~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Following from Ova O. DeLong's book: "Auxier - Delong - Brown - Allied Families":
BENJAMIN "BEN" DELONG
PAGE 109 - Ben Delong, born 17 February 1873, the fifth child of William Isaac, Sr. & Rebecca (Alley) Delong, was age 22 years when Grandmother died, and at one time he was enumerated in the U.S. Census with Richard & Nancy (Delong) Buskirk (his Aunt).
In 1900 he married Sarah Buskirk (no relation) the daughter of Richard Buskirk by one of two former marriages (#1) Sarah (Buskirk) Delong had a half-sister called Clemenza, a daughter of Richard Buskirk by his #2 wife. I have not been able to learn the name of either of these former wives, one of who is said to have been (an) Indian girl. Anyway on 30 January 1901 Ben & Sara (Buskirk) Delong were blessed by the arrival of a baby girl. They called her "Menzie" for Sarah's sister, Clemenza.
Once during the seventies, when I was doing abstracting in the Martin County Clerk's office, Richard Buskirk's niece introduced herself to me. In our conversation she told me that Clemenza Buskirk married and had one daughter, and called her baby girl Sarah for her sister.
When Menzie Delong was about one year of age her mother, Sarah (Buskirk) Delong, died and within the year Uncle Ben married his #2 wife, Sarah Ammon's(sic Sammons), born 8 January 1883, the daughter of Thomas F. & Nancy (Music) Sammons. Aunt Sarah (Sammons) Delong raised Menzie, and a large family of her own. Menzie had been born at Davella, formerly, Delong, Martin County, Kentucky. All of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong's children were born at Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky. As told under(sic uncle) Dave Delong, Ben and Sarah, and their children, moved into the big log house in 1911, as Dave & Mary Etta were moving out, and to Tollesborro, Ky. It was a rare privilege for me to have stayed two nights in that house while the Ben Delong family lived there. Later the farm was sold and Ben built a new house just around the point of the hill and across Music "Holler", being the same house where years later I boarded while teaching the John's Creek School.
Ben was a miner, and a farmer. In the early thirties he and his twin brother bought two identical Chevrolets, and they and their families came to Keeton Branch to visit our family. Instead of going a few extra miles around, crossing Licking River and coming up Keeton Branch they took the near-cut and crossed Ditney Ridge, and down the hill with little difficulty. They returned the same way, when they left, but due to the steep grade, and the loose rocks, they couldn't hold traction. Popa hitched a team in front of them, and the problem was solved.
Uncle Ben was good at finding water-melons hidden in the grass when everyone thought they were all gone. Those were happy years. Each evening their home was a gathering place, not a dull moment. After Thelma and I came to San Francisco, and returned on visits, we would write them that we would spend one day with them.
Uncle Ben died 19 April 1958, and Aunt Sarah died 1 December 1963. Both are buried in the DeLong Cemetery on the bend of lower John's Creek, Van Lear, formerly Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky.
(Benjamin's children:)
PAGE 110 -
1. Menzie Delong, b 30 January 1901, daughter of Ben & Sarah (Buskirk) married #1 Samuel Adkins. Menzie divorced Samuel & married #2. Fin Hartman.
(remaining children w/2nd wife Sarah (Sammons) Delong)
2. Nancy Delong was born 7 November 1904, married 22 December 1922 in Ironton, Ohio, Sturgill Stewart, born 3 August 1903, son of Samuel Stewart, of Coalton, Kentucky. They reared one daughter, and three sons.
PAGE 112 -
3. Curtis Delong, born 9 May 1906, the third child, and the eldest son of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married Nora Honeycutt, born 12 April 1906 (FAG memorial has Apr 17, 1906), the daughter of Nathan & Lucretia (Delong) Honey cutt. Lucretia (Delong) Honeycutt was a daughter of Sampson & Alvina Margaret (Preece) Delong.
PAGE 113 -
4. Mitchel Delong, Sr. born 9 January 1909, Van Lear, Johnson County, Kentucky, the fourth (3rd) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married #1 Lucy Collins. To this union was born one son. (Lucy died 1933, marriage #2 to Geneva Collins, they had 4 ch.)
PAGE 104 -
5. Ruby Delong born 24 January 1913, Van Lear, Johnson County, Ky. the fifth (4th) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (Ruby married), in Raceland, Kentucky, 6 June 1938 (the day she graduated, and the day her fiancé returned from over-seas) married Cleveland Boyd, born 14 February 1908, Meally, Kentucky, son of G. W. & Elizabeth (Hall) Boyd. Cleveland was a minister. They lived, until 1977, in a house they built on Music Branch, across the branch from Ruby’s parents. In 1978 they removed to Meally, Kentucky.
Cleve & Ruby, as long as their health permitted, spoke for and prosecuted the case James Delong Heirs VS Pocahontas Land Corporation, Martin County Coal, the Elk Horn Mining Company, The Bezack Brothers Mining Company, et al. They had taken over when Lee Delong died, and when they no longer could carry the burden Ova O. Delong assumed the responsibility. The one-hundred and some heirs owe them a great deal of gratitude for keeping the law suit alive.
PAGE 115 -
6. Wm F. “Bill Delong, born 30 January 1915, Nero, Kentucky, on John's Creek, Johnson County, the sixth (5th) child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (On) 2 March 1935, Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky, was united in marriage to Vergie Adkins, daughter of George & Harity (Music) Adkins. Bill was a miner until the coal industry went sour. He then took vocational training and later went into business for himself. Six children.
PAGE 117 -
7. Audrey Marie Delong born 6 February 1920, Van Lear, Johnson Co., Kentucky, the seventh (6th) and last child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, baptized 1938, Philadelphia Church of Christ, on lower John's Creek, formerly Nero, Ky. (On the) 17 December 1941, Sprigg, WVA., married James Harvey Dearfield, born 25 May, 1920, Sprigg, WVa., son of Norman & Mary (Lunsford) Dearfield, baptized 16 May 1949, Philadelphia Church of Christ, Nero, Ky. (They had 3 ch.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DELONG, Ben
1873-1958
Services Monday At Johns Creek For Ben Delong
Ben Delong, 85, died at his home at Johns Creek at 12:52 a.m., April 19, following an illness of five weeks. The son of William and Rebecca Alley Delong, he was born February 17, 1873, at Johns Creek and had been a lifelong resident of that community. He formerly worked as a miner and engaged in farming.
Survivors include his widow, Sarah Sammons Delong; Curtis, Mitchell, and Willie Delong, all of Van Lear; four daughters, Mrs. Minnie (sic Menzie) Hartman, Baltimore, Maryland; Mrs. Nancy Stewart, Huntington W. Va.; Mrs. Ruby Boyd, Cleveland O.; Mrs. Audrey Dearfield, Red Jacket W. Va.; three brothers, Dave Delong, Vanceburg, Alex Delong, Lancer; J. T. Delong, East Point, thirty-two grandchildren and twenty-eight great- grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted at 1:00 p.m., Monday, April 21, from the Philadelphia Church of Christ on Johns Creek with J. H. Short and S. C. Honeycutt as officiating ministers. Burial was in the Delong cemetery on Johns Creek.
[Paintsville Herald, Wednesday 4-23-1958]
Following from Ova O. DeLong's book: "Auxier - Delong - Brown - Allied Families":
BENJAMIN "BEN" DELONG
PAGE 109 - Ben Delong, born 17 February 1873, the fifth child of William Isaac, Sr. & Rebecca (Alley) Delong, was age 22 years when Grandmother died, and at one time he was enumerated in the U.S. Census with Richard & Nancy (Delong) Buskirk (his Aunt).
In 1900 he married Sarah Buskirk (no relation) the daughter of Richard Buskirk by one of two former marriages (#1) Sarah (Buskirk) Delong had a half-sister called Clemenza, a daughter of Richard Buskirk by his #2 wife. I have not been able to learn the name of either of these former wives, one of who is said to have been (an) Indian girl. Anyway on 30 January 1901 Ben & Sara (Buskirk) Delong were blessed by the arrival of a baby girl. They called her "Menzie" for Sarah's sister, Clemenza.
Once during the seventies, when I was doing abstracting in the Martin County Clerk's office, Richard Buskirk's niece introduced herself to me. In our conversation she told me that Clemenza Buskirk married and had one daughter, and called her baby girl Sarah for her sister.
When Menzie Delong was about one year of age her mother, Sarah (Buskirk) Delong, died and within the year Uncle Ben married his #2 wife, Sarah Ammon's(sic Sammons), born 8 January 1883, the daughter of Thomas F. & Nancy (Music) Sammons. Aunt Sarah (Sammons) Delong raised Menzie, and a large family of her own. Menzie had been born at Davella, formerly, Delong, Martin County, Kentucky. All of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong's children were born at Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky. As told under(sic uncle) Dave Delong, Ben and Sarah, and their children, moved into the big log house in 1911, as Dave & Mary Etta were moving out, and to Tollesborro, Ky. It was a rare privilege for me to have stayed two nights in that house while the Ben Delong family lived there. Later the farm was sold and Ben built a new house just around the point of the hill and across Music "Holler", being the same house where years later I boarded while teaching the John's Creek School.
Ben was a miner, and a farmer. In the early thirties he and his twin brother bought two identical Chevrolets, and they and their families came to Keeton Branch to visit our family. Instead of going a few extra miles around, crossing Licking River and coming up Keeton Branch they took the near-cut and crossed Ditney Ridge, and down the hill with little difficulty. They returned the same way, when they left, but due to the steep grade, and the loose rocks, they couldn't hold traction. Popa hitched a team in front of them, and the problem was solved.
Uncle Ben was good at finding water-melons hidden in the grass when everyone thought they were all gone. Those were happy years. Each evening their home was a gathering place, not a dull moment. After Thelma and I came to San Francisco, and returned on visits, we would write them that we would spend one day with them.
Uncle Ben died 19 April 1958, and Aunt Sarah died 1 December 1963. Both are buried in the DeLong Cemetery on the bend of lower John's Creek, Van Lear, formerly Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky.
(Benjamin's children:)
PAGE 110 -
1. Menzie Delong, b 30 January 1901, daughter of Ben & Sarah (Buskirk) married #1 Samuel Adkins. Menzie divorced Samuel & married #2. Fin Hartman.
(remaining children w/2nd wife Sarah (Sammons) Delong)
2. Nancy Delong was born 7 November 1904, married 22 December 1922 in Ironton, Ohio, Sturgill Stewart, born 3 August 1903, son of Samuel Stewart, of Coalton, Kentucky. They reared one daughter, and three sons.
PAGE 112 -
3. Curtis Delong, born 9 May 1906, the third child, and the eldest son of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married Nora Honeycutt, born 12 April 1906 (FAG memorial has Apr 17, 1906), the daughter of Nathan & Lucretia (Delong) Honey cutt. Lucretia (Delong) Honeycutt was a daughter of Sampson & Alvina Margaret (Preece) Delong.
PAGE 113 -
4. Mitchel Delong, Sr. born 9 January 1909, Van Lear, Johnson County, Kentucky, the fourth (3rd) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married #1 Lucy Collins. To this union was born one son. (Lucy died 1933, marriage #2 to Geneva Collins, they had 4 ch.)
PAGE 104 -
5. Ruby Delong born 24 January 1913, Van Lear, Johnson County, Ky. the fifth (4th) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (Ruby married), in Raceland, Kentucky, 6 June 1938 (the day she graduated, and the day her fiancé returned from over-seas) married Cleveland Boyd, born 14 February 1908, Meally, Kentucky, son of G. W. & Elizabeth (Hall) Boyd. Cleveland was a minister. They lived, until 1977, in a house they built on Music Branch, across the branch from Ruby’s parents. In 1978 they removed to Meally, Kentucky.
Cleve & Ruby, as long as their health permitted, spoke for and prosecuted the case James Delong Heirs VS Pocahontas Land Corporation, Martin County Coal, the Elk Horn Mining Company, The Bezack Brothers Mining Company, et al. They had taken over when Lee Delong died, and when they no longer could carry the burden Ova O. Delong assumed the responsibility. The one-hundred and some heirs owe them a great deal of gratitude for keeping the law suit alive.
PAGE 115 -
6. Wm F. “Bill Delong, born 30 January 1915, Nero, Kentucky, on John's Creek, Johnson County, the sixth (5th) child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (On) 2 March 1935, Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky, was united in marriage to Vergie Adkins, daughter of George & Harity (Music) Adkins. Bill was a miner until the coal industry went sour. He then took vocational training and later went into business for himself. Six children.
PAGE 117 -
7. Audrey Marie Delong born 6 February 1920, Van Lear, Johnson Co., Kentucky, the seventh (6th) and last child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, baptized 1938, Philadelphia Church of Christ, on lower John's Creek, formerly Nero, Ky. (On the) 17 December 1941, Sprigg, WVA., married James Harvey Dearfield, born 25 May, 1920, Sprigg, WVa., son of Norman & Mary (Lunsford) Dearfield, baptized 16 May 1949, Philadelphia Church of Christ, Nero, Ky. (They had 3 ch.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DELONG, Ben
1873-1958
Services Monday At Johns Creek For Ben Delong
Ben Delong, 85, died at his home at Johns Creek at 12:52 a.m., April 19, following an illness of five weeks. The son of William and Rebecca Alley Delong, he was born February 17, 1873, at Johns Creek and had been a lifelong resident of that community. He formerly worked as a miner and engaged in farming.
Survivors include his widow, Sarah Sammons Delong; Curtis, Mitchell, and Willie Delong, all of Van Lear; four daughters, Mrs. Minnie (sic Menzie) Hartman, Baltimore, Maryland; Mrs. Nancy Stewart, Huntington W. Va.; Mrs. Ruby Boyd, Cleveland O.; Mrs. Audrey Dearfield, Red Jacket W. Va.; three brothers, Dave Delong, Vanceburg, Alex Delong, Lancer; J. T. Delong, East Point, thirty-two grandchildren and twenty-eight great- grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted at 1:00 p.m., Monday, April 21, from the Philadelphia Church of Christ on Johns Creek with J. H. Short and S. C. Honeycutt as officiating ministers. Burial was in the Delong cemetery on Johns Creek.
[Paintsville Herald, Wednesday 4-23-1958]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Following from Ova O. DeLong's book: "Auxier - Delong - Brown - Allied Families":
BENJAMIN "BEN" DELONG
PAGE 109 - Ben Delong, born 17 February 1873, the fifth child of William Isaac, Sr. & Rebecca (Alley) Delong, was age 22 years when Grandmother died, and at one time he was enumerated in the U.S. Census with Richard & Nancy (Delong) Buskirk (his Aunt).
In 1900 he married Sarah Buskirk (no relation) the daughter of Richard Buskirk by one of two former marriages (#1) Sarah (Buskirk) Delong had a half-sister called Clemenza, a daughter of Richard Buskirk by his #2 wife. I have not been able to learn the name of either of these former wives, one of who is said to have been (an) Indian girl. Anyway on 30 January 1901 Ben & Sara (Buskirk) Delong were blessed by the arrival of a baby girl. They called her "Menzie" for Sarah's sister, Clemenza.
Once during the seventies, when I was doing abstracting in the Martin County Clerk's office, Richard Buskirk's niece introduced herself to me. In our conversation she told me that Clemenza Buskirk married and had one daughter, and called her baby girl Sarah for her sister.
When Menzie Delong was about one year of age her mother, Sarah (Buskirk) Delong, died and within the year Uncle Ben married his #2 wife, Sarah Ammon's(sic Sammons), born 8 January 1883, the daughter of Thomas F. & Nancy (Music) Sammons. Aunt Sarah (Sammons) Delong raised Menzie, and a large family of her own. Menzie had been born at Davella, formerly, Delong, Martin County, Kentucky. All of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong's children were born at Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky. As told under(sic uncle) Dave Delong, Ben and Sarah, and their children, moved into the big log house in 1911, as Dave & Mary Etta were moving out, and to Tollesborro, Ky. It was a rare privilege for me to have stayed two nights in that house while the Ben Delong family lived there. Later the farm was sold and Ben built a new house just around the point of the hill and across Music "Holler", being the same house where years later I boarded while teaching the John's Creek School.
Ben was a miner, and a farmer. In the early thirties he and his twin brother bought two identical Chevrolets, and they and their families came to Keeton Branch to visit our family. Instead of going a few extra miles around, crossing Licking River and coming up Keeton Branch they took the near-cut and crossed Ditney Ridge, and down the hill with little difficulty. They returned the same way, when they left, but due to the steep grade, and the loose rocks, they couldn't hold traction. Popa hitched a team in front of them, and the problem was solved.
Uncle Ben was good at finding water-melons hidden in the grass when everyone thought they were all gone. Those were happy years. Each evening their home was a gathering place, not a dull moment. After Thelma and I came to San Francisco, and returned on visits, we would write them that we would spend one day with them.
Uncle Ben died 19 April 1958, and Aunt Sarah died 1 December 1963. Both are buried in the DeLong Cemetery on the bend of lower John's Creek, Van Lear, formerly Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky.
(Benjamin's children:)
PAGE 110 -
1. Menzie Delong, b 30 January 1901, daughter of Ben & Sarah (Buskirk) married #1 Samuel Adkins. Menzie divorced Samuel & married #2. Fin Hartman.
(remaining children w/2nd wife Sarah (Sammons) Delong)
2. Nancy Delong was born 7 November 1904, married 22 December 1922 in Ironton, Ohio, Sturgill Stewart, born 3 August 1903, son of Samuel Stewart, of Coalton, Kentucky. They reared one daughter, and three sons.
PAGE 112 -
3. Curtis Delong, born 9 May 1906, the third child, and the eldest son of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married Nora Honeycutt, born 12 April 1906 (FAG memorial has Apr 17, 1906), the daughter of Nathan & Lucretia (Delong) Honey cutt. Lucretia (Delong) Honeycutt was a daughter of Sampson & Alvina Margaret (Preece) Delong.
PAGE 113 -
4. Mitchel Delong, Sr. born 9 January 1909, Van Lear, Johnson County, Kentucky, the fourth (3rd) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married #1 Lucy Collins. To this union was born one son. (Lucy died 1933, marriage #2 to Geneva Collins, they had 4 ch.)
PAGE 104 -
5. Ruby Delong born 24 January 1913, Van Lear, Johnson County, Ky. the fifth (4th) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (Ruby married), in Raceland, Kentucky, 6 June 1938 (the day she graduated, and the day her fiancé returned from over-seas) married Cleveland Boyd, born 14 February 1908, Meally, Kentucky, son of G. W. & Elizabeth (Hall) Boyd. Cleveland was a minister. They lived, until 1977, in a house they built on Music Branch, across the branch from Ruby’s parents. In 1978 they removed to Meally, Kentucky.
Cleve & Ruby, as long as their health permitted, spoke for and prosecuted the case James Delong Heirs VS Pocahontas Land Corporation, Martin County Coal, the Elk Horn Mining Company, The Bezack Brothers Mining Company, et al. They had taken over when Lee Delong died, and when they no longer could carry the burden Ova O. Delong assumed the responsibility. The one-hundred and some heirs owe them a great deal of gratitude for keeping the law suit alive.
PAGE 115 -
6. Wm F. “Bill Delong, born 30 January 1915, Nero, Kentucky, on John's Creek, Johnson County, the sixth (5th) child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (On) 2 March 1935, Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky, was united in marriage to Vergie Adkins, daughter of George & Harity (Music) Adkins. Bill was a miner until the coal industry went sour. He then took vocational training and later went into business for himself. Six children.
PAGE 117 -
7. Audrey Marie Delong born 6 February 1920, Van Lear, Johnson Co., Kentucky, the seventh (6th) and last child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, baptized 1938, Philadelphia Church of Christ, on lower John's Creek, formerly Nero, Ky. (On the) 17 December 1941, Sprigg, WVA., married James Harvey Dearfield, born 25 May, 1920, Sprigg, WVa., son of Norman & Mary (Lunsford) Dearfield, baptized 16 May 1949, Philadelphia Church of Christ, Nero, Ky. (They had 3 ch.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DELONG, Ben
1873-1958
Services Monday At Johns Creek For Ben Delong
Ben Delong, 85, died at his home at Johns Creek at 12:52 a.m., April 19, following an illness of five weeks. The son of William and Rebecca Alley Delong, he was born February 17, 1873, at Johns Creek and had been a lifelong resident of that community. He formerly worked as a miner and engaged in farming.
Survivors include his widow, Sarah Sammons Delong; Curtis, Mitchell, and Willie Delong, all of Van Lear; four daughters, Mrs. Minnie (sic Menzie) Hartman, Baltimore, Maryland; Mrs. Nancy Stewart, Huntington W. Va.; Mrs. Ruby Boyd, Cleveland O.; Mrs. Audrey Dearfield, Red Jacket W. Va.; three brothers, Dave Delong, Vanceburg, Alex Delong, Lancer; J. T. Delong, East Point, thirty-two grandchildren and twenty-eight great- grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted at 1:00 p.m., Monday, April 21, from the Philadelphia Church of Christ on Johns Creek with J. H. Short and S. C. Honeycutt as officiating ministers. Burial was in the Delong cemetery on Johns Creek.
[Paintsville Herald, Wednesday 4-23-1958]
Following from Ova O. DeLong's book: "Auxier - Delong - Brown - Allied Families":
BENJAMIN "BEN" DELONG
PAGE 109 - Ben Delong, born 17 February 1873, the fifth child of William Isaac, Sr. & Rebecca (Alley) Delong, was age 22 years when Grandmother died, and at one time he was enumerated in the U.S. Census with Richard & Nancy (Delong) Buskirk (his Aunt).
In 1900 he married Sarah Buskirk (no relation) the daughter of Richard Buskirk by one of two former marriages (#1) Sarah (Buskirk) Delong had a half-sister called Clemenza, a daughter of Richard Buskirk by his #2 wife. I have not been able to learn the name of either of these former wives, one of who is said to have been (an) Indian girl. Anyway on 30 January 1901 Ben & Sara (Buskirk) Delong were blessed by the arrival of a baby girl. They called her "Menzie" for Sarah's sister, Clemenza.
Once during the seventies, when I was doing abstracting in the Martin County Clerk's office, Richard Buskirk's niece introduced herself to me. In our conversation she told me that Clemenza Buskirk married and had one daughter, and called her baby girl Sarah for her sister.
When Menzie Delong was about one year of age her mother, Sarah (Buskirk) Delong, died and within the year Uncle Ben married his #2 wife, Sarah Ammon's(sic Sammons), born 8 January 1883, the daughter of Thomas F. & Nancy (Music) Sammons. Aunt Sarah (Sammons) Delong raised Menzie, and a large family of her own. Menzie had been born at Davella, formerly, Delong, Martin County, Kentucky. All of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong's children were born at Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky. As told under(sic uncle) Dave Delong, Ben and Sarah, and their children, moved into the big log house in 1911, as Dave & Mary Etta were moving out, and to Tollesborro, Ky. It was a rare privilege for me to have stayed two nights in that house while the Ben Delong family lived there. Later the farm was sold and Ben built a new house just around the point of the hill and across Music "Holler", being the same house where years later I boarded while teaching the John's Creek School.
Ben was a miner, and a farmer. In the early thirties he and his twin brother bought two identical Chevrolets, and they and their families came to Keeton Branch to visit our family. Instead of going a few extra miles around, crossing Licking River and coming up Keeton Branch they took the near-cut and crossed Ditney Ridge, and down the hill with little difficulty. They returned the same way, when they left, but due to the steep grade, and the loose rocks, they couldn't hold traction. Popa hitched a team in front of them, and the problem was solved.
Uncle Ben was good at finding water-melons hidden in the grass when everyone thought they were all gone. Those were happy years. Each evening their home was a gathering place, not a dull moment. After Thelma and I came to San Francisco, and returned on visits, we would write them that we would spend one day with them.
Uncle Ben died 19 April 1958, and Aunt Sarah died 1 December 1963. Both are buried in the DeLong Cemetery on the bend of lower John's Creek, Van Lear, formerly Nero, Johnson County, Kentucky.
(Benjamin's children:)
PAGE 110 -
1. Menzie Delong, b 30 January 1901, daughter of Ben & Sarah (Buskirk) married #1 Samuel Adkins. Menzie divorced Samuel & married #2. Fin Hartman.
(remaining children w/2nd wife Sarah (Sammons) Delong)
2. Nancy Delong was born 7 November 1904, married 22 December 1922 in Ironton, Ohio, Sturgill Stewart, born 3 August 1903, son of Samuel Stewart, of Coalton, Kentucky. They reared one daughter, and three sons.
PAGE 112 -
3. Curtis Delong, born 9 May 1906, the third child, and the eldest son of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married Nora Honeycutt, born 12 April 1906 (FAG memorial has Apr 17, 1906), the daughter of Nathan & Lucretia (Delong) Honey cutt. Lucretia (Delong) Honeycutt was a daughter of Sampson & Alvina Margaret (Preece) Delong.
PAGE 113 -
4. Mitchel Delong, Sr. born 9 January 1909, Van Lear, Johnson County, Kentucky, the fourth (3rd) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, married #1 Lucy Collins. To this union was born one son. (Lucy died 1933, marriage #2 to Geneva Collins, they had 4 ch.)
PAGE 104 -
5. Ruby Delong born 24 January 1913, Van Lear, Johnson County, Ky. the fifth (4th) child of Ben & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (Ruby married), in Raceland, Kentucky, 6 June 1938 (the day she graduated, and the day her fiancé returned from over-seas) married Cleveland Boyd, born 14 February 1908, Meally, Kentucky, son of G. W. & Elizabeth (Hall) Boyd. Cleveland was a minister. They lived, until 1977, in a house they built on Music Branch, across the branch from Ruby’s parents. In 1978 they removed to Meally, Kentucky.
Cleve & Ruby, as long as their health permitted, spoke for and prosecuted the case James Delong Heirs VS Pocahontas Land Corporation, Martin County Coal, the Elk Horn Mining Company, The Bezack Brothers Mining Company, et al. They had taken over when Lee Delong died, and when they no longer could carry the burden Ova O. Delong assumed the responsibility. The one-hundred and some heirs owe them a great deal of gratitude for keeping the law suit alive.
PAGE 115 -
6. Wm F. “Bill Delong, born 30 January 1915, Nero, Kentucky, on John's Creek, Johnson County, the sixth (5th) child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong. (On) 2 March 1935, Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky, was united in marriage to Vergie Adkins, daughter of George & Harity (Music) Adkins. Bill was a miner until the coal industry went sour. He then took vocational training and later went into business for himself. Six children.
PAGE 117 -
7. Audrey Marie Delong born 6 February 1920, Van Lear, Johnson Co., Kentucky, the seventh (6th) and last child of Benjamin F. & Sarah (Sammons) Delong, baptized 1938, Philadelphia Church of Christ, on lower John's Creek, formerly Nero, Ky. (On the) 17 December 1941, Sprigg, WVA., married James Harvey Dearfield, born 25 May, 1920, Sprigg, WVa., son of Norman & Mary (Lunsford) Dearfield, baptized 16 May 1949, Philadelphia Church of Christ, Nero, Ky. (They had 3 ch.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DELONG, Ben
1873-1958
Services Monday At Johns Creek For Ben Delong
Ben Delong, 85, died at his home at Johns Creek at 12:52 a.m., April 19, following an illness of five weeks. The son of William and Rebecca Alley Delong, he was born February 17, 1873, at Johns Creek and had been a lifelong resident of that community. He formerly worked as a miner and engaged in farming.
Survivors include his widow, Sarah Sammons Delong; Curtis, Mitchell, and Willie Delong, all of Van Lear; four daughters, Mrs. Minnie (sic Menzie) Hartman, Baltimore, Maryland; Mrs. Nancy Stewart, Huntington W. Va.; Mrs. Ruby Boyd, Cleveland O.; Mrs. Audrey Dearfield, Red Jacket W. Va.; three brothers, Dave Delong, Vanceburg, Alex Delong, Lancer; J. T. Delong, East Point, thirty-two grandchildren and twenty-eight great- grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted at 1:00 p.m., Monday, April 21, from the Philadelphia Church of Christ on Johns Creek with J. H. Short and S. C. Honeycutt as officiating ministers. Burial was in the Delong cemetery on Johns Creek.
[Paintsville Herald, Wednesday 4-23-1958]
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