Gen. Stephens died at his residence near Florence, Ky., on Saturday, March 8, 1873, at about 1 o’clock P. M. He was born on the 10th of March, 1791, and consequently was at his death within two days of eighty-two. He was a native of Orange county, Virginia, but came to Kentucky in 1806 with his father Benjamin Stephens, Esq., who then located temporarily near Bryant’s Station in Fayette county, but removed to what is now Kenton, but was then a part of Campbell county, and settled permanently on Banklick Creek, at the place where Leonard Stephens resided continuously until six or seven years ago, that part of the country being in 1807 an unbroken forest.
At the age of thirty-two, Gen. Stephens was elected to the lower House of the General Assembly, and was in that House by election for four successive years, and, at the age of thirty-six, he was elected to the Senate of Kentucky from the District composed of the counties of Campbell and Boone, and served a full term of four years. He was for many years a Magistrate of Campbell county, and, upon the organization of Kenton county, being the Senior Magistrate, he became, under the rule then in force, the Sheriff of Kenton county, being the first person who has filled that office in Kenton county, in which office he served by deputies but not in person, for the term of two years.
About thirty years ago, he joined the Dry Creek Baptist Church, and in 1855 assisted with the organization of the Florence Baptist Church, of which he remained a faithful and devoted member up to his death.
He was a man of marked superiority of character, prompt to the moment and to the utmost farthing in meeting all his engagements; fair and liberal in all his transactions; his word was his bond, and his integrity in every respect was entirely beyond question.
His manners were peculiarly engaging and pleasant. He was not merely courteous and polite, but there was such a heartiness and cordiality about him that even those who met him casually could not easily lose the impression he made upon them; while, to the very large circle of relatives and friends who were intimate with him, the memory of his kind, genial and happy manners will always remain vivid and precious.
His house was the seat of a generous and liberal hospitality, and nothing made him so happy as to have his relatives and friends around his hearth-stone and at his table, and the family reunions, which he insisted on keeping up at his house, were notable occasions, whereon were assembled there all his kinsfolk to the remotest degree, the time being spent in innocent and mirthful conversation, and winding up with a bountiful feast. His hospitality was not confined to his relatives, but all who came were welcome, and he never turned the stranger away empty from his gates.
He was actively engaged in farming up to within a few years past, when, at about the age of seventy-five years, he gave his children the most of his large tract of land, and relinquished active business, and spent the remainder of his days quietly in the society of his children, grand-children and friends at his residence in Boone, but within sight of his old homestead in Kenton.
We take pleasure in paying this tribute to the memory of this old pioneer, regretting only that it is so imperfect and so unworthy of such a man: for within our knowledge, no man has died in this part of the State who, by universal acclaim, lived more respected and honored, or died more lamented, than Gen. Leonard Stephens.
