9-C - Arlen C. PETTY born March 28, 1931 at Manzinola, Colo. - married March 29, 1954 at Haigler, Neb. to Dorothy SPEARS. They have two children:

a- Lofton Miles PETTY born Dec. 15, 1954 at Denver, Colo.

b- Wade Allen PETTY born May 21, 1956 at Denver, Colo.

9-D - Kenneth PETTY born March 18, 1934 at Manzinola, Colo. - married Dec. 24, 1954 to Dorothy F. JONES born May 2, 1936 at Birchtree, Mo. They have two children:

a- Ronald D. PETTY born March 26, 1957 at Kansas City, Mo.

b- Kevin R. PETTY born June 13, 1961 at Denver, Colo.

9-E - Laura Jean PETTY born June 11, 1935 at Manzinola, Colo. - married Oct. 20, 1954 to Kenneth SHELTON born Jan. 28, 1931 at Olney Springs, Colo. They have two children:

a - Herbert James SHELTON born July 29, 1956 at Boulder, Colo.

b - Kenneth W. SHELTON born June 3, 1960 at Boulder, Colo.

10 - The last born child of James Pryor PETTY and Susan Stewart PETTY was Nollner Elston PETTY - born 1903 - died 1907 and was buried in a little grave in the old orchard at the Bridgewater Place near Monoville, Tenn. Disinterred in 1964 and buried beside his parents at New Macedonia Baptist Church near Chestnut Mound. (36)

H – Silas Balaam PETTY born Feb 28, 1858 at Stonewall, Tenn. Smith County Son of Henderson B. Petty and Nanct\y Pryor GRESHAM. He died Nov. 18, 1939 at Carthage, Tenn. And is buried there in Ridgewodd Cemetery. He was married twice, 1^st on Feb. 18, 1882 to Mary Etta (Sis) MASSEY and 2^nd on Dec. 19, 1902 to Leona MATTHEWS.

This man was my father. I never knew a man more worthy of respect - never knew him to do a mean or dishonorable thing, ever. He was a member of Peyton’s Creek Baptist church since October 1896 and lived his religion every day – not just on Sunday. He took his politics almost as seriously – always a Democrat! He had very little formal schooling, yet he was very well educated. He read a wide variety, he was the finest Bible student I ever knew and was a genious at mathematics. He could build anything from fine furniture to a ferry boat or a barn. He was an expert riverman and loved fishing. Some of my happiest memories center around our old fireplace on winter evenings – my Dad smoked and old pipe (He always carved his pipes out of some sort of tough wood), knitting away on his fish nets and listening closely while Mama read to us all – sometimes from a newspaper, sometimes the Bible or a story or even the Almanac! I can almost hear the rasp of the twine as Dad pulled the wooden needle through to tighten the knot – and the rise and fall of my mother’s deep, beautiful voice as she read. I do not have the words to decribe my father - to me, he was ten ft talland when he died something precious and wonderful went out of my life forever. He was firm and stern. He expected – and got – obedience and respect from his children, but his hand on the forehead of a sick child was so gentle, so cool and comforting.

His first wife Mary Etta (Sis) MASSEY was born Nov. 9, 1866 at Carthage Tenn. She died Aug. 3, 1902 and is buried on Defeated Creek. She was a daughter Of George Washington MASSEY and Sarah Catherine BURNETT, both of whom were born in North Carolina. Sarah Catherine BURNETT came with her folks about 1850, across the mountains into Tennessee. They made hard journey in a covered wagon along with several other families. In the same wagon train was Geo. Washington (Wash) MASSEY, born 1827 in North Carolina. George Washington and Sarah Catherine BURNETT were married at Carthage, Tenn. Dec 24, 1851. They were married by a Justice of the Peace named Stephen PETTY. This Stephen PETTY was a son of William and Lavina PETTY and was married to Sarah (Sallie) CARR. Geo. W. MASSEY and Sarah Catherine (Aunt Kates) MASSEY had several children besides Mary Etta. Two (37) of these I knew personally. Somehow, these people have always been my people, too. There was a daughter Tula MASSEY who married Robert WOODARD and their children were my dear friends - so long ago - E. B. and Virgil, Carl and Cecil - Kate WOODARD who married Oscar KEMP and Athelyne WOODARD who married Hugh WEST. Then there was David K. MASSEY who married Laura LEMONS [LAMONS] and their children D. C. [Buck] MASSEY who married my cousin Gladys SHOULDERS and Edward MASSEY who married another cousin Grace KEMP. Dewey MASSEY for many years one of Smith County's fine teachers, Hattie MASSEY who married Marshall FARLEY, Kate MASSEY who married a Mr. HALLIBURTON and Thomas MASSEY another Smith County teacher. But I have digressed from my subject -

Silas Balaam PETTY and Mary Etta [Sis] MASSEY had three children:

1 - Maude Lee PETTY was born Dec. 18, 1883 in the Turkey Creek Community, Smith Co., Tenn. I have often heard that she was a very beautiful girl. Certainly she was a beautiful woman with heavy, auburn hair, blue eyes and the kind of creamy skin that often goes with auburn hair. She was a small woman with pretty little feet and hands - very lively, full of fun. While still very young she married John Bransford HACKETT, born 1873 Smith Co., Tenn. son of John HACKETT and Generva KEMP. As a bride Maude went with her husband to his boyhood home on Defeated Creek. They were a happy, devoted couple. Loved and respected by the whole neighborhood. To Maude the neighbors and their children were just part of the family, entitled to the same loyalty. She lived her whold here in this house which she entered as a bride, and here, in Dec. 1942, she died surrounded by the people she loved so well. She was buried in Sanderson Graveyard at Pleasant Shade, where her little grandson already slept and where ten years later Bransford HACKETT was laid beside her. Maude and Bransford HACKERR had one child:

A-1- John Bilbrey HACKETT born Oct. 6, 1900 at Defeated Creek, Smith County, Tennessee. Married May 27, 1923 to Ruby HUDDLESTON born Sept. 3, 1905 at Pleasant Shade, Tenn. - daughter of Ezra HUDDLESTON and Mary SANDERSON. John and Ruby had one child:

Jack Huddleston HACKETT born July 26, 1928 - died Nov. 1933 and is buried in Sanderson Graveyard at Pleasant Shade.

Johnny and Ruby HACKETT are fine people - leading busy, useful lives - quiet, unassuming - but putting in an oar wherever needed. (38)

2 - Mary Etta [Maymie] PETTY was born April 10, 1886 in Helm's Bend, Smith Co., Tenn. She was married to Russ JONES in 1903 and went with him to New Mexico where they homesteaded land. Later they went to Missouri where they acquired a farm at Edwards, which is near Sedalia, Mo. They lived there until Russ died in 1920. He was buried at Sedalia and Maymie returned to Tenn. where for a time she lived with her brother and sister - in - law, Lester and Electa PETTY. In Nov. 1922, she was married to Walter Kirk SAVAGE Sr., a widower with two small children.

1- Dorothy Kate SAVAGE who married John CONGER and 2 - Walter Kirk SAVAGE Jr. who married Wilma ROBINSON. To Maymie these children were as dear as any natural child of her own could have been and no Grandmother anywhere could have been prouder or fonder than she was of the children of Dorothy and John CONGER. Ann Savage CONGER and Steve CONGER. Ann Savage CONGER was married in 1962 to Jerry Eugene WILSON. Maymie and Kirk lived at the Savage farm "Tanglewood" until his death in 1962. From early youth both had been faithful members of Peyton's Creek Baptist Church at Monoville, Tenn. and in every way both of them stood for the best in their community. After Kirk's death Maymie moved into Carthage to be near her daughter, Dorothy, who watched over her until her death May 13, 1965. She died at Smith Co. hospital and was buried in Ridgewood Cem. [Carthage] beside her husband.

I have tried to think of a description of this sister of mine- a real lady is the best I can do- That she was - clean, fastidious, strictly honorable - loyal to the people she loved - I have missed her - so much. (39)

3 - Lester B. PETTY, youngest child of Balaam and Sis PETTY, was born Nov. 17, 1890. He was married May 19, 1914 to Electa WHITE born Feb. 1, 1892 in Jackson Co., Tenn. daughter of George William WHITE born Dec. 30, 1858 Jackson Co., Tenn. and wife Sarah Elizabeth HERRING born Jan. 10, 1859 in Jackson Co., Tenn. Geo. W. WHITE died Feb. 25, 1935 and Sarah WHITE died March 3, 1931. Both died at Carthage, Tenn. where they had lived for a number of years.

Lester B. PETTY was born in the Turkey Creek Community near Carthage. He told me once that::

"Dad bought a small farm on Turkey Creek just for the timber on it. He cut that off, rafted the logs to Nashville then sold the farm - and that is where I was born." Lester and Electa celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1964 with their sons and their families and many old friends. These two have been a very superior sort of parents - they have raised five boys - and that old saying: "Every family has a black sheep -" simply isn't true here - for there is nary a black sheep! Lester and Electa went to school together. They both taught for a time in county schools, they got married and settled down to the serious business of making a home. Lester, not content to teach school, was studying the profession that has been his work for more than fifty years. In 1917, Lester became Smith County Surveyor, a position which he still actively fills at the age of 78. His descendants will have no trouble tracing him - He has tramped over almost every farm in Smith and adjoining counties and some in other states. He has laid out, drawn the beautiful plans, even named the streets for many of the fine, new subdivisions in the state. When he first started in this work, he and his instruments were transported by means of a buggy drawn by a sorrel horse name of "Sam." Sam had a broken tail and an evil disposition - but Lester and Sam traveled many a mile together - from the river bottoms of Smith to the wild hills of Fentress Co. Lester, on occasion found himself in the role of peacemaker when neighbor fell out with neighbor over boundary lines - and sometimes could do nothing but stand helplessly by and watch tragedy unfold. At last Old Sam and the buggy had to give way to a little Ford - and that, too, is a far cry from the high - powered, air - conditioned car that hauls Lester, his instruments and his muddy boots these days! Lester and Electa are the kind of people who live quietly at home but whose lives are still a great influence in the family and in the community. Lester is a Democrat [ when it suits him!], a Mason and since early boyhood a member of Peyton's Creek Baptist Church. Electra is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Christian (40)

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