Monthly Archives: February 2002

The following is a transcript of a letter to Dr. D.S. Reasor and family from his brother J.J. Reasor:

Collinsville, Grayson Co. Texas

D. S. Reasor and Family

March the 22nd 1889

Brick Store Virginia

Dear Brother hoping you will pardon me for my tardiness in answering yours of the 1st inst. which contained $60.00 of the “filthy ?” as you know in modern times is never out of season though I haven’t needed it nor will not until about the 15th of April then I will commence building a house which will consume all of the money I can get. You need not put yourself to any trouble about the balance on the first note until then. At that time I would be glad to get it. I made a mistake. It is the 15th of May that I expect to commence building instead of April. The money which you expended for “the Tomb Stones” just retain that amount out of your next payment and accept Thanks for your trouble in procuring them for me. I think they were very cheap at $5.62 ½. Such Tomb Stones in this country would cost about $15.00. Sheff my trip to the Old Dominion was an improvement to my health. I now weigh about 185 lbs. have not been sick (excepting cold) since I came home. Fanie has not had very good health since she came back. She has something like chronic Diarrhea. I think is now improving. We have had a very late spring. I just finished planting corn yesterday. The grass was so thick last fall the people sowed but little fall wheat in this part. Though wheat is sowed looks well, oats look well. We had one of our Western rains last night, a nice one it was too. Tell Jack that the Clover, Timothy and Blue Grass is up thick and looks well. I showed it to a fellow today. He said that I would have the honor of introducing it in this country. I guess about July and August will tell the tale for it when the thermometer stands at about 100 “degrees” above zero. Tell Jack and Velesy that I will write them soon in answer to this letter which I reviewed last fall. I understand that Green and Milton are both running for Sheriff of the county. Tell Green if he is not on his P’s + Q’s Milton will beat him. Sheff, write me in regard to their race stating how you think they will make it. I am anxious to hear. I would like to be there. I would help Green out a little. I am confident there will be a great deal of Dogery on the other side. I guess it will be “Dog Eat Dog”. I guess that when Green was nominated in the cra?porched that them Masses hallowed “Hura for ? Year”. Was sorry to hear of uncle Jackson’s death another good man gone back to God who gave him. What disposition did he make of his property. He was talking to me when there of making a special disposition of it. There has been but little sickness in this part this winter and spring. The Dr.’s on Starvation. I have not heard of but one case Pneumonia within the radius of 5 miles from where I live this winter. Though we have had the worst colds that ever visited this part it was a kind of epidemic. The people are all in good spirits this spring thinking they will make good crops this year. The prospects are fine though it may all be blighted in the summer. Sheff our coal boom is still on hand. The company are sinking a prospecting hole in about five miles of me. I have not heard from it in a few days. They think they will be sure of success. The top strata has been found all over this country at from ten to twenty feet from its surface. I sent an expert miner a specimen of the coal which is about six inches thick, and he pronounced it the finest quality south of Pittsburgh. There is a big cotton factory at Gainesville which will cost about $500000. Also a creamery. We are looking for a bright future in Texas. If get coal in paying quantities in this country our land will be enhanced in value about 100 percent. All of these things together with our general climate will make things lovely, but it is possible that coal will not be found in paying quantities. Then we will be somewhat disappointed. The native grass is nearly all gone in this country and the people will have to resort to some other method of making money than stock raising. We will have to keep fewer and fewer stock. There is a good deal of fine horses, mules and cattle in this country. We have seen fine Norman Stallions and fine Kentucky Jacks in this country and it costs .50 cents per month a head for horses for pasturage. The weather is warm tonight the frogs making a considerable noise and occasionally a gang of wild geese passing over going north. All nature seems to astear? At this time of year. The migrating birds are returning back home from their southern voyage. The mocking birds old tune is so familiar that you must pardon for speaking of it and giving you some of his ?ing and deception. It is a speckled bird about the size of your old Va. Cat bird. It has a long tail when spread it resembles a fan. It will sit on the top of a house barn or shade tree and sing day and night. It can make any sound from the Turkey gobble down to the wren It sits on the top of a tree, house or barn or on the fence while mocking and fly straight up into the air and fall back to the very identical lim fence stock any place on which is sitting and mock at the bird while it on it flight it goes South about the first of September and returns the first of March. Another beautiful bird we have here is the Paradise bird. It is about the size of the mocking bird and has a tail about 10 inches long. It is a beautiful singer. It builds like the mocking bird in the shade trees as close to the house as it can get. It said that they never light on the ground. I never saw one on the ground. They will light on a weed or a cotton or a corn stalk fence or something. The same Marlin which you have in Va. Visits this country. We also have another bird the shapenell which are very scarce. Which is so long legged that they can run as fast as a horse. (how is that for high). I never tried to catch one on a horse but I can tell you of my own knowledge of a gentleman which can run as fast as a horse and that Mr. Mule-Ears “his its Boss”. Peach + Plum trees red Buds etc. in full bloom, birds singing, frogs hollering, ticks crawling, flies humming, Sentipeds Stiring, tarantulas creeping, dogs barking children crying, everything lovely “and the goose hangs high”. Plenty of babies and more on hand. Our three oldest going to school learning fast. Jass Fanie and one of the girls stayed all day with us last Sunday. All in reasonable health and getting along well. Dave Leallier has moved to Gainseville. Hugh Burman building a new house. Hiram Reasor getting along very well. Mat McElroy is my nearest neighbor and a gentleman work day in and day out. Sheff Excuse my bad writing and foolishness my pen is very coarse and well worn.Manda sends her respects to you all. Tell J.P., Rebecca, Cyntha, Daniel, Martin, Beatress, and Ida and all the rest together with Bettie that I would be there and talk and eat some more honey chicken etc. Give my best respects to Bettie and all the children and all the rest of our kindred and receive a good portion yourself I must close by saying write soon and give us all the news. As ever I remain your brother,

J.J. Reasor

This leaves us all well as c?man. About 2 weeks ago I took the Pilgrim Knight Degree in Masonry how 224 ?man its Holy land water of the river Jordan ? ?

For those who do not know of the Virginia origins of the Reasor’s, southwest Virginia, specifically Lee, Co. has been a home to Reasors since 1772. This is the first recorded date of a Reasor settling in VA. I found this fact and more on a genealogical vacation in August 1999.

The Museum

Kim and I began our exploration of the Reasor ancestry driving into Big Stone Gap early on the morning of 9-Aug-1999. The ride from Abingdon through the winding mountain roads is spectacular. As the morning haze disappears, we are listening to ‘This Land is Your Land’ (the live version by Bruce Springsteen) on the car stereo. We were headed for the Southwest Virginia Museum, which we thought might be a good starting point for getting acquainted with the area. Although the museum is next door in Wise, Co., the video and displays offered a very clear picture of what life was like in the area during the early years, when farming turned to coal mining and the settlers thought this would be the next Pittsburg, PA.

What we need, is a Map

We then set out in search of cemeteries, hoping to find new information or verify some of the dates already collected. Driving down Alt. Route 58 towards Pennington Gap, we saw farm after farm but not many cemeteries. We stopped at a church with a few graves, no Reasor’s to be found. Getting frustrated, we decided a local map might have the cemeteries marked. After several shops we found a an atlas of topographic maps of the entire state of Virginia. Every back road, boat launch, museum, fishing hole, campground and waterfall was marked, but no cemeteries. At least it had the local street names and route numbers.

The Library

On the advice of the helpful staff at the museum we decided to check with the local historical society. Looking for the Lee Co. historical society in Pennington Gap, we came across the Lee Co. library. We walked in and stumbled upon a wealth of information. At the genealogy section we found not only large set of reference books and individual family histories, but several local citizens willing to help us with some tips and pointers. Looking in the ‘cemetery book’ I quickly found many Reasor’s along with the name of the cemeteries. ‘But I don’t know where any of these cemeteries are located’. ‘Well, the woman who put together this book used some maps which we have here at the library. I’ll get them for you.’. And so, the fellow researcher brings out a set of USGS topographic maps with, yes, each cemetery marked, and named. Pencil check marks on most of the cemeteries showed the tedious work of some dedicated genealogist. We soon discover that, disappointingly, the copier is out of order. The maps can be taken up to the bank to be copied, but unfortunately, the books will have to remain in the library, including one very nice picture of Dr. D. S. Reasor and family in the book ‘Early Settlers of Lee County Virginia and Adjacent Counties, Vol. II’. We quickly write as many notes as we can, and before we know it, the library is closing.

Cemetery Tour

We head out again, in search of the Reasor burial grounds. This time, map in hand, with four sites marked ‘Reasor cem.’, and several other sites with possible relatives, all of them located in the Deep Springs area along Alt. Rt. 58, where we had just been searching earlier that morning. We find the first one just off Alt. 58 on Rt. 733. We drive off the road and out across a grassy field, and stop several yards from the roughly 25 foot square fenced in cemetery. The grasshoppers are jumping everywhere as we walk through the field. The second one is not so accessible. We park on Rt. 620 at the bottom of a steep hill crawl under a gate and walk up a steep field to the top of the ridge, where we finally see the chain link fence of the cemetery. Carefully climbing a barbed wire fence I untie the gate, and we start taking notes and pictures. We then climb down the hill dodging the cow pies and search for another Reasor cemetery located nearby, also on Rt. 620, but we do not find it.

The next cemetery is along Alt. Rt. 58. It is called Coldiron cemetery on the USGS map, but I think it is also known as the Richmond or Richmond-Coldiron cemetery. We spot the Confederate flag, flying on a flag pole at the corner of the cemetery. This is where we hope to find Abigail (Sturgill) Kelly, my great, great, great Grandmother. We are taking notes and pictures when a resident comes over to greet us. ‘Can you find what you’re looking for?’. It turns out he is a Kelly maybe a fourth or fifth cousin. As we are talking we look down and see a head stone fallen over and covered with vines. It’s Abigail Kelly! Cousin Kelly invites us inside to compare notes.

We call it a day and head back to B.S.G. To greet my father and company at the Country Inn Motel and Campground

Dr. D. S. Reasor Cemetery

The next morning my father leads us to the Reasor cemetery he knows of which is next to the old home of Dr. Daniel Sheffey and Elizabeth Pennington Reasor. According to Dad, this home was later lived in by Mart (Martin S.) and Lula Reasor, then by Everette (C. Everette) and Ruth. Ruth may be still living there but on the morning we arrive it seems empty. We take more pictures and notes and clean off the headstones in order to read the inscriptions for Dr. D. S. Reasor and Elizabeth Pennington Reasor. They are identical except for the substitution of he/she.

“Although he sleeps his memory doth live, and cheering comfort to his mourners give, He followed virtue as his truest guide, Lived as a Christian, as a Christian died”

Granny’s Farm

The next stop is the old farm which at one time belonged to John Peter Reasor and family. His wife Rebecca Ann Kelley lived there after her husband died and later Rebecca’s daughter Mary P. (Reasor) Barkley also known as Aunt Perl. I had been there one summer when I was much younger. My father had visited this place many times as a child to see his grandmother Rebecca Ann Reasor, back then she was referred to only as ‘Granny’.

After a few wrong turns we find find our way to a closed gate at the end of a church driveway. We open the gate and start driving up, what turns out to be a very rough and steep road. At the end we find the house, with a minivan parked in the front and a dog chained in the yard. It seems no one is home so we take a quick look around, snap some pictures and we are soon on our way, four-wheeling back down the mountain.

Slemp Memorial Cemetery

We head out looking for one last cemetery. I have a note from the cemetery book indicating that my great, great, great, great Grandfather also called Daniel Sheffey Reasor is buried in the Slemp Memorial cemetery near Olinger. We are driving towards Olinger down Rt. 708 and we see some very large monuments at the top of a hill. The Slemps were very famous politicians, soldiers and citizens. There in the well kept cemetery, I find what looks like a very new set of matching head stones for my two g-g-g-g grandparents. A good way to end this very successful excursion.

Note: See the names and dates and other details that I found during this trip on this web site http://www.reasor.com and on my Family Tree Maker Home Page.

Andrew Jackson Reasor was born on December 1st 2001 at 1:50 AM. He weighs 8 lbs. 14 oz. and is 21 in. long.