Sassers in Laurel County Kentucky
Henry and Nancy Sasser’s 14 children
Sassers were in Kentucky Before Henry And Nancy
Nancy Kirby Sasser’s father was Jesse Kirby.
OBEDIANCE (“Beady”; “Beaty”) SASSER, born ca 1802 in Johnston County, NC. Descendants of Arthur Sasser 1 Sasser, Arthur died 1815 in Johnston Co. NC.
History of the Sasser Bible
John Henry Sasser married Nancy Kirby on March 12,1812, at Smithfield, Johnston, Co., NC. Henry and Nancy Kirby obtained their marriage bond February 26, 1812. In the winter of 1825 he decided to leave Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC. and headed west.They took, not only supplies for the long journey, but ten children with them. The youngest was around twelve months old, the oldest was thirteen years old. They were; 1. Keziah, 2. Dixon (Dickson), 3. Malinda ( Lindy),4. Adin Thomas, 5. Arthur, 6. Piety, 7. Barden, 8. Martha Patsy, 9. William Henry Crawford , 10. James Henderson .
The route would have crossed the eastern tip of Tennessee near JohnsonCity. This is about 270 miles west of Smithfield NC. It is generally thought the family remained in Tennessee for one growing season. After spending the growing season, and after harvest time he continued on to Laurel County Kentucky, another 150miles.. Four more children were born after their arrival in Laurel Co., Kentucky. They were; 11. Jesse, 12. Nancy, 13 Patience, 14. Barbara. Barbara Sasser and her mother Nancy Sasser is said to have died in NC in 1837 while on a “visit with her relatives”.
it is said that she received news that her brother was dying. She insisted on going “back Home”, even though she was far-advanced in pregnancy. Her husband accompanied her, taking along their youngest child– 3 year old Patience. They traveled on horseback. the trip was reportedly “too much” for Nancy, who died following delivery of a daughter. Nancy Kirby was probably buriedin her home town, Smithfield (Johnston Co) NC. Nancy’s brother, Jesse Kirby survived her by some 13 years. He left a will dated December 1849 and probated 1850. In 1850 John Henry lived with his Children, Dixon SASSER , James Henderson SASSER ., Jesse SASSER, Nancy SASSER and Patience SASSER in Laurel County on his farm. He died at the age of 80. He is buried on his farm. 1988
Branches of Laurel List : Sasser, John H. Age, 80 b. Johnston Co. North Carolina; d. 01-11-1859 Laurel Co. The cemetery where Henry is buried has many graves with only rough rocks without names as markers. In the midst of these somewhat to the right of the center of the graveyard is one marked by two large, rather scraggly cedar trees at the foot and the head. In between the two trees is a stone with the following inscription: At the bottom of the stone one reads further: There is a bunch of artificial flowers at the foot of the grave that were place there recently enough at least to be recognized as such. The cemetery is not well taken care of, and a lot of graves have sunk in. But bushes and trees have not been permitted to take it over. There is a barbed wire fence around it, with a gate. The only other gravestones with names are side by side and near the entrance, reading as follows:
It is said that James T. Sasser, A. H. Sasser and Tollie Sasser’s son in law, Glen Rush, have cleaned and fenced the Sasser Cemetery where it is thought that Henry Sasser is buried. These are the great great grandsons of Henry who was the first Sasser to come to this community from North Carolina in about 1826. There are about 22 graves but only two are marked with names. The others are marked with field stones. Trees growing in this place were 30 to 50 years old. Henry Sasser died in 1859 and it is believed that he was laid to rest between or by two cedar trees. There are two giant cedars there that are standing about straight east and west but no stones could be found.
This Cemetery is listed in the “Southeastern Laurel County Cemeteries” on page 351 but seems to be combined with another which, in fact, is about a mile south of this one. This cemetery is about 0.4 miles off the Blackwater road (1803) just beyondthe Blackwater Baptist church. John Henry Sasserâs occupation In laurel,: farmer, wagon maker, school teacher and minister (from census). Up through 1825, the winter seasons had been mostly mild, with no hard freezes, storms or floods in Laurel Co., Ky., KY. Combined with the prospect the next growing season would be prosperous, and indications the economy had signs of improving, added fuel to the great westward migration. The large unsettled areas in Eastern Kentucky were at last being settled . The patterns of settlements followed the creek and rivers. The homes were built above the flood plains of the streams. The old wagon-way known as “Boone’s Trace” crossed Laurel CO. It crossed over the spot the court house stands on mow.
Before 1826 there was apparently no one living in the Laurel area who was licensed to perform marriages. Marriages were probably by common law type or they lived together until a licensed minister passed by. In March 1826, a minister by the name ofSamuel Smith, who was an ordained minister in the Methodist denomination was given permission to marry folks in Laurel Roads were made by residents of the area. They were made to serve each family with out any large scale plan. Thus the they were winding dirt in the summer, and in the spring they were muddy, making travel difficult. Doctors was probably pretty hard to find for Sassers. For the most part, they relied on Midwives to attend births, and herb doctors for treatment of all sort of sicknesses. It is most certain Henry Sasser’s first home was made from the logs from the virgin forests that surrounded them. The fireplace most likely was made out of massive square hewn rock with a large chimney. The fireplace was used for heating and cooking with only the main room heated. It was very seldom that more than one room had heat in it. The fireplace hearth was a meeting for family gatherings. Such meetings might have included telling of tales, gossiping or entertaining visitors. In Henry Sasser’s first home there were no glass windows, only coarse slab board shutters. The doors were made out of the same slab board wood. Many log houses were built in a day or two with the help of neighbors. Henry’s trade in the 1830 census is listed as a wagon maker & logger. He most likely had the skills to notch the logs for joining in the corners of the houses. Even the farm tools were made out of wood, sometimes including plowshares. Henry and Nancy Sasser now had ten children to raise and educate . Most likely, they all slept, bathed and dressed near the heat of the fireplace. Bathing was done in a large wash pan or a stave cedar water bucket. Privies, or the near by woods were the only source of bathroom accommodations. Privacy was for the most part non-existent.
For entertainment, the Sasser family had to provide their own. Weddings were a big fanfare. There was feasting, pranking and dancing. Sometimes after the wedding, the festivities included house raising and furnishing for the couple. Square Dancing and log rolling were also popular forms of entertainment in-between special occasions. Life in Laurel was rough for the Sassers. Living off the land required a lot of work. There were always the threat of serious illnesses, and death. The families set up with the ill and held vigil overnight for the dead. The Sassers would have been dependent upon the crops they grew and animals from the forest. They grew flax to make thread from, sheep for wool. Most early settlers in Kentucky brought their bean, pea, onion, and corn seeds with them from North Carolina. Handed down from generation to generation was an oral planting schedule for each crop based on the moon. Religion played an important part in the Henry Sasser’s family life as well as all settlers of early Laurel Co. Kentucky. So religious service could be held, early churches were crude and made out of logs. Around 1820 the Laurel River Baptist Association held its first meeting. The minister of the Laurel River Baptist Association could be from the local residents of the area. There was no formal training required. The church members could choose their own minister for as long as the members choose to keep him. One congregation honor the other by accepting “letters of good standing”. Following the Civil War two primitive Baptist congregations were organized.One, the Pilgrimâs Rest Church Was founded in April 1884 by T.J. Gilbert. The religion of Henry and Nancy Sasser is not known at this time. We do know Adin was the clerk at The Union Church after the Civil War. We do know that Adin Sasser’s son Henry Sasser was a Baptist minister.
There is no documented reason to not assume that the Baptists largely dominated the religion in Laurel since 1815.. Other religions were available, including Methodist, the most competitive. Schooling for Henry and Nancy Sasserâs children and grandchildren was hard to find. There were very few schools in Laurel Co. Kentucky. Much of the schooling was probably done at home Nancy is said to have died in 1836. Her youngest, Patience Sasser was 3 years old, her oldest Keziah Sasser was 23. Henry was left with all 13 children.
Keziah was the first to leave home. She married Peter Tuttle in December 03,1838. Patience Sasser was the last to leave. She married Joseph Tuttle in October 25, 1852. John Henry Sasser died January 11, 1859, seven years after his last child married. Henry and Nancy Sasserâs 14 children 1. Keziah Sasser 1. was the first born to Henry and Nancy Sasser. She was born on January 31, 1813 in Johnston County North Carolina. She married Peter Tuttle, son of William Peter Tuttle and Elizabeth Smith. Peter had seven brothers and sisters. Keziah and Peter had eight children. All eight remained in the Laurel Co. Area. Dixon (Dickson) Sasser 1. was the second born to Henry and Nancy Sasser. He was born January 01, 1814 in Johnston County North Carolina. He married Sallie Ann Tuttle and they had eight children. Dixon on June 26,1854 owned 200 acres in Ky. Dixonâs son John M Sasserlived in Marion County Arkansas in 1905, Oklahoma in 1907. He, and his children ; Rufse, Jesse, Fred, Effie L Leroy and Woodrow W, , are in the 1920 census living in Cleveland Co. Ok. Cleveland County is just South of Oklahoma County.
Malinda ( Lindy) Sasser 1. married Millington “Milton” Blalock Jones. Millington “Milton” Blalock Jones was the son of John Jones and Unice ‘ Nancy”. Malinda had ten children with Milton and possibly one with Anderson Jones. It appears that all their children remainedin the Laurel Co. Area. Adin Sasser 1. was the fourth of fourteen children born to Henry and Nancy Sasser. Adin Sasser married Elizabeth Clementine Waggoner on October 02, 1838 in Laurel Co., Kentucky Co.. Adin and Elizabeth were married at Elizabethâs home. Adin served in the 24th Kentucky Volunteers Company H. He mustered in on Dec 31, 1861, in the dead of Winter, and he was in the service 27 days before he was sent to the hospital. He was in the service 18 months in all and he spent most of that time in the hospital. Adin was never able to work after his discharge. Adin died November 04, 1869.
The exact date of Elizabeth’s death is not known. It is thought to have been in the fall of 1868. Adin and Elizabeth had eleven children. The youngest was Lucinda Francis Sasser . Lucinda was eight years old at the time of her father’s death. Henry, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Nancy were all married before 1869. Eli, Mahala, Louisa, Joseph, Lucinda were not. I do not know what happen to Mary Sasser b. 1853. . Thomas,Adin’ss fourth child was killed in the Civil war.
Henry Sasser, the oldest, was 30 years old the time of Adin’s death. Five of Henry’s children were already born. Henry, being the oldest was left to take care of the family when Adin volunteered for duty in the 24th Kentucky Volunteers Company H. I will cover more on Adin later. Arthur Sasser was the fifth child born to Henry and Nancy Sasser. He was born in Johnston County North Carolina. He married Levina Weaver on September 07, 1840. She is the daughter of Peter Alexander Weaver, Sr. and Ann Chestnut. They had nine children Hisdaughter Barbara Jane Sasser married Evan Jones.
Here is a letter written to him by his nephew “January 29th, 1863, Camp opposite of Yazoo River, Louisiana Dear Uncle, This evening I seat myself to inform you that I am well at present, and sincerely hope when these few lines reach your hand they will find you all well. I have nothing of special interest to write at present. Our Regiment is in bad health. At present it reports about one hundred men able for duty. As I have nothing interesting to write I don’t think I can do anything more than give you a sketch of our trip since we left Memphis, Tennessee. We left Memphis on the 20th day of Dec., and went toVicksburg. We reached Vicksburg on the 26th and skirmished all day Friday and Saturday. Sunday morning a general engagement came up. We were ordered in line of battle and fired on the Rebels. The fire was kept up about one hour when we were ordered to charge the Rebels’ cannon. We did it in double quick. There were reports by the heavy of the Rebel artillery. We were ordered to fall to the ground to save ourselves. You may rest assured that ordered was obeyed. I think I lay as close to the ground as ever a squirrel did to a limb. We stayed seven days with them, though failed in taking Vicksburg. We then went on the boats and went back up the river to the mouth of the Arkansas River to a place called Post Arkansas and attacked the Rebels on Saturday morning, and Sunday at 9 o’clock p.m., the Rebels surrendered the fort. Eight thousand prisoners, ten thousand stand of arms, one thousand head of horses and mules, one hundred wagons, a large quantity of commissary stores and camp equipage. We then came back down the river to where we are yet inten miles of Vicksburg. Our men are cutting a channel and turning the living Vicksburg 10 miles to the left. The news here is that the Rebels are vacating Vicksburg, but whether it is so or not I cannot say. I don’t know how long we will stay here nor where we will go when we leave. I want you to write me as soon as you get this letter, and when you write, direct your letter to Memphis, Tennessee. So no more at present, but still remain your best friend. Iven Jones to Iven Jones (Stationery has a picture of General Halleck)
Arthur’s fifth son William Henry Sasser moved to Mitchell, Wheeler, Oregon where he is buried. His cousin Abraham Henry Sasser moved to Enterprise Oregon August 30, 1903 by train. They arrived in Wallowa County Oregon on September 3, 1903. 6. Piety Sasser 7. was the sixth child born to Henry and Nancy Sasser. She was born in Johnston County North Carolina. She married William Umphlete. Son of James Umphlete and Elizabeth Langley. They had thirteen children. Piety’s husband died of pneumonia andwas taken to Kentucky. He died in E. Bernstadt. Piety took the wagon and brought his body back home. The roots of the Humfleets–the spelling of whose name previously was “Umfleet” and sometimes varied from “Umphleet” to “Umphlete”–go back to theearly period of English settlement (at least to the mid-1600s) in America. The first account we have locates them in what is now Nansamond County, Virginia. They generally are thought to have come from England, and there are suggestions that the name indicates some early association with that country’s “home fleet,” although one branch of the family has preserved a tradition of “black Dutch” origin, whatever that means. In any case, following many generations of marriages to people in other families, the Humfleets must have come to represent an amalgam of various European nationalities. From the Old Dominion, the family spread to the adjacent colonies, particularly to Edgecombe County, North Carolina by the early 1700s.