and a short hike.


Mandley Winstead's new marker, courtesy of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, and the Hopkins County Genealogical Society. 


Here is a big surprise. This broken marker near Mandley's original stone still has decipherable dates, but the top is missing. Nearby is a footstone with the initials A W W. We looked up Amy Winstead's dates, and this is her headstone. Amy is a 5th great-grandmother to Susan, and a 6th to our son Zeke. This is a great, surprising bonus, having a grandmother we weren't even looking for to suddenly appear. Now we must maintain contact with the landowner for this little cemetery and plan a trip to find the top of Amy's stone. It probably is covered with soil nearby to what remains.



Book excerpt from: John S. Crow and Nancy W. Hutcheson of Mecklenburg County, Virginia and Hopkins County, Kentucky,  A Compilation of Collected Materials Pertaining to Their Ancestors, Their Lives, and Their Descendants, Assembled by Ann Austin Hecathorn, July 1992

Photos and video by Susan. 
















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