2- Lewis Cordell PETTY was born July 29, 1907 at Tanglewood, near Carthage, Tenn.  He was married twice.  1st April-1930 to Virginia Dare BURNLEY born April 12, 1912 at Hartsville, Tenn.- Trousdale Co., a dau. of William BURNLEY and Mattie BYRN.  Virginia PETTY died Nov. 18, 1940 at their home in Carthage and is buried in Ridgewood Cemetery.  She was a member of First Baptist Church, Carthage.

Lewis Cordell PETTY's second marriage, Dec. 6, 1957 to Linnie Virginia GIBBS born Feb. 21, 1921 at South Carthage, Tenn.  She has been employed for several years in the offices of the Dept. of Public Welfare at Carthage.  She is a member of South Carthage Baptist Church- active in all the things that occupy the time of a good wife and neighbor.  Cordell PETTY has been a contractor- has built many of the bridges needed on the county roads, has done a lot of surveying.  He and his son Hollis are partners in business-drafting and surveying.  His great love is the study of the science of mathematics- and although he is past sixty, regularly attends classes in advanced mathematics at an extension of the University of Tennessee at Nashville- and he gets the keenest enjoyment from them.  For more than 50 years he has been a member of Peyton's Creek Baptist Church at Monoville.  He is the sort of man who can be counted on to do his honest best in any situation.  He served 1943-1945 as an officer in the Seabees- first in the Aleutions, then back to California, from there to the islands of the South Pacific.  He is a person who keenly enjoys his daily life and his many friends.  He is always ready to help someone and seems to get great pleasure from being able to do a good turn.  He and Virginia BURNLEY had two children.

2-a Hollis Byrn PETTY was born March 17, 1931, at his Grandmother BURNLEY's house at Templow in Trousdale Co., Tenn.  (His father was teaching at the Templow school at that time.)  Hollis married Carolyn SMITH, daughter of Carl SMITH and Winifred WATSON.  Hollis and Carolyn were teen-age sweethearts.  Hollis was in the U. S. Navy when they were married.  She was with him in California and in Florida before he was through his stretch of service and ready to make a permanent home for his family.  In 1953 they came home to Carthage, where they have built their home, where their children are growing up and where they have a host of friends.  Hollis is in business with his father.  Carolyn is busy teaching young children and keeping her own small fry in order.  Both Hollis and Carolyn are active members of the Baptist church- both work in (46) scout work.  They have two children of their own:

 

a- Terry Hollis PETTY born Sept. 26, 1954 agt PETTY Clinic in Carthage, Tenn.

 

b- Laurie Joanne PETTY born Wednesday, Oct. 25, 1961 at PETTY Clinic, Carthage, Tenn.

 

2-b Harold Lester PETTY born Nov. 18, 1940 at Carthage, Tenn.  was married June 26, 1964 at Carthage Baptist Church to Barbara DENNIS born Sept. 12, 1942 at South Carthage  Harold's mother died at his birth and he was the neighborhood pet.  He was a beautiful smiling baby with red-gold hair and big blue eyes.  He grew into a tall young man, finished high school at Carthage, went off to college then decided to enlist in the U. S. Navy- did his three year hitch, came back home and got married.  When he is needed he somtimes gives his brother and Dad a hand at the drafting board but is regularly employed elsewhere.  He has two charming little girls:

 

a- Paula Rene PETTY born April 10, 1965 at Smith Co. Hospital, Carthage, Tenn.

 

b- Rhonda PETTY born Nov. 1967 at Carthage, Tenn.    (47)

 

I- John Tapley PETTY was the youngest child of Henderson B. PETTY and Nancy Pryor GRESHAM.  He was born Dec. 11, 1861 at Stonewall, Tenn.  He died July 20, 1926 at Defeated Creek, Tenn.  He is buried at his old home in the Ash Hopper Hollow, where he and his wife had raised their family. Close here are the banks of the Cumberland River- the waters of the Cordell Hull Lake will curl close but not near enough to disturb those here who are sleeping the long sleep.  On Jan. 8, 1882 John Tapley PETTY was married to Amanda Victoria ROBINSON born Oct. 29, 1860, a daughter of Samuel ROBINSON  and Louise WOOD.  She died May 29, 1932 and is buried beside her husband in the Ash Hopper Hollow.  I well remember these two good and honorable people.  She was tall, slender with bright, dark eyes.  He was a tall man with keen blue eyes, red hair and a wonderful sense of humor.  They came often to our house.  He and Dad were very close and fond of one another and my mother liked them both.  My brother and I loved them and were always happy to see them drive up in their buggy to spend Saturday night.  When I fell sleep that night, Dad and Uncle John would still be talking to each other- and when I woke in the morning they would be sitting in bed- still talking! And on thinking back, the remarkable thing is that I do not remember that either of them was ordinarily a great talker.

John Tapley PETTY and Amand Victoria ROBINSON had five children:

 

1- Alma Lee PETTY was born May 4, 1884 at Chestnut Mound, Smith Co., Tenn.  She is gentle person with a bright, out-going acceptance of life and people.  She is a fragile woman with bright, dark eyes and a sweet face with a ready smile.  She said that Grandfather PETTY once told her that she "Took her looks from the Maynard side."  She was married Dec. 24, 1905 to John Bransford MATTHEWS born Aug. 26, 1880 in Smith County, Tenn. a son of John and Mary ROBINSON MATTHEWS. He died Aug. 28, 1957 and is buried in Ridgewood Cemetery at Carthage.  This couple had seven children:

 

1-a John Alvin MATTHEWS born Nov. 13, 1906, Smith Co., Tenn.  He served in the U. S. Army in the European area 1943-1945.  He was married twice- 1st to Altie ANDERSON- 2nd to Ethel BATES.  No Children.

 

1-b Lucille MATTHEWS born March 15, 1908 Smith Co., Tenn.- was married Dec. 29, 1928 to Alton KNIGHT of the Defeated Community.  They moved to Glasgow, Ky. and lived there several years.  Alton KNIGHT died at (48) 

 

Glasgow, Ky., June 26, 1963 and is buried at Carthage, Tenn. in Ridgewood Cemetery.  Lucille MATTHEWS KNIGHT has built a new home in Carthage and will continue to live there near relatives and friends.

 
1-c Melvin Aubrey MATTHEWS born Aug. 16, 1910- died Aug 26, 1911 and is buried in the old family graveyard in the Ash Hopper Hollow.

 
1-d William Alton MATTHEWS born June 12, 1912- died May 16, 1964 and is buried in Ridgewood Cemetery at Carthage.

1-e Cassie Alyene MATTHEWS (a twin) born Sept. 14, 1915- married May 18, 1945 to Roy E. WRENN son of Fred and Eula STRIBLEN WRENN.  No children.

1-f Carsey Eugene MATTHEWS (a twin) born Sept. 14, 1915- married Oct. 30, 1937 to Anna KITTRELL, a dau. of Felix G. and Nettie KENNEDY KITTRELL.  They have one child:
a- Retta Ann MATTHEWS born Sept. 3, 1938- married June 11, 1958 to John C. WAGGONER, Jr. son of John C. WAGGONER Sr. and Ruby Key WAGGONER of Carthage.  They have two children:
aa-Robert Edward WAGGONER born May 30, 1961.
bb-Donna Michels WAGGONER born Oct. 25, 1965- both children born at Carthage, Tenn.

1-g Fred Lee MATTHEWS born March 25, 1922.  He served in the U. S. Army in World War II, entering in Jan. 1943 and spending 30 months in Europe with the 342 Eng. Corps.  After the war was over he came back to his Tennessee home and Feb. 7, 1953 he was married to Rachael Cornel HANCE.  They have no children.

Soon after the marriage of Alma Lee PETTY and John Bransford Matthews  the couple moved to the house where Alma still lives.  Their children were born and grew up there, and John Bransford MATTHEWS and two of the children died there.  The farm is near that sharp turn in the Turkey Creek Road, known as the Devil's Elbow and the house looks out over a beautiful panarama of green hills with the Cumberland River winding its slow way through the valley where soon the waters of Cordell Hull Lake will spread their shiming depths.  The house is in a hidden and lonely spot- but to Alma every board has its weight of memories- she has surrounded the house with old fashioned flowers and you can tell that her heart is here. (49)

 

2- Altie Lillian PETTY born April 6, 1888- died Aug. 1909.  She is buried in the family graveyard in the Ash Hopper Hollow.  She was married Sept. 4, 1905 to Walter MATTHEWS son of John and Mary ROBINSON MATTHEWS.  They had one child:

 

2-a Margie Victoria MATTHEWS born June 24, 1906 at Defeated Creek, Smith Co., Tenn.  She married Horace Dotson LANKFORD born Aug. 25, 1906- died May 9, 1950.  He is buried in Ridgewood Cemetery at Carthage.  They had six children:

 

a- William Edward LANKFORD born  April 21, 1928- married Dec. 26, 1952 to Naomi Ruth CLIMER born May 17, 1928.  They have three children:

aa-Terese Jane born Dec. 16, 1953

bb-Nancy Jean born Jan. 20, 1957

cc-William Edward LANKFORD, Jr. born Jan. 16, 1965

 

b. Reba Joy LANKFORD born Feb. 13, 1930- married Nov. 11, 1951 to John Alexander McCALL, Jr. born Dec. 1, 1930.  They have 5 children:

aa-Michael Allen McCALL  born Mar. 17, 1953

bb-Harold Wayne McCALL born May 25, 1954

cc-Horace Alexander McCALL born May 30, 1957.

dd-Sue Carol McCALL born June 5, 1960

ee-Mary Annette McCALLborn May 22, 1965

 

c- Wayne Gray LANKFORD born Nov. 14, 1932- married June 11, 1957 to Anna Mai MASSEY born June 10, 1938, a daughter of Dewey K. MASSEY and Avo MORRO MASSEY.  They have three children:

aa-Dewey Wayne LANKFORD born June 2, 1959

bb-Ana Lesia LANKFORD  born Oct. 10, 1961

cc-Sherry Lynn LANKFORD born Sept. 8, 1965

Wayne Gray LANKFORD served two years with the U. S. Medical Corps and afterwards was a member of the reserve.

 

d- Don LANKFORD born Aug. 8, 1934- married Dec. 19, 1958 to Betty Burford HACKETT born Nov. 7, 1937.  They have four children:

aa-Belinda Faye LANKFORD born Nov. 7, 1959

bb-Cynthia Ann LANKFORD born April 18, 1961

cc-Donna Lynn LANKFORD born June 26, 1962

dd-Deborah Kay LANKFORD born Sept. 4, 1964

 

e-LaVon Rheu LANKFORD  born Nov. 6, 1942- married Feb. 26, 1965 to Belinda Carol BOSTON born June 2, 1947.  They have one child:

aa- Morris Scott LANKFORD born June 23, 1966 (50)

 

 

Go To Pages 51-55