JESSE STAFFORD SR. DEATH CLAIMS AGED CITIZEN Jesse Stafford Dies at His Home Here May 9, 1935 Jesse Stafford, Sr., widely known and respected citizen of Johnson County died at his home here Thursday afternoon, May 9, 1935, " Uncle Jesse" as he was affectionately known by hundreds of friends and relatives both old and young had been ill but a short time previously, being remarkably healthy for a man of his years. He is survived by his wife George Ann Turner Stafford they had celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary here. Besides his widow he is survived by several sons and daughters. Funeral services were held in the Christian Church in Paintsville and burial was in the family cemetery at Staffordsville. The Obituary which tells of the life of this prominent citizen will be found on page 7 of this issue of the Herald. Paintsville Herald Thursday 5-16-1935
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Jesse Stafford, Sr. Considerably more than one hundred years ago, while the United States was still a young nation, fate and circumstances brought together two young people, a girl named Colista Knott who was born in New York State, and John Stafford, a Virginian. Both of good old pioneer stock, they were each fine young folk. The story as to how they met is not now to be repeated, but it was quite a romantic meeting and match as they became attached to each other and were married. To this union were born twelve children, of whom Jesse Stafford, later known to his many friends here in Paintsville and Johnson County as " Uncle Jess," was the youngest. As he had a son Jesse he was known also as Jesse Stafford, Sr. Born in 1848, while the gold rush was on to California, when Zachary Taylor was President, and while there were then only 27 states in our nation Jesse Stafford was a child when the country around Paintsville was much different than now. EH has been blessed with a long life and he had the opportunity to live while and when things were here practically as they were in the Revolutionary days, and he continued a very active and industrious life through the changing times and lived to witness astounding changes. His Father John Stafford lived in the vicinity of Paintsville long before Johnson County was organized and Jesse Stafford knew Paintsville as a tiny village in those days, yet lived to see a fine and modern little city. And during those years the work he did helped to make the country what it is today, and he sure did his part, as he was from youth a very active and energetic man. And the friends he made. Numbers and numbers of fine old pioneer settlers he knew, dealt with and loved and none of them were ever heard to say but what Jess's word was his bond and he was therefore highly respected and loved as a good citizen and an honest industrious man. His philosophy of life covered the facts that he believed in the people of this country; he believed in the future growth and development of the country from early in his life and he believed any young man who would be industrious and honest had as good a chance here as elsewhere and could make a living. He followed out this line of belief and action and steadfastly continued in the same until the very day of his death, which occurred at his home in Paintsville, Thursday, May 9, 1935. Jesse Stafford was a man of profound faith and conviction in respect to these and other fundamental principles of life and he fully believed in his opinions and convictions, although always expressing the belief that others ad equal right to their opinions. He expressed himself fortunate in two special factors in his life which eh always said meant his success and his salvation. One was that he met and married George Ann Turner on the 1st day of November 1868, and with whom he live in great felicity for more than 66 years. They never in that time spent an anniversary of their wedding day apart. The other great thing for which he was especially proud was the fact that about 60 years ago while still in his youth he joined the Christian Church. He was proud of the fact that he had what he thought to be the best people to live among a large family of children who he always loved and said were good to him, all inalterable Christian faith, and the best wife in the world, and growing and expanding opportunities to make a living. These things eh maintained were enough to make any man happy and to prepare him for heaven. So he grew up here, married here, worked here and lived here busy, active and happy until the very last hour of his life, for he was talking with friends and attending to business up to within two house of his death. He died peacefully on Thursday May 9, 1935, aged 85 years, four months and ten days, leaving those to mourn him his aged and much loved, and highly respected widow George Ann Stafford, who is of he same high order and holds the same high ideals of life as her husband who has gone before. In her hour of extremity and sorrow and irreparable loss, she is sustained by her unalterable and staunch faith that they will meet again. And she says may it be soon, God's will be done. The host of good friends gathered with hearts full of love bringing beautiful tokens of flowers and the funeral services were splendidly conducted by the good man his pastor, John Stambaugh. All the children were present excepting Mrs. Flora Swetnam, who is in New Mexico, and was not physically able to make the long trip and Mrs. Clara Stapleton, who lives in Idaho and the distance being too far to allow of her timely arrival. All the children are W. H. Stafford, Huntington, W. Va. , Harry G. Stafford, Jesse Stafford, Jr., and Ralph Stafford of Paintsville; Rosa Spradlin, Volga, Ky; Flora Swetnam of New Mexico.; Beatrice Grisby of Sardis, Ky.; Mollie Litman, Catlettsburg, Ky.; Clara Stapleton, Nez Perece, Idaho, Tow of the children, Louisa and Calista died when very young. Funeral services were held in the Christian Church of Paintsville and burial was in the family cemetery at Staffordsville. Paintsville Herald Thursday 5-16-1935
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