Terry Page 1

In the 1840 Federal Census for Kentucky, Hopkins County, George Terry and Margaret are listed with one male under five years (1835-1840), (Sherrod), one male between five and ten years of age (Burrell, born 1831; one male between thirty and forty years of age (George), one female under five years, (Sarah/Sally born 1837) one female between five and ten years (Louvanda born in 1834), one female between ten years and fifteen years (Louisa Jane, born in 1828), one female between thirty and forty years old (Margaret Crabtree Terry).



WILLIAM YORK TERRY (GEORGE) was born April 30, 1850, and died June 4, 1900 and is buried in the Terry Cemetery (he is left). (He went by the name "York")  He married FRANCIS ELVIRA DAVIS WOODRUFF March 02, 1872 in Hopkins County, Kentucky, daughter of CHARLES WOODRUFF and CYNTHIA DAVIS. She was born December 19, 1852 in Hopkins County, Kentucky, and died August 2, 1935 and is also buried in the Terry Cemetery.




Photo above is of Frances Elvira Woodruff Terry with her daughter Bessie and her son-in-law, Charlie West 

 


 

York Terry put down on the 1850 Hopkins Census that his mother (Margaret Crabtree) was born in Tennessee.  She herself put down on a census that she was born in Kentucky.  The "York" name comes from the "York" family that was from North Carolina and England originally.  Margaret Crabtree's father was Isaiah Crabtree, and his parents were John Crabtree and Lydia York.

 

Above is the York Terry family, taken circa 1900.  My, my, how things have changed in little over 100 years !

York Terry's original signature from his will, at the Hopkins County Court House

William "York" Terry & Francis Elvira Davis Woodruff

York Terry's Will

Digital photo of original will

York Terry's Will, taken at court house in 2005

William "York" Terry and wife, Frances Elvira Woodruff

William York Terry's Will, Original in his hand at the Hopkins County, KY Courthouse.

This was the home that William York Terry (above) built and helped cut the logs for.  Standing in front of the house is Paul Crick and Grandma Terry (who would be Francis Elvira Woodruff.)

William York Terry and Frances Elvira Woodruff are buried in the Terry Cemetery with the above stone.

 


 

1900 Census

 

 

 

In the 1880 Hopkins County Census:

York Terry, 27 ~ 1853 (tombstone says 1850)
Frances, 26, ~ 1854
Lennie, 7, ~ 1873
George, 5 ~ 1875
Livie, 2 ~ 1878
 

Note:  dtr named Eller is not in this census, she would be 8-9 yrs old

 

 

Children of William York Terry and Frances Elvira Davis Woodruff:

 

 

i

Ella Terry - born May 31, 1871 according to the 1900 Hopkins Co., Census.  Ella Nicholas is living next to Thomas G. Davis and Lovranda Terry.  She is listed as a cook and she has a son living with her son named Claude, he is 8 yrs. old, being born in 1882.  Both are listed as white.  She indicates she is the mother of two children with one living.  She marries William Alexander Utley, her cousin in December, 1899 and they have four children together. 

 

Note that this is not a child of Frances Davis Woodruff; we think it is a daughter York had with a slave they owned (the Terry family).
 

ii

LENNIE VICTORIA TERRY, b. December 20, 1873, Hopkins Co., Kentucky; d. February 24, 1936, Sullivan Co., Indiana. She married Peter Lynn Ratcliffe. Lennie and Peter "Pete" were my maternal great grandparents. Lennie was 27 yrs old when her father York died.

 

iii

GEORGE W. TERRY, b. 1875/76 Kentucky; m. FLORENCE WILLIAM. They had a daughter named Jettie Terry who was born in 1899 and she married Lawton Sneed. Jettie Terry and Lawton Sneed had Ruth (with me below). Florence died 3/28/1953 according to KY death records. George was abt 25 when his father died.

 

 

 

George W. Terry and Florence William and their children.

Jettie Terry is in upper left corner. She md Lawton Sneed

George and Florence's tombstone in Castleberry Cemetery

 

 

iv.


LIVIE Clay TERRY, b. 1878 Kentucky; ROLAND WILLIAMS married LUVIE C. TERRY Marriage Date: 12 Aug 1896 County: Hopkins State: KY. Livie and her husband Roland are in the 1900 Hopkins Co., Charleston, Census, he is 26 and she is 21. In the 1910 census, Roland and "Liddie C. are listed with Lillie K., dtr, 9 yrs old, born 1901, Lenna, dtr, 5 yrs old, born 1905, Fannie B., dtr, 3 yrs old, born 1907, Ruffin E., son, one year old, born 1909. In the 1920 census, Livie and Roland have Lillie, 19, Linnie, 15, Fanny B., 13, Ruffin E., 11, Laddie A., dtr, 8, Terry V., son, 3/12 mos. In the 1930 census Roland and Livie are listed as with Ruffin, 20, and Lovie?, dtr, 17 and son, Terry V., 11. The census indicates Roland worked in the coal mines. Livie was about 22 yrs old when her father died.  Livie is buried in the Christian Privilege Cemetery.  I do not know where the name Clay comes from and is perhaps a clue in the Terry ancestry which is unsolved, especially on the maternal side.

 

v

CHARLES J. TERRY, born in 1881, (on right in picture); he married Josie England Gilliand. Josie was the daughter of John R. Gilliland and Lucinda Laffoon.  Lucinda was the daughter of John Henry Laffoon and Zirelda Prince, John Henry Laffoon was the son of Some additional notes from Bill York Terry, who my mother met on the way to the Terry Cemetery in Kentucky in 1985, a son of Charlie and Josie. His comments to my mother: "Uncle William was riding his horse up the lane. Daddy saw him coming and hid behind some bushes. When Uncle William got there, Daddy jumped out and the horse reared up and threw Uncle William. Uncle William went over the top of the horse and broke his collar bone. Daddy hid in the lift under the loose hay and called Uncle William. When Uncle William got up there, Daddy raised up slowly and Uncle William got scared and backed out of the loft window on top of the cows." Charles (Charlie) was about 19 yrs old when his father died. 

 

Caption on this photo of this abandoned home says "Uncle Charlie and Aunt Josie's home".

I am the teen aged girl in the Josie Terry picture, behind me is my father Gaston Morse Stewart in front is My brother Terry Gaston Stewart. In the middle rear is my grandmother Sible Lee Terry Stewart in front of her is my great grandmother Josie England Terry. Man on right rear is Noel Terry a brother to Sible and son of Josie, with him are his son Phillip Terry and his daughter Carol Ann Terry Staton . I don't know the other man. Linda Obenchain

Josie E. Terry 12 Jan 1882 ~ 4/27/1967; and Charlie J Terry 10 Mar 1881 Jan 11, 1950, both buried at the Cranor Cemetery.
 

Charles Terry and Josie England Gilliand, had Noel Terry, Syble Terry and Gaston Terry. Gaston is Linda's father.

Carl Noel Terry, son of Charlie Terry and Josie

Buried at Cranor Cemetery

Sibyl Terry Stewart
 

Sibyl Terry

 Gaston Stewart  

vi

WILLIAM TERRY, born in 1882 m. ARTIE COTTON (left) - From Bill Terry, a son of Charlie, made these comments to my mother on a visit to KY in 1985: "Uncle William Terry went to Oklahoma & disappeared for several years. Made some money. Came back with a big fancy car. Married Artie Cotton. Lived near Enid and Tonkawa. Artie & daughter are buried in Oklahoma. William died in the asylum. William was 18 when his father died.  He married again after Artie died, I have the records somewhere.  He is buried in the Terry cemetery and we guess that Bessie must have had him buried there and had a stone put up as she was the only one alive when he died.

vii

Addie "Kate" TERRY, b. Kentucky in 1887 and died in 1850, she is buried at the Castleberry Cemetery, she and her husband's tombstone on left; m. Richard "DICK" CRICK, from Christian County Birth records Kate, or "Katie" had Dorothy J. Crick on 8/1/1928 and "Finley" G. Crick on March 18 1922. According to Ruth Dunning, niece of Kate Terry, this couple had Coleen, female, Jule, male, Dixie, female and Evan, male. Coleen and Evan are buried in the Castleberry cemetery and pictures are below. Addie was about 13 when her father died.

The Obituary of their son: JEWELL CRICK

Jewell Crick, 93, Crofton, died at 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, 2000, at the Regional Medical Center, Madisonville, following a long illness. Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Hughart and Beard Funeral Home, Crofton. Burial will be in Castleberry Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 until 8 tonight.

A native of Hopkins County, he was born June 6, 1907, the son of the late Richard and Kate Terry Crick. He was a farmer and a member of the Crofton Independent General Baptist Church.

Survivors include two sons, Maurice J. Crick and James W. Crick, both of Crofton; a daughter, Bessie Jean Crick, Crofton and two sisters, Colleen Waters, Hopkinsville and Dorothy Johnson, Fort Smith, Ark.
 

 

viii

BESSIE TERRY, b. Kentucky in 1894 d. December 21, 1993, Covington Conv Home, Kentucky when she was 99 yrs old; she m. CHARLIE WEST. See a letter written by "Aunt Bessie" to her niece, Frances Clark (Frances was a child of her sister's, Lennie Terry) here. Bessie was six yrs old when her father died. Frances her mother, is living with she and her husband, Charles West in the 1930 Christian County, KY Census.
 

Bessie Terry

Bessie and Charlie's tombstone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A photo of the Terry home place that my mom took in 1985.

When my mother and I were there in 1997 it had fallen in and

there wasn't much left to see. Very large picture; "click" to enlarge.


 

February 2, 1988

 

Dear Barbara:

 

Will try to answer your letter and your questions as best I can. Hope this finds you well and able to work, as long as we keep busy we don't worry about our problems so much. I would have answered sooner, but we have been sick with that new flu virus, but feeling better now.

 

Our weather has been nice for winter, not much snow but of course we may have worse in this month and March. Aunt Bessie is about the same and still in the rest home. Now for your questions.

 

1. Charlie J. Terry (my daddy) was a brother to your grandmother Linnie Radcliff. He married Josie Gilliland (my mother. They had one girl, Sibyle, ten years older than me. She married Houser Stewart, they had one son, Gaston, living, 68 yrs old. Sibyle and Houser separated when Gaston was about 6 yrs old. Sibyle and Houser are both dead.
 

The man you met at the cemetery is Bill York Terry, George Terry's son, named after grandfather York Terry.

 

Hope this much has helped you.

Best Wishes, Carl & Thelma

 

From my Cousin Linda:

The letter was written by Thelma Terry the 3rd. wife of Carl Noel Terry my father's uncle and a brother to my grandmother Sibyle Lee Terry Stewart. Sibyle was married to William Hanson Stewart and had one child Gaston Stewart. My father who married Ila Christine Sneed Stewart, my mother Josie Gilliland Terry and Charlie J. Terry were the parents of Sibyle and Carl Noel Terry, Aunt Bessie was a sister to Charlie J. Terry. After reading the letter it looks like your great-grandmother and my great-grandfather were brother and sister.

 



 

Third Generation

 

LENNIE VICTORIA TERRY was born December 20, 1873 in Hopkins Co., Kentucky, and died February 24, 1936 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. She married PETER LYNN RATCLIFFE January 15, 1896, son of JOHN RATCLIFFE and LUCY Clementine LYNN. He was born March 27, 1870 in Christian Co., Kentucky, and died May 15, 1961 in Shelburn, Indiana.

 

Children of Lennie V. Terry and Peter L. Ratcliffe:

 

i.

QUIMBY GEORGE RATCLIFFE, b. November 19, 1896, Hopkins County, Kentucky; d. May 19, 1960, Sullivan County, Indiana. Burial: Little Flock Cemetery, Shelburn, Indiana.

 

ii.

VERA LOVE (VEE) RATCLIFFE, b. May 21, 1899, St. Charles, Hopkins County, Kentucky; d. September 16, 1980, Good Samaritan Nursing Home Jasonville, Indiana. She and Lucile Ratcliffe, Bill's wife, William below, were in a the nursing home in Jasonville together after Bill died. Lucile died in '73 and Vee died in '80.

iii.




ROMANE RATCLIFFE, b. 1903, Sullivan County, Indiana; d. 1978, Sullivan County, Indiana.

iv.


WILLIAM LYNN RATCLIFFE, b. March 05, 1906, Sullivan Co., Indiana; d. July 07, 1969, Linton, Indiana, Greene Co., Freeman-Greene Co., Hosp. My maternal grandfather.

v.




FRANCES RATCLIFFE, b. 1912, Keller, Sullivan County, Indiana. Frances married Lawrence Clark. My Great Aunt whom I loved. She was always nice.



 


This is a picture of Bessie Terry and her husband Charlie West standing in the Terry Cemetery in 1966. Right is another view of the Terry home that you see in the back ground of the picture on the left.
 

 


Fourth Generation

WILLIAM LYNN RATCLIFFE (my maternal grandfather) was born March 05, 1906 in Sullivan Co., Indiana, and died July 07, 1969 in Linton, Indiana, Greene Co., Freeman-Greene Co., Hosp. He married (1) LEOLA "Billy Lee" Lucas. He married (2) VIVIAN LUCILE MONTAGUE December 17, 1931, daughter of ERASTUS MONTAGUE and NANCY "Jennie" APPLE.

 

Vera, Romane and Frances were my maternal grandfather's siblings and since I have photos of them, I've included them here with his generation (4th)

VERA LOVE (VEE) RATCLIFFE (LENNIE VICTORIA3 TERRY, WILLIAM YORK2, GEORGE1) was born May 21, 1899 in St. Charles, Hopkins County, Kentucky, and died September 16, 1980 in Good Samaritan Nursing Home Jasonville, Indiana. She married (1) FRANK BILL. She married (2) BILL HIATT. Burial: Little Flock Cemetery, Shelburn, Indiana. Vee was in the same nursing home as my maternal grandmother was in before she passed away in 1974. My mother felt comforted that my grandmother had family for company.

ROMANE RATCLIFFE (LENNIE VICTORIA3 TERRY, WILLIAM YORK2, GEORGE1) was born 1903 in Sullivan County, Indiana, and died 1978 in Sullivan County, Indiana. Burial: Little Flock Cemetery, Indiana. ROMANE married BESSIE and later a GOLDIE.

Frances Ratcliffe was my maternal great aunt whom I knew and loved, she was always nice to us. I have many fond memories of Thanksgiving at their house.

FRANCES RATCLIFFE (LENNIE VICTORIA3 TERRY, WILLIAM YORK2, GEORGE1) was born 1912 in Keller, Sullivan County, Indiana. She married LAWRENCE CLARK.

 
Children of FRANCES RATCLIFFE and LAWRENCE CLARK are:
 

 

i.

LARRY (BUB) CLARK

ii.

JEANETTE CLARK - CRISS

iii.

BETTY CLARK, married Al Bise, three children

iv.

MAX CLARK

v.

RICHARD CLARK

vi.

GERALD CLARK

vii.

DAVID CLARK

Child of WILLIAM RATCLIFFE and LEOLA Adams is:
 

i.

BILLIE LEE (LEOLA) LUCAS, b. ? lives in Gary, IN

 

Children of WILLIAM RATCLIFFE and VIVIAN MONTAGUE are:
 

i.


Billy RATCLIFFE, b. December 25, 1932. Billy first married _______ and had Dawn Marie Ratcliffe, my first cousin. He married second to Betty Crooks and had a son named Lynn (another family member named Lynn for William Wallace Lynn, father of Lucy Clementine Lynn who married John A. B. Ratliff, maternal gr grandfather of Billy.
 

ii.

Barbara Lucile Ratcliffe, my beloved mother and the one who inspired my in our family's history and by her example in life.