Tags
Allen Bryant, Appalachia, Ben Vance, Bilton McNeely, Dick Adkins, Ed Dingess, Ferrellsburg, Florence Hill, Frank Vance, genealogy, George Simpkins, history, Isaac Marion Nelson, Jake Fowler, Lincoln County, Low Gap United Baptist Church, Oden Dempsey, U.S. South, Walker School, Wash Dempsey, West Virginia
Low Gap United Baptist Church record, 1911. The Low Gap UB Church met for over fifty years at the Walker School, situated in the headwaters of Walker Branch, near Ferrellsburg.
Brandon Ray Kirk 
Brandon,
On this church register, what does
#64 say, Nash or Wash Dempsey, maybe? Just caught my eye as my
g-grandad was George Washington Dempsey. Just curious, thanks! Thanks for your long labor of love – such important work.
Misty (Dotson) Page
(Bertha and June C Adkins grandaughter)
Hi, Misty! You’re correct. It’s Wash Dempsey. I’m glad to know you have found the blog. Due to your family’s importance in my community, I have collected much information and material regarding their history. On a personal note, I thought highly of your grandparents. My dad calls June C. the “grandfather of Harts basketball.” He was that, and so much more. I remember your grandmother, Bertha, who was my third grade teacher at Ferrellsburg; your mom was my kindergarten teacher. Keep in touch.
Thanks for your kind words, Brandon. I mentioned to my mom what you wrote and in typical school teacher fashion (without skipping a beat), she said, oh yeah and this was what I taught them that year…….she said she was only there 1/2 a year but introduced phonetics to your kindergarten class, putting lots of focus on sounding out the words. She said teachers weren’t ‘supposed’ to be doing that at that point but that’s my rebel mom! I remember she prayed before lunch with her classes, even when I had her in the mid 80s for 3rd grade.
My grandparents loved the Harts community and its woven into the threads of my own story. Going to visit them was one of my favorite things to do growing up. I have lots of friends and family there. It was for the love of us and their getting older that motivated them to need to leave. Harts is a special place.
My poppaw loved Harry and you. He spoke with nothing but praise for your dad and his coaching. He used to say your dad is ‘a fine man.’ I know after learning more about his coaching and starting ball at Ferrellaburg, that he was your dad’s first basketball teacher (I believe). I read a paper that Ronnie McCann wrote on Harts basketball and that clued me in to some amazingly cool stories. I miss them everyday!
My mom and I both would like to buy a copy of your book. I saw that it is available on Amazon. However, is there a way to buy copies directly thru you and get you to personalize it? Very proud of you and I know my grandparents would be too. I live in Texas and don’t get home often so I can’t really attend a signing event.
If there’s anything that you would ever like to share about my family, I would love that. The older I get, the more important learning about from whence I came becomes. One story I used to hear was that no one could politic for a candidate like poppaw. He’d be out until the wee hours of the morning talking to people about who they should consider vote for. I heard it was hard to get elected without poppaw’s endorsement at one point – lol. Might be an exaggeration.
Take care!
Your message prompts many thoughts. First, you can get the book easiest at Amazon, especially since you’re located in Texas. I do participate in many book signings and appearances, so maybe you or your mom could catch me at a book event and I’ll be more than happy to personalize the book. If you follow my FB author page and FB book page you will see what the book and I are doing and maybe we can cross paths soon. 🙂 I occasionally have copies myself, but I do not have any at present or I could send you and your mom copies. Of course, a lot of your family appears in the book. Second, June C. was one of our community’s most important civic people — his fingerprints are on many things, regardless of who is credited with getting it done. We need people like him today, that’s for sure.
Brandon – you made me tear up. A man of unwavering principle – definitely need more like him today. He wasn’t one to brag or take credit for anything really. He had a very quiet humility and there’s much to learn from that.
Let me follow you on FB and see if at least my mom could stalk you at a book event once I see your schedule. ~Blessings~ Misty