Life History

Notes

• Wesley was first reported in a census as age 1, with his mother and grandparents in Fleming, Kentucky.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Fleming County, Kentucky, 7 June, District 28, page 9 (scan 458A), Hse/Fam #76
  Skeans, David A  W M 55 Head Farmer VA SC VA [b abt 1825]
  Skeans, Nancy  M  W F 55 Wife Keeping House  VA -- VA [b abt 1825]
  Skeans, Sariah [Sarah] W F 22 Dau Single VA VA VA [b abt 1858]
  Skeans, Mary W F 18 Dau Single VA VA VA [b abt 1862]
  Skeans, Charly  W M 15 Son Single VA VA VA [b abt 1865]
  Skeans, Wesley  W M 1 Grandson KY KY VA [b abt 1879]
  
  Wesley was later known as John Wesley Gregory, after his mother married Jefferson Preston Gregory.  Since Sarah is reported here as single, it would appear that Wesley was born out of wedlock.  No information has been found on Wesley's biological father.
  
  In the 1900 census, The oldest child in the household is named Charley, but his age matches Wesley Skeans in the 1880 census with Sarah.But the second child, reported born in 1884, is reported as Wesley.  And Charley is reported as the stepson of Jeff, while Wesley is reported as a son.  It is possible the enumerator got the names reversed.
  
  In a list of Sarah's children, on her FAG memorial, researcher Nathan Gregory lists her 8 children, noting that 7 were born after she married Jeff Gregory.  The first name on the list is Wesley, the second Amy Allie, then Charley.  Amy Allie is not in the 1900 census,.  The simplest solution that accounts for all the information is that the names of Charley and Wesley were switched by a perhaps overwhelmed enumerator.  Similar mistakes appear throughout these censuses.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Fleming County, Kentucky, 15 June, Hillsboro, District 44, page 9A-9B (scan 141), Hse #165, Fam #171
  Gregory, Jeff Head  W M July 1870  29 Married 17 yrs KY KY KY Farmer Rents [this birth date and age is about 10 years too young!]
  Gregory, Sallie Wife W F Feb 1869  31 Married 17 yrs 8 children/7 living KY KY KY [this birth date and age is about 10 years too young!]
  Gregory, Charley [John Wesley] Stepson W F Mar 1878  21 KY KY KY Day Labor
  Gregory, Wesley [Charles/Charley] Son W F Feb 1884  16 KY KY KY Day Labor
  - page 9B -
  Gregory, Ruth Dau W M June 1886  13 KY KY KY
  Gregory, Timithy [sic] Son W M May 1889  11 KY KY KY Day Labor
  Gregory, Lula Dau W M Sept 1891  8 KY KY KY
  Gregory, Sherman Son W M Aug 1897  2 KY KY KY
  
  Jeff died in March 1916.  Sarah remaried, this time to Jim Maddox.  The 1920 census reported them living in Casey County, Kentucky.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Casey County, Kentucky, 13 January, Butchertown, District 53, page 9A, Hse #169, Fam #173
  Maddox, Jim Head Owns F W 65 married KY KY KY Farmer [b abt 1855]
  Maddox, Sarah Wife F W 61 Married KY KY KY [b abt 1859]
  
  Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1964
  Sarah Gregory Maddox [Sarah Skeens Gregory]
  Housewife, Widow
  Father David A Skeens, born Virginia
  Mother Nancy Rasnick, born Virginia
  Informant Mrs Allie Gross, Indiana (daughter)
  Death 70, Birth abt 1858 Virginia
  Death 26 September 1928 Fleming County, Kentucky, USA
  Cause of Death Interruption of Bowels and Peritonitis Following
  Burial 28 September 1928 Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Fleming County, Kentucky, by Yantis and Stewart Funeral Home, Flemingsburg, Kentucky
  Certificate #24652 filed 27 September 1928
  
  The census above, as well as Sarah's death certificate reports her birth state was Virginia.  In conflict with this information, the manager of her Find a Grave memorial reports she was born in Hillsboro, Fleming County, Kentucky.  The 1880 census reports this was their place of residence, but both Sarah and her younger sister Mary, as well as their younger brother Charly, were all born in Virginia.  They would have moved to Kentucky some time after the birth of Charly in about 1865.  They were there before the birth of Sarah's son Wesley, age 1 in the 1880 census.  The would have been born about 1878 or 1879.
  
  "Hillsboro is an unincorporated community in Fleming County, Kentucky, United States.  Hillsboro is located at the junction of Kentucky Route 111 and Kentucky Route 158, 9.8 miles (15.8 km) south-southeast of Flemingsburg."
  --  "Hillsboro, Kentucky," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsboro,_Kentucky
  
  Kentucky was originally a part of Virginia, and became Kentucky County, Virginia,  in 1776.  Gregory families were already living there from the colonial era.
  
  --------------------
  On December 31, 1776, the region of Virginia beyond the Appalachian Mountains was established as Kentucky County by the Virginia General Assembly.  (Kentucky County was abolished on June 30, 1780, when it was divided into Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties.)  On several occasions the region's residents petitioned the General Assembly and the Confederation Congress for separation from Virginia and statehood.  Ten constitutional conventions were held in Danville between 1784 and 1792.
  
  One petition, which had Virginia's assent, came before the Confederation Congress in early July 1788.  Unfortunately, its consideration came up a day after word of New Hampshire's all-important ninth ratification of the proposed Constitution, thus establishing it as the new framework of governance for the United States. In light of this development,  Congress thought that it would be "inadvisable" to admit Kentucky into the Union, as it could do so "under the Articles of Confederation" only, but not "under the Constitution," and so declined to take action.
  
  On December 18, 1789, Virginia again gave its consent to Kentucky statehood. The United States Congress gave its approval on February 4, 1791.  (This occurred two weeks before Congress approved Vermont's petition for statehood.)  Kentucky officially became the fifteenth state in the Union on June 1, 1792. Isaac Shelby, a military veteran from Virginia, was elected its first Governor.
  --  "Kentucky," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky
  --------------------
  
  Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1965
  Sarah Gregory Maddox
  Maiden Name Skeens
  Widow
  Birth 1858
  Father David A Skeens, born Virginia
  Mother Nancy Rasnick, born Virginia
  Informant Mrs Allie Gross, Indiana
  Death Age 70, Birth 1858 Virginia
  Death 26 Sep 1928 Fleming, Kentucky, USA
  Cause of Death Interruption of Bowels, Peritonitis following
  Burial 28 September 1928 Hillsboro, Kentucky by Yantis and Stewart Funeral Home, Flemingsburg, Kentucky
  Filed 27 September 1928
  
  --------------------
  Sarah Skeans Gregory
  Birth Sep 27, 1857 Hillsboro, Fleming County, Kentucky, USA [It was Virginia at the time of her birth.]
  Death Sep 26, 1928 Hillsboro, Fleming County, Kentucky, USA
  
  Sarah Skeans (spellings vary slightly, might be Skeen, Skean, etc) was the daughter of David A Skeans and Nancy Elizabeth Rasnake. She married Jefferson P Gregory in 1883, exact date unknown.  She had Eight Children, seven after marrying Jeff.  They were Wesley, Amy Allie [name on her death certificate is Allie Fair], Charles, Lula Mae, Nellie Ruth, Timothy, Milner Smith, and Thomas Sherman.  After Jeff died in 1916 she reportedly remarried someone named Maddox, or Mattox, but I have never found him.  But she is buried next to Jeff in an unmarked grave.
  
  ARE YOU A DESCENDANT OF SARAH? I would like to place a stone for her.  My father is nearby and I plan to place him a stone soon.  If the descendants of Sarah wish to contribute some money to help pay for it, I will arrange to place one for her too at the same time!
  
  Parents:
  David Alexander Skeen (1824 - 1922)
  Nancy Rasnick Skeen (1823 - 1889)
  
  Spouse Jefferson P Gregory (1858 - 1916)
  
  Children:
  John Wesley Gregory (1877 - 1957)
  Nellie Ruth Gregory Workman (1887 - 1979)
  Milner Smith Gregory (1889 - 1962)
  Thomas Sherman Gregory (1898 - 1968)
  
  Siblings:
  Zilliah Addie Rasnick Browning
  Zillah Adk Skeens Browning (1846 - 1918)
  Emmett Thomas Skeen (1849 - 1925)
  Jasper Newton Skeen (1851 - 1936)
  Elijah Skeens (1854 - 1909)
  Charles Creed Skeen (1866 - 1940) Half-sibling
  
  Burial Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Fleming County, Kentucky, USA
  
  Created by Nathan Gregory Dec 07, 2011
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #81661211, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=81661211
  --------------------
  

Sources

• 1. Kentucky 1910 Miracode Index
• 2. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 3. 1880 Federal Census, Fleming County, Kentucky
  • 7 June, District 28, page 9 (scan 458A), Hse/Fam #76
• 4. Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1964
• 5. 1920 Federal Census, Casey County, Kentucky
  • 13 January, Butchertown, District 53, page 9A, Hse #169, Fam #173
• 6. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 7. 1900 Federal Census, Fleming County, Kentucky
  • 15 June, Hillsboro, District 44, page 9A (scan 141), Hse #165, Fam #171
• 8. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011
• 9. Kentucky Obituaries
• 10. 1900 Federal Census, Fleming County, Kentucky
  • 15 June, Hillsboro, District 44, page 9B (scan 141), Hse #165, Fam #171
• 11. Social Security Death Index
• 12. Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958
• 13. Kentucky Death Index, 1911-2000