Author: Dennis

Surname Changes

February 27, 2012 Dennis No comments exist

Doesn’t it seem strange that a family like the Derryberrys were able to change their name so easily back in the late 1800s? Were there not laws against such practices? No, not really. We know that spelling variations were very common in the past mostly due to illiteracy, and earlier generations just didn’t seem to worry much about it. In fact, documents such as land records or wills could have the same name spelled differently in multiple places throughout the document as long as it sounded the same.

On the other hand, some folks actually did change their name purposely so it didn’t sound the same. This was usually done for a variety of reasons including a desire to break with the past, a dislike of the original name, or even if it was too difficult to pronounce or spell. Often this was done along with a move to a new location. It was never a legal problem since there were no “official records” maintained about people in most states until about 1900. Although some states had started earlier, about that time the Federal government began mandating that all states officially record births, marriages, and deaths and regulate name changes. Since that time, folks have gradually become more educated and there are now relatively few surname changes or variations, unlike the past.

Robert Derryberry’s Family Shortens the Name

February 7, 2012 Dennis No comments exist

Greene County, TN, was the birthplace of the legendary Davy Crockett in 1786. It was also the home of our 17th president, Andrew Johnson, who took over after President Lincoln was assassinated. After the Civil War, the Derryberrys remaining in Greene County, TN, began feeling the need to shorten their surname. Perhaps the first to do so was Thomas Derryberry who by 1870 was using the name Dayberry. Then by 1880 his father William was also using this new spelling. Both William and Thomas and their families moved to Sevier County, TN, sometime before 1880 and lived there until the end of their lives. William died in 1890 and Thomas died in 1908.

Meanwhile, recall from the previous post that James Derryberry had married a second time to Elizabeth Hansel, in 1859. Well, later that year they had a son named Robert, and before James rode off to join the southern campaign in 1862 they had a daughter named Mary. When James didn’t return after the war, his widow and two small children must have had a very difficult time surviving. Finally, in 1870, Elizabeth who sometimes went by her first name Susan, at age 33 remarried an older gentleman named Samuel Easterly who was 64. Together they had a daughter named Cenia. Unfortunately, by 1880 Elizabeth was widowed once again.

By 1880, 21 year old Robert Derryberry, had moved away from home and was called “Ball Dery”. Perhaps Ball was a nickname, but it is obvious that he was also trying on a shorter surname. That same year he married Sarah Jane Clowers who was six years older. He possibly met Sarah when when she was visiting relatives next door to where Robert was living. However, Robert and Sarah were married using his old Derryberry surname.

Over the next 15 years, Robert and Sarah proceeded to have three daughters and four sons. They lived and farmed near Warrensburg, TN for the rest of their lives. The Nolichucky River runs right through this area. In 1900, the family was still using the Derryberry name, but shortly after began spelling their name differently. Most of the family members dropped the “berry” syllable and began using just “Derry”. Robert died of pneumonia in 1903 at only 44 years old. Sarah lived for another 20 years and died in 1923. They are both buried in the Methodist Church cemetery in Warrensburg, TN. Interestingly, as can be clearly seen, the name is spelled Derrie on their headstone. Only one of their offspring adopted that particular spelling variation and that was their oldest son, our ancestor, Thomas Washington Derrie.

Jim Derry who lives in the northwest corner of Georgia, not far from Chattanooga, TN is a great-great grandson of Robert Derryberry/Derrie. Jim had a DNA test run in 2010 that matches him with the Durrenbergers of Switzerland, proving that the Derrys/Derries of East Tennessee are in fact descendants of that line. Jim and I are second cousins, but once removed since he is one generation younger than I.

James Derryberry Dies in the Civil War

January 29, 2012 Dennis No comments exist

Most people have read or heard stories about the American Civil War causing brothers to fight on opposite sides for the North and the South, and about soldiers fighting first on one side and then the other. Well, all this actually happened in our Derryberry family history. Read on to find out the complicated circumstances.

William Derreberry was a farmer and a shoemaker. When William and his wife Mary (Polly) migrated to Greene County, TN in the 1850s, their two oldest offspring, Susan and Barnabas, were already married and stayed behind in North Carolina. Jefferson, aka Jesse, was also married but chose to travel with the family as did their three youngest sons, James, John and Thomas. After arriving in Tennessee, James, who is our ancestor, and his brother John married two Garmon sisters in August 1857, one week apart. The marriages took place down the river in neighboring Jefferson County, TN. Then due to an untimely death or some other unknown reason, James got married a second time just a year and a half later to Elizabeth Hansel also in Jefferson County.

In the Spring of 1861, seven southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. This triggered the War Between the North and the South or the American Civil War. East Tennessee was very divided by the war with people only choosing sides when compelled. William Derreberry and his sons must have had very mixed emotions about the war and perhaps disagreements between family members. None immediately jumped at the chance to go fight. At first the Confederacy relied on volunteer soldiers, but within a year they began conscripting all males between 18 and 35 years of age. This probably caused John Derryberry to be the first in the family to side with the South. In July of 1862, at age 21, he enlisted as a private in the 64th North Carolina Infantry Regiment when it formed in Madison County, NC. Then a month later James Derryberry, at age 23, also enlisted as a private in the 64th when the regiment had reached Sevier County, TN. Since he had learned the shoe making trade from his father, James was put to work making and repairing shoes. Thomas Derryberry was too young to be conscripted.

Poor food, boredom, unhealthy camp conditions, fear of death, and homesickness caused desertion to be a frequent occurrence on both sides. Soldiers close to their homes were especially sensitive to conditions there, and bad news consequently contributed to desertion, particularly among Confederate soldiers. Being not far from home in Eastern TN, John Derryberry developed a history of desertion. He first deserted in November 1862, then returned to duty in February 1863 only to desert again in Knoxville in July 1863. Then John totally switched sides and together with his brother, Jesse, joined the Union Army in Greenville, TN. Why did he jump to the side of the Union? Obviously, he didn’t care for the conditions on the Confederate side, and perhaps his brother Jesse talked him into it. Regardless, they both enlisted on the same day in August 1863 in the 8th Tennessee Cavalry.

John enlisted as a private and went to work as a Blacksmith, and Jesse enlisted as a Corporal, perhaps because at 25 he was older and more mature. Both were described as 5 ft 8 in tall, with John having a dark complexion, dark eyes and hair, and Jesse having a fair complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. They both fought with the 8th Cavalry until the end of the war, and according to records they were mustered out in Sept 1865. However, after the war, John and Jesse completely disappear from all records. It is highly probable that they both died near the end of the war and their muster out records were incorrectly completed.

Meanwhile, our ancestor, James Derryberry, served for the South with the 64th North Carolina Infantry until Sept 1863. Unfortunately, during his time with that unit, the 64th was involved in one of the greatest atrocities of the war which took place in a remote Appalachian valley of Madison County, North Carolina called Shelton Laurel. In January 1863, under orders from their commander, soldiers from the 64th shot and killed 13 Union sympathizers without any trial or hearing whatsoever. There were many factors that lead up to the Shelton Laurel massacre with grievous errors in judgement on both sides. To learn more, I recommend reading the book Victims A True Story of the Civil War by Phillip Shaw Paludan, which also gives a good depiction of the horrific guerrilla fighting conditions in the mountains. It is unknown whether James Derryberry took part in the actual killings, but probably not as shoe makers typically stayed behind in camp to apply their trade and didn’t normally participate in raids or skirmishes.

By the Fall of 1863, James was detailed to Atlanta to help make and repair shoes at a central location for the Confederacy. Muster Roll and Pay receipts show that he was “bottoming shoes” and receiving 35 cents per pair. He was then transferred to Major Bridewell’s unit in July 1864. Major Bridewell was the quartermaster for the Confederate clothing depot, which was located outside of Atlanta. General Sherman’s successful siege of Atlanta and march to the sea by Union Forces occurred in late Summer and Fall of 1864. Since there are no further records of James Derryberrry after July 1864, it is strongly believed that he met his death at the hands of Sherman’s troops sometime during that period. He was only 25 years old!

The Great Wagon Road

January 2, 2012 Dennis No comments exist

Long before English Colonists arrived in North America, the Indians traversed a hunting trail from the North to the S Factoid outh through the Appalachian Valley called the Great Warrior’s Path. Much of the trail followed the river they called the Shenandoah or “Daughter of the Stars”. After the French and Indian War in the 1750s, and as Colonists expanded into new territory to the South from Pennsylvania, they essentially followed the same route, and it became known as the Great Wagon Road. Most of the German and Scotch-Irish settlers pushing out of Pennsylvania to find new lands followed this road southward as they could not easily scale the mountains to the West. It was by far the most heavily traveled route to the Burke frontier in North Carolina.

The road began at the Schuylkill River Ferry in Philadelphia, and ran west to Lancaster, crossing the Susquehanna River at Harris’s Ferry and then crossing the Potomac River at Williams Ferry (Williamsport, MD). The road took settlers down through the Appalachian Valley (now called the Shenandoah Valley) essentially following Route 81 in present day Virginia. At the present location of Roanoke, the road veered eastward through a gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain and once again turned south essentially following Route 220 today, crossing the Dan River and on into North Carolina.

Derryberrys of North Carolina

January 2, 2012 Dennis No comments exist

When Burke County was formed in 1777 at the edge of the Appalachians about 75 miles below the Virgina line, it was North Carolina’s western frontier. The early settlers were Scotch – Irish and German Palatines, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch. They were from southeastern PA and NJ, and had migrated down the Appalachians into the North Carolina back country. They came with little but the clothing on their backs and had to make everything. They built log cabins and the tables, chairs and beds that went into them. The German settler was described as “robust, law abiding, industrious and scrupulously honest”. “Their farming habits were model for others. They were good citizens, participating actively in church, family, and communal affairs, rarely questioning authority, yet due to their language barrier, taking little interest in politics or public life.”

The Derreberrys, as it was spelled by then, were among the first settlers to claim this new land in Burke County, make improvements to it and file for land grants. Grants of typically 100 acres each were obtained by several Derreberry men between the years of 1778 and 1784 on Silver Creek in the area just south of Morganton, the county seat. They may have been already on the land as early as the 1750s as the grants often mentioned improvements to the land which indicates these Derreberrys were homesteaders and not newcomers on the scene. They had made improvements by clearing forests and building cabins, sheds and rail fences on their property. Those persons who had settled on the land without due title were still entitled to register their land through the grant system. In other words, squatters were allowed to register their land as much as someone who had obtained a previous grant. The early Derreberry settlers were named Michael, Adam, John Jr., and Jacob and they were probably brothers. One being named John Derryberry, Jr. leads to the assumption that there probably was a John Sr. Since the name John is Hans in the German form, John Sr. may have been the illusive Hans Michael Dürrenberger, whose wife’s name was believed to be Anna.

The Derreberry families firmly established themselves in Burke County and by 1790 there were six households shown in the census. Adam, Jacob, Michael, Andrew, Anne, and Hanna. It is believed that Anne was the widow of John Sr. and Hanna was the widow of John Derreberry Jr., our ancestor. John Derreberry Jr. and Hanna had three sons: George William, Michael (Micah) and another John. Everyone was a farmer.

Our DÜRRENBERGER Forebears in Europe

December 2, 2011 Dennis No comments exist

As mentioned previously, the DERRIE surname originated as DüRRENBERGER in Europe. Extensive information about the Dürrenberger families in both Europe and later in the United States has been gathered by Brian Anton and other researchers, and Brian maintains an impressive website appropriately called “The Dürrenberger Family“ (freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fams/durrenberger). From his website and others, I have assembled a very quick summary of the origins of the Dürrenberger name.

The earliest Dürrenbergers of record lived in the Basel-Landschaft region near Basel, Switzerland, which is located where the borders of Germany, France and Switzerland come together. People in that part of Switzerland speak German and the name is Germanic in origin referring to someone who comes from a Dürrenberg or dry and barren mountain. The Dürrenbergers were thought to be Calvinists (Protestants) after the Catholic Reformation in the 16th century, and some of them migrated to the Alsace region to the north of Switzerland.

Alsace is a region between the Rhine River and the Vosges Mountains, with portions in eastern France and western Germany. During the 17th century, the region’s association with Germany which had lasted for hundreds of years was terminated in 1648. This marked the conclusion of the Thirty Years War, when Alsace became a part of France.

The Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648) had its roots in the ongoing religious struggle between the Protestants and Catholics. It was mainly fought in Germany, but spilled over into many other countries as well. A major impact of the war was the extensive destruction of entire regions, ravaged by the foraging armies. Then episodes of famine and disease significantly decreased the population of some regions including Alsace. With many towns nearly empty, the local feudal lords encouraged repopulation of Alsace by the Swiss. As a result, many Swiss people migrated northward to Alsace seeking land and economic opportunity. Several Dürrenbergers were among them, coming from Basel-Landschaft and settling in both northern and southern Alsace. Mertzwiller was one of the towns in the North to which our ancestors relocated probably sometime after 1650. Their new homeland in France was roughly 100 miles from their previous homeland in Switzerland, not far by today’s standards, but greater back then.

Under their new political masters in Alsace, the Swiss people continued to speak German and follow German customs. But the changes were especially hard on the German and Swiss Protestants, or “Palatines”, as they came to be known. The hardships were associated with the persecution of Protestants everywhere at that time in central Europe by the Catholic majority. In addition to the Germans, Swiss and French Protestants (Hugenots) were also subject to harassment and persecution.

As Alsace’s population grew, people again sought economic and religious opportunity elsewhere. By the early 1700’s, a mass migration of these people ensued which took thousands from their ancestral lands down the Rhine River to Holland and then to England on their way to a new life in America, with the Pennsylvania and Carolina colonies as primary destinations. Some Alsatian Dürrenbergers arrived in the American Colonies as early as 1738, and it appears our Dürrenberger ancestors were among this first group.

Ira Ayers and Helen Derrie Biographical Sketch AYERS Line

May 9, 2011 Dennis No comments exist

This is a short biographical sketch of the lives of Ira Ayers and his wife Helen Derrie. It very briefly describes where they lived, worked and worshipped during their lifetimes. Since they are my mother and father, I call them Mom and Dad in this post. I realize that I have already described some of Dad’s and Mom’s early days in previous posts, but I want to include some of that same information again in this post to have a complete summary for both Mom and Dad.

Walnut Mountain, Pioneer, TN

Ira Ayers (Dad) was born in a log house similar to the one shown on Walnut

Mountain, in Campbell County, TN on November 14, 1913, and was raised there on a 42 acre farm. The property was located off Adam Hollow Rd off Stinking Creek Rd. The mailing address was RFD #1, Pioneer, TN. It was about 25 miles to LaFollette, TN by road, but less than half that across the mountains on foot or horseback.

As the oldest child, he worked many long hard days on the farm alongside his Father, and shouldered many other family responsibilities.

Seveirville, TN

Dad enlisted into the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCCs) in his early 20s. He was first stationed at the CCC camp in the Smoky Mountains National Park where he helped clear land for roads and campgrounds. He stayed at that camp from June 18, 1935 until March 16, 1936.

Norris, TN

After being in the CCCs for 9 months, Dad was transferred to the camp at Norris, TN which was much closer to home. At this location, he helped clear land for roads and recreation areas around the newly constructed Norris Dam. He worked there from March 16, 1936 until September 30, 1937 when he was discharged from the CCCs. During this period he was hospitalized for 3 months at Ft. Oglethorpe, GA due to a serious accident in which he almost cut off the front of his left foot with an axe.

Charlie Hollow, Stinking Creek, TN

After returning from the CCCs, Dad moved back home to the farm and worked with his brother Addison at the Charlie Hollow Coal Mines. He did not like the work.

Jacksboro, TN

Helen Derrie, (Mom) was born in Jacksboro, TN on March 7, 1923. She was a middle child in a large family. Jacksboro is the Seat of Campbell County.

LaFollette, TN

Helen 17 Years Old — **Helen at about 17**

Mom moved with her family to LaFollette, TN when she was only 6 months old. When she was 14, the family moved to a house on Hwy 25W at Coke Oven Hill. Part of the unpainted house can be seen in the picture of her father. They were extremely poor and Mom had to drop out of school and lie about her age so she could get a job in the local shirt factory.

As a young teenager, Mom worked in the shirt factory in Lafollette. There she was paid by the number of pieces sewed in a day. It was called “piecework”.

She met Dad at a square dance. They got married on January 2, 1942 and moved to Baltimore, MD for only a few months until Dad was drafted in the Army. When he went into the service, Mom moved back home with her family in LaFollette, TN. She continued to live there until their first child, Dennis Ira Ayers (me), was born on December 28, 1942.

2112 Coker Ave., Knoxville, TN

Den 1yr & Mother — **Helen and Dennis 1943**

After I was born, Mom soon moved with me to live with her older sister, Lillian, at her house at 2112 Coker Ave. in Knoxville, TN. Aunt Lilley had made the invitation to make sure that Mom and I had better living conditions while I was still a baby. Mom lived there from about January 1943 for a year.

911 N. Calvert St, Baltimore, MD

Before the War, Dad had actually moved to Baltimore with his cousin Leonard Ferguson in May 1941, and worked in a body and fender shop. (Don’t know where he lived during that time.)

1st 911 N. Calvert St in 2009 — **2009 View**

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, he returned to LaFollette and married Mom on Jan 2, 1942. Together they returned to Baltimore for a short time in early 1942 and he got a job with the B&O Railroad. When he was drafted in April, he and Mom traveled back to LaFollette. After the War, they again moved back to Baltimore where the B&O had held his job for him. They first lived in an apartment at 911 N. Calvert Street from January 1946 to March 1948, and acted as superintendents for apartments in two large 3 Story townhouses. Mom collected rents and Dad kept the coal furnaces fired up for heat to all the apartments. They received a reduction in the rent of their own apartment for their efforts.-

107 N. Carey St., Baltimore, MD

They rented an apartment at 107 N. Carey Street from March 1948 to May 1948. The townhouse was across the street from a small park and was the first and only house they ever lived in that had a bathroom shower. Not sure why they lived here only two months except perhaps it was the opportunity to buy their own house which caused them to move again quickly.

2235 Guilford Ave., Baltimore, MD

3rd 2235 Guilford Ave 2009 — **2235 Guilford Ave in 2009 Rebuilt After A Fire**

They bought a 3 story townhouse at 2235 Guilford Avenue in May 1948, and lived there until March 1950. They rented out an apartment on the top floor. On Saturdays, I was allowed to go with some older kids to the movies several blocks away on Greenmount Ave. They were comfortable in this house, but Dad yearned to move to the country.

This is where their second child, Helen Carol Ayers, was born on February 18, 1950.

During the years they lived in the city, they always used public transportation. They bought their first car, a 1947 Gray Pymouth, when they got ready to move to the country in 1950.

Baltimore City Church

In the 1940s, Mom and Dad became devout Christians. They attended the Christian & Missionary Alliance church for most of the time they lived in Baltimore City, and for several more years even after moving to the country. It was located at the corner of Guilford Ave and Lanvale Street. I remember many long rides on Sundays to this church, sometimes twice a day from out in the country. Mom always liked to round up as many neighbor children as possible and take them to Sunday School.

1676 Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, MD

In November 1949. they bought a 7.5 acre farm on Old Court Rd, Woodstock, in Howard County MD.

The property contained a small three bedroom, one bath house with a coal fired furnace. The house had been built in the late 1920s where an old one room schoolhouse once stood. A flagpole in the front yard and and remnants of an old seesaw in the side yard were reminders of an earlier era. However, Mom was pregnant with Carol and needed frequent attention at Lutheran Hospital in the city. So, they didn’t move to this property until April 1950, after Carol was born and the weather had begun warming.

This is the house where their third child, Annette Arlene Ayers, was born on January 11, 1959.

The mailing address was at first just Rt #1, Woodstock, MD, but it was changed around 1970 to 1676 Woodstock Rd. After living there for 53 years they were forced to move for health reasons in April 2003.

Ellicott City Church

Seven years after moving to Howard County, Mom and Dad finally transferred to the First Church of God in Ellicott City. They attended church there from around 1957 until the mid 1980s, over 25 years. Attending church functions was their primary social outlet, and they continued taking neighborhood children to Sunday School.

Rogers Avenue Church

Helen & Ira Ayers 1989 — **Ira and Helen ca 1989**

In the mid 1980s, Mom and Dad left the small church in downtown Ellicott City to join the much larger Crossroads Church of the Nazarene located closer to home on Rogers Avenue. This church offered them many more opportunities for fellowship in their older years. They really enjoyed being in the Primetimers senior’s group.

Camden Yards Rail Yard, Baltimore, MD

Dad first went to work for the B&O Railroad on March 5, 1942, but after only one month of service he was drafted into the Army. The B&O held his job for him until he could resume work as a Brakeman after the war was over. His primary base of work was the Camden Rail Yard in Baltimore City. This site is where the Oriole Baseball Park at Camden Yards is located today.

Locust Point Rail Yard, Baltimore, MD

Dad also worked months at a time at the B&O Locust Point Rail Yard located near Ft. McHenry in Baltimore. He was a member of the Railroad Workers Union and over the years gained considerable seniority in the Union. As a result, his job was secure and he always was able to “bump” workers with less seniority to work shifts and locations which he preferred. For example, he almost always worked the 3:00PM to 11:30PM second shift which allowed him to do farm work in the mornings.

Dad retired in August 1978 with 36 years and 5 months service. His last position was Yard Foreman. He was 65 years old.

Spring Grove State Hosptial, Catonsville, MD

After working at home to pass her GED test, Mom took a job with the State of MD in a nurses training program at the Spring Grove State Hospital located in Catonsville, MD in 1965. Under this program she eventually became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and worked with mentally handicapped patients. She worked at this hospital until about 1970.

Springfield State Hospital, Sykesville, MD

Sometime around 1970, Mom transferred to the Springfield State Hospital in Sykesville, MD which was an easier commute from home. At this facility she was trained and assumed the duties of an Industrial Therapist. In this job she assigned handicapped patients to various jobs around the hospital campus to develop skills for employment after leaving the hospital. She really liked this job and took great pride in her work.

Mom retired from the state of MD in June 1983 after 18 years of service. She was 60 years old.

LifeSpring Assisted Living Home, Catonsville, MD

Over the years, Dad developed severe arthritis in his hips and ankles and had a hip replaced in his early 80s. Mom had a severe hearing problem and developed Parkinson’s Disease in her 70s. So, in April 2003, due to failing health, Mom and Dad moved together into the LifeSpring Assisted Living Home in Catonsville, MD. At first they were very apprehensive, but they soon learned to like the facility, which was a converted old mansion. They were able to share a large bedroom together. Their strong faith always remained and strengthened them.

Helen 81st BD — **Helen’s 81st Birthday**

However, In the following months, Dad’s health took a turn for the worse, and it was necessary for him to move to a Nursing Home in November 2003. In addition to dementia, Dad suffered from mini-strokes that caused trouble swallowing. This led to severe malnutrition.

Mom continued to live at LifeSpring for almost another year until she fell and broke her pelvis in October 2004. Already suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, the use of morphine to relieve the pelvic pain at the hospital caused her to slip into a semi-conscious state from which she never recovered. At that time she too needed to move to a Nursing Home.

St. Elizabeths Nursing Facility, Baltimore, MD

Dad went first to St. Elizabeths Nursing Home in November 2003 and was well cared for until he died on December 31, 2003 at age 90.

Mom went to St. Elizabeths in October 2004 and was well cared for until she died on January 12, 2005, a little over a year later than Dad. She was 81 years old.

Crestlawn Memorial Gardens, Ellicott City, MD

Mom and Dad are both laid to rest at Crestlawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Sand Hill Road in Ellicott City. This is the final resting place for their tired bodies as I know their spirits are at home in Heaven.

Famous Ayers Relations AYERS Line

May 3, 2011 Dennis No comments exist

Most Americans are related to someone famous. In fact over 100 million of us are related to at least one President of the United States. We Ayers who descend from John Ayre, the Immigrant from 1635 (see post of 16 March 2011), can claim at least two that I know about. Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President, had Ayers connections on his mother’s side reaching back to Robert Ayer, son of John Ayre. William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President, has Ayers connections on his father’s side through his grandmother, who descended from Nathaniel Ayers of Pittsylvania County, VA like us. Also of interest, Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the “Little House on the Prairie” book series was a descendant of Thomas Ayer, son of John Ayre, the Immigrant.

Ayers Black Sheep

April 27, 2011 Dennis No comments exist

I’ve been asked if we ever had any Ayers ancestors which were notorious or famous for reasons that were unfavorable in public opinion. Well, genealogists call such ancestors the family “Black Sheep”. Every family has Black Sheep whether they are proud of the fact or not. Normally, I don’t go looking for such information, but on occasion it just falls into my lap as I’m researching other points. Out-of-wedlock mishaps aside, our direct Ayers ancestors seem to come up pretty clean. However, there are some stories about other Ayers relations that I think are interesting, and give a feeling for the times in which they lived. The first two stories involve moonshine making in the mountains…..an activity that many participated in….some even for profit!

Although he wasn’t an Ayers, an uncle to Ira Ayers on his mother’s side named Everett DePew was about 10 years older than him. Everett had gotten in trouble with the law over moonshine activity and was summoned to Knoxville for a court appearance. He left home in Stinking Creek one day in 1925 to journey to Knoxville about 50 miles away. He apparently was going to walk to the main road and try to get a ride. A neighbor said they saw him near the mailbox on the road, but no one every saw him again after that day. His disappearance remained a total mystery for over 50 years. Then one day around 1980 a man named Douglas admitted on his deathbed to killing Everett. The actual reason is unknown, but probably he was afraid that Everett would snitch on him and possibly others to the law.

High Johnny Ayers — **“High Johnny” Ayers and Wife**

In recent times, Haskel “Hack” Ayers has been perhaps Campbell County’s most successful businessman. He is the son of John Wesley Ayers, aka “High Johnny” Ayers, who was Ira Ayers’ third cousin. Although Hack is most prominent now, he likes to tell the story about his father being a third generation moonshiner. In fact he wears it like a badge of honor. The tragic ending of the story is that on October 29, 1943, 7-year old Hack had accompanied his father to Kentucky where they bought a pickup truck load of whiskey and transported it back to Tennessee. Later on, after unloading the whiskey in their barn, state police arrived with weapons drawn.

Moonshine Still Operation — **High Johnny’s Still**

“My dad made the mistake of pulling out a double-barreled shotgun. Broke into a shootout; he was hiding behind a car. There was 32 bullet holes in that car,” Hack recalls. High Johnny had died instantly, shot through the heart. 68 years later, Hack proudly displays pictures of his father and a Moonshine Still in the lobby of his Hampton Inn near LaFollette. When I met Hack Ayers (who I have since learned is my fourth cousin) in October 2008, I asked him just how tall was his father to get the name “High Johnny”. He said he was 6 ft 4 in .

The last story is not about an Ayers Black Sheep, but it has a tragic ending nonetheless. James S. Ayers was Ira Ayers’ first cousin, once removed. He was a policeman in the small town of Jellico, Tennessee on the border of Kentucky when he was killed in November 1909. He died unjustly trying to uphold the law. He is buried in the Hall Cemetery near many of our Ayers ancestors and his tombstone is in the shape of a tree trunk.