Joel Church and Margaret Adams

Joel Church
and Margaret Adams

Joel Church b 1776 Wilkes NC d 11 Apr 1876 Spruce Pine, Buchanan, VA; buried Kelley Cemetery Compton Mountain, VA; s/o John Church and Female Stamper. Joel Church m. about 1802 Wilkes Co NC to Margaret Adams b about 1782 NC d about 1836 Buchanan Co VA; buried Ward Cemetery, Pilgrims Knob, Buchanan Co VA; d/o Jesse Adams and Female Green. Children of Joel Church and Margaret Adams;

1. Gabriel Church b 1802 Wilkesborough, Wilkes Co NC d 20 Nov 1875 Letcher Co KY; buried Joe Sturgill graveyard near Eolia, KY on a mountain top; m. 1825 VA to Jane Jenny Cooper b 1812 VA d after 1884 Letcher Co KY.

2. Emanuel William Church b about 1808 Wilksborough, Wilkes Co NC d 1928 Keysonte, McDowell WV; buried Poplar Springs Cemetery, Burke Mtn, Keystone, WV; m. about 1827 VA to Sarah W E Church b about 1810 VA; physical description, blind in old age.

3. Joel Church b 25 Dec 1814 Wilkes Co NC d 20 May 1886 Buchanan Co VA; buried Kelly Cemetery, Compton Mountain, Buchanan Co VA; m. 10 Feb 1837 Pike Co KY to Caroline Nancy Layne b about 1821 NC d 1916; d/o William Layne.

4. John Church b 1818 VA d before 1820

5. Mary Anna Church b about 1820 Wilkes Co NC d 1879; m. about 1841 Wise Co VA to David H Stidham b 1821 Ashe Co NC d 12 Apr 1891 Gladesville, Wise Co VA; s/o Adam Stidham and Abigail Osborne.

6. William Church b 1822 Wise Co VA d 25 Apr 1918 Carter Co KY

7. Elizabeth Church b 1824 Buchanan Co VA; m. John Wilson Wampler b 1816 Wise Co VA d 1904 Wise Co VA; buried Gray Cem., Wise Co VA; s/o George Wampler and Barbara Dancie Steffey.

8. Celia (Selia) Church b 1827 Buchanan Co VA d 15 Nov 1906 Letcher Co KY; m. 19 Mar 1844 Whitesburg, Letcher Co KY to Spencer Adams b 19 Feb 1826 Pine Creek, Floyd Co KY d 21 Mar 1905 Tillie, Letcher Co KY; s/o William Green Billy Grit Adams and Mary Ann Polly Adams.

9. Joseph Church b 15 Apr 1830 Lee, Wise Co VA d 16 Feb 1906 Burke Mountain, Wyoming, WV; buried Lusk Family Cemetery, Wyoming WV; m. about 1847 VA (divorced) to Martha Jane Smith. Joseph Church m. 19 Sept 1872 Pike Co KY (at the home of G D Dotson) (divorced) to Martha T McCoy b 1847 Springtown, Pike Co KY; d/o Pyrrus McCoy and Malinda Hunt. Martha T McCoy m. about 1875 VA to Albert Allen b about 1854 KY. Joseph Church m. 26 Sept 1886 Pike Co KY to Charlotte Lusk b 21 Apr 1855 Micaja Ridge, Wyoming, WV d 20 Sept 1938 Wyoming Co WV; buried Lusk Family Cemetery, Wyoming Co WV; d/o Floyd Lusk and Clarissa Lambert. Charlotte Lusk m. (divorced) to Doc Belcher. Doc Belcher m. 1881 VA to Christina Bell

10. Thomas Church b 1832 TN d 26 Oct 1863 Baltimore, Baltimore Co MD of chronic diarrhea as a prisoner of war in a Confederate prison; buried 29 Oct 1863 A-15 Confederate Lot, Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, MD; military service, Co C and E, 34th Battalion, VA Cavalry CSA, enlisted 10 Jul 1862 Dick's Creek; m. 21 Dec 1853 Tazewell Co VA to Margaret Mullins b about 1835 d before 1910 Buchanan Co VA; d/o William Bresh Mullins and Judea Osborne. Margaret Mullins m. 11 Aug 1869 Buchanan Co VA to William G Osborne b 1845 d after 1910 Buchanan Co VA. William G Osborne m. Margaret Church b 1835; d/o Joel Church and Caroline Nancy Layne.

Joel Church
and Carolina Hobbs

Joel Church b 1776 Wilkes, NC d 11 Apr 1876 Spruce Pine, Buchanan, VA; Burial: Kelley Cemetery Compton Mountain, VA; s/o John Church and Female Stamper. Joel Church m. about 1837 Wilkes Co NC to (2) Carolina Hobbs b 1814 in TN d 13 Jun 1862 Buchanan Co VA of measles; d/o Pleasant Hobbs and Sarah Unknown. Children of Joel Church and Carolina Hobbs;

1. Nancy Church b Mar 1838 VA d 1910 Buchanan Co VA; m. about 1860 to Moses Mullins b about 1834 Russell Co VA d 1918 Buchanan Co VA; buried Kelly Cemetery, Compton Mountain, Buchanan Co VA; s/o Ambrose Mullins Jr and Nancy Mullins. (Also See Ambrose Mullins and Nancy Mullins for parents of Moses Mullins)

2. Mills Church b 1840

3. Willa Church b 1840

4. George Church b about 1843 Tazewell Co VA

5. Millie Louise Church b 25 Dec 1844 Tazewell Co VA

6. Margaret Church b about 1845 Tazewell Co VA d 1910 Buchanan Co VA; m. 10 Nov 1859 VA to Adam Stidham b about 1841 Lee Co VA. Child of Adam Stidham and Margaret Church;

i. Cynthia Stidham b 16 Jun 1861 Gladeville, Wise Co VA d 15 May 1942 Fallsburg, Lawrence Co VA; m. Hirah Lambert

7. James Church b 1848 Tazewell Co VA

Buchanan Co VA Centennial History
By Hannibal Albert Compton

When Milton Ward came to Dismal that wild region was still a part of Tazewell County. No permanent settlers inhabited the valley then. Old Joel Church, with his good old wife, his rifle and his hounds, occupied a temporary cabin at the mouth of Sang Camp. Old Joel Church was a man of the woods, a trapper of minks and muskrats, and the most unerring bee hunter that ever roamed the woods. His wife died shortly after Milton Ward established his home on Dismal, and the old man wanted to bury her on Milton's land at the foot of Pilgrim's Knob. After obtaining the consent of the owner, Joel sewed her up in a bed-tick, hoisted her over the horn of his pack-saddle; and with the aid of Milton's slaves, buried her on the hill above Milton's house; thus, starting the cemetery at Pilgrim's Knob; where a goodly number of Milton's descendants are buried.