Person:Louisa Estep (1)

RESIDENCE: Lived at Paw Paw, KY, on KY/VA border, later to become Ira, VA.

Written by Jessie May, on Nov. 6, 1975; 1721 Poplar St. Kenova, W.Va

I wanted to write this record of the May Family, according to the best of my knowledge.

I will start with my grandfather Jimmy May, he was born in Tennessee in 1826; He

settled in Pond Creek Pike County Kentucky. He married Sally Smith. She was born in

1824 on Pond Creek, they moved to Knox Creek Va. Where they homesteaded about

400 acres of land. This was obtained by staking off a claim. Too this marriage was born

seven girl and four boys. I don't remember the girls names but the boys were: James

Harvey May, Jeff May, John H. May (my Father), and Mose May. When starting the

home ground was cleared for the house and for farming. Farming, hunting and going to

church was about all they had to do. They belonged to the primitive Baptist church.

There was no work for them to do to make any money at. There was lots of wild deer and

game to kill. Bears and wild turkey were plentiful. They hunted racoon, mink and opossum.

They killed wild hogs for food too. They raised hogs, cattle, sheep and horses on their farm.

When they built their house it was made of logs and the cracks were dobbed with mud.

The floors were dirt, but they had a good time keeping fires. They had to cook on the

fireplace. Beds were made of corn shucks and leaves. They raised everything they could

to eat and bought salt whenever they could find any.

My father John H. May, was born on Pond Creek Ky on May 18, 1856; he died Sept. 1,

1918; he married Sarah J. Dotson, she was born April 22, 1857; and died Oct. 27, 1943.

She was the daughter of William Riley Dotson. He was born Dec. 1, 1824; and died Dec

29, 1913. He was in the civil war, 39 th. Ky infantry reg. Co. H. her mother was Jenny

Estep, b. Oct. 7, 1830 and died Feb. 25, 1910. My grandmother was awful good to us

children. She would make us greasy cakes when my grandfather would be out, she made

them about the size of my hand and fried them in grease. But my grandfather was very

mean to us and to her. We knew to get out of the way when he came home and he was

usually drunk when he came home. But I have fond memories of her. One thing that

comes to my mind about the strength of the women in that time; My Aunt Rhoda Dotson who was married to old John S. Dotson was an example. While she was single and still at home, she was tanning some leather to make shoes for the family, when some soldiers came. Soldiers of the civil war would come through the country side, stealing and robbing where ever they could. One of those men tried to take the hide from Rhoda. She wasputting up such a fight another soldier started to help take it from her. When a captain in the group told him to stay out of it. If she could whip him, she could keep it and she did and was able to keep it. People used to have to hide their cows and horses in old mine banks and hollows and hide their food any where they could, even under the floor, when they heard that the soldiers were coming through the country. Rhoda would ride an ox

from Virginia to Lousia Ky. To buy salt. The men and women used to plow with ox. She

was plowing a field when her sweetheart came home from the army and she came leaping

out of the field to meet him, letting the oxen go. Rhoda was 104 and of a sound mind when

she died. Another time comes to mind that I will put in here. When someone died the

neighbors would come in and sing and set up with the family about two nights. I can

remember when my sister, Naoma died. They said a sound went out of the house and

seemed to go to the grave yard above the house. When they took her to bury they sung all

the way from the house to the grave. That was the custom then. My mother would card

wool to make our clothes, pants, and shirts, and knit our socks. We only got one pair of

shoes for the winter, if we wore them out we had to stay in the house the rest of the time.

We had no toilets, just hide where ever we could oh how cold it was to go out at night.

The little ones used pot in the cornor of the room. But it was all love and kindness. My

grandfather May was a Primitive baptist preacher.

My mother and dad were married Sept. 9th 1875; on Paw Paw Creek. They home stead

their land there. They had eleven children, names births and deaths listed below:

James Riley May, b. Aug. 7, 1876; died out west

Sylvania May Blackburn (Lade) b. Jan. 11, 1878; d. July 9, 1965

Basil May, b. Oct. 2, 1880; d. Jan. 18, 1969

Anse May , a twin to Basil b. Oct. 2, 1880 died at birth.

Dan May, b. Jan. 1, 1883; d. Nov. 3, 1918

Louisa May O'Quinn Prater, b. May 21, 1886; d. Jan. 21, 1974

Joe H. May, b. Dec. 2, 1888; d. Nov. 21, 1975

Ocie May Prater Dotson, b. April 9, 1891; d. Dec.17, 1974

Jessie J. May, b. Mar. 8, 1894

Naoma May, b. July 9, 1896; d. 1902

Paris May, b. Aug. 23, 1898; d. Oct. 25, 1969

This is the most of what Jessie had written, I tried to write it just as he had done.

I thought it might be of interest because of the connection to the Dotson's